Category Archives: God’s Provision for our needs

Sep20

On We Go!

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Go Forward

 

 

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 
Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water 
so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”
Exodus 14:15 – 16 (NIV)
 

Is God telling you to “move on” today? Is there something you have been praying about, and you sense that God has told you to move in a direction that seems humanly impossible? You can always be sure that if God leads you to it, He will lead you through it.  If you listen carefully to your Heavenly Father’s divine directives and follow His guidance, He can turn dead ends into miraculous detours.

With mountains on one side and the red sea at their backs, the Israelites felt trapped as Pharaoh’s pursuing army closed in on them.  There was no obvious route for their escape, and the people were terrified. But God told Moses to stop crying out to Him and start moving…into the direction of the Red Sea!  The people had no idea that God would part the sea for them to cross on dry land.  As God’s chosen leader, Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14: 13)  Moses had just witnessed God’s incredible deliverance of the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt, and he had faith that God would again protect His children and provide a way of escape from the approaching army. Moses obeyed God’s command, raised his staff, stretched out his hand over the sea, and watched the miracle unfold before his eyes as the sea parted and made a way of escape for God’s children.

So there comes a time when we need to stop praying and start doing. If Moses had doubted God’s directives and continued praying for another answer, the Israelites might have been doomed. Often we refrain from doing whatever God is calling us to do because we are fearful and we doubt our abilities.  But even in your most desperate situations, you can be sure that God is whispering in your ear, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake( you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)  So with God by your side, you can have confidence to move on. Absolutely nothing is impossible for the God of all possibilities.  Never doubt His power nor His abilities.  His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His solutions are beyond our imagination. God’s greatest work is accomplished through our weaknesses.  When we are weak, He is strong, and in our weaknesses God can shine!  On we go!

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:14 (NLT)

Sep13

Trust the God of Limitless Possibilities

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All I have seen Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

“Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.”
Isaiah 40:28
 

Our finite human minds cannot begin to comprehend the infinite wisdom of God. We try to understand and explain God using our limited knowledge and language based on our earthly experiences, but the scope of God’s almighty and all-powerful attributes is beyond human comprehension. And probably the most difficult thing for us to grasp is that the Creator of all the earth ~ Who never grows weak or weary ~ cares for each of us personally. He is readily available 24/7 to hear our prayers and provide help, healing, comfort, provision, strength, courage or safety for His children.

Is there something you are dealing with that seems overwhelming – like you don’t have the power or wisdom to face it on your own? Turn to the God of Limitless Possibilities and ask Him for help.  He cares about every intimate detail of your life. Nothing is impossible ~ or too wonderful ~ for Him.

 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

“And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
 
“Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too hard or too wonderful for You— ” Jeremiah 32:17 (AMP)
Sep6

Strength that Endures the Unendurable

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good morning suwanee
 
“We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—
not the grim strength of gritting your teeth
but the glory-strength God gives.
It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy…”
Colossians 1:11 (MSG)
 

Are you enduring something today that seems “unendurable?”  Perhaps you are suffering through pain or heartbreak that feels unbearable, like you don’t have the stamina to take another step. Or maybe you are living through oppressive circumstances that seem impossible to tolerate, and you are completely depleted of your own energy.

The great news is that God gives “glory-strength” to His children, which allows us to endure the seemingly unendurable. The strength of the Lord will support you and carry you through your time of suffering. His divine power source gives you the inner fortitude to stick it out over the long haul, and it’s a source of energy that is readily available and constantly renewable.  Each one of God’s children has a direct pipeline to this heavenly power supply, so there will never be an energy crisis with God’s children!

The truly beautiful thing about the uplifting strength that God’ provides is that it spills over into joy. Once you tap into the glory-strength of God, you realize that with Him, you can endure anything! And that wonderful realization brings about a pure joy which bubbles up from inside and spills into all areas of your life. Your circumstances might not have changed one bit, but you have been infused with a glorious strength to endure the unendurable!

“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. ”
Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
Sep5

Get Up and Go!

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Get up and go
 
“While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you.  
So get up and go downstairs.
Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.'”
Acts 10:19 – 20 (NIV)

Has God given you a vision or dream for your life? Has He gently whispered His plans for your future? What are you doing about it right now?

Like Peter, God may be telling you to stop thinking about the vision and start doing something about it.  The Holy Spirit instructed Peter to “get up and go” without any hesitation, fear, doubt or second-guessing. Do you feel God nudging you into action today? Is it time to take the first step ~ or leap ~ toward making the dream a reality?

You can be confident that if God has given you the vision, He will give you the provision and wisdom to successfully bring it to fruition. If you feel inadequate to accomplish His plans, you can rest in God’s promise that where you have weaknesses, you are strong in the grace of Jesus. So take that first step and pray for supplies of divine strength and grace to fulfill His vision for your life.

Stop thinking…start doing….get up and go!

“Each time He said, ‘No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.’
Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am;
I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (TLB)
Aug24

Sometimes God Calms the Storm…

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Sometimes God calms the storm..

