Month: August 2014

The Lord has loved us with an eternal love since before time began…
Jeremiah 31:3–Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
But…because we cannot see His love, our human sinful nature distracts us…and we end up searching for a love we can see, touch, feel and talk to.

Continue reading “Our Value Comes From What God Does Through Us…Not What We Do Or Achieve On Our Own…”

Psalm 4:7–You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
In this Psalm, written by David, happiness and joy are contrasted: Joy comes from knowing and trusting God…Happiness comes as a result of pleasant circumstances.  Inward joy in our hearts is steady as long as we trust God…Happiness is unpredictable.  Inward joy defeats discouragement…Happiness covers it up.  Inward joy is lasting …Happiness is temporary and conditional.

Continue reading “Are We Ever Really Happy?…Without The Joy Of The Lord In Our Hearts?…”

Some people think that belief in God is a crutch for weak people who cannot make it on their own.  God is indeed a shield to protect us when we are too weak to face certain trials by ourselves, but He does not want us to remain weak.  He strengthens, protects, and guides us in order to send us back into an evil world to fight for Him.  Then He continues to to work with us because the strongest person on earth is infinitely weaker than God and needs His help. 

Continue reading “The Lord Gives You a Choice…His Way or the World’s Way…”

In this battle for control of your mind and your thought life (good vs. bad influences) you need to acknowledge your weaknesses for what they really are… your inborn human sinful nature…and ask the Lord’s Holy Spirit to join you in this deadly battle.  He can give you the strength, wisdom, and energy for the fight to keep your focus on the Lord and His ways.
Romans 8:5-6–Paul wrote to the Romans:  “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

Continue reading “Your Mind Is A Battlefield…Do You Have Weapons To Fight The Battle…And Win The War?”

The Lord Is With You Always…Ready To Accept you Into The Refuge Of His Arms…To give you the rest from your tendency to plan and worry excessively;  and then rehearse, in your mind, outcomes to situations that never occur the way you imagine they will.

Instead of relying on you prideful, self-sufficiency; pray continually to the Lord, asking Him to help you shape the details of the day ahead…and continue to thank Him for the events of the day as they unfold.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18–Paul wrote: “Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Continue reading “The Lord Is With You Always…Ready To Accept you Into The Refuge Of His Arms…”

Seek To Be In The Lord’s Presence…So that His Spirit May Live In Your Heart, and provide it with the unconditional love you have searched for your whole life.

His love is unlimited and the light of that love covers your sins as well as others around you. 
1 Peter 4:8–Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Continue reading “Seek To Be In The Lord’s Presence…So that His Spirit May Live In Your Heart…”

The Lord created you…and then gave everything for you…through His sacrifice on the cross; in order to ensure a close personal relationship with you.
Psalm 100:3–Acknowledge that the Lord is God!  He made us, and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
God is our Creator, we did not create ourselves.  Many people live as though they are the creator and center of their own little world.  This mindset leads to pride, greed, idolatry, and if everything should be taken away , a loss of hope itself.  But when we realize that God created us, and gives us all we have, we will want to give to others as God gave to us.  Then, if all is lost, we still have God and the eternal hope He gives us.

Consequently, our part in this relationship is coming to Him completely, sharing everything with Him…Then He can shine His light into our hearts, cleansing and transforming the darkness in them, and enveloping them in His light of peace and love. 

Even though He knows everything about you, and He could “fix” you immediately; He waits for you to approach Him as a child coming to his father for love.

This shows great restraint, as He has all power in heaven.  But your choosing to come to Him is part of the learning and purification process.
Matthew 28:18– Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

He wants us to come to Him with a teachable spirit…wanting to forsake the ways of the world, and to learn His ways of heaven.

He wants us to come to Him with a desire to give thanks to Him; for all the blessings He has given you; and to ask Him to transform you into His image.
Psalm 100:4–Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him and praise his name.

My Prayer For This Day:

Lord,  thank you for your commitment to me, an undeserving sinner, which was proven by your sacrifice on the cross. Lord, I thank you for your gentle, yet steady transformation of my spirit and my mind. Lord, I was far from you for many years; but you never gave up on me… And now Lord, I am before you, yearning for your wisdom, your peace and your joyful presence…that actually was with me all the time. You were what I was looking for… But I was looking in all the wrong places.

My Verse For This Day: 

Romans 12:2–Paul wrote to the Romans: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Since the Lord is the creator of all things, His Presence is all around us, and He promises to be with us, even if we are not aware of Him at the level that He would like.
Romans 8:38-39–Paul wrote to the Romans: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He knows, because He did create us, that our fallen, human sinful nature can block our awareness of His Presence and His love for us.  This blockage happens by way of a bad thought life…Which can lead to fear, worry, and anxiety; as well as all the other human emotions… and subsequent actions caused by them.

These emotions, especially worry, are a type of unbelief, that to the Lord is a form of idolatry  and unacceptable in his kingdom.  Worry is a sign that we don’t trust Him, and our pride tells us that we have no other choice than to handle things on our own.
Luke 12:25-26–Jesus tells his disciples: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?”

When fear, worry, and anxiety appear, and it will…(due to our human sinful nature)…refocus your thoughts onto the Lord…then turn all your cares over to Him and His loving ways.

So, don’t worry…the Lord will provide…

 By not worrying and placing our trust in Him, He is free to implement His plan and direction for your life.  He will help you when you come to Him; by either solving your problem Himself; or by giving you the wisdom and strength to handle it yourself..with Him holding your hand in assistance.
John 16:33– Jesus tells his disciples: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

My Prayer For This Day: 

Lord, thank you for your love, and the eternal promise of your Presence in my life. Lord, I seek your Presence as refuge from the trials of worry; which frequently rule my life; and subsequently allows anxiety to affect how I live and think. Lord, help me to keep my focus on you; and to draw upon your strength and peace. Lord, I pray that your Holy Spirit will help me control my mind, and help me to think and speak properly in times of anxiety.  Lord , I yearn for your Presence, your peace, and to be part of your eternal family.