I was hoping to go in order, but The Bible Project has not yet released Joshua or Judges. So I have skipped to Ruth. Blessings to you and may you hide the word of the Lord in your heart to guide you, secure you, and bring you peace in the storms. All my love ❤
“Be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you;
do not turn from it to the right or to the left,
that you may be successful wherever you go.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips;
meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
~ Joshua 1:7-9 ~
❤ All my love and may His presence resonate in the depths of your heart and soul, bringing you peace midst the storm. ❤
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Have 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
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them,
for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
It has been a while since I have had some time to sit and enjoy the pleasure of writing! Somehow life just gets busy and time escapes me. Nonetheless, God has blessed me with some time to touch base and share a beautiful song from Newsboys! May this be the mantra of every Christian and may the movement of Christ bring hope and light to a world filled with despair and darkness.
All my love ❤
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
~ John 10:10 ~
YOLO! Yep, that’s right You Only Live ONCE!! What are you doing with the life that God has so richly blessed you with? Are you looking at all the bad in life and letting it bring you down, or are you choosing to see the rainbow midst the storms? Do you let the world drown you with its waves of chaos and despair, or do you call upon the One True God that can cause you to walk on the water? Do you sit on the throne of selfishness and greed, or do you humble yourself in the joy of giving and loving?
Life indeed throws us turbulence and turmoil frequently, and we often have exceedingly difficult choices to make, but we as Christians know that there is more than the insanity this world offers us, and we assuredly know that all the choices we make have lingering consequences both here and now that echo into the eternity to come! When the Lord leads your life, there is hope, there is freedom, there is mercy, there is light, and there is overwhelming love!
Yes, there will be sad times, times of anger and pain, and times where the mind is downcast, but Psalm 126:5 states, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” God is true, just, and holy, and all that he allows to occur while we walk the face of this fragile world are to mold and shape us into the righteousness of Christ! He fulfills his promises of joy, peace and comfort daily….all you need do is trust and lean on him!
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.
~ Proverbs 3:1-8 ~
No matter what you face, no matter how big the storm, no matter how hindering the mountain…God has you! He is in control and he will bring joy each and every day! Choose to praise despite the chaos. Choose to see the beauty and blessings of life instead of dwelling on the disparity and ugliness. What you choose will bring you life or it will destroy your life!
Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will never be moved.”
O LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;
You hid Your face, I was dismayed.
To You, O LORD, I called,
And to the Lord I made supplication:
“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?
“Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
~ Psalm 30:4-12 ~
Be the light of God’s love and the beacon of eternal hope to a desperate and hurting people! Choose to LIVE and live FULLY. Choose to LOVE and love DEEPLY. Choose to HOPE and hope ENDLESSLY. Choose to REJOICE and rejoice with SINGING. Choose to SERVE and serve HUMBLY.
May God grant you joy every morning and hope each day! May he bring you peace beyond measure and shower you with love overflowing! May your heart and mind always be set in eternity and not the here and now, and may you find the strength and courage of Christ to help you through the trials and persecution.
All my love!
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s and he will give all of you into our hands.” ~ 1 Samuel 17:45-47
We all have giants we have to face, whether we want to or not! Perhaps your giant is a person that mistreats you or an addiction that consumes you. Maybe your giant is pride or selfishness. Whatever your giant, it is never bigger than the LORD! He has already overcome, and the good news is……he always wins and will win in the end! You are victorious through the power and might of the Lord God!
Never forget who you are through the blood of Christ! An heir in the victory! A child protected and provided for by the Almighty!
May your giants be struck down in the name of Jesus!
All my love
As another crazy, yet blessed year comes to a close, I find myself glancing back at what I have accomplished, how far I have come, and how much I have grown. I think it is truly amazing how God uses all things to bring growth and glory in my life, and in the lives of all his children (including you!).
This past year, like so many before it, has seen its share of pain and anguish: the death of my father, my uncle, and a close friend, family chaos and fighting (which often sadly occurs when death comes), broken relationship and a shattered heart, an unexpected move, and financial strain. Yet, oddly enough, this year brought beauty, healing, love, and provision through it all.
