The Lord Hears YOU!

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 5:3

Life is a journey. A journey through the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. In the midst of fear and among the constant threat of death, David continued to sing and glorify the Lord. This was not because he saw the end to the storm, and at many times did not see a way out of the darkness that surrounded him. No, he sang and glorified the Lord for he knew that the Lord would sustain him, uphold him in his right hand, protect him when he was vulnerable, fill him when he was hungry, and guide him when he was lost. He praised God because he trusted God to keep hold of him through the storm and bring him out with life and love abounding!

Wherever you are today, I challenge you to seek God, listen to his voice, and praise him even when you don’t feel like it. Despite the circumstances, God is leading you to a future filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11). He is with you now and will be with you always, a light to your path, leading you to mercy, grace, forgiveness, healing, and righteousness. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you (James 4:7-8, Hebrews 10:22-25). Be still and know he is God and praise him continually (Psalm 46:10, Hebrews 13:15).

Rest my friends in the peace that is beyond understanding and walk in the light, especially when darkness surrounds, for there is where God will meet you! Blessings and love as you continue your journey with God! ❤

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:1-8

Be Blessed

He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
~ Isaiah 40:29-31

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
~ Galatians 6:9-10

Be Blessed

Life can be tiring
Draining and void of energy
May you not give up
Do good while you have the opportunity
Appreciation is not your reward
For that is only temporary
Thanks and good gestures
That last but for a moment
Eternal reward is what you seek
Your heart’s deepest desire
Hold tight the God’s strength
Run the race
But do not tire
Though life takes more than you can give
Enjoy every chance to live
Find rest in the shadow of His wings
Live in love and grace
Be kind
Be generous
Be patient
Be joyful
Be loving
Be gentle
Be honest
Be sincere
Be hopeful
Be grateful
Be blessed

Trust in the Lord~Your Refuge, Your Strength

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.
~ Psalm 52:8

He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold;
I shall not be shaken. In God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.
~ Psalm 62:6-8

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.
~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Go With God

Trust in the Lord
Accept His promises
Head His word
Acknowledge His ways
Embrace God’s blessings
Know that He is God
Rest in His love unending
Practice grace and mercy

Depending on God *Jesus Calling

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’
~ Deuteronomy 33:27

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~ Romans 8:38-39

My daily devotional today was inspiring, so I figured I would share the blessing!

From Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence

January 21
I WANT YOU TO BE ALL MINE. I am weaning you from other dependencies. Your security rests in Me alone–not in other people, not in circumstances. Depending only on Me may feel like walking on a tightrope, but there is a safety net underneath: the everlasting arms. So don’t be afraid of falling. Instead, look ahead to Me. I am always before you, beckoning you on–one step at a time. Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate you from My loving presence.

Run the Race! ~ Lauren Daigle (Trust In You)

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

As I continually embark on life’s journey, there are always hills and mountains that hinder me. There are valleys that bring me low and rivers so wide I feel I will drown if I even attempt to move! Each and every day brings challenges that are beyond my control and most assuredly, well beyond my strength! I know that scripture says that God does not give me more than I can handle, but truth is he does that all the time (1 Corinthians 10:13). However, he never gives me anything I can’t handle with HIM at my side.

There are mountains I can’t climb, but He carries me over them every time. There are rivers I will certainly drown in if I try to swim across, but He sends His boat to carry me across. There are valleys that bring me to a state of despair, but He continually encourages me, reminding me that He is on the other side waiting with open arms! There are temptations that my flesh desires greatly, but as always, He is there whispering words of love and grace, opening a door for my escape.

God is so good, and as I look back on my life and where the journey has taken me and brought me, I consistently see where God’s hand has steadied me and provided the rock on which I stand. He has guided me, strengthened me, encouraged me, and loved me through it all. He never promised life would be easy, but He promised to be with me through it all (Matthew 28:20, Deuteronomy 31:6-8).

“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered,
each to his own home, and to leave Me alone;
and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
“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.”
John 16:32-33

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

God is good, always has been, always will be! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5, Isaiah 26:4, Psalm 62:8).

