O Lord!

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it all together. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me." Psalm 139:1-5

"O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life." Lamentations 3:58

"O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You. I will praise your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." Isaiah 25:1

Father, Your love is astounding and everlasting. Thank you for knowing our inmost being and still desiring to draw us near to You. We are SO undeserving and entitled to nothing; yet, You long to richly bless us. Please teach us to be like You. Teach us to be doers of the Word, not only hearers. Remind us that we are nothing more than clay(Jeremiah 18:1-6). You are the Potter and can shape and mold in whatever way You see fit. We belong to You and are not our own. In everything we do, teach us first to look to You! You are the reason we're alive and for You we should daily strive.

"...Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so you are in My hand..." Jeremiah 18:6

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!

Proud of you!!

When was the last time you heard the words, "I'm so proud of you"?! A friend said that to me this evening and it rang so sweetly in my ears. I haven't heard that phrase in quite a while. How about you, Friend?! Have you been told that recently? Do you tell that to others often? There's something about a voiced approval that means so much!

Do you know that Jesus Christ is proud of you?! Even in our fleshly, sinful state, God looks upon us with favor and claims us as His own! Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, God looks on us as pure and blameless.

"...that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world," Philippians 2:15
"...in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight." Colossians 1:22
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23
"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you...'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine." Isaiah 43:1
"...Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." Jeremiah 31:3
"But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." John 15:16
"How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand..." Psalm 139:17-18

We are sinners and we hurt the heart of God when we make poor decisions, but He is proud of us; not because of what we do, but because of who we are...we are His!

It's all about Him and our identity in Christ!

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!

You're safe!

Lately, in our community, we have been dealing with tragic deaths and loss. Being a police officer's wife, I am acutely aware of the depravity within this world. My husband is constantly engaging the darkness that surrounds us, so I am constantly on my knees beside him. It is a very frightening place at times and yet, we should not live in fear. Our God is a just God. True, He allows tragic events to occur that are beyond our understanding, but He is always in complete control. He is never scared, never shocked, never shaken. It is important to remember the One to whom we belong. When I am afraid, I pray the truth found in these Scripture verses. I hope they bring you some comfort as they have me. 

"Bow down your ear to me; Deliver me speedily. Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me." Psalm 31:2

"Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress." Psalm 71:3

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"Therefore, thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance for you'." Jeremiah 51:36

"Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay', says the Lord." Romans 12:19

"The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed." Psalm 103:6

"For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off." Psalm 37:28

"The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:14

"for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." Deuteronomy 20:4

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I shall satisfy him, and show him My salvation." Psalm 91:14-16

"...You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." Isaiah 60:16

Isn't it comforting to know that an invincible, undefeatable God has got your back?!! You belong to a Mighty Master, Friend, and nothing that happens to you will ever escape His notice! Run to His embrace when you feel afraid. He is your stronghold and He will care for you!

Find Joy in Him, Beloved! 

No one and Nothing!!

How are you, my Friend?! I wanted to share a song that has been on my heart lately that I just love! Particularly, the truth of the chorus and the strength of these words, "And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?" I tear up when I sing these words because the answer is always "No one and Nothing!" I am not sure what struggle you may currently be facing, but pray the truth of Luke 18:27 over you. "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Own this verse and have courage!! 

(pause music at the bottom before enjoying)

 

"God plus one always equals the majority" and that fills me with indescribable joy!!! 

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!

The waiting game!

Hello, Friend! I wanted to share what I read in "My Utmost for His Highest" today because it really encouraged me! I hope it speaks to your heart as it did mine.

"In the beginning, Moses had realized that he was the one to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in his individual perspective, but he was not the person for the work until he had learned true fellowship and oneness with God. 

We may have the vision of God and a very clear understanding of what God wants, and yet when we start to do it, there comes to us something equivalent to Moses' forty years in the wilderness. It's as if God had ignored the entire thing, and when we are thoroughly discouraged, God comes back and revives His call to us. And then we begin to tremble and say, "Who am I that I should go...?" We must learn that God's great stride is summed up in these words - "I AM WHO I AM...has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14). We must also learn that our individual effort for God shows nothing but disrespect for Him - our individuality is to be rendered radiant through a personal relationship with God, so that He may be "well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). We are focused on the right individual perspective of things; we have the vision and can say "I know this is what God wants me to do." But we have not yet learned to get into God's stride. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead."

Through it all, He is drawing you closer to Himself!! Our lives belong to Jesus Christ and He is what it's all about!! The Lord knows how much time it will take to shape & mold you..."For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose..." Revelation 17:17.  If it seems like God's ignoring you or delaying your proceedings, it's because He's not finished equipping you for the job He's created you for.

Time is something God created, but man invented watches. Going by our watch puts God's time in a box. We are a people that do not like waiting. Consider Moses' 40 years!! Can you imagine waiting half a lifetime for God to carry out His plan for you?! Friend, don't try to place limits on a limitless God. Instead, follow His teachings, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted above the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10. He is working out His plan in and through you and He will do it all in His perfect timing. Our challenge is to pray "Father, Your will be done" and mean it.


