Tag: Devotionals

I AM!

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As I praised God a few days ago, I named many of His attributes and then His names, such as Jehovah Jireh, meaning the God who provides (the ram in the bush for Abraham; see Genesis 22:13-14.) With force the name I Am came to my mind. At that instant, I saw the power and the glory in that name. When God told Moses to tell the Israelites who sent him to bring them out of bondage to the Egyptians, He said to tell them I AM has sent you.

We need names for God and His character attributes to help us understand just Who He is and what He is like. Words like Father, Lord God Almighty and characteristics like holy and loving, righteous and forgiving. But God himself doesn’t need any modifiers. He is Who He is. I AM, the same yesterday, today and forever. He was before anything created and called all things into being. God will be after everything on this earth is gone.

We say I am and give our name, perhaps our occupation or define ourselves as parent, daughter or son. I’ve had the experience of learning there are many people named Sandra Meyer in the world with over 100 I counted on Facebook. A few years ago, I found 17 named Sandra Meyer in Texas when I got doctor bills from two different doctors, whom I’d also seen. Even though I get tired of having to give my birth date at the doctor’s or pharmacy, I also am no longer getting another Sandra Meyer’s bills. While I’m an individual and possess unique qualities and weaknesses, just like everyone else, my name is certainly not unique.

God’s name of I AM is unique, however. No one else exists like God. God is all-powerful, always present, and all-knowing. No one else can begin to claim those characteristics. Most people groups choose their god, but the Jewish people were chosen by their God, and from there comes Christianity because of Jesus Christ. He also chose you and me, as John 15:16 states, “You have not chosen me; but I have chosen you.” Most other religions base their ideas on someone who has died, but Christianity bases on Jesus Christ, the Son of God Almighty, who rose from the dead. We rejoice in what Jesus has done and continues to do for us, knowing that our spirits will continue to live eternally with I AM, even after our bodies die.

Do you know I AM? If not, you’re missing so much. He gave His precious Son’s life so that you might know Him intimately. That’s His greatest desire! He can change your life and make it immensely better. After I’d been searching for a closer walk with God as a Christian, He put a song in my heart when I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life as well as my Savior. I was baptized in the joy of the Holy Spirit and became much more aware of His guidance. I began to know my holy Father continually better until He became my Daddy-God, as I pictured myself being a little girl crawling up on His lap when I hurt and needed His soothing ways. Other times I see myself as Isaiah in the book of his name, chapter 6 or as gazing upon the I AM God in Revelation 4.

Wouldn’t you want to know the great I AM in a more intimate way? It’s so easy. Simply accept Jesus as the One who gave His life so all your wrong-doings can be forgiven and you’ll become a child of Holy God. Then study your Bible and pray whatever prayers the Holy Spirit gives you. Let God be your good, good Father with only love for you, no matter what!

Freedom in Christ

Occasionally I like to include posts from friends of mine, and this comes from Laura Shaffer who writes Daily Bible Prayer.  When I read it this morning, I wanted all my readers to see it too. Thank you, Laura.

“When my first son was small, I remember wanting to avoid having a child who yelled ‘no’ all the time, so I tried to avoid saying ‘no’ to him if I could. Eventually, I did end up having to say ‘no’ much more than I wanted. It was such a convenient way to help him understand what was allowable and what was not. Continue reading →

The Mockingbird’s Song

As I sat to eat breakfast I suddenly noticed I missed something – a sound that delighted me each morning – so I opened the window. Then I heard the beautiful strains of a mockingbird’s song. On and on he went brightening an already beautiful morning. Today, however, he perched further away than usual so I had to listen carefully or I’d miss him. When a loud car went down the street, it overshadowed his sweet melody. Continue reading →

Doubt or Confidence?

