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Thankfulness is a Choice

2020-11-03T14:36:00.002-05:00

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

I used to wonder about 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “How am I to be thankful for the headaches and heartaches of life?” Then I realized this verse doesn’t say “For everything give thanks…” but it says “in everything give thanks…” I love that! I am to thank God in everything, not for everything. Like Pollyanna’s Glad Game, the easiest way I’ve found to give thanks in everything is by looking for something I can be thankful for regardless of how my day is going.

A Reason to be Glad

No matter my circumstances, God always gives me a reason to be glad. Recently I was suffering big-time from a migraine. Even in the midst of my nauseating pain, I was glad that I don’t get migraines like that very often, and every migraine I’ve ever had always has an end point, so I knew it was only a matter of time when my debilitating headache would go away. Right there I had two great reasons to give thanks in the midst of my migraine. As I thanked the Lord, though in a lot of pain, my heart was glad that these times of suffering were only occasional, and temporary.

Thankfulness is a Choice

David proclaimed in Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Thankfulness is a choice. Warren Wiersbe observed,

“We can’t control the circumstances of life, but we can control how we respond to them. That’s what faith is all about, daring to believe that God is working everything for our good even when we don’t feel like it or see it happening.”

When Paul and Silas were severely beaten and thrown in prison, instead of getting swept up in their terrible circumstances, they chose to give thanks in their circumstances by praying and singing hymns to God. (Acts 16:25) What an incredible testimony of faith they modeled to the other inmates, and now to us. Likewise, when we choose to give thanks in our discouraging circumstances rather than complain about our circumstances, we are a shining testimony of faith to others.

The Disciple’s Study Bible notes that “God’s will is that we gratefully acknowledge His hand in all circumstances, not for all circumstances.” Though I may not be clear on God’s will in my life regarding a particular situation, I can be certain of God’s will for me regarding my attitude and how I am to respond to the blessings and trials of life. “In everything give thanks—for this is the will of God for you, in Christ Jesus.”

Two Ways to Focus on Gratitude

When I get discouraged by a trial and catch myself complaining, two things help me to turn my focus back onto having an attitude of gratitude.

1. I choose to stop focusing on my problem, and start focusing on the promises of God.

These promises in particular always turn my discouragement into hope, despair into joy, and give me reasons to thank God in the midst of my trial:

God’s plans for me are for good—to give me a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11).
God will not withhold good from me (Psalm 84:11.
God is working all things to good (Romans 8:28).
God will deliver me—it’s only a matter of when Psalm 34:19.

Additionally, this summer I memorized Psalm 103 and since then if ever I need a little help in finding something to be thankful for while in a difficult time, I just think on the promises of Psalm 103 and find that it gives me plenty of reasons to praise and thank God.

2. I ask myself “What does this allow?” to turn my attention onto the blessings within my trial that I otherwise would have been blind to, had I continued to focus on how my problem is making my life difficult.

In Christ We Can Do It!

At first glance, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 looks like an impossible command. And truth is, in our flesh it is impossible. But in Christ we can do all things! (Philippians 4:13) As we seek to find the blessings in every trial, and habitually thank God in all things, we will experience a supernatural joy apart from our circumstances, like Paul and Silas, and find we always have a reason to give thanks.

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The Life-Changing Power of God's Word

2020-07-17T04:00:00.006-04:00

Charles Spurgeon declared, "I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters."

Though even a quick rinse in God’s Word will not return void, God gives us several motivating reasons to abide in His Word.

God’s Word is powerful!

I am just in awe of how great our God is that He literally spoke the entire universe into existence! The psalmist proclaimed in Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”

Likewise, when a Roman centurion came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his dying servant, Jesus was happy to go with him to his home, but the centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8) This man knew the incredible power of God’s Word! As a result of his great faith in God’s Word, the Roman centurion’s beloved servant was healed that very hour.

God’s Word is life-changing!

Psalm 1 shows the incredible transformation that is promised to anyone whose love for God’s Word drives them to abide in His Word day and night.

“He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3

Just from this one verse we see the life changing power of God’s Word. This person is characterized:

Like a tree—a symbol of strength and uprightness
Planted by the rivers of water—fixed and abiding in the refreshing rivers of water
That brings forth its fruit in its season—a fruitful life
Whose leaf also shall not wither—with roots so deep into the Living Water, even the heat of trials shall not cause this tree’s leaves to wither
And whatever he does shall prosper—a prosperous life

God’s Word is mighty!

Just looking solely at Psalm 119, look at what it proclaims are just some of the awesome ways God uses His Word in our life when we take the time to be in it.

To bless us (v2)
To cleanse us (v9)
To give us counsel (v24)
To revive us (v25)
To strengthen us (v28)
To give us a ready answer (v42)
To give us hope (v49)
To comfort us in our afflictions (v50)
To give us life (v93)
To make us wiser than our enemies (v98)
To give us more understanding than all our teachers (v99)
To give us a lamp for our feet and a light to our path (v105)
To give us great peace (165)
To keep us from stumbling (v165)
To deliver us (v170)

Knowing the amazing life-changing power of God’s Word, I know what is at stake if I feel pressure from the day’s schedule to rush through my devotions or skip them all together. So on the days that I’m pressed for time, but still want to spend quality time in God’s Word, I will listen to my favorite audio Bible, The Word of Promise (NKJV) and take my memory verse for the day with me on a 3 x 5 card and meditate on it throughout my day when “my hands are busy, but my mind is free” as Janet Pope says in her awesome book, His Word in My Heart.

Whether we spend time in God’s Word by reading it, studying it, listening to it, mediating on it, or memorizing it, what’s important is that we spent time in it. And when we do, oh will we be blessed!

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I originally wrote this article for Do Not Depart, but thought you'd enjoy it, too! Hope you did!

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Last updated Friday July 17, 2020

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Why It's Always Best to Wait on the Lord?

2020-07-03T04:00:00.005-04:00

I still remember the morning I woke up at 1:30am with a raging migraine. When I am facing a trial, be it a migraine or something else, I just want deliverance. Anything that potentially could delay that deliverance is something I want to avoid. As a result, at times the idea of waiting on the Lord feels contrary to my desire for deliverance because when I’m suffering, discouraged, frustrated, or hurt I just want it to all go away. The last thing I want to do is wait.

Though Satan would love for me to believe waiting on the Lord will cause me to be stuck in my situation longer than if I just took it upon myself to solve my problem on my own, I know these kind of thoughts only drive me to get ahead of God, take matters into my own hands, and inevitably create problems for myself that I otherwise would have never experienced had I simply rested in the promises of God and waited on the Him. God has proven Himself faithful to me time and again, each time confirming that waiting on Him will always be worth the wait, no matter how long I have to wait.

To be clear, waiting on the Lord does not mean doing nothing. It means to wait for and look to the Lord with eager expectation. It is being fully confident that the Lord will provide for our needs and deliver us.

Oswalt describes waiting on the Lord as, "A complete dependence on God and a willingness to allow Him to decide the terms."

When God told Abraham and Sarah that he would bless them with a child (Genesis 15:4), despite them being well passed the age of child bearing, they believed God would give them a child, but their problem was they failed to wait on the Lord. Instead, Sarah got ahead of God and insanely recommended Abraham impregnate her handmaid, Hagar, so to bear Abraham's promised heir. (Genesis 16:1-2) But this was not God's perfect will for them. God would still be faithful to give Abraham an heir through Sarah, as promised, because when we are faithless, He remains faithful. (2 Timothy 2:13)

While God would bless Abraham and Sarah with a son in their old age, Abraham and Sarah would still have to live with the consequences of not waiting on God. Sarah's relationship with her maidservant. Hagar would forever be strained. (Genesis 16:1-5) There would be hostility between Abraham's son Ishmael, born through Hagar, and Abraham and Sarah's promised son, Isaac (Genesis 16:11-12) But the conflict wouldn't end at these half-brothers. This hostility would extend between their lineages for generations to come.

The prophesied hostility still remains between the Jewish and the Arabic people even to this day, and all because Abraham and Sarah did not wait on the Lord.

David Guzik notes, "Today’s battle between Jew and Arab is nothing new. Both Jews and Arabs are descended from Abram by two half-brothers: Ishmael and the son to come later from Abram and Sarai, to be named Isaac. The entire conflict can be traced back to Abram’s decision to “help God out” in the flesh, both when he agreed to inseminate Hagar, and when he went to Egypt to begin with. The effects of our sin may reach far beyond what we ever imagined."

While our consequences for not waiting on the Lord may not be as far reaching as Abraham and Sarah's, their story shows just how far the consequences can be when we take matters into our own hands, instead of waiting on God, as well as the fact that the consequences of our sin doesn’t always just touch us, but can potentially negatively impact the lives of others.

Our wait for the Lord will never be in vain. God will always reward our obedience when we wait on Him. Isaiah illustrates the blessings reserved for us when we are obedient to wait on the Lord, “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”(Isaiah 40:31) These blessings are just the tip of the iceberg of blessings God has in store for us when we will trust Him enough to wait on Him for whatever our need might be. God bless you richly as you step out n faith and wait on God to provide exactly what you need. He will be faithful to provide.

Waiting on the Lord will be much easier when we remember the blessings of waiting on the Lord, and the consequences of getting ahead of Him. Spurgeon observes, “We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously He once waited for us.”

I want to leave you with one of my favorite songs about waiting on God. It always encourages me, and I pray it encourages you as well. God bless you abundantly!

Question for you: What blessings have you discovered as a result of waiting on God?

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Last updated Friday July 3, 2020

Faith: It's a Game Changer!

2020-06-26T04:00:00.004-04:00

In pastor Chuck Smith’s book, Faith, he shares that his dad’s faith “was always bigger than his circumstances. On his dad’s desk was a framed two-word motto, “All things” Whenever disappointments came along, his dad would look at those two words and he’d remember the rest of the verse, and the promise God gave within it:

All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. “ (Roman’s 8:28)

Pastor Chuck declares, “Faith means believing in God ‘s sovereignty. It means trusting He is on the throne, in command of all things, and working through every circumstance that comes our way. When we have that kind of faith, we have peace in the midst of trials. But when we forget God’s sovereignty, troubling circumstances cause us to despair. We survey the landscape with our eyes instead of with our faith.