You see, despite the pain and suffering, God was in it all, working his will, his plan, his glory through all of it. Pain and suffering is a normal part of life and an integral part of spiritual growth.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
Hebrews 5:5-8 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”; just as He says also in another passage, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
Jesus Christ Himself was not exempt from the pain and suffering of this world. Pain and suffering in your life is one way that God prunes you, building you up and making you stronger. Much like a great work out at the gym, there is often pain afterward (even during the workout as you push yourself), but the results are wonderful in the long run if you keep working out and building up muscles that increase your strength. Another example is the olive tree. A farmer must cut (or prune) the branches back in order for the tree to produce a more abundant crop the next season. If it is not pruned, it grows unkempt, producing less fruit, and therefore yielding less profit for the farmer.
John 15:1-3 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
You and I are the branches on the tree of life, and if we are not pruned, we tend to not bear the fruit of righteousness, purity, or holiness. We become weak, wild, and unkempt, losing sight of what we are here for–to produce fruit that brings honor and glory to the Lord, bringing others into his kingdom, showing the light of God for all to see.
Pain and suffering in this life are also motivators for growth. When you get stuck in the mundane routines of life–work, family, home, friends, etc., it is easy to get comfortable and not change or stretch outside of your comfort zone. Going back to the workout example, if you keep doing the same exercise routine day in and day out, you will see results, but eventually they will plateau and your workout routine will be only for maintaining, rather than continued strengthening. Even weight loss will fade if the workout routine stays the same. You have to change things up to see continued results, to build more muscle mass, to thin out more, and to tone consistently.
Spiritual growth is similar. If church and scripture become mundane routines, the same thing day in and day out, you will get stuck, your spiritual growth will plateau. God wants your spiritual growth to excel, to continue to grow each and every day. This means that you have to be forced out of your comfort zone sometimes, and often the only way to get you to do that is through pain and suffering. When life is grand, going smoothly, and you have no worries or stress, God tends to be put on the back seat. Ever notice that your prayer life and devotional time picks up a great deal when there is pain, suffering, trials, or tribulations in your life. That is because during those times, your reliance on God is stronger and more evident. You can’t fix things, make them better, or change them, and thus you seek God, seek His will, His discernment and wisdom to handle all that you are facing. You may even reach out to others in your community–church, work, home, neighborhood–for help and guidance.
Often during the most painful times in our lives, we are forced to take responsibility for our failures and learn how to adapt and change so as to not make the same mistakes next time. Other times, we are confronted with requests that take us out of our cushy comfortable place to become a witness and light for God. It may be that you are asked to forgive someone who has hurt or betrayed you. Perhaps you are being called to share your pain with someone in order to show the glory of God as he brings you through it. Maybe the pain in your life is building perseverance, patience, or other spiritual fruits in your own life. Whatever it may by, God is using the pain and suffering to motivate change and growth in your life.
James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 5:11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Romans 5:3-5 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ
Though I faced my share of pain and suffering in 2014, I can look back on each and every moment and see God’s mighty hand at work through the entire event. Through the deaths that came into my life, I was able to find courage and strength to do what was right midst the chaos and family fighting. Though my heart was broken and a relationship ruined, I was given comfort and wisdom midst the storm, making a few of the toughest decisions of my life, which ultimately brought peace to me and my son. Even through the financial difficulties, God changed my view of budgeting, helping me save more than I have before. In the moments of pain and suffering, I didn’t always see his mighty hand at work, but looking back on the year, it is evident he was with me, guiding, building, refining, and growing me into the woman of God he designed.
So, my friends, fret not when you are facing pain, trials, tribulations, or suffering, for in time, God will produce an abundance of fruit, helping you change the old patterns of life, enabling you to grow spiritually! With that said, I look forward to another year and what may come–the good, the bad, and the ugly! Bring it on, for with God, we can all rest assured that good will come, hope will be renewed, and the future will be bright.
