Giving Life

John 10:10 - The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.  My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

There really is no better way for Jesus to have said it.  He came to give.  To give us life, hope, love.  And for what cost?  Nothing.  There is no price to pay, because He paid it.  No way we can earn it.  We just have to believe.

People will say 'love costs'.  Jesus tells us different.  Hate and anger cost.  They cost us anguish, time, and misery.  Anger and hatred take time to stew.  If we have the live in our heart that Jesus gives us, it's there.  He came to give us that love and a life abundant in it.

Dear Lord, thank You for teaching me to let go of the anger and hatred that stewed in me for so long.  I am so better off with Your abundant and unending love in my heart.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Walk Humbly

Zepheniah 2:3 - Beg the Lord to save you - all you who are humble, all you who uphold justice.  Walk humbly and do what is right.  Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you from His anger on that day of destruction.

The theme here is to turn to God and He will protect you.  In fact, this is the theme throughout the entire Bible.  That is no doubt what I love the most.  If we trust Him and turn our lives, and our hearts, to Him, He will keep us safe.

Do I put my complete trust in His hands of love and mercy?  Yes I do.  I don't know how I made it through life for as long as I did without doing so, but I do know that I have no intention of going the rest of my life without doing so.

Dear Lord, thank You for rescuing me from certain death and destruction at the hands of sin.  I cannot and will not make it without you.  All praise and honor to You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Asked-Answered

Habakkuk 3:19 - The Sovereign Lord is my strength!  He will make me as surefootrd as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.

This was a great book.  Habakkuk didn't understand, so he asked God.  God explained that while He would allow the Chaldeans to enslave them, He would still protect the righteous.  I love how Habakkuk was quick to honor and praise God right away in Chapter 3.

Do I give honor and praise to God when He reveals Hos plans for me?  I do, but is it enough?  God has done so much for me, I can honor and praise Him more.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for Your love and grace, and for Your protection from my sinful nature everyday.  I know I am a work in progress still, but I know with You, I will accomplish anything.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Before It's Too Late

John 7:34 - "You will search for Me, but not find me.  And you won't be able to come where I am."

Jesus was letting everyone know that there will come a time when it will be too late and they won't be allowed into heaven.

I am so fortunate to have believed and accepted Christ as my savior.  I want my life's work to he about bringing people to come to Him also so that they may be saved and join Him in Heaven.

Dear Lord, I pray for Your continued guidance and strength as I go out into the world today.  Let all that I do be a reflection of Your love and grace so that those that don't know You will seek You out.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Perishable

John 6:27 - "But you shouldn't be so concerned about perishable things like food.  Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you.  For God the Father has sent me for that very purpose."

Here, Jesus is telling us not to concern ourselves with the things of this world.  Everything in this world, including our bodies, are perishable and will pass away.  But our souls, and our eternal lives with God, are what matter and what we should be focused on.

I need to stay strong to break myself free of my slavery to this world.  I get that strength from God's Holy Spirit.  I know He loves me, and I know He wants me.  And I know that with Him, and because of His grace, I will break this bondage.

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me of this today.  I know You love me, and You want a relationship with me.  And I want it too.  I know that with Your love and strength, Ibcan conquer all my hurts, habits, and hangups of this world.  Only You matter, and I ask for You to reflect that through me, so that others can see the amazing things that only You are capable of. Thank You Jesus.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Any Time

John 5:16-17 - So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.  But Jesus replied, "My Father never stops working, so why should I?"

This is such an important passage, and not just in regards to honoring the Sabbath.  But also for giving attention to our relationship with God all the time, not just when it's convenient.  God never stops caring for us, who are we to do any different?

I was asked by a non-believer recently why I was reading my bible on a Thursday morning.  The comment made to me was, "It's not Sunday.". My response was, "The Bible isn't just for Sundays.". Joshua instructed us to be in the Word day and night.  And Jesus confirms that here, just like He said He would.

Dear Lord, thank You for always working for me and thinking about me.  I am so blessed to have Your Word to read about Your loving grace for me.  I pray that I never lose sight of You and trust in all You have planned for me.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Living Water

John 4:10 - Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water."

In Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman, we are shown the path to our salvation in Jesus Christ. Believe in Him, ask for His forgiveness, and He will rescue us.

I believe and I have asked.  There have been times where I have felt God's Spirit strong inside of me, and others where I feel doubt creeping in.  I know the doubt is the work of Satan.  I will continue to believe in Jesus, because only He can save me.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ.  With Your Spirit, I know can defeat doubt and prevent the devil from getting a foothold in my life.  Through You all things are possible.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Greater

John 3:30 - He must become greater and greater, ans I must become less and less.

