Laura Story - Blessings

1 Peter 4:12,13
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

The words to this song are powerful...  open your heart and listen to them carefully.   They are the main message I want to express in this post today.


                              

Purified For Prayer

PRAYER.

Effectual, fervent—this describes HOW. 

Of a righteous man—this describes WHO. 

God chooses to work according to the prayers of His righteous chosen ones. (James 5:16; see previous post)

But WHY? Why does God want us to pray? Why does He command us to bring our requests before Him (Philippians 4:6)? We, who in our sinful, degenerate condition have neither right nor motivation to approach the Holy One of Israel and commune with the Holy God; the great 'I AM;' Yahweh.

Out of the abundance of His steadfast love (Psalm 69:13) He commands His children to come (Matthew 11:28)! He desires fellowship with us. He delights in it. He is glorified by it.

And because He loves us, He gives us the confidence and the ability through His Son to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).

Hebrews 10:12-19 explains:

When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God . . . For by a single offering he . . . perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us . . .

Where there is forgiveness of [sins], there is no longer any offering for sin . . .

Therefore . . . we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.

SO . . .

Because . . .

Christ offered the ultimate sacrifice for sins,

is now seated at the right hand of God (12),

and has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (14),

and because . . .

the Holy Spirit has sealed the covenant for us (15-17)

and because . . .

God has forgiven our sins (17-18)

then . . .

I have confidence to enter the holy place as a priest before God and to fulfill my responsibilities to my Creator (19).

But we cannot come as we are. Prayer transports us into the very presence of our pure and holy God. In Old Testament times, only the priests were permitted into the holy place to stand before God. Just as they cleansed their bodies with water before approaching Him, we must 'wash [ourselves] and make [ourselves] clean' (Isaiah 1:16).

Hebrews 10:22 tells us to 'draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.'

We are commanded to draw near and fellowship with God, to talk with Him and enjoy Him. But we must do this on God's terms, not ours.

So what are God's terms?

We must come with a true heart. That is, a heart that is undivided in its affections, fully devoted to God, sincerely seeking and faithfully serving.

Purify [make true] your hearts, you double-minded.

(James 4:8c)

We must come fully assured that God will fulfill His promises. This means forsaking sinful distrust and being confident in our belief that God's promises are true. We cannot be transformed if we are not assured of God's power and ability. By our faith, He is glorified.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him,

for whoever would draw near to God must

believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

(Hebrews 11:6)

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,

for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

(James 1:6-8)

We must come with our hearts sprinkled clean from every guilt, fear, and fleshly perversion, from every selfish motive and deed. We must acknowledge that the blood of Christ atones for every sin and triumphs over every fleshly vice, allowing us to do what is right in the sight of God.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness

through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,

by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises,

so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,

having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

(2 Peter 1:3-4)

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(I Corinthians 15:57)

We must come washed with pure water. Just as the Old Testament priests were required to wash before making intercession in the presence of God, we must confess and be cleansed from sin.

When you come to appear before [God]. . .

Wash yourselves;

make yourselves clean;

remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;

cease to do evil, learn to do good . . .

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool.

(Isaiah 1:12, 16, 18)

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

And who shall stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to what is false

and does not swear deceitfully.

(Psalm 24:3-4)

Cleanse your hands, you sinners.

(James 4:8b)

So come, draw near to Him, be cleansed and purified as a priest before Him. Live righteously and offer up your effectual fervent prayers to God who alone offers salvation and hope, and to whom alone belongs power and steadfast love (Psalm 62).

powerful prayer

"So He [Jesus] Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed."

Luke 5:16

Even Jesus Himself prayed to His Father, God.  What a perfect example He laid for us.

I know that I've talked about prayer before, but I can't seem to get over the power that I have personally discovered in prayer.  If we pray in faith, it becomes a direct link between us and God.  It has become, for me, second-nature to just talk to the Lord about everything within the quietness of my heart, wherever I am.  Although often, like Jesus did, I have to get away.  I live in the country, so there's plenty of places not far away to go to find a quiet moment with the Lord.

Recently, I was reading a verse that I've known by memory almost all my life, but this time, God showed it to me in a different light.

"Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.  