Jeremiah 29:11 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.
God bless and keep you in the coming year and always! May you rejoice midst the pain and suffering, knowing that God is working all things for your good! He is with you always and forever, and will never leave you nor forsake you, providing all you need to face all that comes your way.
In Christ’s Love ❤
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
It is then good for nothing
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but instead put it on a lamp stand,
and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men,
That they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in Heaven.
~ Matthew 5:13-16 ~
Use Me Oh Lord
Longing to be with You Lord
Resting in the peace only You can provide
Holding on to the joy that comes even amidst the tears
Finding comfort in this time of confusion
You, oh Lord, hold me in the palm of Your mighty hand
Building me up and revealing Your truths
Refining me into something new
Bringing beauty from ashes and healing from the pain
I want to share who You are
Be a beacon for those around me
Touching lives of the abused, battered, and torn
Those who feel unworthy of Your love oh Lord
Show them thee extent of Your grace
The limitless mercy to which they can cling
Shower them with love never-ending
Give peace beyond what can be imagined
You, oh Lord are the passion that comes from within
I pray You consume hearts like a fire
Reveal the truth of Your word
Ignite feelings never felt before
Be a light in me, oh Lord, for the hearts of the lost
May the words I speak come only from You
Give me gentleness that resonates in the lives of others
Let Your love flow through me and into them
If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above
where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above,
not on things on earth.
~ Colossians 3:1-2
Strength of My Heart
The nightmares continue
Streams of attacks from Satan to deter
Seeking to destroy
To take my eyes off the prize
Trying to overwhelm me with the here and now
Stealing hope and joy
Opening illusions before me that I will fail
Persecution comes like a crushing wave
Yet tied to God I remain
I refuse to let go
To give up the peace for which I have fought so hard
Lord, focus my mind and heart on things to come
Looking forward to what God has in store
Satan has no power or control here
Earth has nothing I desire besides You oh Lord
My flesh and my heart may fail
But God is the strength of my heart
My portion forever
attackofthecute.com
There are times in this life when no matter what you do, no matter how honest or sincere you are, and no matter how fair or just you attempt to be, there will always be those who are unhappy with what you do. Some will just argue and complain about what you do. Others will attempt to make you out as a liar for their gain, while others will seek to devour you.
The world and those absorbed by it continually seek to destroy the good that exists, the hearts that are aligned with Christ and seek what is good, true, and noble. As I was praying this morning, God brought the story of Daniel and the lion’s den to my mind. I began reading Daniel chapter 6. Here stood a man, captured and enslaved by King Darius. But Daniel stood true to his walk in devotion to God, praying and seeking Him daily. Because of Daniel’s devotion to God, the light and spirit of God shone in him and over time Daniel, this prisoner of war so to speak, became “distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps….and the king planned to set him over all the kingdom.”
Daniel was doing only what God had set him to do, but because others wanted what he had, they sought to destroy him. Daniel had done nothing wrong to them, he had not deceived them, he had not betrayed them, but rather had done what is good and right in the eyes of God.
Through an elaborate scheme his enemies coerced the king into signing a decree that would ultimately land Daniel in the den of lions!
Had Daniel done anything wrong? No! Had he wished harm on those who hated and sought to destroy him? No! The beauty of this story lies in the saving, protecting grace of God.
Daniel was indeed thrown into the lion’s den overnight, but much to the chagrin of his despisers, Daniel was not devoured by the lions, but was found unharmed and untouched when morning came.
ddclaywriter.wordpress.com
I am ever so thankful that I serve a God who can protect and shield His children from the evil plans of those who stand against them, and I stand amazed at how He continually reminds me that He is with me. In the words of King Darius himself, “He delivers and rescues; He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, He who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”
Lord I pray for all who face persecution and hatred, for all those placed in the proverbial lion’s den, to be delivered and rescued by You Father. I pray for safety, for Your protection to surround them, and Your shield to protect them.
Thank You lord for always being there!
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