Fear Nothing

Isaiah 8:12-13 - Do not be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you.  Do not fear anything except the Lord Almighty.  He alone is the Holy One.  If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else.

This is a great passage to hel cure our anxieties about life in this world.  We do not need to worry about anything as long as we stay faithful and true to God.  God will take care of everything.

Before I completely put my trust and faith in God, I used to suffer from really bad anxiety attacks.  I would be driving and have to pull over, or I couldn't even brush my teeth or shave. Understanding God's love and grace, and fearing His righteous judgment for my sins has made me fear nothing else.  Haven't had an anxiety attack in a couple of years now...

Dear Lord, thank You for Your cure.  Thank You for showing me that with You, I have nothing to fear from anyone or anything else in this world.  I am safe with You, my Rock and my Redeemed.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Perfect Forever

Hebrews 7:19 - For the law made nothing perfect, and now a better hope has taken its place.  And that is how we draw near to God.

That better hope is Jesus.  Because of His unending and unflinching love for us, we are drawn near to God.  Later in this chapter, it says that the Son is made perfect forever.  And because of our faith in Jesus' power to save, we will be too when we get to heaven.

What a passage. What a promise!  Like the Norman Greenbaum song said, 'I've got a friend in Jesus'.  Because Jesus is perfect and because He loves me, I will be made perfect when I meet Him in heaven, as long as I remain faithful to Him while on earth.  Sounds like a pretty one-sided trade in my favor, but I'll take it...

Dear Lord, please continue to give me the strength and wisdom to stay faithful to You while on this earth, so that I may be made perfect by You in heaven because of Your loving grace.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Patient Promises

Hebrews 6:15 - Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

I an certainly no bible scholar, but in my study of God's Word, I believe that Abraham was the most faithfully patient person this world has ever known.  We could all learn a thing or two (hundred) from him.  Who else could HONESTLY say that they would he willing to sacrifice their only child because they believed God would take care of him.  I don't know if I could do that.  Just being honest...

My patience has gotten better because God has done an amazing work in me.  And I fully trust His plan for my life.  I will work to be patient that He will reveal it to me in His time.

Dear Father, thank You for doing such a remarkable work in me.  And I know that You are not finished with me yet.  I know You have great things planned for my life, and I look forward to Your revealing them to me when You are ready.  All glory be to You the Most High.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Healing

Hosea 14:4 - The Lord says, "Then I will heal you of your idolatry and faithlessness, and My love will know no bounds, for My anger will be gone forever."

Throughout almost the entire book of Hosea, God speaks of how angry He is at Israel for their idolatry and faithlessness, and how He will punish them.  Then at the end He says 'come back to Me, and all will be forgiven and healed'.  Only a God of love and grace can do that.

In the years since I was saved I strayed so far from God's light for my path.  But when I began my relationship with Him in earnest, I felt God telling me that if I came back to Him, all would be healed and forgiven.  And boy was he right!

Dear Lord, thank You for healing me and forgiving me when I deserved it the least.  I cannot glorify You enough.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

God's Strength

Psalm 73:26 - My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.

No matter how bad things may get in our lives, we must remain faithful in leaning on God's strength to get us through every trial in our life.

I am so much better about this, but I am still a work in progress.  I used to believe that if I couldn't solve it, it couldn't be solved.  I am so happy that God has done a work in me to show me that His strength is all I need.

Dear Lord, thank You for saving me from myself and my wrong ways of thinking.  Thank You for giving me Your strength to persevere in everyday life.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Know God

Hosea 6:6 - "I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.  I want you to know God; that's more important than burnt offerings."

God is letting them know that the sacrifices and offerings are pointless if their heart's aren't in it.  He wants them to know Him and His love for them.

Is my heart in it for God?  It sure is!  I have been blessed to see God's work in my life.  He has made me what I am, and my heart will always belong to Him.

Dear Lord, thank You for the work You have done in me.  Please continue to give me the wisdom and understanding to know You, and to keep my heart only for You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Faithful Love

Hosea 2:14 - "But then I will win her back once again.  I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.

After God was talking about punishing His people for their idolatry, He turns right around and talks about taking extra steps on His part to win back their love for Him.

In the last week or so, I keep coming across passages reminding me of God's faithful love for me.  No matter how much I know that I am not worthy, God keeps reminding me that no sin is too great for His faithful love and forgiveness to overcome.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me even though I don't deserve it.  I am happy to serve and worship and praise You forever.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Forever

Hebrews 1:11 - Even they will perish, but You remain forever.  They will wear out like old clothing.