Shadow of His Wing

Keep me as the apple of your eye,
keep me in the shadow of your wings.
~ Psalm 17:8

http://khollandsblog.wordpress.com/tag/the-shadow-of-his-wings/

Shadow of His Wing–A Psalm

The LORD is my refuge and strength
My God in whom I trust
I will dwell in the shelter of the Most High
Resting in the shadow of the Almighty
He will cover me with his feathers
Under His wings I will find refuge
His faithfulness will be my shield
He will command His angels to guard me in all my ways
They will lift me up in their hands
I will call upon the LORD and He will answer
he will be with me in times of trouble
He will deliver me and honor me
God will bring me salvation
Amen!

Know

I have been praying and seeking guidance from the Lord for many years, but it never fails, just as life calms down the storms seem to rage again, bringing me back to my first love–The Lord Himself!

Do you ever have times in your life when you are smiling on the outside, but inside you feel chaos, fear, frustration, and anguish? Ever had times where you just want the world to stop and let you off for just a little bit–a break in the storm. Ah, there I sit in the midst of the storm, but still praising God as I know I will learn so much and be refined that much more into the image of Christ. How funny too, that as I was reading one of my online devotionals today, these scriptures should be the focus:

James 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Peter 1:6,7 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Romans 5:3,4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

God is indeed so good and his timing is perfect! I so needed the reminder of what God is doing in my life; of how he brings glory, goodness, and life from the chaotic storms that rage. Perhaps you are in the same boat. Maybe you are questioning why you must endure the storm or you may be tired and drained from the trials that you face. I know not what your journey is, but I do know God is with you always! He is faithful and will never leave you or forsake you.

Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 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.”

“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Psalm 46:10-11

Know

Trails will come
Storms will rage
Know God will never leave you nor forsake you

Fear may set in
Anger take hold
Know the Lord will be with you through it all

Rest may elude
Chaos surround
Know the peace of God is within your reach

Confusion clutters
Feelings abound
Know God is refining you each and every step

Challenges arise
Tears may fall
Know God will be the strong refuge you need

Deception flows forth
Blame is cast
Know God reveals all that is hidden in time

Darkness settles
Pain resides within
Know that healing comes through the hand of God

Psalm 41:1-4

Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as y heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 41:1-4

Demons that Haunt

Everyone has demons that haunt, past issues that Satan likes to use to destroy and draw us away from God, temptations that bring out our weaknesses, but praise be to the LORD that no matter the beckoning of Satan, no matter the lies you believe about you and your past, no matter how hard Satan attacks and seeks to devour you…….GOD holds you tightly, covering, protecting, sheltering and pulling you away from the clutches of Satan’s deception.  Only God can set you free!!  Only the truth can set you free!!  There is truth in God’s word for He is loving, faithful, merciful and full of grace, forgiveness, and hope.  God is for you always, no matter what, at all times good or bad.  Hold tight, seek Him, and fall into his open arms when life throws you down and when Satan chases.

Blessing and grace be with you all always! In Christ’s love!

Everything is Temporary!

Therefore, we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

http://creativesoulworks.blogspot.com/2013/01/inner-vision-pathway-for-imagination.html

God is always so good! Life tends to put our hearts and minds in places where doubt and fear reside, but somehow, someway, God reminds us he is there. He whispers ever so delicately that no matter the pressure, no matter the circumstances, no matter how bleak things appear, it is all temporary. Nothing in this life is forever. There is nothing eternal here, nothing at all.  Our very lives are but a flash in the timeline of this earth. And within our lives, every situation, every challenge, every moment is a blink of an eye. True, it may seem like it will last “forever”, but in reality as we look back at all that has occurred in the history of our lives, everything has come to an end somehow. Again, I reiterate, nothing lasts forever.

With that said, hold tightly to the promises of God to get you through the struggles of life and enjoy every celebration to its fullest. Make it a point to LIVE each and every day with joy, humility and love. Turn the other cheek when life punches you and knocks you down, knowing that God will honor that and bring peace and comfort amidst the storms.  This is not to say there won’t be any pain, heartache, struggles, or despair.  It simply means God is there with us to help us through.

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. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

God will hold you no matter where you are or what you face in this life. Please rest in Him, letting His comfort, peace, and strength be your refuge.

God bless and keep you always and may you see the blessings in every situation and circumstance. In God’s love!