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A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course of victory,” said Arthur Golden. “I never seek to defeat the man I am fighting,” he explained. “I seek to defeat his confidence. A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory. Two men are equals – true equals – only when they both have equal confidence.” Continue reading →

Fathomless Love

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Fathomless love: Deeper than the deepest ocean. Higher than the sky. Can you understand it? Neither can I. More than a man loves his wife; more than a mother her child. They would give their lives for the other. More than that is the love of the Father above. Continue reading →

Enjoying God’s Presence

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My adult children live away from my home, so I only get to see them a few times a year, often only once or twice a year. That makes me totally look forward to each time, no matter what we do, or don’t do. Just sitting and talking is great. Being together is the best part of all; sometimes an activity adds to that enjoyment. Being together thrills my heart. Even though we talk on the phone weekly and enjoy that, being within touching distance beats a phone call every time. Continue reading →

The Three Chickadees

           As I watched my bird feeder at breakfast, I saw three chickadees trying to get some seed, which they were sure was inside the feeder. They went all around the tray on the outside but to no avail. Then two of them even pecked at the plastic sides of the feeder. They could see the seeds inside, but they would not come out. Why not? Continue reading →

Going Deeper in the River

If you had grown up in Galveston on the Gulf Coast like I did, you would have gone to the beach often as a child. We still live near Galveston and our grandchildren have enjoyed going to the beach and playing in the water. Often my husband and I simply drive there and watch families take their small children wading so that the water comes up only a little ways. Older children go in deeper, of course, and surfers like to go still further out to ride the waves into shore. Shrimp boats certainly aren’t within swimming distance but are easily visible, while the oil tankers and container ships are out very deep so they are barely seen on the horizon. I thought of this last week while I was reading in the book of Ezekiel. Continue reading →

How Does God See You?

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Your Father God sees you far differently than you may see yourself. Sometimes I’m my own worst critic; aren’t you? At least I used to be until I learned that no matter how I view myself, my Father dearly loves me. Then He gave me a love for myself that quit believing all the lies Satan would tell me. I now recognize when I do wrong and admit it, apologizing to whomever I have hurt. I ask my loving Father to forgive me and know He has wiped my slate clean; therefore, I don’t have to carry that guilt any longer. Continue reading →

The Luxury of Psalm 23

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As I sat simply enjoying the presence of the Lord, I felt wrapped in luxury as Psalm 23 came to mind. Repeating that beloved Psalm to myself, I quickly saw the reason it popped up. This word from our heavenly Father assures us of all we need at any time. Let me give you my short interpretation of its wealth of contentment. Twice I have written extensively about this Psalm, going phrase by phrase. One so beloved we continually return to, don’t we? (The endnotes contain Scriptures for my descriptions in the Psalm.) Continue reading →

Positive Thoughts for Hard Times

 

Thinking positively isn’t simply trying to fool yourself into believing good is coming instead of evil. Rather, it is a strategy for defeating Satan, who tries to get us to think the worst in every situation. He is the enemy of our souls – our minds, wills and emotions. The Bible tells us the devil comes only to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). Yet, so often we listen to his lies instead of believing the truth of God’s Word, which says our Father gives us good gifts (Matthew 7:11). James 1:17 even goes so far as to say that “every good and perfect gift” comes from Him. Continue reading →

Part 4: Pergamum

 

Revelation 2:12-17: “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live — where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city — where Satan lives.

          14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who ta”ught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

          17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. Continue reading →

Making Something out of Nothing

Sound impossible? It is for us but not for God because Luke 1:37 tells us, “Nothing is impossible with God.” The context is important: An angel has just announced to Mary, a virgin, that she will have a son; furthermore, her older relative Elizabeth, who was considered barren, is in her sixth month of pregnancy. Then the angel pronounces Nothing is impossible with God.

Continue reading →

Meditations

Since the 1970’s I’ve been writing Christian poems and meditations and currently email them about weekly to almost 200 people. That’s partly why I decided to write a blog, so others can see them who don’t have my email address. I also usually post them on my Facebook page. I can’t explain how rewarding it is when someone writes me that what God has led me to write was exactly what they needed for the day they saw it. One person was even a few days late checking her email, but the message was there the very day she needed it. What a mighty God we have who knows our needs so specifically and meets them over the internet!

In this section you will find devotionals about many topics, as the Holy Spirit gives me ideas from the Bible but also from nature and different life experiences, some of which are very unexpected. My husband and I drove to the Texas City Dike and God used a tug boat and an oil tanker as inspiration. Who would think God would provide an essay on prayer by letting a dirt dauber come through a crack in our screen into our dinette?

Many meditations are simply in the miscellaneous category, but others fall cover different holidays. Letters to the seven churches in Revelation form another category and a set still to be added discuss all the different phrases in Psalm 23.

I pray you will scroll through the different series and find the ones that most encourage you.