Less of me, more of Jesus.  John the Baptist was so right.  Jesus needs to shine in our earthly lives, and we need to open our hearts more to let Him shine through us.

Am I focusing on Jesus more than myself?  I am certainly trying.  This fast for the last week has been rough, but ah have dove deeper into my Quiet Time with God to get me through as well as some great prayer support from some great people.

Dear Lord, I want more of You in my life.  Humble my heart more so that the light of Your love cab shine through it more.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

I Will Worship

Psalm 107:29 - He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.

This reminds me of a song.  The singer says, "I will worship the One who calmed the raging sea, and I will worship the One who hushed the rage in me.". Jesus is so calming, and I will forever worship Him.

I used to be so full of anger.  I was mad at a lot of things, and I never really knew why.  Looking back now, I understand that it was because I didn't have Jesus in my heart.  He truly has done a great work in me, and I cannot wait to see what He has in store for me.

Dear Lord, thank You for doing the work You did in me, and saving me from my self-destructive mode of life.  I will forever worship You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Mercy

Isaiah 60:10 - "Foreigners will come to rebuild your cities.  Kings and rulers will send you aid.  For though I have destroyed you in My anger, I will have mercy on you through My grace."

Through Isaiah, God talks of restoring Israel through His love and grace.  He doesn't just offer safety and protection, He promises help from foreigners.  To show His love, He will do a work in their heart's so that they come to help.

All throughout the Old Testament, we are shown Israel sinning and God forgiving.  I am so blessed to have such a loving and merciful God.

Dear Lord, In beg Your forgiveness for all my sins and shortcomings.  As it says in John, Chapter 1, I am unfit to be Your slave.  Please continue Your work in me, so that I may bring You honor and glory.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Full Share

Isaiah 58:14 - "The Lord will be your delight.  I will give you great honor and give you your full share of the inheritance I promised to Jacob, your ancestor.  I, the Lord, have spoken!"

This whole chapter talks about true and false worship.  About being true to God and not just going through the motions and paying lip service to God.  He promises to reward us with our full inheritance of His love and grace if we are true to Him in our worship.

Am I just going through the motions?  I love and fear God with all of my heart, body, and soul.  But as I struggle during this period of fasting, I have been forced to take stock.  I need to be more dedicated and steadfast.

Dear Lord, I am giving it all up to You.  I know I can accomplish ANYTHING with Your strength through Christ Jesus my Savior.  Please be with me.  Please strengthen my resolve.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Strayed

Isaiah 53:6 - All of us have strayed away like sheep.  We have left God's paths to follow our own.  Yet the Lord laid on Him the guilt and sins of us all.

Even though we have, in essence, thumbed our noses at God and done things our own way, God still loved us so much that He offered up His only Son as a sacrifice for our sin.  Wow...

I tried it for so long doing it my own way.  I am so blessed to have found the right way, God's way, and stopped thumbing my nose at Him.

Dear Lord, thank You does not express the gratitude for Your sacrifice for me despite my stubbornness.  But it's a start.  All honor, praise, and glory be Yours.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Refreshed

Psalm 92:10 - But You have made me as strong as a wild bull.  How refreshed I am by Your power.

God's strength is all we ever need.  His power will get us through any trial or tribulation we may face, and make us stronger in the process.

As I go through this fast and quit smoking, it has been tough.  I have tried several times over the years, but this time I have the ultimate trump card - God's strength.  He WILL get me through this.  His plans for me are for GOOD!

Dear Lord, through the years I have tried it my way and we both know how that worked out for me.  I recommit myself to Your way, and I know You will get me through everything and make stronger in You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

He Cares

1 Peter 5:7 - Goge all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you.

God cares about us.  He didn't create us to just squirm around for His amusement.  He loves us and wants us to be with Him.  Gove it all up to God, and He will help you sort it out.

This was something I struggled with for a long time - anxiety.  God has blessed me so much, but I must stay humble to Him, to continue to receive His love and grace.  And since He has done so much for me, how could I not?!

Dear Lord, thank You for taking all my problems and cares away.  I Gove it all to You, for I know You care.  I am so blessed by You.  All honor, praise, and glory be Yours.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Suffering For Christ

1 Peter 4:1 - So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning.

Jesus was absolutely sinless, yet He suffered physically just to save us from our sins.  How can we not be willing to suffer for Him?  It should be an honor.

As I begin this fast for 40 days, and give up smoking, I am more than willing to suffer for Christ.  But I am not doing this just for Him or me.  I am doing it so that my sister will come to know Christ's love as I have and be saved.

