New Strength

Isaiah 40:31 - But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.

God gives us renewed strength through His Son Jesus because He loves us.  As long as we stay strong in our faith to Him, nothing can ever hurt us.

As I've reached my late 30's now, I'm not physically able to do things that I did 10 years ago.  My knees and shoulders are not what they used to be.  Like everything else on this earth, they and I have a shelf life.  But as I read this passage, I am reminded that God has great things planned for me, and that these pains are only temporary.  He is going to make me new in Heaven.  What a gift...

Dear Lord, thank You for promising to renew my strength because of my faith in Your Son Jesus.  Thank You for reminding me that this is all temporary, and I have nothing to worry about, because You have overcome everything.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Rescued

Isaiah 38:17 - Yes, this anguish was good for me, for You have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins.

God has always been there for us.  We may have our hurts, habits, and hang-ups, but they are good for us, because they teach us to lean on God's love and mercy.  He has overcome the world, and He will help us overcome our fears and anxieties.

While I am indeed repentant of my sins, I am always thankful for them.  My need to free myself from the slavery of my sin is what led me to seek a relationship with Jesus, and to realize that I am not capable of doing it myself.  How could I NOT be thankful for that?!

Dear Lord, I cannot say it any better than Isaiah, this anguish was good for me.  It led me to You, and You saved me and restored me just as You promised You would.  Amen!

Complete

John 19:30 - When Jesus had tasted it, He said, "It is finished!"  Then He bowed His head and released His spirit.

Jesus completed the work that He had set out to do.  To give Himself as a sacrifice for us all.  To offer His body and shed His blood to cleanse us of our filthiness.

How do you repay something like that?  You can't.  No work will suffice.  One of the criminals that was crucified with Jesus believed in Him at the end and asked for His forgiveness, and Jesus promised him paradise.  When did he have time for good deeds?  He didn't.  All we can do is believe and offer God our honor, praise, and worship for His ultimate sacrifice.

Dear Lord, thank You for making me whole again by the sacrifice and blood of Your Son Jesus.  I was lost, but now I have indeed been found.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

For All

John 17:19-20 - "And I give Myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by Your truth.  I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message."

Jesus gave it all up as a sacrifice for all who would believe.  He wants that none should perish without hearing and knowing and believing in His truth which is eternal.

The best thing I ever did for myself, was to sit down and open the Bible with an open mind.  It has developed into such an amazing relationship with Jesus.  It truly is a relationship, and not a religion.  As the saying goes,"I can't brag about my love for God, because I fail Him daily.  But I can brag about His love for me, because it never fails."

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me.  I am not worthy of Your mercy and grace, but You have made me worthy because of Your unfailing love for me.  I know I can never repay what You gave up to save me from certain death and destruction, I just ask that You use me to bring You glory in whatever way You desire.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Apollyon

Revelation 9:4 - They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

In the last days, God will continue to protect His chosen people.  Although Satan has been given dominion over this world, God will not allow those sealed by His love and grace to be harmed or destroyed by Satan.  We will be tempted for sure, but if we keep our hearts focused on God, we will not perish.

As a human made of flesh, I am tempted all the time.  There are times where something can seem harmless, but I have to remind myself that if it doesn't bring glory to God, it isn't from Him.  The plague of locusts described here isn't from God, and since it will not bring Him glory, He promises to protect His sealed ones from it as long as we remain true and faithful.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your eternal protection by Your love and grace.  I ask that You help me keep my heart focused on You, so that I am able to resist the temptation that Satan will present me with.  Help me remember that if it doesn't bring glory to You, then it isn't from You.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

God Bless!!!

Foundations

Psalm 111:10 - Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.  All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.  Praise Him forever!

This is such an important truth.  We can't continue to sin and EXPECT God to forgive us.  That would just be ignorant.  To have true wisdom, we must fear our punishment for not repenting of our sins in our hearts.

God expects certain things of us.  One of them is a true heart for Him.  Failing to live up to His standards and having a lackadaisical attitude about it is a dangerous path to travel.  I choose His ways over mine, because I am afraid of the alternatives if I don't give Him my whole heart.  I don't want to be lukewarm in my faith.