                                                                                                                                                                   (Quote by Leslie Gould ~ The Amish Nanny)

“He stilled the storm to a whisper;

    the waves of the sea were hushed.”

Psalm 107:29 (NIV)

When facing a storm in life, most of us prefer that God would simply speak and hush the storm to a whisper. But instead, “sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child…” And if you ever witness God’s unfathomable greatness in action during times of extreme distress, you gain a divinely deeper understanding of His limitless power and love than you would if He simply calmed the storm.  In turbulent times, your faith is stretched and expanded to new limits and you receive a marvelous insight: when hope in God is all you have left ~ that’s all you really need.  His grace, protection, and provision are sufficient to help you weather any tempestuous circumstances.

Lately it seems you can’t turn on the news without hearing about many terrible crises taking place around the world (or even in your own town).  The latest headlines consist of a multitude of “bad news” items including ~ natural disasters, viral epidemics, political unrest, terror threats, volatile conditions and horrific violence.  It might be that things in your life are going well, but when you hear the dreadful reports, you become engulfed with fear and anxiety .  If you find yourself suffering from a feeling of worry or despair over world events or your own life events, remember the words of Jesus, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33 (AMP)

So as His child, allow His words to penetrate your heart and give you perfect peace and confidence, so that you will be calm in the midst of any storm you face.

 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  James 1:2 – 3 (NIV)
 
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)
Apr16

God’s Help When We are Powerless to Help Ourselves

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IMG_4916

 
 
What a wonderful God we have—
He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the source of every mercy,
and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials.
And why does he do this?
So that when others are troubled,
needing our sympathy and encouragement,
we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4 (TLB)
 

“I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through…We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead. And he did help us and saved us from a terrible death; yes, and we expect him to do it again and again.”  2 Corinthians 1:8 – 10 (TLB)

Have you ever been in a perilous situation where you felt “crushed and overwhelmed,” where the circumstances were so dire that you feared you might not live through it, and you were powerless to help yourself?  It’s these types of extreme difficulties that drive us to our knees…because we have no where else to go.   At some point we come to the end of ourselves, and we have nothing left to cling to except God Himself.  During severe trials, our faith is stretched beyond the limits, and it emerges on the other side of the hardship much stronger and deeper than ever before.  When we experience such extraordinary suffering, we learn to rely not on our own strength or abilities for deliverance, but only on God.  We learn to set our hope on Him alone and trust that the One who raised the dead can surely save us too!

It is our precious Savior who says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”  He graciously speaks peace into troubled souls, calms our raging fears, comforts with His tender mercies, binds up the broken-hearted, heals the most painful wounds, strengthens the weak, and provides hope and joy during the heaviest of sorrows.  We must learn to put everything in the capable hands of our Heavenly Father who loves us and who alone can save us.

Jan20

Heavenly Hugs

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Beloved

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him,
for He shields him all day long,
and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”

Deuteronomy 33:12b (NIV)

Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him:

As a child of God, you are dearly loved and cherished by your Heavenly Father.  You are a treasure to Him, and in Him you can rest peacefully and securely.  He will never leave you alone, and His faithful love for you will never end.   No matter what your age, this is God’s promise to His beloved child,”Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4

He shields him all day long:

God is a shield of protection for His children.  In His protective care, we have nothing to fear.  “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 (NIV)   “But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Psalm 3:3 (NIV)

The one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders:

As a child you might have run into your father’s arms if you were hurt or afraid, or even when you were tired and sleepy. In his arms you felt safe and secure, as though nothing could happen to you in that place of refuge. You could lay your head between his shoulders an totally relax, seemingly without a care in the world.  If you are going through a difficult time right now, imagine your Heavenly Father holding you in His loving arms.  Relax in His divine embrace and feel His heavenly hug. ~ His beloved child rests securely between His shoulders:

  • If you are afraid, He calms your fears.
  • If you are in pain, He comforts you.
  • If you are sick, He heals you.
  • If you are heart-broken, He consoles you.
  • If you are in danger, He protects you.
  • If you are weary, He gives you rest.
  • If you are discouraged, He encourages you.
  • If you are weary, He gives you rest…

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Jesus  Matthew 11:28(NIV)

“…and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”  Deuteronomy 1:31

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11

Jan9

Anything is Possible

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“God can do anything, you know—

far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”

Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

When you think about your wildest dreams, what comes to mind?  Most of us never openly share our  wildest dreams with others because we feel they are too outrageous or too far fetched for anyone to take seriously.  Those types of dreams might seem humanly impossible with our limited resources and abilities, and no amount of creativity or ingenuity can allow us to visualize a strategy for those dreams to become a reality.