In Genesis 42, when Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain so they didn’t starve to death during the famine, Jacob was hopeful that his son’s would return with grain and they would not starve. Though Jacob did keep his youngest son, Benjamin home with him, so nothing happened to him, because Jacob only had two sons from his beloved wife Rachel. Jacob had already lost Joseph, his favorite son, and since Rachel die, while having their son Benjamin, Jacob wasn’t about to let any harm come to him.

You can imagine, when Jacob’s sons returned from Egypt to report that his son Simeon was being held in Egypt by Pharaoh’s second in command, and that Pharaoh’s official insisted that Jacob’s sons return with his youngest son, Benjamin, Jacob’s hopes quickly turned to despair. So he cried out “Everything is against me!”

As far as Jacob could see, things couldn’t have been possibly worse. His worst nightmare was unfolding before his very eyes. He lost Joseph, and now he was going to lose Benjamin, too. Jacob had no idea Pharaoh’s official holding Simeon and insisting that Benjamin be brought to him was his long lost son, Joseph, whom Jacob had mourned the loss of for years now. Jacob had no idea that he would soon be hugging Joseph and crying tears of joy with him. Never in Jacob’s wildest dreams, did he imagine the awesome plans God had in store for him.

When we find ourselves in upsetting circumstances, we can look at our discouraging situation, and proclaim like Jacob, “All things are against me!” Or we can respond with eyes of faith, like Pastor Chuck Smith’s dad, and believe, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

If we respond to our discouraging circumstances like Jacob, just going off of what we can see, we are going to be filled with anxiety and hopelessness. But if we look at our discouraging situation with eyes of faith, looking instead at God’s encouraging promises, we will be filled with hope and peace.

So what can we do to rest in God's promises and avoid feeling like everything is against us?

Two Bible verses come to mind:

· 2 Corinthians 10:5, which instructs us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

· Romans 12:2 which urges us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

First lets talk about what it means to take every thought captive.

Taking Every Thought Captive: So Simple and So Beneficial!

When my daughter was a toddler, anytime she was struggling to do something we’d cheer her on with Philippians 4:13, encouraging her, “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!”

One time when she was three, and learning to tie her shoes it just wasn’t happening for her. She sat there trying and trying. Finally after many frustrating attempts she fumed, “Ugh! I’ll never be able to tie my shoes!” Then a second later she beamed, like a brilliant idea had come to her, “I know! I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” And with that awesome truth still fresh in her mind, she successfully tied her shoe and finally got the hang of it.

Whenever we are frustrated, afraid, discouraged, etc. we can take those thoughts captive and turn our mind back to what God’s Word says about our situation, or promises regardless of our situation.

Do you have a go to list of encouraging Bible verses that always snap you out of feeling fearful, feeling bitter, feeling hopeless, or feeling jealous? Do you have verses at the ready whenever feelings of frustration, fear, discouragement, etc. are distracting you from the truth of Scripture and trusting in Jesus as your All in all? Having your go to verses on hand that redirect your focus back to the Lord, despite how you’re feeling, is always a blessing.

Write those verses down, or print them out, and put them where you are sure to see them and be encouraged. Maybe posted in the bathroom, near your kitchen stove or sink, on your phone’s lock screen, on your desk or on the dashboard in your car (to read at red lights) or while stuck in traffic. I encourage you to think on those extra special verses so many times that over time, you end up memorizing them without even trying.

Here are just three verses that always can snap me out of thoughts that aren’t pleasing to the Lord, and turn my focus back to Jesus.

* For my marriage, my go to verse to redirect my focus back to Jesus is Romans 12:10, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” (ESV) When my husband and I are getting on each other’s nerves, in our flesh, we can easily outdo one another during an argument. So I really love how the ESV words Romans 12:10, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” To honor our husband, simply means to treat him in a way that makes him feel special. It could be as small as giving our undivided attention while listening or something bigger like making a favorite meal of his that is usually only made on special occasions because it’s not quick to prepare.

* When I feel overwhelmed and like some trial is never going to end, my go to verse for joy is Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” That verse reminds me every trial we face, comes with a God-ordained expiration date and knowing that makes me very happy!

*When I feel like if only my husband were healed, we could do so many good things that his health currently prevents, like going to church together, going to a restaurant or the movies together, taking a family vacation, getting a pet, etc. the verse that snaps me out of the “if only’s” is Psalm 84:11, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

This verse so encourages me that God is not withholding any good thing from us. As we continue to remain in His Word, remain in prayer, remain walking with Him, and remain in fellowship with Him and other believers, I can rest assured that God is not withholding any good thing from us, and if those things that I want were truly God’s best for us, He would not hesitate to give them to us. So I can have complete peace that the way life is right now is God’s best for us in that we are right where God wants us to be for Him to bring about the most good in us as individuals and us as a family.

It’s so important we take every thought captive that doesn’t honor God, stop it in its tracks and get our mind back on track by turning to God’s Word for encouragement, wisdom, and direction. Consider these people in the Bible who would have spared themselves a lot of suffering had they simply took their fleshly thoughts captive and renewed their mind with what they new to be true of God.

· What if Joseph’s brothers had taken their thoughts captive when they had the idea to sell Joseph into slavery? They wouldn’t have broken their father’s heart by telling him Joseph was dead. Nor would they have experienced the ongoing guilt and regret from selling Joseph into slavery. And they wouldn’t have felt dread wondering if Joseph was going to take revenge after he revealed he was their brother—and again, after their dad died.

· What if King Saul stopped his jealous thoughts about David instead of being consumed by his insane jealousy?

· What if the 10 spies that returned, with Joshua and Caleb, from spying out the Promised Land, took their fearful thoughts captive instead of striking fear in the dread throughout the whole congregation because of their bad report? They would have been able to enter the Promised Land and not had to wander in the wilderness for forty years and die in the desert.

What we think about truly affects what we feel, say, and do.

David Guzik teaches, “When we start to think in a carnal way, we must stop our thoughts, take dominion over them in Jesus, and not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)

Now that we’ve looked at what it means to take every thought captive in 2 Corinthians 10:5, lets finish by looking at the other verse, Romans 12:2, and see what it means to be transformed by the renewing of your mind Romans 12:2 declares, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

So what does it mean to renew our mind?

The Greek word for renew in Romans 12:2 means a complete change for the better. Another word for renew would be renovation. A TV show or magazine may feature a home renovation showing you the impressive before and after pictures.

By taking any thoughts captive that don’t honor the Lord and renewing our mind with the truth of Scripture, we are able to stop any negative thoughts in their tracks and to completely change our thoughts for the better, by setting our mind on the truth of God’s Word and how we can apply it.

The Glorious Transformation By Renewing Your Mind

This transformation by the renewing of one’s mind is illustrated in Psalm 1,

The first verse shows the foolishness that the blessed man does not spend his time doing. “Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;”

The second verse show what the blessed man spends his time doing instead. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

Spurgeon describes the character of this blessed man who meditates on God’s Word day and night:

"And now mark his positive character. "His delight is in the law of the Lord." He is not under the law as a curse and condemnation, but he is in it, and he delights to be in it as his rule of life; he delights, moreover, to meditate in it, to read it by day, and think upon it by night. He takes a text and carries it with him all day long; and in the night-watches, when sleep forsakes his eyelids, he museth upon the Word of God. In the day of his prosperity he sings psalms out of the Word of God, and in the night of his affliction he comforts himself with promises out of the same book. "The law of the Lord" is the daily bread of the true believer." He loves God’s Word so much that diligently searches the Scriptures like the Bereans. To him, God’s Word is “the man of his right hand, his best companion, and hourly guide."

Finally Psalm 1:3 shows the transformation that happens in the life of the believer who sets his mind on God’s Word,

“He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.”

This is exactly how our life can look when we stop any thoughts that don’t honor God and redirect our mind to God’s Word. As we get into the habits of taking every thought captive and renewing our mind with God’s Word, our life will be a beautiful picture of trusting in the Lord and we will indeed be blessed.

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Last updated Monday June 26, 2020

How Fear Robs Us of God's Best

2020-06-19T04:00:00.003-04:00

When Joshua and the other spies returned from spying the Promised Land God was giving them, Joshua and Caleb returned to the Israelite community with an encouraging, yet realistic report. (Numbers 13:26-30) The land was as wonderful as promised, but, it was currently inhabited.

However, the account from other eight spies to the Israelites was a discouraging and frightening report (Numbers 13:31-33), emphasizing that the inhabitants were much stronger and bigger than they were.

Unfortunately, between the two reports, the people believed the frightening report and they now dreaded taking the land God promised them. They were so terrified they were planning to return to Egypt, where they had spent years as slaves in harsh bondage. (Numbers 14:1-4)

Joshua and Caleb tried to encourage the now fear-filled community. (Numbers 14:6-9) They reminded the people how exceedingly good the land was, how God was giving them that land, and how they’d swallow up their enemies because God was with them. This was totally contrary to the bad report the Israelites had heard from the other eight spies. Though they all were on the same reconnaissance mission, from the two reports you would have thought that these reports were from two, completely different territories. It’s amazing what a powerful influence our words have on people.

Truth was, despite what the eight discouraging spies reported, it wasn’t the inhabitants that were stronger than Israelites. Weren’t they physically bigger and stronger looking? Yes, but because God was with the Israelites, it was really the inhabitants of the land that should have been afraid of the Israelites. However, the bad report blinded the Israelites from recognizing this truth that Joshua and Caleb had been telling them.

Regardless of how big the inhabitants were, God’s people would not be the ones swallowed up, they’d be the ones swallowing up anyone who stood in their way of taking the land He promised. The Israelites had absolutely no reason to fear, and every reason to take the land with the utmost confidence. However, because of the bad report the eight spies had given the people, the Israelites minds remained overwhelmed with anxious thoughts and “What if….?” scenarios.

Only one thing was holding the Israelite community from receiving all that God wanted to give them—and it wasn’t the inhabitants of the land.

As long as the people believed taking the land would be a dreadful experience, not trusting in the promise, power, and provision of God, their fears would continue to hold them back from entering into all that God wanted to give them. Likewise, our fears keep us from taking the ground God has for us.

When the Lord is with us—empowering us to boldly receive that which He wants to bless us with, any reservations on our part will always be totally unwarranted. However, as long as we see our obstacles as something we must overcome in our limited abilities, we will miss out on all that God wants to give us.

Whatever obstacles we may be facing today, we can place our full confidence in the Lord to equip and empower us to overtake any obstacle that is standing in our way from embracing God’s perfect will for our life. As we resolve to walk by faith, there’s no telling the incredible blessings God has in store for us!