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

James 5:16

So, the three guidelines given for powerful prayer are:

Effective.  Learn how to pray genuinely and according to God's will.  We can learn about God's will and how He works in different situations by reading His word.

Fervent.  Pray often! Pray, pray, pray all the time.  He's your friend.  He'll always have time for you!

Of a righteous man.  If you ever feel distant from God, the problem may be a hidden or undealt-with sin. Try with all your heart to live the pure life God has enabled and intended you to live.
He will honor this effort!

When you begin to pray effectively, fervently, and while living a righteous life, you will see how God, because of your prayer, begins to move in powerful ways!

God's answers are simple.  He will say "Yes" if  what you have requested does not conflict with His will;  He says "no"  if it does, and "wait" if He is still at work in a situation.  His will is perfect... be ready to submit to His answers.  He'll make them clear to you.  I know that!

Resurrection Day Meditations . . .

We naturally do what we feel like doing rather than what God tells us in His word to do.

On our own, we can never meet God's standards of perfection and holiness.

For all have sinned

and fall short of the glory of God.

(Romans 3:23)

Sin has consequences.

God offers mercy and pardon.

 

The [penalty for] sin is death,

but the free gift of God is eternal life

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 6:23)

Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. . .

[but] if the Son, [Jesus], sets you free,

you will be free indeed.

(John 8:34,36)

God, our Creator, loves us and wants us to experience 

the joy of knowing Him.

He made this possible through His Son.

God loved the world so much,

that He gave His only Son,

that whoever believes in Him

should not perish but have eternal life.

(John 3:16)

[Jesus Christ is] the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in [Him] . . . shall never die.

(John 11:25-26)

It is not enough to simply acknowledge the existence of God and Christ.

We must let go of our selfish pursuits and seek only after Him!

Christ was raised from the dead [so that] we . . .

might walk in newness of life.

(Romans 6:4)

lean not!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct your paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 are two verses I have know for as long as I can remember. I’ve come across them frequently in Christian books over the years and quoted them myself often enough but somehow I never fully comprehended at least a portion of their’ meaning until lately. The phrase “lean not on your own understanding” is what I have suddenly been brought face to face with. …“lean not”… Really?? That means when God tells me to trust in Him with all my heart there are going to be times that trust goes against my own comprehension, interpretation, and knowledge? Wait! You mean God might want me to trust Him when He tells me to reach out to someone in love even when I “know” they are just going to respond with hate? You mean God might lead me to trust Him and go ahead and take that job with lower pay even though that is an “unwise” financial decision because that is where He wants me? You mean the way in which God calls me to prepare for my future might look silly or even dumb to every one else and even to me sometimes but if that is what He wants I am suppose to trust Him and do it anyway? Wow! But really isn’t that what we see in the Bible? Think about Gideon in Judges 6 and 7. It is an amazing story, I wish time a space permitted me to retell all of it here, but I encourage you to read it for yourself if you have not lately! God carved down Gideon’s army to a tiny 300 men and then lead them in victory against the host of Midianites with trumpets, pitchers and lamps as their weapons. Think of how many times Gideon had to not lean on his own understanding as God told him to send more and more of his men home and then instructed him to arm his warriors with such seemingly useless weapons. Would you have had the faith to obey? Would I? Then there is Joshua whom God told him to march around the city of Jericho and the walls would fall flat. What if he had said “oh come on, that’s impossible! and besides we would look incredibly silly!” O.K maybe he would not have used that exact vocabulary … but how many of us say that in our hearts when faced with some of God’s commandments? The Bible is full of people who had to trust God despite the fact that the circumstances made that trust look crazy and even dangerous and I can‘t think of one time God failed!

So let’s think about this in reference to our own lives. It doesn’t have to look great to our own understanding or to everyone else we just need to acknowledge God and He will direct us. Isn’t that freeing? Will you join me today in asking the Lord to show us the areas where we are leaning on the wrong thing? Ask Him to help you to trust in Him instead. After all isn’t it better having the all powerful all knowing God directing our paths…rather than trying to do it all by ourselves?

The Light of the World

I am the light of the world. I pondered this as I approached a group of rowdy teenagers just released from the highschool across the road. I caught the eyes of one or two and smiled but they only stared with hollow eyes.

I am the light of the world, I thought as I watched the myriad cars, pickup trucks, suvs, and buses hustling by in the street.

