What I Know

24 09 2014

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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


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Being Still

2 07 2014

Tree of lifeBe still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
Psalm 46:10

Creating stillness in your life requires some effort. The world is intent on movement, speed and at a minimum a lot of busyness. All kinds of commitments pull on our time, our resources and our thinking. I imagine a place of stillness as a space where we are focused yet relaxed in the current moment of quietness. It is quiet space where your body and mind are at a state of rest, having full confidence in the God we serve. This is a place of peace, a place of trust and faith in our Father.


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By Faith

24 06 2014

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By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going.

By faith he lived in the land he had been promised as a stranger. He lived in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were coheirs of the same promise.   He was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.   Hebrews 11:7-10

Living fearlessly would not be the most accurate description of my life.  I have tended to walk lightly taking chances where risks could be calculated and minimized.  On some fronts it has served me well but it has also robbed me of some experiences that only come with “walk on water” faith.  I think about people in the Bible, who were called to do things that way out of their comfort zone.  A young teen named David who faced Goliath.  Moses who experienced a speech problem but spoke out on behalf of God’s people and Esther a Queen who risked it all to save her people.  These may seem like extreme examples or things that would definitely cause us to be out of our zone. But God calls us to live a life that puts our full trust in Him.  Our trust cannot wrapped in our capabilities, our resources or the people we love.  It has to be in Him.

What is God is calling us to do today by faith…

“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  Matthew 14:9


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Mustard Seed Faith

5 05 2014

seedling

 

You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. ”I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 NLT

 

God requires us to put our trust fully in Him. Filling our hearts and minds with His promises of love, protection and provision leaves no space for doubt to take root in our lives. Our scripture describes faith, even the size of a mustard seed as extremely powerful. A mustard seed is round, yellow and incredibly small. It is also hard and seemingly impenetrable. It is a solid seed and when planted it has almost immediate results that grow into a large plant. Our passage today is a reminder of the power within us if we choose to have faith. Through faith we can invest our confidence and expectation in God. We can plant our mustard seed faith and nurture its growth. We can give our faith room to grow and to thrive through meditating on His Word and surrounding ourselves with testimonies of His goodness. If we have solid faith, even on a small scale we can have powerful results.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17


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Surrounded By Faith

1 05 2014

Sun Rays

 

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.
Hebrew 11:1 Msg.

We are on a journey of faith. Each step of the way we are compelled to believe that we serve an all-powerful sovereign God. We serve a living God who is aware and cares about the issues of our lives. At times, we need to increase and stretch our faith in Him to provide for our needs. It is a time to surround ourselves with faith and to meditate on His promises: He provides salvation for those who believe in Jesus Christ, our Savior. He provides healing in response to believing prayer. He is a source of deliverance to our mind, body and soul. God loves us beyond measure. Our faith and confidence in God is a precious ingredient in pleasing service to Him. Our faith is to be nurtured and protected from unbelief and the negativity that may come to discourage us. Whatever we are facing, we can turn to Him. We can stand on His Word and remind ourselves of His unmerited favor and grace that has kept us thus far. We stand in faith with a deep knowing that He will never leave us alone and that there is no thing that can separate us from His love.

It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 Msg.


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Spring Cometh

19 03 2014

Yellow TulipsRejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Romans 12:12

We crave for warmer days after a persistent hard winter. Record snow falls and low temperatures for weeks at a time can start to weigh on your heart after a while. The winter season is a lesson of perseverance and resiliency when the days are dark and frigid. We have to remind ourselves that winter is in fact a season and that spring indeed will come. Our God is faithful and with each new day and sun rise, we are approaching closer and closer to spring. We have to keep hope in our hearts even if a March snow storm may come to dampen our outlook. We experience both natural and spiritual winters in our lives, when we must stay in the faith and remember that this too shall pass. Warmer days, peace and joy are ahead. It is time of staying in faith and to look for the signs of spring. The promise of spring keeps us grounded in hope and allows us to start planning and anticipating the next season. Even at the darkest hour we are closer than we think if we are steadfast and don’t lose heart. Stay in faith and nurture hope. Spring cometh.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Romans 12:11-12MSG


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He is Able

17 03 2014

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Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

 

We serve a God who created the earth and the heavens. He is powerful, loving and merciful. We are so thankful for the Gift of His Son Jesus Christ who allows us to be in relationship with Him. We may have prayers and petitions before the Lord. They may be needs and desires that we have no idea how they will be accomplished. Once we put our petitions before the Lord, we can have confidence that He has heard our cry and that He is working our prayers together for our good. You may be praying for things regarding healing, deliverance or salvation for those you love. You may be seeking transformation to take place in our hearts and minds so that we can reach our goals and to be used more of the Lord. Whatever you are seeking, our passage is a reminder that He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. What a blessing to see the work of His hands working in our lives. Better Health, better devotion and attention to our God –given assignments. He is well able do more than we can ask or think. His response will amaze us and we are thankful.

 

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church!

Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
Ephesians 3:20-21 MSG


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Mustard Seed Faith

12 03 2014

seedlingYou don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. ”I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20 NLT

God requires us to put our trust fully in Him. Filling our hearts and minds with His promises of love, protection and provision leaves no space for doubt to take root and to thrive. Our scripture describes faith, even the size of a mustard seed as extremely powerful. I have seen a mustard seed, which is round, yellow and incredibly small. It is also hard and seemingly impenetrable. It is solid. I think about the message of this passage concerning the capacity of the power within us. If we have solid faith, even on a small scale we can have powerful results.


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Resiliency

5 02 2014

Snow Covered TreeHave I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9 ESV

 

The power to rebound after a set-back requires courage and faith.  We need this level of constitution in our hearts and souls for everyday living.  The unexpected in our lives will at times bring events that are designed to make us feel defeated and discouraged… but God.   When we experience a set-back we may be tempted to stay where we are to nurse our wounds but know this is the time to get-up.  The Lord has given us the tools of hope, faith, courage and determination to stand up and try again when we experience failure. This is a time to muster more strength, more courage and more faith for our relationships, our health, our ministry and our work.  We may have missed the mark last time but recognize the God in us is bigger than the challenges that we face.  We are His children and we are called to be strong and courageous.  God loves us and He helps us to learn, grow and mature into our purpose.  God is working every detail in our lives together for our good.  This promise and assurance gives us the stamina to get up and start again.

 

 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28


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Staying in Faith

14 01 2014

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Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 New Living Translation

You may be in a season where situations of what you see and hear seem so contrary to the desires for our lives. Brokenness in relationships, finances, jobs and health seem so common place. As believers we are compelled to stay in faith. It is easy to say our trust is in the Lord, when everything is moving along fine. The challenge comes when we appear to be troubled on every side. Is our first response to recall the promises of God? Do we remember that He will supply our needs, or that He will keep us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him? Do we remember that He said that He would rebuke the devourer for our sakes? Do we walk in the knowledge that He is God and He is in Control? I am working on basing my first response on His word. Staying in faith He provides the strength, courage and peace that we need. He is faithful to be with us every step of the way. We give Him the Honor and the Glory for each blessing.


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