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Last updated Friday June 19, 2020

God Will Give You Justice!

2020-06-12T04:00:00.004-04:00

Though many Bible promises are for those who put their hope and faith in Jesus Christ, Psalm 103 switches gears at verse six and gives a Bible promise for everyone across the board--regardless of a person's acceptance or rejection of Christ. David declares this fabulous verse saying:

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

This verse really shows God's great love for people. I mean for Him to execute righteousness and justice for every person who is oppressed:

whether they believe in Him or not
whether they acknowledge this truth or not
whether anyone thanks Him or this or not
whether anyone credits Him for the justice they've been blessed with, or not, is evidence of His amazing love for every one of us!

The Biblical meaning of the word oppressed

So what does Psalm 103:6 exactly mean by the word oppressed? "It means to act towards, or treat anyone unjustly or violently." In other words it's wrongfully treating someone in a way that is not fair. We all can think of times when someone was unjustly harsh with us or treated us in a way that was totally unfair.

So what exactly makes this promise so amazing?

Every time we are unjustly wronged by another, whether it was accidental or intentional, the LORD will right the wrong, or puts right, the wrong done to us. That is executing righteousness. While at times justice may appear delayed, it is inevitable.

God will certainly puts things right, and brings about justice for all who are oppressed. Perhaps this is why God says in Deuteronomy 32:35, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." Romans 12:19 instructs us, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

God Will Give You Justice!

Justice is what is proper or fitting for the wrong that was done. While justice is not always seen in our courts, we can be sure that God will put right, and bring about what is proper or fitting for the wrong that was done--both to us and for the one who committed the wrong.

Being that God is both righteous and just, He cannot tolerate injustice. In the book of Esther, when the Jewish people were doomed to die from Haman’s wicked scheme, the Lord used a chain of events to totally execute righteousness and justice for His people.

Because of Haman’s great hatred for Mordecai, Haman secretly built gallows to hang Mordecai. (Esther 5:14) However the king noticed in the records that Mordecai had stopped an assassination plot against the king, but nothing had yet been done to honor Mordecai for his heroic deed. Just as Haman came to the king to his permission to hang Mordecai on the gallows Haman built in his yard, God turned the tables on Haman.

Instead of getting the king’s permission to murder Mordecai, God used the king mightily to greatly humble Haman. Haman instead was tasked by the king to greatly honor Mordecai, parading Mordecai on the king’s horse, while Mordecai wore one of the kings robes. Even the king’s horse was wearing a crown!

If that wasn’t humbling enough for Haman, he was also ordered to shout in the streets, while parading Mordecai, ““Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!” (Esther 6:11) in the end, God executed righteousness for all who were oppressed.

Haman got what he deserved—being hung on the very gallows he built to hang Mordecai. (Esther 7:9-10)

Mordecai got promoted to Prime Minister, Haman’s old job.

Esther inherited Haman's house and got to witness the delieverance of the Jewish people from the hands of thier enemies

Because the king was powerless to cancel the wicked law Haman had put into effect (Esther 3:5-11), the king allowed Mordecai to create a new law to allow the Jewish people to avenge themselves against those who would come against them because of the evil law Haman had made. “the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions,” (Esther 8:11)

When the day came for the enemies of the Jews to attack them, God executed righteousness and justice for every Jew who was oppressed. “On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.” (Esther 1-5)

When we are oppressed or harassed, God is moved to pity, to execute righteousness and justice on our behalf. (Judges 2:18) He is faithful to deliver us from those who oppress us, driving them away from us, and then blessing us by His goodness. (Judges 6:9; Exodus 14:13-14)

God's Justice is Never Lacking

When we are oppressed, God will execute righteousness and justice for us every time without fail. His deliverance in our lives from our oppressors is never hit-and-miss. (1 Samuel 10:18) It is a guarantee--and not just for us, but for everyone who is oppressed. Perhaps God blesses everyone in this way so our unsaved family and friends will be drawn to repentance by God's kindness to them. Because it's His kindness that leads to repentance. (Romans 2:4)

God has such a compassionate heart for all who are oppressed, providing what they need and restoring what had been taken from them. (Psalm 146:7) What a blessing! This is such a great promise to cling to when we are oppressed. On that same note, as we wait for God to execute righteousness and justice for some injustice we have experienced, or continue to experience, Psalm 9:9 promises, “The LORD also will be a refuge for all who are oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. We can rejoice that when we are oppressed the LORD is a refuge for us!

Resting in God's Promise to execute righteousness and justice

Isaiah 53 speaks of the oppression Jesus experienced while He was falsely arrested, accused, and put to death though He was completely innocent.

"He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth." Isaiah 53:7

When Jesus was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, even though He was oppressed by the conspiracy to put Him to death, In spite of this and the false testimonies of others, Jesus did not open His mouth and defend Himself. (Mark 14:55-61) Later, when He was brought before Pilate, Jesus stood silent under the most unjust circumstances, which made Pilate marvel at Jesus’ example. (Mark 15:1-5)

Jesus’ silent example before His accusers shows me that when I am oppressed, I don't need to worry myself with how to defend myself, because whether I stand up for myself or not, the LORD is executing righteousness and justice on my behalf. He will fight for me (Exodus 14:14) God will make things right, working my oppressive circumstances to good. Justice will be served.

Matthew Henry proclaimed, “One way or other, the LORD will plead the cause of those that are injured against their oppressors. It is His honor to humble the proud and help the helpless.”

As Moses told the Israelites when they'd were trapped at the Red Sea while Pharaoh’s army charged towards them, when I am being oppressed I can follow the instructions of Moses that He gave the Israelites during that terrifying time, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Blessed by the Father of Mercies, the God of all comfort

Spurgeon beautifully sums up Psalm 103:6 saying:

"The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He does not leave the poor and needy to perish at the hands of their enemies, but interposes on their behalf, for He is the executor of the poor and the executioner of the cruel. When His people were in Egypt he heard their groanings and brought them forth, but he overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea.

Man's injustice shall receive retribution at the hand of God. Mercy to his saints demands vengeance on their persecutors, and He will repay it. No blood of martyrs shall be shed in vain; no groans of confessors in prison shall be left without inquisition being made concerning them.

All wrongs shall be righted, all the oppressed shall be avenged. Justice may at times leave the courts of man, but it abides upon the tribunal of God. For this every right-minded person will bless God." From the book, Treasury of David by C.H.Spurgeon

We are so blessed that we personally know God who is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) who graciously will right every wrong done to us (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:29) and promises us justice when we've been oppressed.

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Last updated Monday June 12, 2020

How SOAP Journaling Has Made My Quiet Time with God Even Better!

2020-06-05T04:00:00.003-04:00

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

When I was a new Christian I heard about the importance of having quiet time with the Lord. My morning devotions routine has changed over the years. I might pray, read a chapter in the Bible and wonder if that was enough. Sometimes I'd read from a favorite devotional book, like Chuck Smith's devotional, Wisdom for Today.

In 2 Peter 3:18 we are called to grow in the knowledge of God. Fortunately there are many ways we can grow in our knowledge of God and His Word. In this article I want to share one way that has upleveled my morning devotions, helped me grow in the knowledge of God and deepened my faith and trust in Jesus.

THREE REASONS I LOVE SOAP JOURNALING

1. For me S.O.A.P Journaling has taken my quiet time with the Lord to a whole new level. Rather than reading a Bible chapter and forgetting what I even read five minutes later S.O.A.P Journaling has helped me to pay attention to what I'm reading in the Bible, and note what God is showing me within that Scripture.

2.By mentally chewing on a verse, I begin noticing things I never would have seen had I just read through the chapter and called it good.

3. When I think about a verse that stood out to me in the passage I read that morning, I'm internalizing the verse which allows me to easily recall what I read that morning as well as what ministered to me within the passage I read.

SO WHAT IS S.O.A.P JOURNALING?

S.O.A.P stands for:

Scripture

Observation

Application

Prayer

Photo courtesy of First Baptist Church of Royal Palm Beach

To S.O.A.P journal, all you need is your Bible, a notebook, and a pen. Start by reading a chapter in the Bible. Here are the steps to journaling:

1. S: Write out an S on your paper and then jot the verse that stood out to you during your reading.

2. O: Next write out an O on your paper and note what you observe about the verse. What is God showing you about that verse?

3. A: Write out an A on your paper and write how the verse applies to your life and practical ways you can put this verse into action in your day to day life.

4. P: Finally, Write out an P on your paper and a prayer in relation to the Bible verse you are journaling on.

Here’s an example of one of my S.O.A.P Journal entries to give you a better idea of this. Take comfort that your S.O.A.P Journal entries don't have to be as wordy as my example below. If you like to keep things short and sweet, by all means do so! However much the Lord leads to journal is what is best.

AN ENTRY FROM MY S.O.A.P. JOURNAL

Recognizing the Call of God on Your Life—Numbers 17:1-11

S (vs.5) "The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites." (vs. 8) "Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds." (Numbers 17:5, 8b)

O In the previous chapter, Korah and his followers rose up against Moses and Aaron claiming they should be placed in an esteemed ministry position as Moses and Aaron were. They argued that Moses and Aaron shouldn’t be the only ones in leadership over the people—they were holy too. (Numbers 16:3) In the end the Lord showed these spotlight hungry men that Moses was indeed chosen by Him when the earth opened up and swallowed the men and their households alive.

Despite this, the Israelite community still grumbled! So in chapter 17 the Lord has had it with their grumbling over leadership and instructs Moses what to do that will put an end to the people's complaints once and for all.

The Lord instructed Moses to collect a staff from each leader from twelve tribes and write the name of each leader on their staff. The staffs were put in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where God met with them on a regular basis. The next day “Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.”

It would have been clear enough if Aaron’s staff had simply sprouted. It would have stood out among the eleven staffs that hadn’t. But God wanted to drive the message home that Aaron was indeed the exact man He had chosen. Had Aaron's staff only sprouted, and not also blossomed and produced almonds, God knew the people would still find a reason to complain—explaining away why Aaron's staff sprouted. “You call that a sprout? That doesn’t mean anything. That could have happened because…”

Instead God not only made Aaron’s staff sprout, but in case someone would explain it away, refusing to believe God chose Aaron to co-lead with Moses, God had the staff also bud, blossom, and produce Almonds. It was a miracle. There was no way the people could deny God’s choosing. No more could they wonder who should be in leadership over the people. It couldn’t have been clearer.

