Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY THURSDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this gorgeous Friday eve. I'm doing well, but feeling exhausted, as I know many of you are. It's been a long week, but it's been a really good week. I'm grateful that the weather warmed up a bit, and indulged me. I wasn't quite ready for the cold temperatures already. I'm looking forward to the weekend. I don't have anything planned, so I'll get to sleep in, but I do want to get in the kitchen and try some new recipes. I wonder what they will be, but it has to be good. God has given us lots of natural ingredients that can work together to make something wonderful. Let me know if you want to be my taste taster, it'll be a lot of fun! Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day, go outside and take pleasure in the magnificent beauty of God, the clouds are moving out and the sun is moving in. Be blessed family!

Today's scriptures are about having our hearts fixed on God. The bible depicts countless stories about some brave people, some of which fought lions, and parted seas with a walking stick. Some were stoned to death, because of their love for God. Then there are accounts of people who were weak like Judas who betrayed Jesus. We don't have to face half of what was faced in the biblical days, yet we still stray, fret, and become weary in our Faith walk. In order to truly live a Righteous life, our hearts must be fixed on God. Let's examine the word "fixed". There are several different definitions, so I'll give you the first three:(1) Firmly in position; stationary. (2) Determined; established; set. (3) Not subject to change or variation; constant. James 1:5-8 says: 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. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Throughout this chapter James warns us about being "double-minded". He wrote to the church to help them deal with the practical aspects of the Christian faith, and to help remind them of what their everyday conduct should be. James' letters are still valid in today's society. Do you consider yourself brave? The book of Acts is a very interesting read, so take some and study it. It's sub-titled "The Acts of the Holy Spirit", and it follows the lives of the Jesus' disciples, mostly the journey of Peter and Paul. They were two very brave men. They came up against much adversity, but their hearts were always fixed on God. No matter how much they faced, they were still well loved, appreciated, and taken care of. God always supplied their every need, and all they had to do was stay "firmly positioned", and follow the will of God. They never feared death, beatings, or being imprisoned for what they believed in, because they knew their rewards where in Heaven. Humbleness starts when we truly surrender to God. When we allow Him to have total control and trust Him for everything, we're fixed. When we pray without ceasing we're fixed. When every step is taken with Him in mind, we're fixed. Being fixed on God will change our entire way of life, we'll have more peace, joy, and happiness, despite our earthly situations. We'll have more confidence to face the giants of life, and with that confidence we'll be more successful, because we aren't afraid to dream big. Frankly, with the blood of Jesus Christ, and a heart fixed on God, we shouldn't be afraid of anything. When we aren't fixed on God, we're in bondage, and when we finally fall back in line with Him we'll be able to stand firm on Faith. I've attached one of my favorite songs “Stand”, and part of the chorus is: Well, you just stand, When there's nothing left to do, You just stand, Watch the Lord see you through, Yes, after you've done all you can, You just stand. I love this song so much because I sometimes have a hard time letting go and letting God. Some of us go through life trying to take on the world alone, when all we need to do is stand still and wait on the Lord. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior then what is your heart fixed on? Who do you rely on? Where does your help come from? Jesus offers the answers to all of this and more. When you get tired of going through life alone, pray and ask for God's help, and fix your heart on Him. My favorite verse today is: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455127&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7533383

I love you!

Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY MONDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, excited about the sunshine, because the gray weekend was a bit much. It reminded me of when I lived in Portland, OR, it rained and was gray like that for at least 7 months straight. That was so hard for me to endure, because I'm a bit of a "flower child", I need sunlight to survive. They have beautiful summers in Portland, because of all the rain, everything is green and vibrant, and it’s awesome. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!

Today's scriptures are about having confidence in God's protection. There are so many things we have to face in this life, and leaning on God for strength to endure them is the only way to remain sane. I cringe when I think of how much we allow fear to control us. God promises to protect us from harm, and deliver us from evil, however we must trust in Him to do just that. When you think of stories like David and Goliath, or Daniel and the Lion's den, how can you doubt God's delivering power? We must be willing to go to war for the Kingdom of God, yet we must carry the protection of God through Faith. David was a lowly Shepherd of sheep, and when this giant Goliath threatened to destroy all of Israel, David volunteered to fight him, because he was confident in God’s strength. David told King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:32: "let no man's heart fail because of him, your servant will go and fight with this Philistine". Nobody, not even King Saul, believed that David could do this, but he allowed him to try. David went to battle this man with a slingshot and three stones, and everyone thought he was crazy. Even the Giant taunted him, and thought that this would be a fairly easy defeat. Here's the key to how David destroyed this virtually "un-destroyable" Giant: Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. ...That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." David didn't have any confidence in his own ability, nor did he boast about how strong and mighty he was, but He gave all the Honor and glory to God. He came to battle in the Name of the Lord, and that is the only way he was able to win. We face many Giants in life, and the one and only way to defeat them is by Faith in God. We face physical, mental, and spiritual obstacles everyday, and God is with us to help us along the way. It's time to stop running from the Giants of life, and step out on the promises of God. We have Jesus Christ in our hearts, so just imagine how much more powerful that makes us. When we're working for God, it's important not to back down from anything, especially if it questions our integrity and the Kingdom of God. Don't allow anyone to feed you lies about who you are in Christ. You're joint heir of the Kingdom, and He loves you no matter what. We're forgiven of all transgressions by the blood of Jesus, so let's start facing our fears with confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Fate lies in our Faith! If you don't know Jesus as Lord, or have strayed, that's okay. It’s written in Ezekiel 33:17-18: When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. I don't know anyone who hasn't been there at one time or another. God's protection is open to all of His children, but only if we ask for it. If you need help with prayer please let me know, we can help keep each other lifted, which in turn will help build our Faith. My favorite verse today is: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. (Jeremiah 17:7)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455124&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532591
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197

I love you!