Dear Lord, thank You for showing me the path to true wisdom that is only found through Your Son Jesus Christ.  I want to keep my heart strong for You.  Please guide and protect me while I am in this world, and use me in whatever way brings You the glory.  Your will be done.  In Jesus' name, Amen!

God Bless!!!

Turn Back

Ezekiel 18:32 - I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord.  Turn back and live!

God wants that none of us should die.  He wants us to all have eternal life with Him in His Glorious Kingdom.  He sent His Son Jesus to take the punishment for our sins.  All we have to do is believe and repent.

This is such a one-sided deal in our favor, how can we not take Him up on this?!  Jesus made me clean again, how could I not believe in His healing power and all that He has to offer?!

Dear Lord, thank You for redeeming an unworthy person like me.  Your unfailing love and grace have made me clean. I will forever worship Your Holy Name.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

God Is Great!

Psalms 70:4 - But may all who search for You be filled with joy and gladness in You.  May those who love Your salvation repeatedly shout, "God is great!"

Loving and praising and worshipping God isn't meant to be a sullen thing.  God loves joy.  He loves joyful giving, and He loves joyful worship.  God truly is great, and we should be happy about our love for Him.

One of my favorite times during service at church is when we sing our praise and worship songs.  I'm a big music lover, and I love to sing.  I'm not very good at it, but I don't let that stop me.  God doesn't care how bad my singing voice is (thankfully), because He loves to hear the joy that is coming out of my heart to Him.

Dear Lord, thank You for filling my heart with joy when I had none.  I will forever love to pour out my joyful heart to You in praise and worship and prayer.  Your love is what gives me the greatest joy, and I ask You to continue to fill me with Your Spirit of love and joy.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

God Bless!!!

Because He Said So

Ezekiel 14:9 - "And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message, it is because I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet.  I will lift my fist against such prophets and cut them off from the community of Israel."

Things only happen because God says so.  Because He wants them to.  Why would God allow false prophets to send a false message?  To weed out the unfaithful and the idolaters from among His Chosen People and then cut them off from the community so that they can no longer poison the faithful minds and hearts.

This is something that I used to struggle with a lot.  Why does God allow bad things to happen?  Because He wants to strengthen, and sometimes test, our faith.  He uses the bad things to work for good so that our faith in Christ will be stronger and our resolve to follow Him through all things will be strengthened as well.  He uses the bad to work for good because He loves us.  I used to hate when my parents would tell me, 'because I said so'.  Now I understand why my Abba Father says it.

Dear Lord, thank You for teaching me understanding and for strengthening my faith in You, and my resolve to follow You through all trials of my life.  I know I will face tribulations, but I know the final victory is Yours, and I will not lose heart.  I know You will make all things work together for my, and all of Your people's, good (GREAT) benefit.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Sanctuary

Ezekiel 11:16 - "Therefore, tell the exiles, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile'."

God marked the ones that were faithful and exiled them from Israel.  But why?  Wasn't this supposed to be the land of His Chosen People? Yes!  He did it so He could clean house of the ones that were unfaithful.  That were idolaters and defiling the Promised Land and the Temple.

I believe God does this with people still.  When we are struggling with our faith, maybe even falling away from it, He exiles us in a spiritual sense to give us a cleansing, so to speak, so that we return fresh and new to Him.  I certainly felt this recently.

Dear God, thank You so much for my cleansing and renewal.  You know what I need best, and I will remain faithful to You through all good and tough times throughout my life.  Your eternal grace and unfailing love has shown me that nothing is too great for You to handle, and no sin is too great for You to forgive.  In Jesus' precious and Holy name I honor, praise, worship, and thank You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Lukewarm

Revelation 3:16 - But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

God wants us to be all in it in our relationship with Him.  There are to be no fence-sitters.  Convenient Christians who go to church when it works for them and believe only the parts of the bible that they agree with, will find themselves shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I have never been much of a fence-sitter in anything I have done.  After I began my walk with Jesus, I could not understand anyone who could be a fence-sitter with Him.  Look at everything He has done for us!  How could you NOT be all in?!