Dear Lord, I am giving it all up to You.  Please diva work in ny sister's heart, do that she may experience Your love and have the comfort that only You can provide, in her life.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Give Blessings

1 Peter 3:9 - Don't repay evil for evil.  Don't retaliate when people say unkind things about you.  Instead, pay them back with a blessing.  That is what God wants you to do, and He will bless you for it.

If someone is saying evil things about you, there is a good chance they don't know God's love.  Or perhaps they have lost their way in their faith.  It is our duty to show them God's love.  Bless them to show them the true nature of God's love.

Giving blessings like this has always been something I have struggled with.  Turning the other cheek is never easy for me.  But I know that's what God wants me to do, and I will work harder at doing it.

Dear God, please give me the strength and courage to give blessings when I don't want to; to NOT retaliate when I really want to.  I can only accomplish this with Your strength.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

People of God

1 Peter 2:10 - "Once ypu were not a people; now you are the people of God.  Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received His mercy.

Before Jesus came, we had nothing.  no hope, no mercy, no justice.  He gave us all of that.  He gave us our hope.  It is in Him.  He gave us His mercy because He loved is and wanted a relationshipwith us.

Most people desire a relationship, in this world, to fill a need or void.  God desires a relationship with me simply because He loves me.  He has no needs or voids to fill.  What could I possibly bring to the table?  My obedience and love for Him.  That is pure love, and only God has it.

Dear Lord, thank for loving me even when I gave You no reason to want me.  Thank You for showing me that Your love is the only pure love in this world, or anywhere else.  Use my life in whatever way brings You honor and glory.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Old Ways

1 Peter 1:14 - Obey God because you are His children.  Don't step back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then.

Returning to the life we had before we had our relationship with Christ is worse than being evil in the first place.  Like Peter says here, 'you didn't know any better then'.  He is so right.  And now that we know better, we are doubly accountable.

I told a friend recently that I believe that if God can do what He did for me and turn me around like He has, that I will always believe that anything is possible through Him.  Daily I pray for God's strength, courage, and wisdom to stay true to Him.  These are things that only He can provide.

Dear Lord, thank You for making me accountable.  As I prepare for this time of fasting, I will need Your strength and courage more than ever.  I am fasting for something more important than myself, and only You are able to provide what I ask for.  You will provide in Your time because You are forever faithful.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Powerful Prayer

James 5:13 - Are any among you suffering?  They should keep on praying about it.  And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord.

Giving it all up to God in prayer is the only way we can get it done.  God knows our hearts, and He knows what we need, but we have to ask for it.  And we should never fail to thank Him when He gives it to us.

I love to pray.  I love to pray for other people.  I didn't always like to, but God did a great work on my heart to show me what I was lacking.  I praise Him every day for what He has done for me.

Dear Lord, thank You.  Thank You for all You have done for me, and for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  All honor and glory is Yours!  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Not For Us To Decide

James 4:12 - God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us.  He alone has the power to save or to destroy.  So what right do you have to condemn your neighbor?

God alone is the only one qualified to judge anything about anyone.  We have no business deciding what someone else should or should not be doing.  We should focus on the log in our eye, and not the speck in theirs.

I used to be so bad about this.  It was very common to hear me say 'You shouldn't be...'. It is not for me to decide what is right or wrong; or any of us.  It is up to us to live according to God's will and His word, and He will decide.  I think it's safe to say when left to my own decisions, I tended to make a mess of things.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for humbling me and teaching me humility.  Thank You for showing me the log in my eye.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Deadly Poison

James 3:8 - But no one can tame the tongue.  It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison.

Scripture teaches that our tongue speaks what is in our heart.  So true.  The key in this passage, to me at least, is the phrase 'no one can tame'.  No HUMAN can control themself.  But God can.  If we surrender our heart to Him, and turn our life over to Him, He will control us in such an amazing way.

Controlling my tongue is something I always have and still struggle with.  I needed this passage today.  God is such a great Teacher.

Dear Lord, You are in control.  I surrender my whole heart and full control over to You.  That is the only way I will win the battle over sin in my life, and give You the honor and glory You deserve.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Just A Little

James 2:10 - And the person who keeps all of the laws except one, is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws.

It doesn't matter how minor it might seem in our finite mind, but going against just one of God's commands is just ad bad as going against them all.

Well it's just a little sin.  Isn't that how I always justified my action?  Take out the 'just a little' part, and you have the bottom line - it's sin. Sin is a sin is a sin.  It is all bad, and I need to work harder to keep it from controlling my life.

