Brown bears at Brooks Falls Katmai National Park. Photograped by Brocken Inaglory in July of 1998

Good morning, beloved,

Sunday, the Lord”s day, a day of rest, a day of peace, or supposedly such, we forget what God‘s original design. We forget He designed us to work for six days and on the seventh, we rest. I am grateful, grateful for God’s design. It is flawless, it is beautiful and to this daughter, necessary.

However, can I just get some agreement here? Even if I cut out everything outside of our home on Sunday afternoons, things still creep in. Even if our goal is rest, the house still needs to be picked up. Dishes still need to be done. We have to start packing, as our floors will be torn up soon. We are painting a bathroom. Time to spend with the family that can be fun. So my quiet is now, before I open my email, read my messages on Facebook, and today, remember, Your will be done, Lord, on earth as it is in heaven.

Your will- from Blue Letter Bible’s Lexicon:

1) what one wishes or has determined shall be done

a) of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ

b) of what God wishes to be done by us

1) commands, precepts

2) will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure

Oh, we must see this word, thelēma, in action in other parts of the Word. Come with me, and let’s dive in.

Matthew 7: ²¹ “Not all those who say [^Lto me] ·‘You are our Lord’ [^L‘Lord! Lord!’] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].

So, the first thing to remember about God’s will, those who do what the Father wants will enter the kingdom. That word only interests me but as my family likes to call it..this becomes a rabbit trail.

Matthew 12: ⁵⁰ My true brother and sister and mother are those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].”

Jesus calls His family those who do the will of His Father in heaven. We are His family! What a blessed thought.

Matthew 26:4² Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for ·this painful thing [^Lthis thing; ^Cthe cup of suffering; v. 39] to be taken from me, and if I must ·do [drink] it, ·I pray that what you want [^Lmay your] will be done.”

Jesus, twice asked the Father, to be taken from the cup of suffering, and yet, Jesus, of course, did take the cup, asking the Father for His will be done. Whatever we face today, we face it with the knowledge, that  the One who drank from this horrible cup, can give us the strength to cope with it .

Psalm 40:⁸ My God, I ·want [delight; take pleasure] to do ·what you want [your pleasure].

    Your ·teachings [instructions; laws] are in my heart.”

⁹ I will tell ·about your goodness [the good news] in the great ·meeting of your people[assembly].
Lord, you know ·my lips are not silent [^LI have not restrained my lips].

May this be our prayer today. Our desire to take delight in doing His pleasure. To hold to His teachings in our hearts and proclaim the good news.

Romans 12:² Do not be ·shaped by [conformed to; pressed into a mold by] this ·world [age]; instead be ·changed within [transformed] by ·a new way of thinking [orchanging the way you think; ^Lthe renewing of your mind]. Then you will be able to ·decide [discern; test and approve] what ·God wants for you [is God’s will]; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

This culture, this world we live in has a powerful hold and strength. As Paul says, this mold of this age kills. The world holds nothing but death. Instead, let us be changed, transformed into a new way to think. Asking the Lord, with Your teachings, instructions in my heart; with the example of Christ; with knowing we are family then please, change us. Transform us. We want to know Your will. We want transformation. Lord, we seek You to know what is good, what is pleasing and what is perfect.

Oh, I could go on with this one. Join me again tomorrow, when I work through more of the Word of God with this one phrase: Will of God.

My thankfuls today:

257. Laughter, what a precious gift, to laugh.

258. A new day, provisions, hope.

259. Watching our son play basketball with a smile on his face.

Pray on. Pray on.