Dear Lord, please continue to guide and strengthen me so that I stay hot for You.  Please continue to protect me from those that would attempt to sway me from my complete faith and trust in Your love and Your Son Jesus.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Victory

Revelation 2:7 -  “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God."

Jesus promises eternal life to those who are victorious.  How do we achieve this victory?  By living steadfast in His Word and according to the path that He puts before us.

We will all stray from His path from time to time - I know I certainly do - but the part that is most important is coming back.  If we dedicate our hearts to Him, He will forgive us.

Dear Lord, thank You for this victory that is achieved through Your Son Jesus Christ.  You have been the Answer to everything I was looking for, and nothing or no one will ever make me believe in anything other than Your absolute truth, and Your promise of the final victory.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Because

Psalm 143:1 - Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea!  Answer me because You are faithful and righteous.

I love how this is worded...because YOU are faithful and righteous...not because I deserve it.  We deserve nothing because of our sin.  But we receive love and forgiveness, because God is faithful and righteous.

Once I overcame my "me-first" attitude, I began to have a much better understanding of God's love for me.  This attitude of "me-first" is definitely a worldly one that is fostered by society.  God is so much more than that, and I am happy to put Him first in my life.

Dear Lord, thank You for taking me out of this world so I can better serve and worship You.  Because You love me, I will forever praise You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Good Example

3 John 1:11 - Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you.  Follow only what is good.   Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who evil prove that they do not know God.

In John's letter to his friend he is giving him a reminder not to follow the examples of this world, but to be an example of God's loving kindness to all.

I have been working on this quite a bit myself.  I have never really been one to try to fit in with the customs of this world.  But I have been trying harder to march to the beat of God's drummer and be a better example to others.

Dear Lord, I ask for Your continued guidance and wisdom so that I may be set good examples to others of the amazing love and mercy You have for us all.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Great Promises

2 John 1:3 - Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ - the Son of the Father - will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

What great promises we have been given by God and His Son Jesus.  Every day is like Christmas when we stay true to God's word and His plan for us.

Anger, bitterness, and pride - that's what ruled my life before I made a renewed dedication to a relationship with Jesus Christ.  These have been replaced now by grace, mercy, and peace.  There is a song by the band Mercy Me that says, "I will worship the One who calmed the raging sea, and I will worship the One who hushed the rage in me."  That is exactly what I will do.

Dear Lord, thank You for these great promises and gifts You have bestowed on this humble servant of Yours...particularly since I didn't deserve any of it.  I will worship You forever.  All praise and honor to You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

His Will

1 John 5:14 - And we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will.

God will give us whatever we ask for in Jesus' name as long as it is according to His plan for us.  Sometimes we get frustrated when our prayers aren't answered, but we have to remember that if it isn't part of God's plan for us, then He won't make it happen.

This has been so true for me.  Very recently, too.  I was starting to question my faith and doubt God's love for me.  I have been blessed that God spoke to me through His word to reveal the truth to me.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for righting this sinking ship and reminding me of Your awesome and unfailing love for all of Your children.  YOUR will be done.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

No End

Jeremiah 31:37 - "Just as the heaven's cannot be measured and the foundation of the earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away forever for their sins.  I, the Lord, have spoken!"

God's love for us knows no end.  No matter how much we may fall away in our relationship with Him, if we are truly repentant in our heart's, He will forgive us.

I know that I am not worthy of God's love for me.  Not, at least, by my own accord.  But God has always had better things planned for me than my own, which is good!  He has redeemed me because of my repentant heart.  I will do all that I can to honor and praise Him for this forever.

Dear Lord, thank You for making me worthy when my actions and lack of faith deemed otherwise.  You truly are the God of Wonders, and I am so blessed for my relationship with You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Promises

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.  "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

God promises to take care of us.  From time to time we will make mistakes.  After all, we are still human.  But if we repent of our sins, and God knows our hearts, He promises to deliver us.  He wants that none should perish.