A When God calls us to a ministry, He will not only communicate that choosing to us, impressing a specific ministry on our hearts, but He will make it known, confirming it to others.

One way to recognize God’s call on our life is by looking for fruit in our life. What areas of our life are we witnessing the most fruit? If we are not sure, we can reflect on what is it we do that people give us the most compliments or call us “a natural.” Maybe it is when we exercise our gift of helps, hospitality, or encouragement. What ever God has called us to do, when we step out in faith and follow the Lord's leading for us, the area to which God has gifted us in and called us to will not simply be evidenced by a single sprout, but it will be further evidenced by budding, blooming, and even fruit.

When God reveals your calling to you, and further confirms it to the people around you, “…Do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” (Col. 3:23-24) There is no higher calling, and more fulfilling work, than to do that which the Lord has called us to do.

P Lord thank You that when You communicate to us that ministry which you’ve called us to do, you make it abundantly clear, giving us “many infallible proofs, so that there is no question in our minds what You have called us to do. Help us not to miss those proofs, but like the people who witnessed Aaron's staff sprout, bud, blossom, and produce fruit, we’d know beyond a shadow of a doubt that special work that you’ve called us to do. In Jesus name, Amen.

SIMPLE S.O.A.P JOURNAL IDEAS

Here are some S.O.A.P Journal ideas to get you started:

* If you are reading through the Bible in a year, pick a verse that especially ministers to you during your reading that day and journal on that verse.

* Journal on verses related to an area you’d like to grow in or an area of weakness you’d like to overcome. This is a great way to grow in your knowledge about what God says on a specific area you’d like to grow in or overcome. For instance, if you’d like to grow in patience, you could journal on verses about patience. If you’d like to be more joyful, journal on joy verses. If you’d like to be more self-controlled, journal on self-control. So what area in your life would you like to grow in or overcome?

* Journal on the names of God to grow in your knowledge of Him. You could even journal on the names specific to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. If you journaled a different name of God each day, imagine how much you could learn about God in a month! Years ago I studied with the Ladies Bible Study group at church the names of God. We did Kay Arthur's Lord, I Want to Know You: A Devotional Study on the Names of God. It was a wonderful study on the names of God! I highly recommend it!

* Journal on the promises of God.

* Pick a list from the Bible to journal on. You could journal on the days of creation (Genesis 1), the ten commandments (Exodus 20), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the characteristics of love (1 Corinthians 13), the seven churches in Revelation (Revelation 2-3)

* Journal on who you are in Christ

* Journal on what the Bible says about your high calling as woman after His own heart—or even more specifically, as a daughter, a wife, a mother, or a grandmother—whatever role God has put you in.

* Journal on verses you are working towards memorizing. Journaling on each verse will help cement the verses in your mind as you meditate on the verse to journal about it. For instance, if the Lord leads you to memorize Psalm 23 you could journal through the Psalm at the pace of one verse a day. Your journaling would help reinforce the verses you are hiding in your heart. By the end of the week, you’d know Psalm 23 so much better than you did before.

Hopefully this article sparked in you a desire to start SOAP Journaling, or a desire to get back to SOAP Journaling, if it's been a while since you last did it. Whether you feel led to SOAP Journal or not, however the Lord leads you to spend your quiet time with Him and His Word is what's best. God bless your week!

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Last updated Friday June 5, 2020

The Key to Rock Solid Faith

2020-05-29T04:00:00.003-04:00

When I think about my junior high and high school years before I came to know the Lord Jesus, my mind often raced with anxious thoughts.

Not that I am immune from such thoughts today after putting my trust in the Lord and walking with Him the last twenty years…but the frequency and intensity of those thoughts pale so much in comparison today. Why?

The reason why I am so much less anxious these days, and so confident in my belief in Jesus and His Word, can be answered in the words of Paul, “I know whom I have believed.” (2 Timothy 1:12) and that makes all the difference in the world.

Pastor Chuck Smith often said, “When we say we have a difficult time trusting God what we mean is we really don’t know Him because it is difficult to trust someone you don’t know.” Precept Austin clarifies that the word “know” in “I know who I have believed.” 2 Timothy 1:12 “signifies absolute, beyond a doubt knowledge. This knowledge is not personal knowledge gained by experience, but knowledge of a Person Who he had found absolutely dependable in any circumstance.”

Spurgeon explains it’s as if Paul is saying:

I know the Person into whose hand I have committed my present condition, and my eternal destiny. I know Who he is, and I therefore, without any hesitation, leave myself in His hands. It is the beginning of spiritual life to believe Jesus Christ."

Spurgeon goes on to add that "Jesus was a distinct Person to the apostle, so real as to be known to him as a man knows a friend. Paul knew nobody else so well as he knew his Lord.”

Paul’s faith in Christ was fixed and unmoving. Precept Austin explains the word “believed”, as it relates to “I know whom I have believed.” In this context belief means "to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust. To accept as true, genuine, or real. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something or someone. To consider to be true. To accept the word or evidence of.”

Finally, Gill shares, “A spiritual knowledge of Christ is necessary to faith in Him: an unknown Christ cannot be the object of faith... Knowledge and faith go together: they that truly know Christ, believe in Him, and the more they know Him, the more strongly do they believe in Him.”

Knowing God does not need to be difficult or complicated. He wants us to know Him. He invites us to learn of Him. (Mathew 11:29) Here are practical ways we can grow in the knowledge of God, so like Paul, when our faith is tested we will boldly proclaim, “I know whom I have believed.” 2 Tim. 1:12)

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Last updated Friday May 29, 2020

One of my Favorite Bible Study Tools

2020-05-22T04:00:00.003-04:00

When I took Inductive Bible Study, at Calvary Chapel Bible College, one of my favorite Bible study techniques I learned was regarding the Bible Study Rule of First Mention.

This little rule opened for me a very simple way I can understand the Biblical standard of things mentioned in Scripture. It's a very simple, yet powerful tool you can use to better understand God's Word.

Simply put, the rule says: The first time something is mentioned in the Bible sets the standard for what that word means as it appears throughout the rest of Scripture.

First Mention of Love

So let’s say you want to know what the Bible says about love. While 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the famous love chapter, has lot to say about love, by doing a Bible Gateway search on the word love in the NKJV Bible, we find the first mention of love is in Genesis 22:2.

Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Chuck Smith notes:

“This is the first time the word "love" is used in the Bible. And it's interesting it's not used of a mother's love for her children or a husband's love for his wife, but it's used of a father's love for his son as the greatest love, because we have a picture here of the love of the heavenly Father for His own only begotten Son, that relationship that exists between the father and his son. So "take now thy son, thine only son. Notice the words "Thy son, thy only son Isaac, whom thou lovest." It reminds us of a scripture in the New Testament that declares, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." (John 3:16)

So using the rule of first mention, we see the Biblical standard for the word love. However, a word of warning. Whenever looking up the first mention of a word, it is essential that you use a word-for-word translation of the Bible rather that a thought-for-thought translation.

Word-for-word Translations vs. Though-for-thought

Word-for-word translations include: KJV, NKJV, NAS, NASB. ESV, ASV, CSB

Thought-for-though translations include: NIV, NIV, NLT

So what’s the big deal? I’ll show you why using a word-for-word translation is so important when studying the first mention of a word in Scripture.

The Problem with Using a Thought-for-Thought Translation

Sticking with our original example of love, let’s say we want to learn what the Biblical standard for the word love is using the rule of first mention using the NIV a thought-for-thought translation. In this translation, the context of love is completely different.

The first mention of love in NIV (1984) is Genesis 20:13 where we find Abraham explaining to Abimelech why he lied about Sarah, being his wife, saying she was his sister. Here Abraham reveals how he coached Sarah, to lie for him, as a way to show her love for Abraham.

And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” (Genesis 20:13)

This was actually the second time Abraham asked Sarah to lie for him, saying she was his sister, instead of his wife. In Genesis 12:10-13 it explains:

¹⁰Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. ¹¹As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. ¹²When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

This is why later on in Genesis, Abraham asks his wife, Sarah, to show her love for him, by lying to protect him. Clearly this is not the Biblical standard of love: lying for the one you love to protect them. That’s the trouble with using a thought-for-thought when looking up the first mention.

Yet when I looked up Genesis 20:13, the NIV 1984’s first mention of love, the NKJV translated that verse this way,

And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’

In other words, Abraham was saying to Sarah, "Show me kindness by saying, “He is my brother.”’ Do me a favor, Sarah. You can show kindness towards me by helping me out with this." Abraham was probably motivated by the same fears for his safety there that moved him to ask Sarah to lie for him back in Genesis 12:11-12.

The modern NIV (2011) version we have today makes the first mention of love in Genesis 4:1, "Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.”

So with a word-for-word we see the sacrificial standard of love, as of a father sacrificing his only begotten son, whereas a thought-for-thought led us to a human standard of love. Don’t get me wrong. I grew up on the NIV, 1984 version, have read it, memorized from it, and studied from it for years. It’s a great translation. It was only until I learned the rule of first mention, that I realized I needed to use a word-for-word translation so I don’t get the wrong idea about a word, like in the example above about love.

Anyway, I hope you found the Bible Study Rule of First Mention interesting, and another way you can grow in your knowledge and understanding of God's Word. God bless your week!

Question for you: What is one of your favorite tools for studying the Bible?

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Last updated Friday May 22, 2020

4 Things Truth Journaling Will Do For You

2020-05-15T04:00:00.003-04:00

If you ever struggle with anxious or negative thoughts, you are going to love what Truth Journaling will do for you! I first learned about Truth Journaling from Barb Raveling. This type of journaling is based on John 8:32 where Jesus tells us that the truth will set us free.

First I'll show you four things Truth Journaling will do for you, and then I'll walk you through the simple process and show you an example so you can start Truth Journaling in your own life. I even designed a FREE printable Truth Journal just for you!

4 Things Truth Journaling Will Do For You

1. Truth Journaling will help you take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5) and stop any thoughts, dead in their tracks, that come into our mind which are contrary to:

God’s promises
Who we are in Christ
God’s will for our thought life (Phil. 4:8)

2. Truth Journaling will transform you by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2) as you set your mind on the truth of God’s Word.

3. Truth Journaling will make it clear which feelings are not based on the truth of Scripture, so you are not deceived and believing something contrary to the Bible.

4. Truth Journaling will enable you to build an arsenal of Bible verses to counter any thoughts that are contrary to Scripture, and turn your thoughts back to what is true.