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Fill

Liverpool Waterfront at Sunrise – Dave Wood, Liverpool Pictorial

God, my heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready].
I will sing and ·praise [play a psalm for] you ·with all my being [^Las will my soul/or glory].
² Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
³ Lord, I will ·praise [thank] you among the ·nations [peoples];
I will sing ·songs of praise [psalms] about you to all the nations.
⁴ Your great ·love [loyalty] ·reaches to [is greater than] the ·skies [heavens],
your ·truth [faithfulness] to the heavens.
⁵ God, you are ·supreme [exalted] above the ·skies [heavens].
Let your glory [^Cmanifest presence] be over all the earth [57:5–11]. Psalm 108 EXB

Awake ! One of the stanzas of A Morning Prayer by Thomas Ken stands out to me today.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew; disperse my sins as morning dew; guard my first springs of thought and will, and with thyself my spirit fill.

Fill.

⁷ [^LBut] We have this treasure ·from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure [^Lin clay jars]. This shows that the ·great [extraordinary; transcendent] power is from God, not from us. ⁸ We have ·troubles all around us [or all kinds of troubles/trials], but we are not ·defeated [crushed]. We ·do not know what to do [are perplexed/bewildered], but we do not ·give up the hope of living[despair]. 2 Corinthians 4 EXB

We cry out to be filled. And so much can fill us, but today? Today, let us choose to be filled with His Spirit.

Let us give thanks.

I will praise (thank) You!

Hang on to your hearts. I realized that my last two blog posts didn’t have my thankfuls..

249. A son captured by a book

250. A son worshipping upstairs

251. A daughter and son sleeping peacefully

252. My mom finishing my laundry

253. My dad being here, listening

254. Community in the church

255. Solutions

256. Good talks with family

257. Playing games last night

Fill, Lord, Fill us with You.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

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Worship. Worship. Worship!

NGC 2467 and Surroundings by ESO

Good morning, beloved!

How’s that for a statement? Exclamation point! Ha! Take that stress! I wake up in the knowledge that I am loved by Creator God who makes such stunning displays of beauty. He reigns.

I remember when this song came out, my kids would belt this song out and one day I asked them what it meant that He reigns. O, Mom, you know, it means we are so thankful that it “rains”.  The song  takes on some interesting new connotations…

My kids all have certain ways that they like to go to bed. We have routines. They don’t like falling asleep without them. As they get older, the need for a certain routine seems to fade but the younger ones need the stability. Love you, see you in the morning, have a good night, it’s going to be a good night…repeated by each of them (well, except for my eldest). Each need, I believe, the assurance that they are loved.

When my world is caving in, I need reassurances that no matter how much rain falls, my God reigns. He makes it rain. He made this world.

The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6]. He is ·clothed [robed] in majesty.
The Lord is ·clothed [robed] in majesty
and ·armed [girded] with strength.
The world is ·set [established],
and it ·cannot be moved [will not totter].
² Lord, your ·kingdom [^Lthrone] was ·set up [established] long ago;
you are everlasting. Psalm 93 EXB

Tears may flow from my eyes from life’s messes but I know, I know, I declare that my God is faithful! He is Lord Almighty!

My Pandora mix today are all these songs. I think maybe my Lord wants to me remember this all. SO I’m sharing these songs because they are such good reminders. Remember, beloved. Nothing compares to His embrace. Light of the World He forever rains. (Just kidding..)

⁹ ·Worship [Bow down to] the Lord ·because he is holy [^Lin the splendor of his holiness].
Tremble before him, everyone on earth.
¹⁰ Tell the nations, “The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6].”
The earth is ·set [established], and it cannot be moved. Psalm 96 EXB

Worship Him. Tell the world that our Lord is King.

There was a whole lotta hoopla about History Channel’s The Bible debut of Satan this week. That the man’s makeup is designed to make him look like Obama. Whatever. For my brain, remembering that our God’s power is triumphant. Are Satan’s tactics hard to cope with? Yes. God lifts us higher. Lifts you higher than your circumstances.

So my thankfuls today:

230. A beautiful bathroom painted by my lovely Mother..

231. A neighbor who brought me yummy slippers and workout pants.

232. What’s In the Bible with Buck Denver..what a gift.

Praying for our Pastors and their wives:

Pray that your pastor and his wife will practice servant leadership, edifying the congregation with wisdom and serving with God’s “agape” love. (Gal. 5:13b; Eph. 6:7; Mark 10:43b-45, 9:23-24; John 13:5-9; Phil. 2:3-4) (ROH)

God bless you today..pray on. Pray on.