I am the light of the world, as a young lady jogged past me.

Not so much a light, I thought, but a spark. A very tiny spark. What is a spark on such a sea of darkness? I felt overwhelmed, like one against a troop (Psalm 18:29).

I cried to God. My soul aches for the empty souls around me, for I was once one of them. I want them all to know the fulfillment of life and joy that I have found for it so vast and marvelous! But how can I share the way to the path of life (Psalm 16) with those who pass me by, most with whom I have no opportunity to even speak a word?

Then the Spirit spoke to my heart. My God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). It is He who will lighten their darkness (Psalm 18:28), He who will kindle a flame in their cold hearts. Just as I may touch a burning candle to a tuft of tinder, He touches my life to a person's soul. A smile here. A word of kindness there. A helping hand, a look of understanding. Spark upon spark until His great love consumes!

A look of love may ignite, beyond those hollow eyes, a glimmer of hope, hope that will desire and yearn and search until it blazes with the Light of the world.

~

Father, use me to this end!

I am the light of the world only because

the Light of the world is within me.

I am a mere flicker on this sea of darkness,

but Your Spirit is strong

and able to overcome the darkness.

(John 1:5; I John 4:4)

Fire goes before You

and burns up Your adversaries all around.

(Psalm 97:3)

You, my God, are the  

Consuming Fire!

~

Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world. . .

People [do not] light a lamp and put it under a basket,

but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before others,

so that they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

~

Hebrews 12:29

For our God is a consuming fire.

~

Psalm 18:28

For it is You who light my lamp;

the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

My grace is sufficent for you.

Well, as you know, spring is here!  Isn't it wonderful?  For me, this feels more like the beginning of the year than January did!  I can finally start organizing things that got negected during the cold winter months, as well as start preparing my garden, and making little plans for things I can do this summer.

Do you ever have dreams for the future?  (If so, feel free to tell me about them!)

I think dreams are beautiful and wonderful things if they are in line with God's desires (which He makes known to us in His word, the Bible),  and also, if our dreams do not plant seeds of discontentment in our hearts, for things that are out of our reach.  We should always be ready to change our plans if they in any way conflict with God's perfect will for us.

Which brings me to the main thrust of what I want to talk about... being content.  (God has been teaching me a lot about contentment lately.)   I think that if we understand what godly contentment is and really embrace it for ourselves, only then can we be really and truly happy.

Contentment, in essense, is accepting any and all circumstances that come our way, because we know that God is in control, and He is totally perfect and good, beyond our understanding.  Even hard times are part of his beautiful plan for us.  If we are trusting God and seeking Him and His word for strength, I believe that there is nothing we can't face or go through.  God will bring us out all in good time, and He'll be with us all the way if we believe.

Contentment is also the opposite of greed.  Are we still joyful even when we don't get that thing we've always wanted?  Are we satisfied with all that God HAS given us?  (Because, if we're honest with ourselves, we know that He has given us so much already!)  Is His grace and love sufficient for us?  (2 Corinthians 12:9)  "And He said to me,  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”"


Isn't that amazing?  God's purposes are fulfilled and His glory and strength made known through times when we are insufficient!  The point is, that God can make good come of anything, which is proof of His power!  When we realize this, then we can be content in any situation!

Are you content with letting God be your Father?  Are you content to just let Him be your source of happiness?  If so, I'd REALLY like to hear about that!

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.... But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life..."
1 Timothy 6:6-9,11,12a

Satisfied

With great shame I confess that motherhood frequently brings out the worst in me. I am appalled at the ugliness of my heart. Sins that pride had convinced me were conquered or nonexistent have manifested themselves in ways I never thought possible. I am grieved by my impatience, anger, bitterness, frustration, selfishness—I could go on—toward the dear ones the Lord has entrusted to me. 

 

I am supposed to be a little Christ to my children, a model of His character, a channel for His love. How often I fail! Yet how often have I found forgiveness and grace before the throne of God! I pray, pleading for victory over my flesh. I read His Word, and He teaches me and sanctifies me. 

 

Only as I abide in Christ will His love control me, subduing my fleshly impulses and enabling me to respond in a manner pleasing to God. But I cannot abide in Him unless I am satisfied with Him. I need to believe that Christ alone is capable of fulfilling my most intimate desires. I must come to Him, trusting that His provision will meet my deepest needs.