If Psalm 91:1-2 is my life verse, then this is 1B.  This verse has come to mean so much to me, and I love sharing it with people.  This verse really shows the true nature of God's love.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me, especially when I am not worthy. You have decided I am worthy, and I will praise Your name forever.  Make my heart clean and pure for You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Fading

1 John 2:17 - And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves.  But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.

Everything in this life is temporary and will soon be gone.  Those who love according to God's will, will live in the Kingdom of Heaven for all eternity.

Am I living God's will for my life, or am I a slave to the false comforts of this world?  I have tried very hard over the last few years to align myself with God's will.  I would gladly give up all that I have for Him.

Dear Lord, I ask for Your continued wisdom and guidance so that I may stay on the path You have set for me.  Your will be done.  My heart belongs to You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Sin-Less

1 John 1:8 - If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.

A very smart and godly man told me once, "Just because we are saved, doesn't mean we are sinless, it just means we sin less." Once we accept our responsibility for our shortcomings, and invite Christ into our heart and lives, He is just to forgive us.

I am fond of saying that I am a work in progress.  I know I have been forgiven, and that I have a relationship with Christ, but I am nowhere near perfect and I still have my struggles with sin.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your merciful spirit and unfailing love for me.  I am not worthy of any of it, because I will always fall short, but You love me anyway, and for that I am eternally grateful.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Above & Beyond

Psalm 105:40 - They asked for meat, and He sent them quail; He gave them manna - bread from Heaven.

During the Exodus, God not only guided and protected His people, but He fed them too.  He didn't just give them some meat and crust bread.  He gave them quail and bread from Heaven.  He always goes above and beyond for us.

Have I gone above and beyond to show my love for Jesus?  He sacrificed everything for me - I'd say that's above and beyond.  Have I returned the favor?  I don't believe I could ever completely return THAT favor, but I can do more to help His people.

Dear Lord, I ask for the strength and wisdom to be a better witness to people.  You have done so much for me, I need to show it to everyone.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Believing

John 20:29 - Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me.  Blessed are those who haven't seen Me and believe anyway."

Since none of us here were around when Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected, we believe through faith.  And because of that Jesus says we are blessed.

How awesome is this?!  God blesses us because of our faith in Him.  It really is that simple, and I pray that I never take it for granted.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for Your beautiful and amazing blessings on my life.  I pray for everyone who doesn't have faith that You will work in their heart so that they can experience the amazing love that You have to give.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Ask

Jeremiah 23:35 - You should keep asking each other, 'What is the Lord's answer?' or 'What is the Lord saying?'

Jeremiah is addressing the false prophets.  They were pretending they knew what God wanted, but none of them were taking the time to ask God what He wanted.

This is something I have been struggling with lately.  I don't presume to know, but I haven't been asking.  I have been operating under the assumption that if God doesn't want it, He'll show me.  But it doesn't work that way.  I need to remember to pray THEN plan.

Dear Lord, Your will be done, not mine.  Please work in my heart so I will always seek You first before I do anything, so that I can be sure that I am doing what You want for me.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Helping Out

John 18:11 - But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath.  Shall I not drink from the cup the Father has given me?"

Peter's actions were borne out of love.  He didn't want to lose Jesus, in an earthly sense, so he thought if he fought for Him they wouldn't take Him away.  We all do things like this, but we cannot alter God's plans.

Do I try to change things or maybe speed up God's timing?  I sure have.  And when I catch myself doing it, I have to remind myself that I am not capable of this and I need to stay faithful and trust in the Lord.

Dear Lord, thank you for teaching me patience.  You have always been the best Teacher, and I know I need to trust in You and Your plans for me and my life.  I will forever praise Your name.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Pure Love

John 17:26 - "And I have revealed You to them and will keep on revealing You.  I will do this so that Your love for me may be in them and I in them."

Like a proud parent, Jesus wants nothing more than for us to experience God's amazing and unfailing pure love for us.  He promises to remain in us through His Holy Spirit, so that we may always know perfect love.