 

How great a debtor!

In Nockamixon State Park, which is five miles east of Quakertown and nine miles west of Doylestown in PA. Photo by gailf548

Good morning, beloved,

Ever notice how when life is quiet, peaceful, everyone is healthy, money in the bank, how easy it is to come to rely on this? Slowly but surely we can remove our trust in God and put our trust in these very temporal circumstances. The picture of this tree is such good reminder to me. This tree is quite alive, healthy, roots firmly established by the water.  Can you imagine this tree picking up it’s roots and saying, “I don’t like the water. I’m good on my own.” ? Of course not.  This tree relies heavily on the water in good times. And in bad.  However, when the waters stir, when the downpours come, when health issues arrive that are not solved, when  money is NOT in the bank, we look up to heaven and begin to panic.

Or not. When downpour after downpour come on the Bruinius family, I have to be honest I get overwhelmed. I can type it all out, make a good story for our family but yet I am finding as I type it out, I begin to find reason to be upset with God.  Yet, within the span of a day, such good, such stress poured down on our family. As I watched the emails come, as I listened on the phone to another issue, I had to just keep saying…

My friends, you have so many choices in your day, choices for life, for joy.   I know I can resonate with Robert Robinson’s hymn..

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.  Robert Robinson

So, join me this day.

Make known your declarations to God.  Lift up your debtor’s heart. Don’t forget to keep worship. Refuse the whispers of Satan.

⁷ “But the person who ·trusts [has confidence] in the Lord will be blessed.
·The Lord will show him that he can be trusted [^L…whose trust/confidence is in him].
⁸ He will be like a tree planted near water [^Cvital and strong]
that sends its roots by a stream [Ps. 1:3].
It is not afraid when the ·days are hot [^Lheat comes];
its leaves are always green.
It ·does not worry [is not anxious] in a year ·when no rain comes [of drought];
it always produces fruit. Jeremiah 17 EXB

Trust. The Lord HAS shown Himself so faithful. I want to be that tree at the top of my post.  Vibrant, strong, trusting in my God to provide for each and every need we have. He is so faithful.

Three gifts, salty, sweet and just right

(Ann Voskamp)

227. Tears of my children that with comfort and reminders of  joy a smile can be found..

228. My Ella girl finishing her AWANA book..so proud.

229. Chocolate pudding that was all mine from start to finish.

Please continue to pray for Micah Ahern. His parents are sitting in a hospital holding their breath, wondering if the cancer truly has returned.

Prayers for our Pastors and their wives:

Day 21 Pray that your pastor and his wife will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing themselves  into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23) (ROH)

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Enough

A Panoramic View of Florence from Bellosguardo Painting by Thomas Patch (1725 – 1782)

Good morning, beloved!

¹³ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with ·much [^Lall] joy and peace ·while you trust[because you trust; through your faith] in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15 EXB

I’m going to admit to you, dear reader, that today I need these verses. I need to cling to the God of hope today. I cannot make myself hope and have joy and peace. These promises are found in faith in Him and Him alone. So let’s look at some cross references for these verses from the Blue Letter Bible.

I pray that the God who gives hope…

⁵ May ·the patience and encouragement that come from God [^Lthe God of patience and encouragement] ·allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants [or grant you the same attitude with each other that Christ Jesus had]. Romans 15 EXB

¹⁶ The Lord ·will roar like a lion from Jerusalem [^Lroars from Zion];
his loud voice will thunder from ·that city [^LJerusalem],
and the ·sky [heavens] and the earth will shake.
But the Lord will be a ·safe place [refuge] for his people,
a ·strong place of safety [stronghold] for the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel. Joel 3 EXB

1 From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus, by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope. 1 Timothy 1 EXB

will fill you with ·much [^Lall] joy and peace ·while you trust[because you trust; through your faith] in him.

 Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. ·Trust [Believe] in God, and ·trust [believe] in me[or You trust/believe in God, trust/believe also in me]. John 14:1 EXB

²⁷ “I leave you peace [^Cthe Greek word for “peace” reflects the Hebrew shalom, a typical Hebrew farewell; but Jesus’ peace, in the sense of wholeness, is also a characteristic of the messianic kingdom]; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14 EXB

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through his grace gave us eternal ·comfort [encouragement] and a good hope, ¹⁷ ·encourage [comfort] you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. 2 Thessalonians 2 EXB

Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

⁴ And ·patience [endurance] produces[tested and proven] character, and [tested and proven] character produces hope. ⁵ And this hope will never ·disappoint us [let us down; or put us to shame; dishonor us; ^Chonor and shame were among the most important values in first century culture], because God has ·poured out his love to fill our hearts [or flooded our hearts with his love]. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us. Romans 5 EXB

⁸ And God can ·give you more blessings than you need [^Loverflow/abound all grace to you]. Then ·you will always have plenty of everything [^Lin all things at all times you will have all you need]— ·enough to give to [abounding/overflowing in] every good work. 2 Corinthians 9 EXB

He is sufficient. He is more than enough.

So today, friends, as you face your day, remember, He is enough. He is worth living for, He is still more awesome than we can even imagine.  As trials come today, as encouragement comes..whatever you face today, face it knowing that He is more than enough.

My thankfuls:

220. My church family checking up on me, praying for me and loving me and my family.

221. For children who want to spend time with one another and with us.

222. Thankful for my Dad willing to do whatever he can to help.

Prayers for your Pastor and his wife:

Day 18 Pray that your pastor and his wife will be people of prayer and worship, and that they will lead by example—teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matt. 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46) Revive Our Hearts

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Awake

Dawn at Swifts Creek. Photo by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

Good morning, beloved,

How do you understand a peaceful, quiet, restful day when the day earlier was the antithesis? Grateful. I begin thinking what did I do differently? Questioning. Not sure, wondering. So I begin with…

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.

Five Vows for Spiritual Power by A.W. Tozer ( Powerful..please take some time)

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

To praise: 2 express one’s respect and gratitude towards (a deity), especially in song:we praise God for past blessings (Oxford Dictionary)

My thankfuls today (what are yours?)

211. For my parents coming and helping us.

212. For dear friends’ blessings.

213. For loaves (notice plural) of bread in the freezer.

For our Pastors and their wives:

Ask God to protect your pastor from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that he will not be corrupted as he rubs shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Is. 54:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:12; Ps. 9:9-10, 91:9-11) (Revive Our Hearts)

Pray on. Pray on.

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A lighthouse on the islet of Keri, Estonia. Photo by Andrus Uuetalu

Good morning, beloved,

I was reminded of two prayers yesterday. After a day of much frustration and weeping with my children, grinding through a day that did not reflect all that He had shown me that morning. I sat numb after the kids went to AWANA. My children depend on routine and that was a fail yesterday. After shoveling, I thought it would be fun to make scones and try something new for breakfast. Fail.  It was not the routine. And we began a day of fighting and walls. Friends, it just was a pit day. I know you know what I mean.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps. Psalm 40 NKJV

Last night I was reminded. Do you remember me telling about Mike and Wendy Lambert? Well, they have been working hard to find people to support them so they can head to the mission field. They have been praying, hoping for God to open doors. And yesterday, God opened a door. Chris Fabry will be hosting them on his program today at 2pm CST! They will be given a chance to share their story. Will you join me in praying for them today? And the link on Chris Fabry will take you to his program today so you can listen either live or a recording. Join me won’t you?

God is always working. God is always fresh and moving and holy. Look at this first prayer with me.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Thomas Ken

Declaring over this day.  Awake my soul! I my vows to thee renew. Guard my first springs of though and will. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! You are the one to be glorified with this day. As I get into the nitty gritty of this day, I remember You are directing this day. I do not begin this day in my own strength.