How To Truth Journal

Step 1. Freely write out what’s weighing on your heart and mind

Step 2. Number each sentence.

Step 3. Now starting at the first sentence, one by one, hold each sentence you journaled up to the truth of God’s Word and determine what is really true based on Scripture.

Step 4. Under each sentence, correct any wrong thinking and pair your statement with a correlating Bible verse. If your statement does line up with the truth of God’s Word, write under it a correlating Bible verse testifying to that truth.

Example:

"Ugh! I am not looking forward to today. I have so much to do, I’ll never get it all done! I feel so overwhelmed, I don’t even know where to start. I need a miracle!"

1. Ugh! I am not looking forward to today.

Truth: Though today is going to be a very busy day, this is the day that the Lord has made I shall rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24) God will surely help me. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

2. I have so much to do; I’ll never get it all done!

Truth: I do have a lot to do, but as I am faithful to commit my work to the Lord and seek His help, He will be faithful to help me do the impossible. With me it’s impossible, but with God, all things are possible. (Mathew 19:26) Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:3)

3. I feel so overwhelmed. I don’t even know where to start.

Truth: I feel overwhelmed because my eyes are focused on the problems before me, rather than on the promises, faithfulness, and character of my God. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. (Psalm 28:7) If I ask God for wisdom, He will surely show me the best way to order my day. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

4 I need a miracle!

Truth: God is the God of miracles and nothing is too hard for Him! As I seek Him, I will not lack any good thing (Psalm 34: 10). He will be faithful to supply whatever I need, as I need it. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)

FREE PRINTABLE TRUTH JOURNAL

To help you get started with
Truth Journaling, I made you a
FREE printable Truth Journal
you can print and start using right away!

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Truth Journaling When Your Short On Time

If I’m struggling with something and want to truth journal, but am short on time, I can simply use the list method. For instance, if I’m trying to discipline myself to eat healthier, and I’m feeling discouraged that it’s such a challenge, to quickly truth journal with the list method, I simply begin by asking myself, “Why am I finding it such a challenge to eat right?” Then I simply list why I believe I’m struggling to make good food choices. For instance:

1. It’s hard to say no to my favorite foods, because they are so tempting!

2. Eating healthy will mean I will miss out on my favorite foods—especially during the holidays.

3. I’ll have to adopt a new way of eating, which will take time and commitment, and my life is already busy enough as it is.

4. It will take a very long time before I’d ever see any results.

5. I will have to learn different cooking methods and new recipes to become skilled at making yummy meals that are healthier.

List the truth based on correlating Scripture

1. It’s hard, but not impossible! “No temptation has overtaken [me] except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow [me] to be tempted beyond what [I am] able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that [I] may be able to bear it “ (1 Cor. 10:13)

2. Yes I may miss out on some unhealthy favorites, but just because I can eat them doesn’t make them beneficial to me. "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Cor. 6:12)

3. Adopting healthy eating habits will take hard work, but it is a guaranteed win. “All hard work brings a profit.” (Proverbs 14:23)

4. It will take a while before I see results, but results will inevitably come if I stick with it and don’t give up. I can do this through Christ (Phil. 4:13) because “His divine power has given [me] all things that pertain to life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3) In Christ, I am fully equipped to do what I need to do to see results and maintain my new good habits. God is calling me to endure. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

5. It may be a challenge, to learn healthier ways of preparing foods and building a collection of new healthier meals, but it is not impossible. “I can do all things through Christwho strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) If ever I lack wisdom in preparing these meals, I can ask God and He will be faithful to direct me to the information I need. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5) Whatever I may need to adopt a healthier eating lifestyle, the Lord will abundantly provide. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”(Phil. 4:19)

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Last updated Friday May 15, 2020

18 Ways God Rewards Your Faith

2020-05-08T04:00:00.003-04:00

When faced with the headaches and heartaches of life, where do you put your trust? Before I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I often placed my trust in:

My own abilities--which would either come through for me or fall short.

My own wisdom--which was only limited to that which I knew.

My own strength--which was only as strong as I was

My own possessions--which could get lost, malfunction, break down, etc.

Other people--who may come through or disappoint because of their own busy lives and circumstances

Jeremiah points out, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD." Jeremiah 17:7 Oh how happy we are when we trust in the Lord, and make the LORD our hope! And the reason? When we are faithful to place our trust in the Lord, He is faithful to bless us. Below are 18 ways God rewards our faith. (Hebrews 11:6)

18 Ways God Rewards Your Faith

When you are faithful to trust in the Lord....

1. You will be surrounded by mercy
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. Psalm 32:10

2. You will be kept in perfect peace
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

3. You will be happy
He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. Proverbs 16:20

4. You will rejoice
For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Psalm 33:21

5. You will be taken care of
Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:5

6. You will be delivered from your enemies
And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him. Psalm 37:40

7. You will be kept safe
The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

8. You will be radiant
They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. (Psalm 34:5)

9. You will not be put to shame
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 10:11

10. You will be victorious
Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 13:18

11. You will not be moved
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 125:1

12. You will be prospered
He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered. Proverbs 28:25

13. You will be delivered
For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,” says the LORD.’” Jeremiah 39:18

14. You will be protected by God
As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Psalm 18:30

15. You will have your prayers answered
And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. 1 Chronicles 5:20

16. You will be established
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 2 Chronicles 20:20

17. You will never thirst
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35

18. You will not be afraid
He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Psalm 112:7

O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer! –Scriven

If you hope and trust are not in Jesus, don't miss out. God is just a prayer away. As long as you are still alive on this side of Heaven, it is never too late.

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Last updated Friday May 8, 2020

My God Shall Supply All Your Needs

2020-05-01T04:00:00.003-04:00

If the ongoing news of the Coronavirus has you feeling a little discouraged, I pray this article will fill your heart up with hope and encouragement. When twelve spies went out from Israel to spy out the promised land God was giving them, ten of the twelve spies came back with a discouraging report, saying they were as grasshoppers compared to the giant people in the land. (Numbers 13:31-33) They even went as far to suggest they'd be better off going back to Egypt where they had been slaves! (Numbers 14:2-4) These spies were convinced all Israel would be overtaken by the inhabitants of the land, even though this was the land God promised them.

Explaining the foolishness of their fears, L.E Romaine points out, “God had given them water from the rock, given them manna, fought all their battles up to that point, and all of a sudden [they believed] God couldn’t take them any further. That’s what happens to us. God can get you saved, give you everlasting life, and prepare a place for you. So we’re willing to believe, “Yeah, okay I’ve got everlasting life. I go to be with the Lord. I don’t have to worry about it—that’s all been taken care of. What I’ve got to worry about now is to see how am I going to get the rent?”

Since I totally believe the Lord has already provided for my greatest need of salvation, resting in the truth that my eternity in Heaven is secure, then what lesser things do I ever need to worry about? God tells us in Philippians, "Don't worry about anything; Instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6-7)

Joshua and Caleb who brought back the only faith-filled report, from spying out the land, were filled with a peace that surpassed all understanding because they had the utmost confidence in the Lord to meet any and all of their needs. (Numbers 13:27-30) Time and again they had witnessed and experienced God's faithfulness.

The other ten spies, as well as the camp of Israel had also tasted and seen that God is good, but they had forgotten the multitude of God's mercies. (Psalm 106:7) How easy it is for me to get overwhelmed with the headaches and heartaches of life when the multitude of God's mercies is not in the forefront of my mind. By choosing to meditate on His mercies rather than on my problems, I am blessed with the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Problems are inevitable (John 16:33; Matt. 6:34) However we can rest easy in the promises and faithfulness of God. Because Jesus has met out greatest need, of salvation, we can trust Him to take care of the rest of our needs--however great they may be.

One of my favorite Bible promises declares, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 I love this verse because God promises to meet all our needs, not just some of our needs or just the really big needs, but ALL our needs. God's proven Himself faithful to provide Salvation for us. He is more than able to provide and deliver us from whatever trials we may be facing.

Whatever problems we are facing today, let's give them to the Lord in prayer, fully expecting Him to deliver us in His perfect way. (Prov. 3:5) and do as Jesus counseled Jarius, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Mark 5:36

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Last updated Friday May 1, 2020

The High Cost of Not Checking in with God First

2020-04-24T04:00:00.016-04:00

When Delilah repeatedly pestered Samson over and over to know the secret of his amazing strength, little did he know that telling her the answer would soon cost him his freedom, dignity, and even his sight.

Over and over Delilah asked Samson what would make him as weak as any other man. Perhaps Samson thought that was a weird thing for her to ask, and rightfully so, because three times he gives her phony reasons for what would make him weak, like being tied up with new ropes. (Judges 16:6-9) Then each time Delilah does that very thing to him. (the third time while he slept.) Each time Delilah cries out in fake surprise, “Samson! The Philistines are among us!” To which the Philistines appear, and begin attacking Sampson thinking he has become weak. Clearly there is a pattern forming here.”

What amazed me was when Delilah was pestering Samson to know the true source of his strength, after attempting to subdue him three times and set him up to be attacked by the Philistines, she wears Samson down by her nagging. Her nagging grated on Samson so much that he finally just volunteers what makes him so strong and how he could be made weak as any other man. If only Samson knew what that information was going to cost him.

What if Samson had first checked in with God, before telling Delilah his secret? What if he had first asked God, “Why does Delilah keep pestering me about this? Why is she so interested? Should I tell her what makes me so strong and what would make me weak? Can I trust her, Lord? What would you have me to say and do in this situation?"

The Bible invites us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5) Had Samson first checked in with God about Delilah, God would certainly have been faithful to reveal the truth about her and clearing up any misunderstandings Samson may have had about Delilah's incessant questions.

Consider all the grief Samson would have been spared if had simply taken a minute to check in with God through prayer.

He wouldn’t have known weakness (Judges 16:19)

He wouldn’t have been overtaken by his enemies who were dying to seek revenge on him (Judges 16:21)

He wouldn’t have been thrown into prison, mocked, and had his eyes put out by his enemies—the Philistines. (Judges 16:21, 25)

He wouldn’t of died among his enemies (Judges 16:30)

While we may not come close to suffering to the degree Samson did, when we forget to check in with God first, the same truth applies to us today: It is always worthwhile to check in with God first, because He knows everything and see into a person’s heart and motives in ways we never could.

This book revolutionized my prayer life

God knows where our decisions are leading us and the consequences of particular decisions made apart from Him.