This was something I used to struggle to fully comprehend.  How could God love us when we are all full of such wickedness?!  Because Jesus asked Him to and He gave His life as a sacrifice for ours to demonstrate how much He loved us, and so that we could experience it through our faith in Him.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for loving me in a way that could never compare to anything in this world.  Thank You for showing me Your perfect love.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Great Peace

John 16:33 - "I have told you al 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."

Jesus gives us great peace of mind here.  He reminds us that no matter what we may endure in this world and in this life, He has overcome it all, and He will give us a peaceful rest in His Spirit.

This is something I used to struggle with quite a bit.  My anxiety attacks used to be terrible.  Once I learned to Gove it all up to Jesus in prayer, I was healed of them.  Prayer works!

Dear Lord, thank You for laying Your healing hands in me, and overcoming all of my anxieties and sorrows.  I will forever trust in You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Restoration

Jeremiah 15:19 - The Lord replied, "If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me.  If you speak words that are worthy, you will be my spokesman.  You are to influence them; do not let them influence you."

God's promise to Jeremiah here, is a promise for all of us.  We have all strayed, but God promises to restore us because of His unfailing love and grace.  But God is also warning us not be influenced by the evils of this world, and that we are to be the influence.

Do I speak words that are worthy?  Have I been an influence?  I hope I have, because all I want is to serve God in a worthy way.  I know He has great things planned for me that will bring Him glory.

Dear Lord, Your honor and glory is all I desire.  Give me the wisdom to make my words worthy so that they honor You.  If You decide, it will happen, and I am perfectly happy with that.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Promise

Jeremiah 12:15 - Bit afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them.  I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own inheritance.

Although these nations referred to here have been enemies of God's chosen people, God promises to restore them as long as they repent and stay faithful to Him.  What a great promise of redemption.

What a great Redeemer God is.  He is so justified to destroy us when we turn our backs on Him.  But he doesn't want that any of us should perish but to live life abundantly with Him.  That's a promise I am completely on board with, and hope that God will use me to reflect that to people.

Dear Lord, use me for Your Glory, so that I can show people what a a great and loving Redeemer You are.  I know You don't need me for this, but I need You for this.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Hard-Headed

Jeremiah 8:5 - Then why do these people keep going along their self-destructive path, refusing to turn back, even though I have warned them?

God is asking a great question here.  And I can totally understand why.  It's like the parent telling the child, "Don't touch that it's hot." But you know the child isb going to touch it and learn the hard way.  God's chosen people all had to learn the hard way.

I used to be a very self-destructive person.  I was Curious George on steroids.  I would have benefitted from reading this passage a long time ago, but all in His time.  I had to ask myself, "Has anything I've done made my life any better?" Until a couple of years ago, the answer was a resounding NO.  But I'm on a better path now, with a Great Light to show me the way.

Dear Lord, thank You for letting me learn the hard way.  I'm not proud of my sinful ways, but I am grateful for them, because they led me to You.  Thank You for lighting my path for me.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

A Shining Light

John 13:46 - "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness."

Jesus promises to be a light to our path as long as our trust and faith remain in Him.  How could we possibly need anything more?

Is Jesus' light shining on my path?  Am I fully committed to Him?  Yes and yes!  Although I followed a dark path for a long time, I always knew there was a light at the end of that tunnel.  I have been blessed to find it, and it is a much better (serious understatement) life for me.

Dear Lord, thank You for brightly guiding my path to Your glory.  Please use me to show others the way to You so that they all can know the true path of life that is intended for us all.  All of my faith and trust is in You forever.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Resurrection & Life

John 11:25 - Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again."

Jesus' promise to Martha here, is a promise to us all.  If we believe with our heart, confess with our mouths, and turn from our old lives, we will live with Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Turning frkm my old ways has been something I have always struggled with, as I am sure it is for a lot of people.  I need to work harder at it, for I know my reward awaits me in Heaven, and there is nothing my old ways can produce that would be better than that life with Jesus.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me this chance to be with You in Your Kingdom.  I know I don't deserve it, but You have made me worthy because of Your love, mercy, and ultimate sacrifice.  Amen!

God Bless!!!