Everything about God is eternal.  Nothing about Him is temporary.  People come and go, seasons change, but God is constant through all of it.  Everything about God will last forever, including His love for us.

When I finally got it through my thick skull that this world, or this life, is just temporary and God is eternal, it was like a light bulb clicked on for me.  I am not going to outlast or wear Him down.  He will always be there for me, forever.

Dear Lord, thank You for being eternal for me.  In this fast paced life here on earth, it is such a comfort to know that You are there.  That You are watching.  And that You are in control.  Forever...Amen!

God Bless!!!

Immediately Obedient

Isaiah 6:8 - Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people?  Who will go for us?"  And I said, "Lord I'll go!  Send me."

I love Isaiah's enthusiasm and willingness to obey God without question or complaint.  Jeremiah and Moses were both great,  but both tried to come up with excuses not to be used.  Not Isaiah.  He was immediately obedient to God, because he knew he was supposed to be.

Do I show this level of immediate obedience to God?  I know better than to question or complain, but I need to be better about just doing what God tells me without wondering.

Dear Lord, thank You for Isaiah and his fantastic example of immediate obedience.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Continue Building

Jude 1:20 - But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith.  And continue to pray as you are directed by the holy spirit.

Jude gives us a great reminder here.  Just because we have been saved by our acceptance of Christ, it doesn't end there.  We have to continue building ourselves up with Christ as the cornerstone of our new lives.  It doesn't end at acceptance.

I was so guilty of this.  I wish I had read this passage 15 years ago.  When I first accepted Christ as my savior, I figured I was good after that.  I am so blessed to have learned that I was wrong.  My life is so much better now.

Dear Lord, thank You for the teaching You have given me over the last couple of years.  You have changed my life for the better forever.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

No Matter How

Isaiah 1: 18-19 - "Come now, let us argue this out," says the Lord.  "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it.  I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow.  Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.  If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat."

I love this passage!  The first 17 verses of this chapter are all about God being angry with His chosen people, and then He stops and says, 'let's talk about this. I can help you.  I will help you, if you let me.'  What an amazing God.

I have been so blessed to feel God's love for me.  This passage just confirms how much He wants me to be with Him in His Kingdom.  It doesn't matter to Him how much I have messed up.

Dear Lord, thank You.  Just Thank You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Good Example

Titus 2:7 - And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind.  Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

In the Army, they teach us to lead by example.  So does God.  We have to set a good example in our actions and how we conduct ourselves for believers and unbelievers alike.  Failing to do so would dishonor Christ's teachings.

I strive every day to reflect God's work in me to those around me.  I am not always successful, but then again, I am not perfect either.  I must try harder to show a good example of God's love.  And with His help, I know I can.

Dear Lord, please give me the wisdom and understanding I need and can only get from You, so that I may be a better reflection of Your teaching and Your love.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Run to Live

Amos 5:14 - Do what is good and run from evil - that you may live!  Then the Lord God Almighty will truly be your helper, just as you have claimed He is.

If we're going to talk the talk, we have to walk the walk.  God has forgiven and saved us because we believe.  But that is not the end of it.  We have to practice what we preach, or we will be hypocrites that are shut out of God's Kingdom.

I know that I am not perfect.  FAR from it.  But do I work hard enough to live what I believe and practice what I preach?  I hope so.

Dear Lord, please continue to give me the strength and understanding to live the right way like You have directed me to.  I know I am still a sinner, but with You, I can overcome my shortfalls. Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Time Is Coming

2 Timothy 4:3 - For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching.  They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear.

It is our responsibility as disciples of Christ to teach the Good News before the time comes when no one will listen.  We have to stay diligent in our efforts, and let God decide when that time comes.

I am happy to accept this responsibility to spread God's Good News to anyone that He puts in front of me.  I pray that I can help make a difference in someone's life and that they will come to know the Lord as I have.

Dear Lord, I ask for You to grant me the wisdom and understanding that I need to help spread the Good News of Your unfailing love and amazing grace.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Useful Teaching

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in out lives.  It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.

The Bible is 100% true.  And we are required to believe it 100%.  Anything less is unacceptable to God.  The biggest thing wrong in our lives, is that we are all sinners that fall short of God's Grace.  But Jesus took care of that for us by dying for our sins.  He was all in for us, we have to be all in for Him.

I have been so blessed during my daily Quiet Time with the Lord.  I am so blessed to find the Truth that I have been searching for my whole life.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for teaching me Your Truth.  I have been blessed by You way more than I could possibly deserve.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Awestruck

Jonah 1:16 - The sailors were awestruck by the Lord's great power, and they offered Him a sacrifice and vowed to serve Him.