I heard Chris Fabry’s conversation with John Eldridge last night. He said he has been praying a simple prayer as he walks into a conversation, or phone call, or work. Jesus in me, Jesus, help me with this _____.

Jesus is with us. Jesus is in us. Here is the other prayer:

Ransomed Heart

 

Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.

 

It is a good morning.

 

 

My thankfuls:

 

208. New mornings

 

209. Danny finishing his memorizing of the 10 commandments

 

210. For wide open doors

 

Prayers for your pastor and his wife:

 

Friends I am going to be praying that part of the Breastplate prayer! Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.

 

Thank You, Lord, for a new day! Pray on. Pray on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panorama of Cape Cove, just south of Heceta Head; north of Florence, Oregon. Photo by Gabor Eszes

Good morning, beloved,

I can be a loud Mama. Can be. Ahem. Last night, I began to lose my voice and we all were laughing at how crazy my voice sounded. I could only squeak and whisper. My poor husband was across the room reading to us all and thought I was upset. The kids reassured Joshua and watched me. What next would I do?

I never realize how much I need and use my voice until when I lose it, when it is gone. This morning, my voice is gravelly but I am fine. I am beginning to get my routine back and with it comes what am I going to do with the voice, the day God has given me? What are you going to do with your day?

Even if you are home, alone, what could your day become? Remember the people who have asked for prayer? I don’t need to tell you that you are never alone. Never. Use your voice to worship, to lift up others. For you and I both realize, in this moment, how praising and praying can take the focus off our on worries and fears.

Psalm 150:⁶ Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Paul constantly prayed for his beloved.

2 Thessalonians 1¹¹ ·That is why [To that end; In this regard] we always pray for you, asking our God to ·help you live the kind of life he called you to live [make/consider you worthy of his calling]. We pray that with his power God will ·help you do the good things you want [^Lfulfill every desire for goodness] and ·perform the works that come from your [^Levery work of] faith. ¹² We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will ·have glory [be glorified] in you, and you ·will have glory in him [^Lin him]. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May we, as God places beloved on our minds, be praying for His beloved. May we be instruments for His church wherever we may be today.

Psalm 100:⁴ Come into his ·city [^Lgates] with songs of thanksgiving

    and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
·Thank [Praise] him and ·praise [bless] his name.

My thankfuls :

202. So grateful for laughter in our day.

203. Grateful for health as it returns to our family.

204. Grateful for our co-op today.

Prayer for your Pastor today:

Pray that your pastor will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power to work. Pray that he will be protected from the effects of sinful or negative attitudes that he encounters as he counsels. (Mal. 2:7; James 1:5-6; John 17:15)

Prayer for your Pastor’s wife:

Pray that your pastor’s wife will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power. (Ps. 119:99; James 1:5-6) Revive Our Hearts

A new week. A new start. I begin my 25 point manifesto again!!

Pray on. Pray on.

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A list…

Panoramic image of the Morteratsch glacier in the Bernina Range. Photo by Daniel Schwen

Good morning, beloved,

A quiet morning, this morning is turning out to be. Everyone is  still. I like peaceful. Who doesn’t, right? After the last couple of days, a quiet start to our day is a very, very nice change. On Tuesday, Ella lay listless and curled in a ball. I did everything I could with her, and finally, after a sleepless night, we took her to the pediatrician. She had a bunch of tests done and it was determined that she had some inflammation in her appendix, a fever and her blood numbers were slightly elevated. So they wanted to observe her overnight in the hospital.  We began praying. That night, a surgeon came in to see her and looked at me, looked at my girl and said, this is not appendicitis. I was starting to wonder myself. She was hooked up to an IV and starting to perk up, starting to get color again. So we were released from the hospital that night. Pray is amazing. Life changing.

So, yesterday was one of those battling days for me which is strange considering how amazing the week was watching God heal my girl and the body of Christ come to our aid. As I battled, this picture was shared with me.