* If you are looking for a new job, or an additional source of income, God knows which place would be the perfect place for you to work, or how you can use the talent He's given you to help offset expenses during these uncertain times

Lots of great ideas for making money in this book!

* If you are looking to buy a house, God knows the perfect house for you to buy. He knows which homes you’ve looked at that have secret problems or will need major, costly repairs in the future.

* If you are getting married, or your adult child is contemplating marriage, God knows that person perfectly. He knows if marrying that person lines up with His perfect will for your life. He knows if that person doesn’t truly love the Lord and will draw you away from the Lord or if the person shares your love of Jesus and will daily point you to faith and trust in the Lord.

* If you homeschool your kids, God knows which curriculum will appeal most to their learning style and make leaning fun for them.

* When the kids are being difficult, God knows the best way for you to diffuse the situation and restore peace again. He knows the best way for you to bring out the best in your child.

One of my favorite parenting books of all time!

* If life feels overwhelming right now, and you feel like you need some breathing room, God knows which things are the most important and which things can be deleted, or just postponed for now. He can show you what is the best use of your time. (Same concept can be applied to your finances if money is a reoccurring source of stress in your life)

Whether we are making major, life-changing decisions, or small, everyday decisions, one thing we can be certain of: we can save ourselves a lot of unnecessary frustration and grief down the road simply by checking in with God first.

If you have a Kindle app, one of my favorite devotionals is Wisdom for Today by Pastor Chuck Smith!

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Last updated Friday May 8, 2020

Three Awesome Truths To Give You Hope During This Pandemic

2020-04-17T23:16:00.002-04:00

As the Corona Virus pandemic continues on, it seems like all the news we are hearing about it is depressing. So I want to give you three uplifting truths you can hold on to, to encourage your heart and give you hope as we wait on God’s deliverance from this global pandemic we all are experiencing.

#1 God will deliver us from this pandemic

Psalm 34:19 declares, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” I love this because it tells me there is a definite end date for this pandemic and whatever we are facing. God will deliver us either in this life or the next. But He will deliver us.

Psalm 34:19 makes it clear it’s a never a matter of IF God will deliver us. It’s only a matter of when. God has an expiration date stamped on every one of our trials including this one were in because of the corona virus pandemic.

So, the next time you open your fridge and you see a expiration date stamped on you food, be encouraged that God also has an expiration date on each and every trial you face!

#2 God will provide all that we need during this pandemic, and beyond

We can be encouraged as we wait on God to deliver us from the corona virus pandemic, that He will surely provide all that we need. Philippians 4:19 promises “And my God shall supply ALL your need according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ."

Jesus has already proved that He is an excellent provider to us because He has already abundantly provided for our greatest need—eternal salvation. By trusting in Jesus by faith, as our Lord and Savior, we are guaranteed that the second we die, we will live forever with Jesus in heaven. Our salvation is eternally secure in Jesus. So since Jesus has already met our greatest need—eternal salvation—how much more will surely meet our current and future needs, all which pale in comparison to our greatest need which Jesus has already provided for?

#3 God is bringing good out of this pandemic in countless ways

God has so many blessings for us throughout this pandemic, that we never would have otherwise known, had we never gone through this. John Piper says, “God is doing 10,000 things in your life right now. You may only be aware of three. “ God is actively working this trial to our good and His glory.

Psalm 84:11 promises, The Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

We may look at this pandemic and how our life has dramatically changed though temporarily, and wonder when all of this is going to end. But remember Psalm 34:19 says God will deliver us from every trial (including this one!)? Because of that we can rest assured He WILL deliver us. Well from Psalm 84:11 we can be confident that God does not withhold good from those who walk uprightly. So when we are walking uprightly—daily trusting in Jesus and living a life pleasing to Him, He guarantees He will not withhold any good thing from us.

So you may wonder, if God doesn’t withhold good from us, why is He allowing this pandemic to continue which has caused so much grief and suffering? I’ve found in my own life as I’ve studied Psalm 84:11 that we can expect a trial to remain ONLY as long as God has good within it He wants to give us. To deliver us before He has exhausted every bit of good for us that can come out of that trial would, in essence, be withholding good from us, which totally goes against God’s character. When God has wrung out every drop of good from our trial, He will certainly deliver us because He does not withhold good from those who walk uprightly.

In the book of Genesis, God could have had prevented Joseph from being sold into slavery, and from being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. God also could have used the cup bearer to remember Joseph much sooner than two years later, who met Joseph in prison, and was released from prison just as Joseph had said after Joseph had interpreted the cupbearer and the baker’s dreams.

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But what if that cupbearer had remembered Joseph immediately after being restored to his position as Pharaoh’s cup bearer? Joseph would have been released from prison and may not have been easy to track down to interpret Pharoah’s dream once the cupbearer remembered him two years later.

Joseph was exactly where he needed to be in God’s great plan. Because of that God used Joseph to save many lives during the great 7-year famine. Joseph understood that God was using Joseph’s circumstances to bring forth amazing good Joseph could never have imagined, or experienced, had he not gone through every one of those trials.

So be encouraged that:

#1 God will deliver us from this pandemic

#2 God will provide all that we need during this pandemic, and beyond

and #3 God is bringing good out of this pandemic in countless ways

Finally, I want to share one of my favorite songs, that always blesses my heart. He Will Rejoice by Trevor Morgan. It's Zephaniah 3:17 set to music, and it's beautiful! Check out the lyrics:

Verse:
The Lord your God is with you
He is mighty to save
He will take great delight in you
He will quiet you with his love

Chorus:
He will rejoice over you with singing
He will rejoice over you with his song
He will rejoice over you with singing
He will rejoice over you with his song. Yeah

Bridge:
And through the night (In your darkest hour)
When you are tired (And you've lost your ?????)
He will hold you tight
------------------------------------

I pray this song encourages your heart and gives you something wonderful to think on during these uncertain times.

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Last updated Friday April 17, 2020

Three Good Friday Favorites

2020-04-10T04:00:00.002-04:00

Being that it's Good Friday, I want to share some of my favorites for Good Friday! I pray they bless your heart, too!

#1 One of my favorite Good Friday stories is told by Pastor Brian Larson, of Calvary Chapel Truckee, and it always encourages me when I am going though a difficult trial.

He said an elderly lady at his church was going through something very difficult, yet she had an amazing peace and joy about her. Wondering why (had God delivered her?) Pastor Brian asked. She hadn't been delivered from her trial, but said this instead.

"The reason I have such peace and joy, despite my circumstances, is because one day the world experienced the worst day in the history of the world--the day that Jesus died on the cross. But then just three days later, the world experienced the most wonderful day in the history of the world--the day Jesus rose from the dead! So when I am going through something horrible, I give it three days, and God is always faithful to bring about a resurrection."

Now we know trials can last way longer than three days. Even this lady was still going through her own difficult trial when she said she gives it three days. However, whatever we are going through, in time, even in a matter of days we can begin to see good ways that the Lord is working in and through our situation.

Every morning we get a fresh supply of God's mercies. Lamentations 3:22-24 encourages,"Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“Therefore I hope in Him!”'

And Psalm 68:19 declares that every day God LOADS us with benefits!

Psalm 68:19 Printable Wall Art

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Psalm 103:2-5 lists just a few of those benefits:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things,so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."

------------------------------

(If you haven't yet, grab your FREE printable I made of Psalm 103:2-5 to encourage your heart)

------------------------------

As for the difficult things that remain in our life, God is working every single bit of them to our good and His glory! Not one bit of our suffering is ever wasted or for nothing. God us working every bit of it to good! I love that!

And we can rest assured, from Jeremiah 29:11, that the plans He has for us are for good and not to harm us, to give us a bright future and hope!

#2 My second Good Friday Favorite is Greg Laurie's explanation of why Easter is one of his favorite holidays. It's a great Good Friday message! He says:

"One of my favorite holidays is Easter. Why? Because Easter truly is for everyone—the devastated, discouraged, disappointed, and doubting—the encouraged, happy, joy-filled, and hopeful. I don’t know how you might describe your life this Easter season, but I want you to know that God desperately wants to meet you where you’re at. It is through His death on the cross that, no matter your circumstance, you don’t have to fear anything—not even death.

Christ’s piercing words from the cross before He died—“It is finished!”—were not a wail of agonizing defeat; they were a victory shout! At the cross, His purpose for coming was accomplished and the way for our salvation was established."

#3 Finally, here is a great YouTube video perfect for Good Friday! It's of one of my favorite songs by Third Day, Love Song (Just to be with You). I hope you enjoy it, too!

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Last updated Friday April 10, 2020

Fit for the Master's Use

2020-04-03T04:00:00.002-04:00

In the childcare where I worked before having a child of my own, I was supervising the kids while they played with play dough. I debated if I should even bring the play dough out that morning since it was becoming dried out and crumbly. Still the kids insisted, so I did.

Because the dough was dry and crumbly, the kids were limited in what they could do with it. The only thing the kids really seemed to be able to make was a big crumbly mess.

It was then that the Lord showed me that when my life isn't absolutely surrendered to Him, I just make a big crumbly mess out of things and limit the work God wants to do in my life. However, when I’m fully yielded to God and the work He wants to accomplish in my life, I become like soft, pliable play dough—making the ways God can work in me limitless.

He is the Potter and we are the clay. Depending on how much we abide in Jesus and His Word, will determine the ways God will be able to use us. If our relationship with the Lord is strong, our clay in God’s hands will be soft and pliable--a joy to mold and limitless in possibilities.

However, if our time with the Lord and His Word is hit and miss, our clay will be like soft play dough with dry spots--still able to be molded, but the possibilities are limited.

Finally, if our time spent with the Lord and His Word is no longer a priority in our life, our clay will be dry and crumbly--little can be done with it. And what makes dry and crumbly clay fit again for the Potter’s use? Water. The Living Water of the Word rehydrates our dry spots or dried out clay, so once again we are fit for the Master’s use.

May we fully abide in Jesus (John 15), and plant ourselves in the Living Water (Psalm 1:2-3) so we will not experience spiritual dryness and limit the exciting ways God wants to use us for His great purposes. I pray that we are so hydrated with the Living Water that our clay is so soft and pliable, that the ways He can use our life would be limitless!

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Last updated Friday April 3, 2020

Beating Discouragement in Unsettling Times

2020-03-27T04:00:00.002-04:00

When faced with a problem, no matter how big or small, my mind can easily be distracted by my troubling circumstances, causing me to forget God’s past faithfulness in my life and leaving me feeling discouraged.