God knew Jonah would run away from his responsibilities.  It was in His power to destroy Jonah for this, but He didn't.  He wanted Jonah on that boat so that God could display His power and bring new believer into the Kingdom.  We are all tools of God.

Has God been using me as a tool for His Kingdom?  I believe He has, and I have not ran in the opposite direction.  I believe He is using me to bring my sister and my parents to Him, and I am happy to do this work for His Glory.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me this task.  I ask for Your continued guidance, wisdom, understanding, and patience to bring my family into Yours.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Great Things

Joel 2:21 - Don't be afraid, my people!  Be glad now and rejoice because the Lord has done great things.

In the first part of the book of Joel, God is warning of the punishment that is due to His chosen people.  But then the book takes a turn and God tells them what to do to avoid it.  How awesome is God?!  He doesn't want to destroy them, so He tells them how to avoid it!

How man chances has God given us?  Myself definitely included.  It's like a teacher giving you a test, but then giving you the answers too.  Or making it an open book (Bible) test.

Thank You so much dear God for the numerous chances You have given me and all of Your chosen people.  I am so unworthy, but because of Your unfailing love and unending grace, I am saved.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

The Good Fight

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight for what we believe.  Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.

In Paul's instructions to Timothy, he reminds him that his allegiance in this life needs to stay focused on God, and not the treasures of this world.  The good fight can be described as resisting the temptations of this world.

This was a difficult lesson for me to learn.  Like most people, I was always focused on making more money.  I have realized that in order to live a blessed life, I need to keep my focus on serving God and not earthly treasure.

Dear God, thank You for reminding me that You are my Master and that I need only to serve You.  I know that You will provide for me because Your plans for me are for good things.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Convenient Christians

1 Timothy 5:8 - But those people who won't care for their own relatives, especially those living in the same household, have denied what we believe.  Such people are worse than unbelievers.

The Bible is 100% true.  There are no parts of it that are half true or sort of true.  With that said, we are to believe what the Bible tells us completely.  Not half way or when it is convenient for us.

Like a lot of people, I have known people I refer to as Convenient Christians.  They only believe some or part of God's Word, and only when it is convenient for them.  It is our duty as Disciples of Christ to teach them correctly, so they can become right with God.

Dear Lord, thank You for teaching me Your Absolute Truth.  Give me guidance and wisdom to help reach the convenient and lukewarm believers for Your Glory.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Promise

2 Kings 8:19 - But the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for He had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule forever.

God made a promise and stuck to it.  David was a good man who loved the Lord with all his heart, but he was still a sinner like us, and God made a promise.  No matter how mad the people of Judah made Him, He still remembered His covenant.

God also made promise to me, through the blood of Jesus Christ.  He promised to forgive and cleanse me of my sins, and to love me unconditionally.  I'm going to take Him at His word, because I know that He will always keep His promises.

Dear Lord, thank You for forgiving me when I didn't deserve it.  Thank You for loving me even though I am unworthy.  I hope I can honor You as You deserve.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Love Them All

2 Kings 6:22 - "Of course not!"  Elisha told him.  "Do we kill prisoners of war?  Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master."

Elisha telling the king of Israel this, is a great foreshadowing of Jesus' instructions in Matthew 5 that we are to love our enemies as ourselves, because that's where the glory is found.

Prior to my walk with Christ, I had the very misguided notion - as do a lot of others - that in the Old Testament, God is mean-spirited and vengeful.  This simply isn't true.  He has always loved us, and wants nothing more than a relationship with us based that love.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for showing me the error of my misunderstanding.  I have been so blessed to learn about Your unfailing love for me.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Understanding

1 Timothy 2: 3-4 - This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Paul is reminding Timothy that being prayerful and faithful to God is what God wants, and He will reveal His truthfulness to us during those times.

I have learned that God wants me to know Him better.  God doesn't want to be a mystery to me or anyone else.  If I quiet my mind and keep it open to Him, God will reveal His plan for me in His time.  He wants me to know and understand Him better.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me a better understanding of Your love for me and Your loving nature for all of us.  I love our relationship and look forward to it growing even more.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Filled

1 Timothy 1:14 - Oh, how kind and gracious the Lord was!  He filled me completely with faith and the love of Christ Jesus.

When referring to his old life, Paul is explaining the great work that God did in his heart.  Paul says many times that he was the worst sinner of all.  This passage was Paul's way of saying, 'if God can do this for the worst, imagine what He can do for the rest'.

I know exactly how Paul felt.  In my old life, I was a mean spirited person who had no patience for anyone or anything.  God did such an amazing work inmy heart.