And I have to say, well timed, God. Well timed.

God’s voice vs. Satan’s voice

 

Which got me to thinking about where this author got each of these bullet points..

And I decided I needed to update this for me.

God stills:

Psalm 46: God says, “Be still and know that I am God.
I will be ·praised [exalted] in all the nations;
I will be ·praised [exalted] throughout the earth.”

God leads:

2 Corinthians 2: ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s victory ·parade [procession; ^Cthe image is of a victorious Roman general leading his army and his captives through the streets]. God uses us to spread ·his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume [^Lthe aroma/fragrance of the knowledge of him; ^Cincense or spices were burned during such victory parades].

Isaiah 48: 17 This is what the Lord, ·who saves you [your Redeemer],
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], says:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you ·to do what is good [what is best; or how to succeed],
who leads you in the way you should go.

God reassures:

Okay, so I looked up the word reassures: Say or do something to remove the doubts and fears of someone. (www.dictionary.com) So, I began to look for ways God, in the Word, removes our doubts and fears. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:

³⁷ But in all these things we are completely victorious through ·God [or Christ; ^Lthe One] who showed his love for us. ³⁸ Yes, I am ·sure [convinced] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ·ruling spirits [or heavenly rulers; or demons; ^Lrulers; ^Tprincipalities], nothing ·now [in the present], nothing in the future, no ·powers [or spiritual powers/authorities], ³⁹ ·nothing above us [or no powers in the sky], ·nothing below us [or nor powers in the depths], nor ·anything else in the whole world [any created thing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God enlightens:

Ephesians 1: ¹³ So it is with you. When you heard the ·true teaching [message/word of truth]—the ·Good News about [Gospel of] your salvation—you believed in Christ. ·And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you [^L…having been sealed with] the Holy Spirit that he had promised. ¹⁸ I pray also that ·you will have greater understanding in your heart [^Lthe eyes of your heart may be enlightened] so you will ·know [comprehend] the hope to which he has called us and that you will know ·how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised [the riches of his glorious inheritance for; or the glorious wealth of an inheritance that God possesses in] ·his holy people [^Tthe saints].

God encourages:

1 John 4

¹⁷ This is how love ·is made perfect [is made complete; comes to full expression] ·in [or among] us: that we can ·be without fear [have boldness; have confidence; 2:28;3:21; 5:14] on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him [^Cprobably referring to Christ, our example of love]. ¹⁸ ·Where God’s love is, there is no fear [^LThere is no fear in love], because ·God’s perfect love drives out fear [^Tperfect love casts out fear]. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made ·perfect [complete] in the person who fears [^Cfear of punishment, not an appropriate fear of God; compare Prov. 1:7; 2 Cor. 7:15; Phil. 2:12].

God comforts:

2 Corinthians 1: ³ ·Praise be to [Blessed is/be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father who is full of ·mercy [compassion] and all ·comfort [encouragement]. ⁴ He ·comforts [encourages] us ·every time we have [^Lin all our] ·troubles [trials; tribulation], so when others have ·trouble [any trials/tribulation], we can ·comfort [encourage] them with the same ·comfort [encouragement] God gives us. ⁵ [^LFor just as] ·We share in the many sufferings of Christ [^LChrist’s sufferings abound in us]. In the same way, ·much comfort comes to us [^Lour comfort abounds] through Christ. ⁶ If we have ·troubles [trials; tribulation], it is for your ·comfort [encouragement] and salvation, and if we ·have comfort [are encouraged], ·you also have comfort [or it is for your comfort/encouragement]. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have. ⁷ Our hope for you is ·strong [unshaken; firm], knowing that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the ·comfort [encouragement] we receive.

God calms:

2 Timothy 1:⁷ [^LFor] God did not give us ·a spirit [or the Spirit] that makes us ·afraid [timid] but ·a spirit [or the Spirit] of power and love and ·self-control[self-discipline; or good judgment].