At times, I’m like the Israelites who have witnessed God work in amazing ways in their life, yet panic when a problem arises (Exodus 16:3) simply because I’ve forgotten the awesome ways the Lord has worked out my past problems and that He will surely help me now. Maybe you can relate.

The good news is when we face trials, we can experience hope and peace instead of discouragement and fear, simply by remembering God’s past faithfulness in our life. When the Lord heaped up the Jordan River upstream so the Israelites could safely cross the river that had previously stood in their way (Joshua 3:15-17), a pile of stones from the riverbed were set up as a memorial—which are still there continuing to testify of God’s goodness even to this day (Joshua 4:9).

David Guzik explains, “We don’t remember the past great works of God so that we can live in a dreamland of the past, thinking that the best days of our Christian experience are behind us. We remember them as a point of faith, so we can trust God for greater and greater works in the future, because we have seen and experienced His past faithfulness.” That was the purpose of those stones in the Jordan River, and for any way we seek to remember God’s faithfulness in our life.

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As the national quarantine for the Corona Virus (Covid-19) continues, it's easy to get discouraged by the news. We may wonder, how much longer are we going to need to shelter in place? When is life and the world going to go back to normal? Though it's totally normal to wonder such things, we don't want to park our minds there. Why? Because those thoughts are focused on our discouraging circumstances, not on Jesus our Great Physician, our Redeemer, Our Savior who with Him all things are possible.

As we continue to shelter in place, why not ask God to reveal to you a practical way you can remember the good things He’s done and is doing in your life? Then do as the Lord leads. For me, writing down the neat ways the Lord provides for and blesses me is the most ideal way for me to remember His goodness. Then when I experience discouraging circumstances I can read, account after account, evidence of God’s faithfulness in my life. And when I do, I am reminded of His good works in my life I had long forgotten, and am encouraged to know that God will somehow deliver me from this trial, just as He has been faithful to deliver me from all my previous trials. (Psalm 34:17, 19)

After you start compiling examples of God's faithfulness in your life, just think what a blessing it will be to go into a trial equipped with a collection of reminders of God’s faithfulness in your life to encourage you and give you hope when you need it most. As your collection of examples of God’s faithfulness builds, you just might find that what normally would have discouraged you is now something that has you eagerly anticipating the good ways the Lord is going to provide and bless through your situation.

Let Your Mind Dwell On These Things

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. (Deuteronomy 4:9)

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago (Psalm 77:11)

I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. (Psalm 143:5)

To give you some encouraging words for your mind to dwell on as we wait out the Corona Virus, I made you a free Psalm 103:1-5 Scripture art printable, you can print out and post where it will encourage you most. If you know of others that would be blessed by this free printable, please share this post with them. Praying this article and printable bless you and encourage you in this unsettling time we're in. God bless you abundantly!

Get your free Psalm 103:1-5 Scripture art printable here!

Question for you: What is one thing you are praising God for today?

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Last updated Friday March 27, 2020

11 Ways God Takes Amazing Care of Us

2020-03-20T04:00:00.002-04:00

"Psalm 23 is the best loved of all the Psalms and it is the one least believed!"--Dr. Harry Ironside.

Here Ironside beautifully personalizes Psalm 23:

Since the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want...

...Rest – for He maketh me to lie down.

...Refreshment – for He leadeth me beside the still waters.

...Restoration – for He restoreth my soul.

...Guidance – for He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.

...Confidence – for I will fear no evil.

...Companionship – for Thou art with me.

...Comfort – for Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

...Provision – for Thou preparest a table.

...Joy- for My cup runneth over.

...Anything in this life – for goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

...Anything in eternity – for I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." 1

For more encouragement from Psalm 23, here are my all-time favorite books based on this Psalm. [This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on an affiliate link and purchase a product/ service, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. However, I only recommend products love and trust. Thank you!]

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23

As a shepherd, Phillip Keller shares his insights into the life and character of sheep---and of the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for them. This beloved classic will give new meaning to the ageless Shepherd Psalm, enriching your trust in and love for the Lord who watches closely over you.

For an extra special treat, if you enjoy audiobooks as much as I do, iTunes sells the unabridged audiobook of this book read straight by the author himself. It is an audio treasure worth every penny!

Quiet Confidence for a Woman's Heart

Bestselling author Elizabeth George shows women 12 truths that will help them in every season of life.

As readers discover how David, a man of faith and failure, overcame his challenges and built his trust in God, they will uncover strength for their own journey as they embrace promises of

    * provision for all that a woman needs
    * healing of brokenness and past wounds
    * comfort for the trials
    * protection for their physical and spiritual journey
    * guidance for decisions and choices

This gem is also available from iTunes as an audiobook.

I love audiobooks, and love that is book is also narrated by the author herself. Elizabeth George is one of my favorite non-fiction authors. She has done an amazing job covering Psalm 23 in this book. You will be blessed!

When my daughter was memorizing Psalm 23, in the second grade, for Awanas we quickly learned it by listening to this gorgeous song, Psalm 23, by Trevor Morgan.

Here is a YouTube video of Trevor Morgan singing Psalm 23

Until next time, "the LORDbless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”Numbers 6:24-26

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Last updated Friday March 20, 2020

The Benefits of Memorizing Bible Passages Over Individual Verses (and tips to make memorizing easier!)

2020-03-13T04:00:00.002-04:00

When think of all the useless trivia and movie quotes that I’ve memorized over the years, just by watching favorite movies and TV shows again and again, I’m humbled that sometimes I can quote more from a favorite movie than I can from a favorite book of the Bible. And how much more does the Bible deserve to be memorized?

While memorizing random Bible verses does have its value, I’ve made it my goal to memorize Scripture one chapter at a time-mostly Psalms and the book of Jonah.

When Scripture Memory Fellowship mentioned the challenge to memorize Jonah, I expected it to be a real challenge. I had been used to memorizing Psalms like Psalm 103 and Psalm 34. Both are wonderfully encouraging Psalms filled with various truths.

To my surprise, memorizing the book of Jonah felt easier to memorize and keep straight in my mind than those Psalms because it is telling a story with a simple timeline of events. Each chapter was like a mini-story in itself. So that really helped me to remember what comes next within the four chapters of Jonah. I had never memorized a Bible story, so it was a really fun Scripture memory project. It's made we want to memorize other Bible stories. If you've never memorized a story from Scripture that might be a fun place to start. Start with your favorite and go from there.

I had the pleasure of getting to hear Tom Meyer, the Bible Memory Man, recite the book of James while my family was vacationing in Lake Tahoe. Having memorized over twenty books of the Bible, he told me when it's his children's bedtime, for their bedtime stories, he will recite Bible stories from memory. He is truely inspiring!

My goal is to memorize other short books of the Bible to start and eventually memorize books with more verses. I don’t consider my memory exceptional by any means. Even so , because I desire to make time in God’s Word my highest priority, I can think of no better way to use my time (and mind) than memorizing God’s Word.

Though memorizing Scripture is always time well spent, whether random verses or complete passages, I want to tell you the benefits of memorizing a passage over individual verses.

1. As Janet Pope notes, “Instead of memorizing fragments of Scripture, you can memorize God’s whole truth fit together the way God intended.”

2. Memorizing an entire Psalm, chapter, or book of the Bible puts your verses allows you to memorize the context of your verses.

3. It’s easier to memorize several verses that go together, than random verses.

Psalm 23 is six verses. It is much easier to memorize these six verses than six random verses about the Lord being our shepherd.

If you have never memorized a passage of the Bible, I highly encourage it. Though it may feel overwhelming to memorize several verses rather than individual verses, just know whether you memorize a passage or individual verses both are done by memorizing one verse at a time. Ready to begin?

Here's an awesome YouTube video full of great tips to help make memorizing Scripture easier. Whether you are new to memorizing Scripture or not, this video is sure to bless! If you have any questions or comments for me, feel free to share in the comments. God bless you abundantly!

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Last updated Friday March 13, 2020

Overcoming Setbacks and an Overwhelming To Do List

2020-03-06T04:00:00.002-05:00

Have you noticed that today people are eating more on the go than ever before? No time for breakfast? There are breakfast bars for that. No time to pack a lunch? You can grab a quick bite at the nearest fast-food drive-thru. I find myself grabbing something quick to snack on while I run my errands if I have a lot to do. When I do eat on-the-go, I scarf it down--not giving much thought to what I'm eating so I don't weary with hunger before my errands are done.

There have been times in my life, when my feeding from the Word of God did not look much different. On especially busy days, I'd inhale my Bible reading for the day, because in the back of my mind I was thinking, "Oh Lord, I have so much to do today!" Though I desired to linger in His word, in no hurry to do anything else like Mary when she sat at the feet of Jesus and listened, because I had so much to do, I tended to have a Martha mindset, fixated on what needed to be done.

However, I realized nothing on my To Do List was more important than spending time in God's Word and prayer. I needed to overcome that Martha mindset that says, "I have so much to do today. I don't have the luxury of just sitting at Jesus' feet." (Luke 10:40) Just as Jesus said, "Martha, Martha. You are worried about many things, but only one thing is needed." (Luke 10:41) In the same way, the Lord pointed me to Luke 5:1-11, to show me that like Mary, if I made time with Him a priority, I would be blessed. (Luke 10:39, 42) Since studying this passage, the Lord has delivered me from that Martha mindset and showed that I can sit at His feet like Mary, and be at total peace despite what my "To-Do List" looks like that day. It is so freeing!

As you may recall in Luke 5, when Jesus is calling His chosen disciples, Jesus is standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (aka. The Sea of Galilee) when people start crowding all around Him wanting to hear Him teach. Nearby, commercial fishermen Peter and Andrew, are cleaning their nets in the water after having had worked hard all night long trying to catch fish, but to no avail. No doubt feelings of frustration and distress consumed them as they as they cleaned their nets and considered how they were ever going to recover from such a huge setback.

After all, their fishing wasn’t a mere hobby. It was how they made a living. As they mulled over their dilemma, Jesus approaches them and asks Peter to pull his fishing boat out so Jesus could teach from it. Any other day, loaning his boat to Jesus wouldn’t seem like such a sacrifice, but today it would be. Peter wasn’t simply loaning his boat to Jesus. He was loaning himself and his time to Jesus since Jesus has asked Peter to bring his boat out into the water and pull out a little from shore. (Luke 5:3)

Though Peter and Andrew graciously accommodated Jesus, I wonder if in the back of their mind, Peter and Andrew lamented, “Haven’t caught anything all night, we are so behind in our work!" Regardless, Peter and Andrew obeyed, esteeming time to serve Jesus and learn from Him greater than dealing with their overwhelming circumstances.