When His will becomes my ambition, His glory my motivation, His kingdom my desire, when I would rather meet with Him than attend to my personal hobbies and interests, when earthly entertainments and amusements seem dull and unattractive in comparison to the Living Word, then will I have the proper mindset to instruct my children in the way that they should go and to properly demonstrate the joyous outcome of obedience and submission which I am striving to instill in them.

~

Come to Christ, you who are weary of trying to satisfy yourself, and He will give you rest, fulfilling your every desire. Serve Him in submission and obedience, uniting your heart to His with a willingness to learn and grow, and you will be comforted by His gentle compassion. Service to Christ is neither enslaving nor burdensome (Matthew 11:28-30) because His joy is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10), His peace surpasses human comprehension (Philippians 4:7), His grace is sufficient, and His power is magnified when you are weak and incapable of accomplishing your mission (2 Corinthians 12:9).

If you hunger and thirst after righteousness, you shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6), because God promises that He will not withhold anything good from them that seek Him and walk uprightly (Psalm 34:10, 84:11). He is gracious and merciful, providing food for those who fear Him (Psalm 111:4-5). He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with good things (Psalm 103:5, 107:9; Isaiah 55:2c). He is able to bring you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things (Jeremiah 2:7a). All you have to do is come (Isaiah 55:1-3)!

Come to the waters!

Come!

Come!

Listen!

Eat!

Delight!

Incline your ear!

Come to me!

Hear!

Make the Lord your portion (Psalm 16:5). He has prepared a table before you (Psalm 23:5). Satisfy the appetites of your soul with these eternal pleasures (Psalm 16:11) rather than with the dainties the world offers. Come, feast upon Him, delight in Him, and you shall not hunger, for He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

Make Him your cup (Psalm 16:5). Everyone who drinks from the well of worldly pleasure will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that Christ offers will never thirst. The water that He gives will become in your soul a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:13-14). Those who taste of this eternal spring will see that Christ is good (Psalm 34:8a). 

 

If anyone thirsts, let him come to Christ and drink. Out of the hearts of those who believe in Him will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38). For those who thirst and faint for Him, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1), He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. In this place He lets the hungry dwell (Psalm 107:35-36). He leads them beside still waters (Psalm 23:2).

Christ's flesh is true food, and His blood is true drink (John 6:55). When you feed on the Word that became flesh and delight in Him, meditating day and night on His laws (John 1:14; Psalm 1:2), you become like Him, no longer judging others and speaking in ways that are dishonoring to God. You pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desires of the afflicted (Isaiah 58:9-10). You visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and deny yourself the sinful pleasures of the world (James 1:27). You allow the Lord to guide and strengthen you and satisfy your desires even when your circumstances afford no joy. In Him alone you find the fulfillment of joy (Psalm 16:8,11; 18:1; John 15:11).

 

He is your cup that overflows (Psalm 23:5). You become like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail (Isaiah 58:11), and like a tree planted by streams of water, that sends out its roots by the streams, that unceasingly yields its fruit in its season, whose leaves remain green and do not wither, who does not fear when heat comes, and is not anxious in the year of drought (Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:8). The righteous flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar. . .They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age, they bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. They are ever full of sap and green so that they may continue to declare that the Lord is upright, that He is our Rock in whom is no unrighteousness (Psalm 92:12-15; Galatians 5:22-23).

What wrong did [you] find in Christ that [you] went far from Him, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless (Jeremiah 2:5)? Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy (Isaiah 55:2a) when God is offering the Bread of Life freely (Isaiah 55:1)? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food (Isaiah 55:2b). Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you (John 6:27). Do not indulge in anything that is spiritually worthless (Psalm 101:3). Feast upon that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable with excellent qualities and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Remember the Lord as you lay in bed. Meditate on Him in the quiet hours of the night, and your soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food (Psalm 63:5-6). Feast upon the Bread of Life because those who eat of it shall not die but will live forever (John 6:51)!

Spring's Song

All the signs of spring are precious. The fearless crocuses pushing up their heads from beneath the earth, sunny daffodils blooming with all their might, golden forsythia spotting the country side, the first robin on the wing… But my favorite part of Spring is the music of the birds. How loud the tree tops are now! compared with their solemn silence of winter.