Find Joy in Him, Beloved!

Are you "wee"?! Be "wee"!

Zacchaeus wouldn't have been able to scurry up that tree if he wasn't so wee. 

"But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this'? Does not the Potter have power over the clay..." Romans 9:20-21a

How do you view yourself, Friend? Do you have confidence in who you are? Do you know that every hair, every freckle, every inch of your stature was handcrafted and given to you by God? So many of us look at our reflections with critical, judging eyes. We compare ourselves to others and set up unhealthy habits in order to reach unattainable standards. To critique the Lord's design is to tell your Creator that His creation is flawed. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1Corinthians 3:16; "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" 1Corinthians 6:19. You belong to Jesus Christ and it is His reflection that you should see when you look at you. Before He formed you into existence, you were an approved blueprint! You are perfect because He made you! His eyes are always upon you and His gaze is one of true & lasting love. He adores you just as you are! Adopt Christ's perspective and be proud to be the you He made you to be!

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14

Find Joy in Him, Beloved! 

Spiritual Guard!

"Conscience is God's built-in warning system. Be very happy when it hurts you. Be very worried when it doesn't."

"This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offence toward God and men." Acts 24:16

"Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness." Luke 11:35. Don't ignore the promptings of your conscience, which is your spiritual guard! If you do, you will become calloused to the Holy Spirit's guidance. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting." Romans 1:28. There is a reason for any unsettling of the heart. The battle between right and wrong is one that is very prevalent within & around us. 

Learn to heed the Spirit's concerns. For He will reveal the right course of action.

"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." 1 Peter 2:21

"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness." Psalm 143:10

"Behold! My servant whom I have chosen, My beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon him..." Matthew 12:18

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!

Are you imprisoned?!

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you."

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Matthew 6:14-15

How do you handle an offence against you? Are you quick to forgive or does bitterness fester within you? I have a horrible tendency to hold a grudge when someone offends me or hurts my feelings, especially when they are aware of how I feel and show no remorse. Can you relate? I am sure there's someone in your life that has "done you wrong" and hasn't confessed. Somehow, I always feel justified in my reasons for not offering them forgiveness. 

However, I am recently discovering the danger and destruction caused by this thinking. Continually dwelling on MY pain prevents me from being able to see things through my offender's eyes. If I were not so concerned about myself, perhaps I would be able to look deeper into their situation and empathize with their pain. What if something were to happen to that person? What if I lost all chance of renewing that which was once a thriving relationship? What if he/she never really knew that, despite it all, I love him/her? No matter how bad I've been hurt, am I willing to allow someone to feel worthless to me? I truly believe that if you are not willing to renew a fractured relationship, you never really had a solid foundation in the first place. 

Some folks have the perspective that says, "Well, I'm not forgiving them as a form of punishment". If you have the, "This'll show 'em!" revenge mentality, you will end up causing yourself far more pain than you ever hoped to inflict. Trust me, the person that refuses to forgive, burns the bridge that he will eventually need to cross. Don't bind the shackles to your own wrists.

Others take the, "I know things aren't right between me and "So&So", but it's ok, because I'm right with God." approach. According to our verse, that cannot be. You must first forgive, even if your offender is unapologetic for his/her actions. And if you truly forgive that person, your heart toward them would change. You would begin to value their worth and desire to have your relationship back. Your "grudge" would be forgotten...as if the offence never occurred. Granted, you are not responsible for how they respond, but you will be freed from the bondage of being unforgiven by the Lord. And you will leave them feeling free to come back to your embrace when they're ready, knowing all is forgiven and you desire to love them.

Typically, we are wounded by people that hurt us with their tongues; their words cause us deep emotional pain. Imagine the pain that Jesus endured on the cross. He was brutally beaten. He was spat upon and humiliated. He endured every unimaginable, excruciating physical & emotional pain, simultaneously. His humanity and deity was attacked, and how did He respond?..."Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."(Luke 23:34) WHAT?!! How can that be?! We get defensive and decline offering forgiveness when someone says something we don't like. You think it was easy for Jesus to forgive while hanging on the cross after everything they did to Him?! My Friend, let's not forget that even though He was God and had the ability and authority to save Himself, He was 100% fully man. He was flesh and dealt with the same struggles that we have to deal with. The difference is, He always responded in the RIGHT way. Jesus Christ was the Ultimate Empathizer! He knows exactly what it's like!! He can relate to whatever issue you're dealing with.

Here are some nuggets of truth that I hope you will dwell on while you travel the road to forgiveness.They will comfort your heart.
"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." Romans 12:18
"When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Proverbs 16:7
"Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:14
"He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace." Proverbs 11:12
"Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us." Isaiah 26:12

"And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." Romans 16:20. No time to lose, Friend! We have a responsibility to put ourselves aside and be as Christ would be to our offenders. 

Choose the freedom He can offer and...

Find Joy in Him, Beloved!