So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.
At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.
Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance,
let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
Galatians 6:9-10 MSG
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
At times my feelings and emotions run counter to what I know in my heart. This may happen to you too. I know that our God will provide for every need but I may feel a little anxious about one commitment or another. I know that my God is a healer but worry may set in with a negative doctor’s report. I know that God provides peace and calm in the midst of the storm when at times I want to scream at the winds. I have been working on getting better at aligning my emotions with what I know. I want my first response to be based on my knowledge of my Heavenly Father and His promises to His children. I am a child of the King. Peace, love and joy should be evident in my ways, my life and even my emotions. We can mature and deepen our trust in Him and align our “what we know” with what we feel.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. I Peter 1:5-9
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:6
It takes courage to imagine your life differently. I believe doing some things routinely over an extended amount of time creates well-worn furrows in our life journey. Sometimes the grooves are so deep and well-traveled we find it hard to cut another path. This is true even though you know it is time for change. I am thankful for God’s faithfulness to us that He loves us wherever we are and meets us there and creates the opportunity for moving forward. The Holy Spirit provides gentle whispers of His true desire for our lives of peace, health and joy. God desires for us to be in close relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. We thank God for His leading, His provision of strength, His provision of courage to be open to what lies ahead. We are thankful for His love for us that draws us closer to Him and His purpose for our lives. Our focus is to hear His voice and take one step at a time knowing that He is faithful to provide direction, protection and provision each step of the way.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT
Terri in Barcelona
I can stand strong today.
I know that the Lord is my Savior.
He is the strength in my stance.
He is the peace in my mind.
The faith in my heart gives me confidence.
I am not alone. I am well-able.
No matter what arises on the path ahead, I am not consumed.
I am a vessel full of His power.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; II Corinthians 4:5-7
We now have this light shining in our hearts,
but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.
This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
II Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? Mark 4:38-40
One of my favorite storytellers is Bailey White. She is a gifted Southern writer who speaks with a raspy distinctive voice. She told a story about living with her mother during a warm summer night in Georgia. Her mother often opted to sleep out of the porch during these hot nights to keep cool. This particular night while Bailey was sleeping she realized that a thunderstorm had arrived complete with high winds, lightening and rain. She jumped into action knowing that her mother had planned to sleep outside. When she reached the porch door she saw the storm’s fury with rain and wind. And then she saw her mother, who was lying motionless on the couch on the porch. She called her name as she feared that her mother was frozen in fear and unable to move in the midst of the high winds. As she approached her mother, she heard a familiar but perplexing sound, her mother’s snore. Her mother was not gripped with fear; instead, was sound asleep, complete with snoring, in the middle of the storm. She awakened her mother to let her know about the storm. At that point, the Mother reassured her daughter that it was just a storm that would pass.
It was a powerful reminder of the ability to be confident and peaceful even during the natural and figurative storms of our lives. No doubt her mother’s decades of living had nurtured her faith to realize that our lives have cycles of storms that both come and go. We can choose to be fearful or we can select a path of peace that is rooted in our firm belief that our Father is still in control and that he will never leave us nor forsake us. The familiar passage of scripture tells a similar story of the disciples crossing the lake to the other side when a storm arises that seems to threaten their lives. We have heard before about how the disciples awaken Jesus who was sound asleep in the bottom of the ship. He awakens and commands the waves to be still but also asks the Disciples about their faith. It is a compelling story about the ability to have peace, rest and faith during a storm. Whatever we are facing today, we can stand in faith that our God is in control, providing protection and grace to allow us to reach our destination safely.
Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11
He meets our needs daily. We can start the day with confidence that our God will guide our steps. We will commit a listening ear for His leading and a yielded spirit to where He is leading. We know that our “to do list” will not overtake us as we put Him first. When we seek Him first all the other aspects of our lives will fall into place. We are thankful for clarity in where to go, what to do and what to say. A clear vision will keep us from distractions and needless toiling.
We are approaching each day with gratitude. So many blessings sprinkle our lives and we are thankful. We will walk in peace. We will stand firm in faith. We will experience His love. He is so good, so kind and so gracious to be our Heavenly Father and we are thankful.
And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” Matthew 28:7 NLT
For many the Easter festivities have come and gone. We have attended Easter programs, worship services and even had special dinners with family and friends. I am so glad that the celebration of a risen Savior continues today. We can give God praise for the blessings that came with the Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. We thank Him for blessings of salvation, healing and deliverance that is available to each person that acknowledges and believes that Jesus Christ is Lord. I was so blessed to attend a program celebrating the Resurrection complete with children’s speeches and songs. One of the youngest participants had a simple but powerful message that “Jesus is Alive”. I thought to myself, what fitting words. Jesus is alive. We don’t have to look for Him in a tomb. He is alive and He is still providing the blessing of relationship with Him that brings healing, deliverance, peace and joy. We can continue to give praise that Jesus is alive from now into eternity.
So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it. I Thessalonians 5:11 MSG
An encouraged heart gives me the motivation to keep moving and to keep pressing toward the mark. We each need to guard our hearts from discouragement. The enemy uses it to allow doubt and weariness to settle in our minds. We can be assured that we have the hope and promise of Jesus Christ. His grace and His love bring the gift of now. We can move together in victory. Constantly, being a source of encouragement for one another. Building each other up with words of faith, words of encouragement and messages of “you can make it and I am here to help”. Nurture encouragement in your heart and of those who cross your path. Use your influence to build each other up. We can work hard to make sure that no one is left behind. Encouraged hearts empower us to keep moving forward together in victory. Encourage one another.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
The Lord provides strength.
He renews my spirit.
He provides peace for my soul.
I can keep pressing with an encouraged heart.
He is my Savior.
He is my Provider and Healer.
In Him, I can put my trust.
As I move through today, He is empowering my journey and I am thankful.
God’s name is a place of protection—good people can run there and be safe. Proverbs 18:10
Terri's Wellspring 