Dear Lord, I beg for Your continued strength and guidance as I try to get any and all sins out of my life.  I do not expect to accomplish this by tomorrow, but throughout my life.  I know I always be prone to it, but with You I will conquer all by Your grace and love.  And You will get all the honor and glory You deserve.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Unending Mercy

Isaiah 30:18 - But the Lord still waits for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion.  For the Lord is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them.

One step back...that's all it takes.  During this and the previous chapter, God is warning Israel about their doom for trusting in men.  But in this one verse, He says He will wipe the slate clean it they come back to Him.  Who does that?!  A loving, faithful, and merciful God, that's who!

Do I show unending forgiveness to those who have done me wrong?  I needed this verse today.  If I don't do what God tells me, I am no different than a hard-hearted unbeliever.  I know better, and will do better because of God's unending mercy.

Dear Lord, thank You for this conviction today.  You are so amazing how You show me just what I need to hear when I need to hear it.  I cannot thank You and praise You enough.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Because He Said So

Isaiah 26:12 - Lord, You will grant us peace, for all we have accomplished is really from You.

I love this passage!  Isaiah isn't saying that have accomplished anything FOR God.  How could we?  What do have that God could possibly need?  He says we got it FROM God!  Everything we have or will need or do is because God said so.

When I was a kid (not that long ago...) It would drive me crazy when Mom would say 'because I said so'.  I've always had an inquisitive mind, and I need a reason!  After reading this passage again, I don't mind so much anymore.  God will provide because He said He would.  I can live with that.

Dear Lord, thank You for this.  I am completely trusting in You for everything I need, and anything I could possibly want will come from You and by Your grace.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Plans, Plans, Plans

Isaiah 22:11 - Between the city walls. You build a reservoir for water from the old pool.  But all your feverish plans are to no avail because you never ask for God's help.  He is the one who planned this long ago.

You can't build new things on an old foundation.  When we turn our lives over to Jesus, He becomes our new foundation, and we are to turn away from our old sinful ways.  If we don't do this, all is for naught.

Once when someone asked an older man when he was going to retire, he responded, "if you want to make God smile, tell Him your plans.". I have been trying to train myself when people ask me questions about my plans to say, 'I would like to...' and leave it up to God to direct me.  He has His plans for me, and they are better than anything I can come up with.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your great direction.  Help me to remember that You are my cornerstone and my new solid foundation on which I build my life.  Please continue to guide and direct me where I can serve You and Your people best.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Faith

Hebrews 11:1 - What is faith?  It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.  It is the evidence of things we cannot see.

We must live by faith and not sight if we are to truly receive God's rewards fir us in heaven.  Our minds are not able to fully comprehend God's plan for us, but if we remain faithful, He will reveal it to us in His time.

This entire chapter of the different examples of faith in the Bible, is amazing.  Because of my experiences and seeing God's grace in action, I could never lose my faith in Him.  I am so blessed.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for blessing me with an abundance of faith.  I beg You to use me however You desire to work for the benefit of Your Kingdom and Your people.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Good For All Time

Hebrews 10:12 - But our High Priest offered Himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time.  Then He sat down at the place of highest honor at God's right hand.

Jesus' sacrifice for us made us good forever in God's Kingdom as long as we accept His gift of salvation and stay true in our faith to Him.  Quite the sacrifice for a bunch of unworthy sinners.  But that's the beauty of God's unfailing love for us...He makes us worthy.

If you asked me if I believed if I was worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me, I would say 'never in a million years'.  Fortunately, for my sake, I don't get a vote.  I am so blessed to have God's faithful love in my life and controlling my direction.

Dear Lord, thank You for the path You have put me on.  I pray for stout continued guidance and wisdom in myblife, so that I may stay true to You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Once And For All

Hebrews 9:26 - If that had been necessary, He would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began.  But no!  He came once for all time, at the end of the age, to remove the power of sin forever by His sacrificial death for us.

In the times before Jesus' sacrifice, the rituals of blood sacrifices were required on a regular basis to cleanse us.  Jesus put an end to that.  His death saved us once and for all.

Who am I that God should send His Son to die for me so that I may have eternal life with Him?  I am just an unworthy and (sometimes) grumpy recovered drug addict.  But in His eyes, I am a beautiful child of God, and He sees something special in me.  I like what He sees better...

Dear Lord, thank You for seeing in me what I was not capable of seeing myself.  Thank You for saving me, and showing me that Your love knows no bounds.  Amen!

God Bless!!!