God convicts:

Ummm…Psalm 51. Here’s a part:

God, be ·merciful [gracious] to me
·because you are loving [according to your love/loyalty].
·Because you are always ready to be merciful [According to your abundant compassion],
·wipe [blot] out all my ·wrongs [transgressions].
² Wash ·away [^Lme thoroughly from] all my guilt
and make me clean ·again [^Lfrom my sin].

Of course, this is NOT an exhaustive list of each of these bullet points. I have no idea who wrote this list, however, I thank him/her for reminding us to be bold in recalling His word when we are in the battle. Test your thoughts. Make sure that you are hearing His word in your mind.

Prayers for your Pastor and his wife:

Pray that your pastor will love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities. (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33) Revive Our Hearts

My thankfuls:

199. A simple list that reminds…

200. Friends who check in…

201. Snow that remains…

Related articles

• A Collection of Bible Verses – Scriptures in Pictures to Lift, Comfort and Encourage (darrellcreswell.wordpress.com)
• No fear, except for the fear of God! (madetofish.com)
• Overcoming the anger that cripples us. (pastormikesays.wordpress.com)
• God Has Not Given Me The Spirit Of Fear, But Of Power, Love And A Sound Mind (bummyla.wordpress.com)

 

Never reduced to inactivity…

Good morning, beloved,

Natural reserve “Žernov”, located in Pardubice District, Czech Republic. Valuable oak-hornbeam forest with surrounding ponds and wetlands.Photo by Vojtech.dostal

⁸ Love never ·ends [fails; falls short]. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will ·be ended[cease; pass away]. There are gifts of ·speaking in different languages [or ecstatic utterance; ^Ltongues], but those gifts will ·stop [cease; fall silent]. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will ·come to an end [pass away; be set aside]. 1 Corinthians 13 EXB

Sometimes I need to remember that this earth is not our home. We can look ahead and know that there will come a day when we have no need of gifts. We will be in the presence of the ultimate Gift. Rather than discuss the gifts of prophecy, speaking and knowledge, we know we have a day:

³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “[^LLook; ^TBehold] Now God’s ·presence [dwelling; tabernacle] is with people, and he will ·live [dwell; tabernacle; John 1:14] with them, and they will be his people [Ex. 29:45; Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 37:27]. God himself will be with them and will be their God.^[a]4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes [7:17; Is. 25:8], and there will be no more death [Is. 25:8; 1 Cor. 15:54], ·sadness [mourning], crying, or pain, because ·all the old ways [the old order; ^Lthe first things] are gone.” Revelation 21 EXB

Love never fails. Our true Love, our true Gift will never fail. The word fail:

(1) In 1Cr 13:8, katargeo, “to reduce to inactivity” (seeABOLISH), in the Passive Voice, “to be reduced to this condition, to be done away,” is translated “shall fail,” AV. This, however, misses the distinction between what has been previously said of love and what is here said of prophecies (see No. 3); the RV has “shall be done away;” so also as regards knowledge (same verse).

Can you imagine a world where love is done away? I don’t even want to dwell on that thought. God’s love started first. God’s plan, His love has saved us. As I start this day, this is the Word I stand on today. His love never, ever will reduce to inactivity. I may weep today but soon there will come a day when He will wipe away every tear. Imagine that day.

Praying for your Pastor:

Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in his personal life and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a)

Praying for your Pastor’s wife:

Ask God to remind her of the hope and refuge God offers her each day. Pray that she will be encouraged in God, knowing that He is a firm, secure anchor for her soul. (Ps. 9:9-10; Ps. 42:5; 71:14; Heb. 6:19a)

May God bless those who serve us today.

My Thankfuls today:

A gift at Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Ann Voskamp, Joy Dare):

187. Thank You for the blessing of eating together.

188. Thankful for the food we have to eat.

189. Thankful my boys made dinner last night WITHOUT FIGHTING.

It’s all in the little things…I now begin my day as a Manifesto to the Lord. Word in…Now work out.

Pray on. Pray on.