Feb21

A New Perspective

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The Lord helps the fallen

and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.

Psalm 145:14 (NLT)

As I awaited departure for my flight home, I worried that my trip would be delayed or cancelled due to the ominous appearance of the brewing winter storm.  The dark, billowing clouds matched my dreary mood.  Thankfully, the flight took off as scheduled, and we ascended through the turbulent mass of clouds.  For a while, I saw nothing out of my window seat view except gray wisps of thick foggy vapor mixed with icy rain droplets streaking across my window.  As the plane punched through the cloud ceiling and reached its cruising altitude, I was blinded by the glorious light of the setting sun.  My spirit instantly brightened, and it amazed me to think about the stark contrast of this majestic site above the cloud canopy, compared to the gloomy conditions below.

This experience reminded me of how often we allow burdensome circumstances in life to weigh us down and make us feel that we are “bent beneath our loads.”   Our outlook is gloomy because we only focus on the worrisome details of our lives, and we lose sight of the fact that the Son is up above us watching over every moment of our day.  He cares about our burdens and wants to lift us up and give us a new perspective.

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears.  He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under His feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His canopy around Him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.  Out of the brightness of His presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”  2 Samuel 22:7,10-13,17

Your distress might be in the form of financial struggles, a health crisis, career concerns, parenting issues, addiction battles or relationship strife.  But regardless of what load you are carrying, it can be overwhelming.  God listens to each whispered prayer, and your cry for help reaches His ears –He loves you and He wants to help.  He will lift up those bent beneath their load.  He doesn’t always completely remove the burden, but by lifting your focus from doom and gloom to His majestic glory, your soul is strengthened, and you will have renewed stamina to keep moving forward.

“…the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.”

Psalm 146:8 (NIV)

Feb14

Love Never Fails

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And so faith, hope, love remain
[faith—conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things;
hope—joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation;
love—true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us],
these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (AMP)
 
 

LOVE

is patient.
is kind.
does not envy.
does not boast.
is not proud.
does not dishonor others.
is not self-seeking.
is not easily angered.
keeps no record of wrongs.
does not delight in evil.
rejoices with the truth.
always protects.
always trusts.
always hopes.
always perseveres.
never fails.
(1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8a)
 

Love never gives up.  It is kind and puts others first.  Love is not jealous or envious and doesn’t brag or boast.  It doesn’t force itself on others, nor fly off the handle. Love doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, and always takes pleasure in the truth.  Love always protects and trusts.  It always looks for the best in others and never looks back. Love keeps going to the end.  Love never ends.
 
“Whoever does not love, does not know God, because                             

God…is love.”

 (1 John 4:8)

Feb13

Are You Listening?

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God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;

He does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’

and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’  

Job 37:5-6 (NIV)

“…Are you listening?

                              Have you noticed all this?

                                                                   Stop in your tracks!

                                                                                             Take in God’s miracle-wonders!

Do you have any idea how God does it all, how He makes bright lightning from dark storms, how He piles up the cumulus clouds—all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind?”  Job 37:14-16 (MSG)

Nothing can compare to God.  By spending time observing the majestic scenes and intricate details of God’s creation, we are reminded of His awesome power in every aspect of our lives.   Life always creates more questions than we have answers, and we must continually turn to Our Heavenly Father for answers, guidance and fresh insights.  When He speaks, we must be ready to hear His message.

Take a moment to “stop in your tracks,” find a quiet place and listen to the marvelous voice of God.

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

Jan18

God’s Infinite Love

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“May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love;
and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should,
how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is;
and to experience this love for yourselves,
though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it.”
Ephesians 3:17 – 18 (TLB)
 

The Lord’s faithful, unfathomable love is from forever-ago to forever-from-now for those who honor him.  He loved you before the beginning of time and will continue to love you into eternity.  His love for you is deeper than any dark valley you might be trudging through and higher than any mountain that you might be facing.  As far as the sunrise is from the sunset, His love is greater!  It is ever and always, eternally present with His children…even if you’ve made mistakes.  

“How great is God’s love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth!”  
Psalm 103:11(CEV)  

 So let your roots go down deep into the rich soil of God’s marvelous love.  Embrace the idea that His unconditional love for you is so great that you will never see the end of it, no matter what – His love will never fail!  May you be able to feel, experience and understand how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love for you really is. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’”
Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
 
Jan13

Say it Forward

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good morning suwanee

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,

but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers.

Ephesians 4:29 KJV

Words are powerful.  The right words spoken at the right time can bring about a glorious sunrise in someone’s soul.  You never know when one encouraging comment can set someone’s life back on course and turn them in the direction of God’s destiny for their future…or even their eternity!    Positive words are powerfully uplifting, while negative, corrupt words are powerfully destructive.   Do your words “minister grace” to those with whom you communicate?

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.  Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)

King Solomon, perhaps the wisest man who ever lived, said this about our words, “What you say can mean life or death.  Those who speak with care will be rewarded.” Proverbs 18:21 (NCV)  “The tongue has the power of life and death…”  Proverbs 18:21a(NIV)  Anything that has the power of life or death is serious business!  Allow this truth to penetrate your mind and heart, and realize that careless words spoken in moments of frustration or anger can have devastating effects.  Encouraging, uplifting and inspiring words can have the effect of a refreshing rain shower on a drought stricken land. 

Thoughtless words cut deeply like a thrusting sword, but the speech of the wise is a healing balm.  