As a child of God, your Heavenly Father knows all about the dreams that are in your heart.  He created you as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, and He has special plans specifically for your life.  The dreams you have might be there because of the unique purpose He has in mind ~ especially for you ~ that no one else can fulfill.  Share your deepest desires with your Heavenly Father, and it’s possible that He plans to fulfill those dreams in ways that are beyond anything you could ever imagine or guess or request…in your wildest dreams!  An experience like that will grow your faith exponentially, like nothing else can.  The depth and breadth of your belief and trust in God will be stretched beyond limits, because you will truly realize that, “Nothing is impossible with God.”  (Luke 1:37 NIV)

It’s possible that your wildest dream might involve a divine miracle.  Perhaps you or your loved one have received a diagnosis of a condition or disease for which there is no cure, and the prognosis seems bleak.  Or perhaps you are facing a mountain of debt that might seem impossible to overcome.  It could be that you are in a marriage that seems doomed, or you have a broken relationship with your son, daughter or parent.  Your problem could involve a compulsive addiction for which you feel powerless to overcome.  Even though these types of situations seem humanly hopeless, we should never lose hope when we place all our cares in the capable, miracle-making hands of our Heavenly Father.   Trust in and cling to the hope infused words of our Savior: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'” (Mark 10:27 NIV)

So what are your wildest dreams?  Your Heavenly Father is waiting to fulfill them, because NOTHING is impossible with Him!

Jan5

Get Going!

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Paper Kite Pre~flight

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

What sort of things drive you, motivate you and and inspire you?  Is there something that you keep thinking about that one day or some day, when all the conditions are right, you will begin to do.  How many times have you used the phrase, “If only….”  or “I would like to do this, BUT….”  Perhaps God has placed a calling upon your heart, but you allow a continual stream of excuses to flood your thoughts and drown out His voice.  You can easily enumerate a list of personal limitations and excuses that would keep you from fulfilling His calling or achieving a certain goal.

When God met with Moses at the burning bush, Moses had several objections to God’s calling.  Why are you asking ME to lead the people out of Egypt?  What if they don’t believe me?  God patiently responded to each of his questions, yet Moses raised another objection to God: “Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.”  God said, “And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn’t it I, God? SO, GET GOING. I’ll be right there with you—with your mouth! I’ll be right there to teach you what to say.”  Exodus 4:10 – 12 (MSG)

So what is it that God is motivating you to do?  Perhaps He hasn’t met with you at a burning bush, but in your heart you know there is a still small voice wooing you in a certain direction.  And even though He’s not asking you to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt, He might be leading you into some sort of ministry, or it could be that He is directing you to start a business, leave your current job for something better, go back to school, foster a child, become a stay-at-home mom, go on a mission trip, help out at a food pantry, teach a class, play a sport, coach a team, lead a Bible study, minister to unwed mothers, or volunteer at a local school.  Who knows how God might use you to fulfill His purpose for your life?  An activity that might seem “secular” could turn out to be the very way God wants to use your life to minister to others in your community.

So what’s holding you back?  What’s your excuse?  As a child of God, He promises that you will lack nothing:

  “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack NOTHING.” Psalm 23:1  

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 9:8

If you are in God’s will for your life, doing the very thing He has created you to do, you can rest assured that He will provide the resources you need to accomplish your task.  God will be right beside you every step of the way, teaching you, guiding you, supporting you, providing for you, and strengthening you!  Don’t allow self-doubt or excuses to hold you back.  You can do anything with God’s help! Get Going!

Dec30

Yet I Will Rejoice

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Cardinal in snow crop“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails and the fields produce not food,

 though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

YET I WILL REJOICE IN GOD MY SAVIOR.  

 The sovereign Lord is my strength;

He makes my feet like the feet of the deer, He enables me to go on the heights.”  

Habakkuk 3:17 – 19 (NIV)

The verse above describes some very bleak circumstances:  starvation, desolation and loss.  Perhaps you are experiencing difficult times in your life:  Job loss? Financial struggles? Illness? Heartache? Or the loss of a loved one?  When everything around you is going wrong and the burdens you face seem to be more than you can bear ~ even when all is lost ~ God is still there!

What should our response be when we experience hardship or trials?  Some of us might begin to question why a just God would allow bad things to happen to His children.  Why does an all-powerful God ~ who can do anything ~ not prevent tragic events from impacting our lives? We might begin to doubt Him, and our faith might waiver during difficult times. Yet Habakkuk proclaims that even during devastating circumstances, he will still rejoice in his Savior and have faith in God’s ability to strengthen him.

At some point in time, we all experience difficulties in life.  Jesus Himself told us, “…In this world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33 NIV)  He knew that our lives would not always be easy.  But the conclusion of that verse gives up great hope, “…But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  So even though the world will bring us trouble, our Savior has overcome the world!   

If the circumstances of your life seem to be constantly churning with tumultuous changes, “take heart” and place your hope firmly in the unchanging Lord of your life. Rejoice in this truth:  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)  Trust in the eternal love, mercy, grace, and goodness of God, and realize that your “faith muscle” is being strengthened during times of adversity.  Don’t allow your attitude to be dictated by your circumstances, but rather find joy ~ and your strength to keep going ~ in Jesus Christ. Perhaps God has a better opportunity for you on the other side of this hardship, but you have to have faith in Him to see you through the dark valley.  So when your life appears to be crumbling to pieces all around you, rejoice in the fact that Christ is your firm and solid foundation.  “He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.”  (Psalm 62:2 NIV)