Along with the gathering of family and friends around a bountiful table of food and conversation, many take this opportunity to remember their blessings. This short Thanksgiving devotional with Bible verses and tips for giving thanks this day and the year through is a good place to start.
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Psalm 91
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Have you ever questioned God’s faithfulness? Did you ever think that He has left you or forsaken you? These are questions we sometimes are uncomfortable voicing or admitting. As you contemplate your answer, think of times of disappointment, loneliness, grief or despair. This is when we are most vulnerable to the thought that God had forsaken us. God uses His Word and sometimes a person, a quote, a book or even a hymn to remind us that He is and will always be faithful to His children. One of these classic hymns is my focus on today’s post… Great is Thy Faithfulness.Continue Reading
It is Well
Centered in Prayer Quote from Anne Graham Lotz
Of the many things that come across my Facebook homepage, this one caught my attention. It came from Gateway Online Bible Studies. I signed up and really glad I did. It is an online study, free and short, just 6-sessions where Anne teaches how to pray powerfully and passionately. Each week she shares a video about the lesson. The series can be used in small group setting or done individually, which is what I do. The book and study guide can be purchased through the online site but I got mine from Amazon. There is a link below if you want to take a look.
Known to me only because of her dad, Billy Graham, I was not familiar with Anne. Viewing her videos and reading this book, I am impressed with the way she speaks with clarity and her knowledge of scripture.
Using the life of Daniel as an example, Anne covers the following topics.
- Preparing for Prayer
- Prompting in Prayer
- Pleading in Prayer
- Prevailing in Prayer
- Battling in Prayer.
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Bloom Where You Are Planted
A Post from John…
To me, this is a wonderful visual showing the goodness of God. His intentions are for us to not only be content wherever we find ourselves but also to help and encourage those around us. How do we find the desire, strength and ability to be a help to those we come in contact? How do we effectively encourage one another? The answers comes in the choice we make in the source of our ‘food and water’.
If we choose to ‘feed and drink’ on impurity, hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy… the ugly things people do in this world… we will produce ‘bad fruit’. But if we are ‘feeding and drinking’ on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we will produce ‘good fruit’.
So, BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED and with God’s help, choose to produce ‘good fruit’, that you may help and encourage those that come into your path where ever you live.
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Gosling Cuteness Overload
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God speaks to me in Springtime
What Will You Say When the Question Comes?
Thoughts of Good Friday are on my mind. Thoughts of the immensity of what the cross means and what it means for me. Thoughts of a love that goes far beyond my ability to grasp. But it is real.
In the words of an old hymn writer… What shall I do with Jesus? What shall my answer be? Question with question I answer, What will He do with me?
This hymn, written in the late 1800’s, caught my attention asking the question of utmost importance. A personal question. A question that can make us feel uncomfortable.
You have probably heard the Easter story. About forgiveness and redemption and that word no one likes to talk about, namely sin. It is a word that makes us want to walk away and think about other stuff. But sin is supremely important to God because it separates us and puts an impassable chasm between Himself and his beloved. Important enough to God that he provided a solution for it. A costly solution.
The Easter story tells of Jesus Christ’s journey to the cross, His glorious resurrection in triumphant over sin and death, His ascension into heaven where He reigns as our Lord and Savior. This gives us HOPE and JOY. We no longer have to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus paid it in full. We can be forgiven and accepted and forever enjoy fellowship with God through Jesus. That is what Jesus meant when He uttered His last Words, “It is finished”. That heavy burden of sin we carry is dropped from our shoulders. That is amazing grace.
I hope you, dear reader, will take a moment to listen to the beautiful video below, listen to the words and if you haven’t already, consider the question, “What will you do with Jesus?” Because, neutral you just can’t be.
What Will You Do With Jesus?
Excerpt from David T. Clydesdale’s “How Great Thou Art”
Jesus is standing there in Pilates’ hall; friendless, forsaken, He’s been betrayed
by all. Suddenly comes the fateful call, “What will you do with Jesus?”
Now Jesus stands alone on trial, ready to face the crowd. To walk His
destined mile. In your heart you’re hearing all the while, “What will
you do with Jesus?”
Chorus:
What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you just can’t be. Someday
your heart will be asking, “What will You do with me?”
Will you deny Him just like Peter’s done? Will you reject Him? He is the
living Son. What will you say when the question comes? What will
you do with Jesus?
What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you just can’t be. Someday
your heart will be asking, “What will He do with me?”
What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you just can’t be. Someday
your heart will be asking, “What will He do with me?”
What will he do with me?
Below are the words of the original hymn. They are similar to the words in the video and were probably the inspiration for it.
Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20
For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Trust His Heart
Babbie Mason with Eddie Carswell wrote “Trust His Heart”. In an interview, Mason said the song was influenced by a North Atlanta pastor who “became inspired by the words that Charles Haddon Spurgeon had coined in his writings, ‘God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too good to be unkind. And, when you can’t trace His hand, you can always trust His heart.’”
Similar quotes are found in The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar and The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible.
Spurgeon’s actual wording is found in his sermon “A Happy Christian”:
The worldling blesses God while he gives him plenty, but the Christian blesses him when he smites him: he believes him to be too wise to err and too good to be unkind; he trusts him where he cannot trace him, looks up to him in the darkest hour, and believes that all is well.source
Hard Work Brings a Profit
What Time Will then Remain
I think this is why I resonate with these words by RC Trench.
Irish Blessings
faith looks up
Lyrics
I tried to fit you in the walls inside my mind
I try to keep you safely in between the lines
I try to put you in the box that I’ve designed
I try to pull you down so we are eye to eye
When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you’re the one who holds it all
When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world
Just a whisper of your voice can tame the seas
So who am I to try to take the lead
Still I run ahead and think I’m strong enough
When you’re the one who made me from the dust
When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you’re the one who holds it all
When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world
Oh, you set it all in motion
Every single moment
You brought it all to me
And you’re holding on to me
When did I forget that you’ve always been the king of the world?
I try to take life back right out of the hands of the king of the world
How could I make you so small
When you’re the one who holds it all
When did I forget you’ve always been the king of the world
You will always be the king of the world