Proverbs 12:18 (VOICE)

Try this “word edification experiment” today:  Focus on your communication with others, and only allow yourself to speak words that will build up and bless those around you.  Consider this a day in which you are a “minister of grace” to all who hear you speak…your spouse, children, co-workers, store clerks, waiters, receptionists, bank tellers, and anyone else with whom you might come in contact.  If you are a teacher, coach, parent, manager, boss, minister, team captain, or any other kind of leader, you are in a unique position to inspire those individuals whom you lead.   For some of us this experiment may be extremely challenging, but at the end of the day take note, not only of how you feel inside, but also your perception of how others responded to your edifying words.  Similar to the “Pay it Forward” project in which one good deed for another can start a ripple effect of kindness around the world, this “Say it Forward” project could start a ripple effect of encouragement and inspiration around your community and beyond. (Imagine if our world leaders became part of this movement?!)  Your kind, uplifting words to another might prompt them to speak kind words to someone else, and so on.  If enough people embrace this experiment, we could witness the transformational power of grace in exponential proportions!  

Remember, “What you say can mean life or death.  Those who speak with care will be rewarded.”  Let your words be a blessing to others.  Not only will you build them up, but you will also be rewarded in ways you could never imagine.  So get started with this “word edification experiment” and Say it Forward…

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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“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!

Jan1

A Fresh Start

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New Year

Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 NIV

As the New Year dawns, many of us make a noble list of New Year’s Resolutions.  A brand new year seems like a gift, a fresh start, a clean slate, a chance to turn the page to a new chapter in our lives.  We usually start out the month of January with grand intentions and high ambitions, but we find that we often lose that enthusiasm as the days and weeks click past.  Our list of resolutions gets buried under the stack of papers that we intended to organize, and we forget about all the things we resolved to do over the next 365 days.

The truth is that we should live each new day with resolve and intent.  God has given us a certain number of days to fulfill our life’s purposes, and we should ask Him to give us the grace to understand the important significance of each day (and each  moment) that we spend here on earth.  Some of us have more time than others, but none of us know the exact amount of time that we have left to complete our life’s mission. We should diligently pray for divine instruction concerning how to use our time throughout the days of our lives.  Thoughtful time management is an excellent art whether you’re a business professional, student, homemaker or retiree.  God models time management for us when we consider the account in Genesis 1 of His orderly creation of the universe; each day was filled with important tasks and accomplishments, and He even set aside time for rest. When you number your days to good purposes, according to God’s guidance, you will live wisely and your heart and mind will be inclined to achieving God’s mission for your life.

So instead of making a list on the first day of the new year of things you want to accomplish in the next 12 months, you should make a list as you begin each New Day.  It might be helpful to write your daily list on a calendar or in a notebook, so that you can look back over the year and see all the things that you and God have accomplished together. Live each New Day as though it were a gift of time, a new beginning, a fresh start, and a chance to fulfill God’s grand purpose.  If you order your days according to God’s plan, rather than your own desires, you will feel a divine sense of fulfillment each day of your life, and no moment will be wasted.

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:16

Dec31

Hour by Hour

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You are my God!
Hour by hour I place my days in Your hand…

Psalm 31:14b-15a (MSG)

How would our lives be different if we truly placed each hour of every day in the hand of our Heavenly Father?

By placing your life, hour by hour…moment by moment… in God’s hand, you allow Him to direct the path of your divine destiny.  Most of us wouldn’t think of heading out on an excursion to a place we’ve never been before without consulting a map or plugging the address into our GPS.  Similarly, our future is unknown territory; it’s a place we’ve never journeyed before.  There’s no better Navigator to consult concerning your future than the One who knew you before you were born and has all the days of your life written in His book…before one of them came to be!  “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  (Psalm 139:16)

Why is it so difficult for us to consult our Heavenly Father when mapping out the course of our days?  Perhaps our lives are so jam packed with activities that we don’t take the time to sit down and talk with Him about His plans for our schedule.  Or perhaps we don’t want to feel that we are handing over control to anyone else ~ what if His plans don’t line up with our plans?  Maybe it’s a fear of the unknown ~ what if God wants us to do something we are uncomfortable with?

Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that , “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (AMP)  So Jesus’ purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life, a life filled with purpose, a great and full life, a life of joy, life in its fullest measure. If Jesus’ purpose is for us to enjoy life and have it in abundance, why wouldn’t we want to turn over control to Him?

Do you feel that God has been leading you somewhere, and you are fearful to take a step in that direction?  Perhaps it’s out of your comfort zone, and you feel that you would never have the skills, resources, intelligence, confidence or abilities to accomplish what He is nudging you to do. I encourage you to take this challenge:  For the next 24 hours, consciously place EACH hour of your day in God’s hand.  Say this prayer at the top of every hour:  “You are my God!  Hour by hour I place my day in Your hand.” Trust that God has your best interest in mind and faithfully follow His lead in whatever you feel He is directing you to do.  Maybe He wants you to spend time reading His word and listening to His voice..or maybe He wants you to speak to a stranger… or take a meal to a family in need…or sign up for a class…or call a friend…or clean out a closet and take donations to a local charity…or perform a random act of kindness.   Perhaps this one day challenge will inspire you to do the same thing another day, or for an entire week, or month!  By then it will have become part of your life.  Who knows how this conscious act of  handing over each hour to Him might change the course of your life and lead you into your divine destiny.

Are you willing to take the “Hour by Hour” challenge with me?  I would love to hear about your experience!

‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’  Jeremiah 29:11