Jesus knew Peter needed his boat to fish and that His borrowing it probably set Peter and Andrew back in their work-- especially since they had nothing to show for their grueling all-nighter the night before. So after He had finished teaching, Jesus directs Peter, “Put out in deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) Not sure what to expect, Peter obeys because he knew obeying Jesus is always the right thing to do. (Always a good reason for doing anything God tells us to do in His Word.)

To Peter and Andrew’s great surprise, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break forcing them to call over their other fishing co-workers James and John to help, who were in another boat nearby. As it turns out, both boats were so full with fish that they started sinking! Despite this, with the Lord’s help they were able to make it safely to shore.

Look at how frustrating Peter and Andrew’s day, or night that is, was when it was spent apart from the Lord. Likewise, notice how incredibly blessed and successful their day was when they made time with Jesus their highest priority. Though they spent a good portion of the day with Jesus, their time with Jesus didn’t hold them back one bit from accomplishing the pressing task before them. Instead, what would have taken days to accomplish was made possible in a matter of minutes! (Luke 5:5-6)

Is there anything discouraging you today that is distracting you from spending quality time with Jesus? Be encouraged, Jesus will always make the time you spend with Him always worth your while! (Phil. 4:19) You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

So how do you make time with Jesus when you already have a busy day ahead of you? Here's how I When I wake up in the morning, I like to start my day in prayer, thanking God for the sleep I got, praising Him for His goodness and faithfulness, and covering my day and my loved ones in prayer. Then I love getting into the Word by listening to the NKJV dramatic audio Bible: The Word of Promise, as I get ready for the day. Then I like to write a Bible verse on a 3x5 card to carry with me through my day that I want to reflect on throughout my day. Right now I am reflecting on and working to memorize Jeremiah 17:5-8. I started reflecting on verse 5, thinking upon it, the message it's communicating, and then saying that one verse over and over throughout my day, until I can say the verse confidently without looking.

I also love listening to Bible teachings as I clean my house or run errands. These are just a few simple ways I've found to spend time with Jesus throughout my busy days. Regardless of what season of life your are in, I hope that little snapshot of what I do sparks some ideas that you can use in your own life. When we spend intentional time with Jesus, even in little pockets of time throughout our day, we are sure to leave strengthened and refreshed as we go about our day.

Question for you: How do you make time with Jesus a priority when you already have so much to do that day?

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Last updated Friday March 6, 2020

21 Incredible Blessings I Can’t Imagine My Life Without

2020-02-28T04:00:00.002-05:00

Since the day I put my faith in Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, He has blessed me immeasurably more than all I could think or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior too, here are twenty-one reasons you can both rest and rejoice.

If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, these are twenty-one reasons why accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior will be the best decision you’ll ever make.

I can testify that putting my faith in Jesus is hands down, the best decision I ever made! Here are just twenty-one reasons why. Feel free to print this list out and post where you can be daily reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God in your life.

1. God supplies all my needs

"My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

2. God causes all things in my life to work together for good

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

3. God promises me joy

Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing." Psalm 30:8

4. God treats me better than I deserve

"He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving kindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:10-12

5. God does not withhold any good thing from me

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Psalm 84:11

6. I am blameless in the sight of Christ

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

7. When I’m tempted, God gives me a way of escape

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Psalm 68:19 Printable from my Etsy Shop

8. The Lord is my Refuge and my Fortress

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!'" Psalm 91:1-2

9. When I’m faithless, God remains faithful

"If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

10. There is nothing I can’t do through Christ

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

11. In Christ, I am more than a conqueror

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37

12. God gives me rest and strength when I’m weary

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-29

"He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:29-31

13. My God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than all that I ask or imagine

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

14. God will deliver me from all my problems.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Psalm 34:19 Printable from my Etsy Shop

15. God pours out His grace in my life

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

16. God daily bears my burden

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation." Psalm 68:19

17. Nothing can separate me from the love of God

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

18. I never need to fear

"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

19. God is doing a good work in me

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6b

20. God keeps me safe

"The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever." Psalm 121:7-8

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?" Psalm 27:1

"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:24

'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.'" Isaiah 43:1b-2

21. God gives me great peace

"Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble." Psalm 119:165

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

I am so thankful for these twenty-one blessings , which are just the tip of the iceberg of incredible blessings that come from accepting Jesus' free gift of salvation and knowing Him.

Question for you: What blessings are you thankful for today?

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Last updated Friday February 28, 2020

Hope for When God Allows Hard Things In Your Life

2020-02-21T22:37:00.003-05:00

Why is God allowing this? Why hasn’t He delivered us from this yet? I’ve prayed and prayed. Whenever these questions fill my mind, I am comforted by the following truths:

God Ways are Higher Than My Ways

At times I think I know what’s best. If only God would do this and that everything would be perfect. But the truth is I don’t see things as God does. (1 Cor. 13:12) As I look at the circumstances before me, I see only one piece of the puzzle, while God see’s the whole. Just as I know what is best for my daughter, I know God knows what is best for me.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

I love this about God because it means He can work things to good in ways I could never dream of, and can make a way when none even exists!

God Does Not Withhold Good

Though trials are no fun, God is able to bring out incredible blessings from them, we never would have experienced had not God allowed us to go through that trial in the first place. Psalm 84:11, a verse I go to whenever I am feeling discouraged within a trial, promises:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

No good thing does God withhold from those who walk uprightly. If we are walking uprightly with the Lord, that is we are living in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, no good thing will He withhold from us. Some trials may lead us to believe differently, since we may not see anything good about the trial we're in.

As our Heavenly Father loves to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11; James 1:17), when we are living in a way that is pleasing to God, we can be certain God will not withhold any good thing from us. If it’s good, God will give it to us. If it’s not, He won’t.

Again, God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. He knows the outcome of something before it comes to pass. Though we may see being delivered from some trial as a good thing, only God knows when delivering us from a trial will be for our best good. God will not deliver us from a trial until He has wrung out every last drop of good that He has for us within that trial.

When no other good can come out of our trial, only then will God deliver us from a trial. To deliver us from a trial before that point, when God has more good within that trial he wants to give us, would be to withhold good from us, and that is contrary to who God is. As someone once said, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.”

God Is Working All Things To Good

Just as the Lord hems us in behind and before (Psalm 139:5) the Lord goes behind us and before us by first not withholding any good from us (Psalm 84:11) and then working all things in our life to good. (Romans 8:28) God is actively working every single circumstance in our life to our good and His glory. We can be confident that He who started the work will be faithful to complete it in us. (Philippians 1:6)

For me, this is why writing down the good things the Lord has done in my life, and is doing in my life is so important. When I am going through something that looks like no good whatsoever could come out of it, God miraculously draws out good. However, when I’m in the storm, it’s easy for me to be like Peter distracted by the wind and the waves surrounding me. (Matthew 14:29-31) This is when re-reading the ways the Lord has worked my past trials to good comes in handy.

If you don’t already keep a journal of the good things the Lord is doing in your life I highly recommend it. Not only will you have a blessed reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness in your life from past trials, when current trials leave you feeling discouraged, your journal will be a beautiful legacy of God's goodness in your life. This gratitude journal is great for recording the sweet blessings God has given you. This Gratitude Journal is perfect for recording those blessings in your life you don't want to forget.

God Will Deliver Me

One of my least favorite promises of Jesus is “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) However, I breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice that God also promises deliverance. And deliverance from what? Deliverance from my sins for sure. And I thank God for that. However, God’s delivering work in our life does not stop there. His deliverance covers us both now and for eternity. One of my favorite passages is Psalm 34:17-19. These three verses guarantee God’s deliverance for us from whatever we might face.

"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Not one trial you face, not one problem will you have to endure forever. (Psalm 54:7) Just like each food in your refrigerator comes with an expiration date, every single trial you face comes with definite end date. God will deliver you from each and every problem you face either on this side of heaven, or the other. Knowing every trial I face is temporary is so encouraging to me! Some trials may last days, weeks months or even years. But the sweet truth is that they all have a definite end date.

For these reasons, I can count it all joy when I face trials of various kinds. My suffering isn’t for nothing. God is working all of it to my good, and He doesn’t waste one bit of it. Considering all that God is doing in the midst of the trials, and all He promises to do, I may not know the answer to why is God allowing a trial But I do know what He is doing about it, and that brings me great comfort and joy!

I want to leave you with this song How Can I Keep From Singing by Chris Tomlin. No matter how discouraged I may feel at the time, this song always picks me up, drives away my discouragement, and gets me singing! Enjoy!

Question for you: Which of the verses above minister to you most in your life?

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Last updated Friday February 21, 2020

The Awesome Blessing of Being Hemmed in By God's Love

2020-02-13T14:47:00.003-05:00

You hem me in, behind and before… Psalm 139:5

What It Means To Be Hemmed In By God's Love

When God hem’s us in it is literally to be surrounded by the Lord, our fortress and our defense. Spurgeon explains, “As though we were caught in an ambush, or besieged by an army which has wholly beleaguered the city walls, we are surrounded by the Lord. God has set us where we be, and beset us wherever we be. Behind us there is God recording our sins, or in grace blotting out the remembrance of them; and before us there is God foreknowing all our deeds, and providing for all our wants.”

Photo Credit Sharon Hinck

One of my favorite Bible teachers, Brian Larson, declares, "Our lives are totally encompassed by God. He’s got you surrounded. There are no openings for anything to come through to you that is not a part of the ultimate purpose and will of God. This is what it means when God says He will keep you form all evil."

In my own life, I am so blessed when I consider how God has hemmed me, and every believer, in by His goodness. On one hand, we have the awesome promise of Psalm 84:11, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

No Good Thing (Psalm 84:11) printable from my Etsy Shop, Joyful Life Printables

On the other hand, God also promises in Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." So in God's goodness, we are always hemmed in by Love, for God is the very definition of love. (1 John 4:8)

God Works All Things To Good (Romans 8:28) Printable from my Etsy Shop, Joyful Life Printables

Share your thoughts: How does it make you feel knowing you are hemmed in by God's love?

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Last updated February 13, 2020