His Word Sunday

Follow Suit

Most of you know that for my prayer time, I read the One Year Bible.  Most of what I share with you, here on my blog, is what God has shown me in His Word from that day's reading.

I do my best to keep everything in context and not look for ways to make everything that I read fit my own circumstances.  Rather I want God to show me what He wants me to see - not making scripture fit my life.  Because in reality - not everything in the Bible is about me!  LOL!

However, I love to watch and see how God's people, in the Bible, reacted to real-life situations and see if there is a way I can follow suit.



I saw a great example of one that I'm going to do my very best to follow today.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah was known as the "weeping prophet" - we read of how he cried buckets of tears for God's people and His judgment on them in both Jeremiah & Lamentations.  Jeremiah witnessed the great exile of the Israelites to Babylon and the fall of Solomon's Temple.

You might say he lived an entire life of heartache.  So what were his feelings toward God?

Check it out:

Lamentations 3"55-58 (ESV)

I called on Your name, O Lord, 

from the depths of the pit, you heard my plea, 

"Do not close Your ear to my cry for help!"  

You came near when I called on You; 

You said, 'Do not fear!'

You have taken up my cause,

 O Lord; You have redeemed my life.

Wow!  In the midst of Jeremiah's hurts and cries.... He still felt redeemed.

He felt like God had taken up his cause and remembered him.  He still felt near to God!

These were his "feelings" in the midst of so much turmoil and devastation.  What an example!!!

If Jeremiah can find a way to feel this way in the middle of all his pain - I can too.  There's really not room for the "poor me's" when you find examples like this.

Honestly, I don't always "feel" this way... but I know my God with His great compassion and Him saying "Do not fear" - I can eventually get there.  This is my prayer today.

When the Chaos Comes Together

I started my week very sick.  Although it was nice to only have a 4-day week... It wasn't fun starting Monday in bed (or the bathroom - yuck).

But now that it's Friday...  I can see how it all came together and everything worked out.

God sees how everything works out too... right now!  He doesn't have to wait to see - He just already knows.

He already knows how all of what seems like chaos right now will turn out for His glory and my good.

I wish I knew.  I wish there was a little keyhole that I could look through and just see a glimpse of all this "good" I keep reading about, praying & hoping for....

I know I can't - so instead I just have to trust Him.  The Bible says He's the Alpha and the Omega - the beginning and the end.  He was there at the beginning and He's already designed the end.

I heard this song this week and it brought me comfort knowing He knows the end.  He knows how all this chaos will come together.

Shopping... Easy or Hard?

I am not a fan of digging for bargains when it comes to shopping.  Don't get me wrong, I love to shop - but I also love for it to be easy.

I'm not a big fan of garage sales.  Thrift stores are not really my thing.  I know... I'm a girl - you would think I would be willing to pilfer all day through a bunch of stuff to find that one great singular bargain.  That treasure in a haystack!  I certainly enjoy the benefits - but I'm not always willing to put forth the effort.

When in reality, if truth be told, I would rather walk into a nice store and what I'm looking for be right out in front, and HUGELY on sale.

Now, just because I've bared my soul on this little shopping matter, doesn't mean that I won't or haven't shopped at thrift stores and garage sales!  Sometimes, depending on what I need or the occasion - it's very much been worth it.

This morning I realized that sometimes I want finding God's riches and rewards to be just as easy.

Check this out...

Psalm 97:11 (ESV)

Light is sown for the righteous 

and joy for the upright in heart.

Simple.  Yes.  I for sure could use some "light" and "joy" in my life.  I wrote in my journal, told the Lord, that I wanted these 2 things not only in my life overall - but I needed them for the day ahead of me.  Of course I asked the Lord to keep my steps righteous and my heart focused on Him.

Then, I asked where I could find this treasured "light and joy"?  Actually I just asked if the Lord would put it right out in front of me, nicely hanging on those front racks - where it would be easy to find.

However, the Lord encouraged me to read further and there I would find the answer to where I could find "light and joy" in just my size.

Psalm 97:12 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, 

and give thanks to His holy name.

Oh!  So I've got to put forth a little effort in this "light and joy" endeavor.  In order to find the light and joy I want in my day, I'm going to first need to praise Him - thank Him for who He is and the blessings, He's already shown me.

I'm going to have to dig further into who He is instead of just wait for Him to bring things to me.