There are some ways in which I would do well to imitate the birds. Frigid nights and late snowfalls do not dampen their spirits at all. No matter what things may look like you can count on them to keep singing the arrival of Spring, and every year (despite March blizzards!) they are right. I on the other hand far too often take my cue first from my circumstances. As I encounter each new problem; broken relationships, friends gone astray, financial burdens, cancer…from my perspective things can look pretty bleak. I tend to expect bad outcomes rather than glorious ones leaving our mighty God completely out of the picture. Lately God has been answering a few of those ’impossible’ prayers of mine and writing stories of redemption before my very eyes that I would never have imagined. It is making me look differently at the bad stuff in my here and now, and Oh but what a blessing that is!! We don’t know the end of the story because God is not finished yet! NO problem is too complicated NO person beyond His power and grace. We have no idea what amazing things our tomorrow may bring because God is in the business of changing lives and working miracles.

So what ’impossible’ things are you facing right now? I know what mine are! Let’s take them to our gracious Heavenly Father and leave them there. Rest assured that if things do not change it is not because God lacks the power, He simply has a bigger plan. Wait for it. The same way we wait for Spring.

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” James 5:7-8,11

　

JOY

JOY. It is one of the most beautiful three letter words I think, so full of hope and promise. We all long for joy, perhaps more than we do for anything else, but we don’t hear much about joy in our world today, we do hear an awful lot about happiness. Happiness is the word of the times and it comes in all shapes and sizes and with varying price tags. If you stop and think the next time you see an advertisement the whole premise is that what they are selling is somehow going to make us happier. A ’in’ outfit, a tasty meal, a prettier face…these are all for sale in our world today and they claim if we can just gather this, that, and the other the formula of all this stuff will equal my happiness and yours. It sounds kind of silly, but don’t we often live that way? Perhaps we don’t think our happiness depends on what we have or how we look , maybe it’s more friends we think we need to be happy , or freedom from our illness, or for our most distressing problem to just somehow go away. Often we live waiting for a time when things will be ’better’ then we think we will be happy. Trials enter our lives and if we cringe, sigh and sadly wave goodbye to happiness for a while we are revealing that in our heart of hearts we really believe that our well being is bound up in our circumstances. But doesn’t the Bible teach us that we should always have joy? And if so what is the source of this elusive and so sought after joy?

According to my dictionary “happiness results from the possession or attainment of what one considers good” wow! that’s something to think about. If that is true part of the key to happiness lies with in our own hearts and what we are considering good. So what is your joy dependent on? What are you considering good …or not good? If our joy is dependent on things of this earth or even on the people in our lives we should prepare to be disappointed. Life in this fallen world will never be perfect! There will always be one more thing in our lives that in our minds needs fixing. But what if our source of joy was God our Creator and Savior? What if we could have joy on the mountain AND in the valley because we know that we are the children of a good and sovereign God and that nothing, nothing is allowed into our lives that is not for our good? Now that’s what I call secure and certain joy because we know no matter what else changes in our lives HE remains the same. There is a reason to rejoice!

“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. …You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-9,11

Hello from Sarah!

Just to start off, let me just begin by saying this: I LOVE being around my Christian friends and family, but I also love those moments where I can escape the business and craziness of life and find a quiet place alone somewhere to just think and talk to my heavenly Father.  He is always there right beside me!  The comfort of His friendship and the surety of His counsel are as close as my next breath... all I have to do is call upon His name, and I know He'll be there, ready to hear what I have to say.  And guess what?  I KNOW that He has a lot to say to me too... answers for all my questions, and solutions to all my doubts...  If I will open my Bible in faith (Faith is believing in the unseen), that's when I can always hear His voice !!!!
Anyway.  I said all that to say that that's how I plan to get ideas for my posts.  Actually that's the whole reason why I'm blogging!  I want to share with my sisters in Christ some of the things that God has shared with me during those special moments where we talk, just the two of us.  (Its that simple, and just as real!)

Its like the way two close friends would be with each other...  there's always something new to talk about!  That's how God wants to be in our lives.  Like a really, really, really close friend and confidante that you would call on ANYTIME to talk to about ANYTHING with, simply because we love and trust Him.