Dear Lord, thank You for the life You have given me.  I am so blessed to be filled with faith and the love of Christ Jesus.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Undivided Hearts

2 Chronicles 19:9 - These were his instructions to them: "You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with integrity, and with undivided hearts."

In the instructions given here for judging cases, we're given great instruction on how we are to live.  My father always said that the definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking.  But God is always looking and watching.  We must not waver in our fear of and faith in Him.  He never wavers in His love and forgiveness for us.

Have I been following these instructions in my life?  Has my loyalty been divided between God and this world?  I love God more than anything, and I am all in it for Him.  I may not have always been this way in my life, but this is how I will be for the rest of it.

Dear Lord, thank You for this reminder that I need to make sure that I have an undivided heart for You.  I know that You know my heart, and it is all Yours.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

True Forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 - You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you.  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

True forgiveness is defined in this verse.  Since God forgave us, and we absolutely didn't deserve it, who are we NOT to forgive people who wrong us in this life.

When it was discovered that my ex wife committed adultery, she didn't understand how I could forgive her.  I had never read this verse before, but my words to her, were 'God has already forgiven you, who am I not to forgive you'.  I knew it wouldn't be right to not forgive her.

Dear Lord, thank You for teaching me about true forgiveness when I didn't even know you were there.  You truly are amazing.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Decision

1 Kings 18:211 - Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How long are you going to waver between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow Him!  But if Baal is God, then follow him!"  But the people were completely silent.

This is a great foreshadowing of Revelation where Jesus said that we can't be lukewarm about our faith in Him.  We are either with Him or against Him.  The fact that the people remained silent, sealed their fate.

I am so blessed to have made my decision for Christ.  I was lukewarm for a long time, but I am all in it for Him. He brought to Him when He was ready for me.

Dear Lord, thank You for showing me the way, the truth, and the life in Your Son Jesus.  I know I was lukewarm for a long time, but I have made the decision to serve You for the rest of my life and beyond.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Purchased

Colossians 1:14 - God has purchased our freedom with His blood and has forgiven all our sins.

When God gave His Son to die for us, He washed our sins clean with Christ's blood.  We are so blessed to have the opportunity to accept this gift.  God loved us so much He made the biggest sacrifice for us.

I am so blessed to have the most loving and caring God in my corner.  I can't imagine not having Him in my heart.  I want to proclaim my faith in Him and love for Him from the highest mountain.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me even though I am not worthy of Your forgiveness.  I will give You all my praise and worship for all my days.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

No Need to Worry

Philippians 4:6 - Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Such great advice.  I saw it written once that nowhere in the bible does it say 'figure it out', but over and over, it says 'trust God, He already has it figured out'.  God knows what you need before you ask for it.  But you have to ask.  You have to seek Him.

I regularly pray for guidance from God.  I was telling my bible study group that I participate in, that my guidance didn't get me anywhere in life, but God's guidance has gotten me far.  I will trust Him because I knew He has it figured out already.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your great wisdom and guidance.  With You, I know that I have no need to worry.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Turned Aside

2 Chronicles 12:12 - Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord's anger was turned aside, and He did not destroy him completely.  And there was still goodness in the land of Judah.

Even though Rehoboam was prone to do evil, God knew there was still some goodness in his heart, and He wouldn't destroy him completely once he humbled himself to God.

God does this to us all the time.  None of us are perfect, but when we show our faith to God and humble ourselves, God is happy to restore us because of His unfailing and eternal love for us.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me and giving me the chance to be humbled to You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Great Work

Philippians 2:13 - For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.

It takes an act of free will to accept God's gift of salvation, but once we allow God into our heart, He will do a great work in us to make us willing to obey Him and trust in His love for us to do what is right for our lives.

Giving my heart to God was the best thing I ever did for myself.  Since I have, God really has done a great work in me.  It may have taken me awhile to see it, but it was all in His time, and I stand ready to obey and serve Him in all His power and glory.

Dear Lord, thank You for this old life I had, because it taught me that I needed You.  And thank You for this new life, because it has taught me that I will always need You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Fruits of Righteousness

Philippians 1:11 - May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation - those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ - for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

What a blessing this is that Paul gives.  Being filled with the fruit of our salvation - being filled with the Holy Spirit.  All good things in our life come from Jesus.  Nothing bad will ever come from Him.

This is a great lesson I learned.  God is saddened by bad things happening.  His fruit of righteousness gives us the hope and faith that He will always love and protect us.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your sweet fruit of salvation You have given me through Your Son Jesus.  Amen!

God Bless!!!