The wonderful thing about bargain shopping is when you find that most perfect treasure.  I'm typically so very proud of it - that I brag about how and where I found it.  Today, I want to dig into who God is.  All the way to school I want to spend time rejoicing in the fact that He's God and I'm not.  I want to thank Him for saving me and giving up His Son for me.

I know that by taking time to do this, I can't help but to see light and joy in my day, because He will ever be before me.  And He is light and joy!  Then, I want to tell others where I found this great treasure!

Lift me up

I'm so glad that my God is here to lift me up when I'm falling down.

It's been one of those "survival' kind of weeks.

I love this song and have listened to it many times.  The official video by this group is really awesome.  You should check it out on You Tube.  But... I thought you might enjoy a more light-hearted version on my blog today... and one with words.

Enjoy your weekend.

Even when I'm riding my bike!

Monday morning.  

These two words make me want to just take a really deep breath and say, "Here we go!"

I know the topics I'll be covering this week and even the assignments that are required of me.  It's going to be a very full week!

As I've been praying over this day - Monday - the Holy Spirit continued to send one word to my heart...  STEADFAST.

I've been praying over the meaning of this word for a while.  I love this word.  It occurs throughout scripture in the ESV translation 193 times!  I've even written a few blogs about this word and the verses that spoke to my heart.

Lately JP and I have started this little routine.  And I think it's a picture of God's steadfast love for us.

At no specific time - it could be morning, evening, or smack dab in the middle of the day - JP & I will have this little dialogue,

JP:  "Mommy, I love you."

Me:  "JP, I love you too."

JP:  "I love you all day & all night."

Me:  "I love you even while I'm sleeping."

JP:  "I love you even while I'm at recess."

Me:  "I love you even while I'm at school."

JP:  "I love you even while I'm riding my bike."

At this point, this usually reminds him he'd like to be riding his bike and off he runs.  I love this time with him.  I think about it throughout the day and it makes me smile.

I think it originated after reading "Guess How Much I Love You" - where the rabbits try to show just how much they love each other by increasing the size of things.

But as I was thinking about this word, STEADFAST, I got this picture in my head.  God never sleeps or takes a nap.  He can love me & care for me while He's doing something else - He NEVER stops loving me.  No matter what!

Kind of like JP loving me while he's playing at recess or riding his bike...  God's faithfulness NEVER ceases.  I may not always feel the warm & fuzzies of His love in my day to day activities - but that doesn't mean it's not there!  I must focus on His steadfast love and let it make me smile.

If I can remember a 4-year old's words in the middle of the day and let them encourage me - then how much more should I focus on God's words and let them sustain me!

Today, I must admit, it feels a little as if my foot may be slipping, but this verse assures me I'm going to be okay.

Psalm 94:18 (ESV)

When I thought, "My foot slips,"  

Your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

His Word Sunday

You've got to read it all!

Do you have a favorite verse?  It's the kind of verse that you say to yourself often.  The verse you give friends when they need that something special to make it through the day - or a particular situation.

It's the verse that's not only highlighted but underlined and has extra notes in the margin of your Bible.

But today I was reminded to not forget the verses that lead up to that favorite verse - as well as the verses that come after it.

Here's one of mine - with the before and after - which spoke to me today:

Jeremiah 29:10-14 (ESV)

For thus says the Lord: 

When seventy years are completed for Babylon, 

I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you 

My promise and bring you back to this place.

For I know the plans I have for you,

 declares the Lord, plans for welfare 

and not for evil, 

to give you a future and a hope,

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, 

and I will hear you.  You will seek Me and find Me, 

when you seek Me with all your heart.  

I will be found by you, declares the Lord, 

and I will restore your fortunes 

and gather you from all the nations 

and all the places where I have driven you, 

declares the Lord, and I will bring you back 

to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Did you see all the things He will do for us when we call on Him?  Even through He once exiled us?  What a picture of REDEMPTION!!!

I belong to Him!

Yay!  It's finally Friday!  What a beautiful sounding word - Friday!

I had a wonderful prayer time with the Lord this morning.  He reminded me of many encouraging things.  I wish I had time to share with you all the comforting verses He showed me.

But for now - I'll just leave you with this small verse and this incredible song...

Psalm 84:11 (ESV)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;  

the Lord bestows favor and honor.  

No good thing does He withhold 

from those who walk uprightly.

Sometimes we just need simple reminders of who we are - not in our eyes - but to Him!