Sometimes God will be straight with us, however.  There may be some things in our hearts and lives that He wants us to get turned around.  (I promise you, He won't hesitate to bring  it to your attention somehow!)  The truth might make you uncomfortable, BUT, the nice thing about God is that He does more than just point out our problems.  He tells how we can fix it the fastest way possible, gives us the strength to do that, and promises His rewards to those who (1) obey the warning and (2) avoid further temptation.

Being a friend of God is about loosening our grasp on this life.  Trusting God means knowing that no matter what happens in life, even trials and tragedies, nothing can come our way without first passing through the filter of His love.

God's got everything figured out... and for those who really  want to follow Him, that's an extremely comforting thought!

Jesus said:

"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. "
-John 15:14-15

time for change

Hosea 10:12
"Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."


Acts 3:19
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

No matter where we're at in life, we always have room for improvement.  At least I know I do.  I'm always trying to live closer with the Lord every day.  Each new morning, my first goal is to be more heavenly-minded and Christ-like throughout the course of time.

(It always seems like the world is always right there to distract me from my goal... and it's really a fight to keep in line!!!)

Now is the time for me to straiten out things that aren't right in life. I only have one life to live, and only so much time left to live it out.  I need to attend to what is really important while I have the time!

Note:  Believe it or not, the harder and more aggressively you work at this (the strength of the Lord at work in you), the more peace you'll attain!  It will fill your entire being and then spill over.  The feeling of ACCOMPLISHMENT and VICTORY is very rewarding.  It really is.

Children of God

Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

I had a very nice weekend camping, out in God's marvelous creation, and in the company of a few other wonderful Christian families.  I am always deeply touched by being around other like-minded people, who love and follow the Lord as I do.  True, upright, and vision-oriented Christians (as I know these individuals are) are so rare and valuable, and very refreshing for me. 

I took lots of pictures over the weekend, but this one alone seemed to capture the overall feelings I had of the entire outing: love, unity and the peace of God.

Wherever I go, I always try to see life through the eyes of one who loves the things of the Lord.

Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Psalms 23

Psalms chapter 23
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. "

I was horseback riding with some friends of mine awhile ago, and we rode past this pond.  It was so peaceful and beautiful!  The Lord then reminded me of Psalms 23.

Notice in this Psalm how God makes us to lie down in green pastures.  He has to lead us to the still waters.

Do you ever have trouble letting go of the things in life that get you down?  We need to learn to trust and obey God.  Just open your heart, let the Lord lead and guide, and give all your burdens over to Him... just feel your tensions fade as you let God take control!

Here's another passage that goes really well with this topic:

Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

... and it rained...

 Matthew 5:45
"For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

 There was a lot of heavy rain yesterday.  Oh, I love rain!!!

Rain is such a wonderful blessing from the Lord...  It is forever a reminder to me of God's mercy and love... it comes down and washes away impurities; it replenishes, and gives life.  It gives me a feeling of a fresh start... a second chance to do a little better for the Lord.  Hopefully, I'll keep getting better and better every time... becoming more like my Father in Heaven.

  Look at each water droplet... every one of them is like a little present from God.  Isn't it spectacular?  Better yet, isn't HE even more spectacular?

Also-- back to the Bible verse I mentioned at the top-- God makes these little blessings for everyone.  Even the people who don't stop to notice them, or acknowledge their Creator.

After it rains, I love to go outside-- the air is cool, damp and clean-smelling.  I have to stop and thank God for it all. He gave it to us!

I usually take lots of pictures of all the pretty droplets on the flowers and leaves too... so I can look back at them to be reminded of those quiet moments I enjoyed with the Lord.

Here's something that the Lord just reminded me of: the Bible often uses water to describe the Word of God.  Just like rain on a dry and thirsty world, the precious Word of God is a like cool water on parched and weary souls.


Then, after the rain had come down for about two hours, our next-door-neighbor called us up and told us to go out on our front porch and look into the sky.  This is what we saw!

The rainbow is a beautiful reminder from God of His promise of forgiveness (for those who are willing to accept it).

Genesis 9:12-16
" And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” "

Did you know, that if the ground wasn't in the way, the rainbow would go all the way around and make a complete circle?  This is another part of God's promise.  God's love and goodness have no end.  It is complete.  With no imperfections or exceptions.  How wonderful!