Tag: God’s Love

Fully Awake

On earth, I moved and lived. I laughed till I cried and sobbed my heart out. I loved till I didn’t think I could love any more, and then was wonderfully loved, more than I could have imagined. I felt strong, able and confident; then I got old, weak and full of pain. On the  whole I’ve had a pleasant and comfortable life, knowing the presence of God since I was a small child.

Then I “died.” When people thought my life had ended, it had only begun! Now I was fully awake, more aware of myself and my surroundings than I had ever been on earth.

Now in heaven, I saw Jesus face to face and fell down and worshipped at my Father’s feet. Surrounded by mighty angels, I hardly noticed them; so insignificant were they compared to the luminous glory of God and His Beloved Son.

I suddenly knew the meaning of love, joy, peace and contentment. I was more alive than I’d ever been on earth! Now I learned the full meaning of being awake and aware. Enjoy the pleasantness of life on earth. Love and serve God and others to the best of your ability. Then look forward to that day in heaven. That day you become fully awake.

Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I am awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. (Psalm 17:15 NLT)

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Dedicated to Rose Ann Meyer and Marvin Tucker, our children-in-law, who became “fully awake” this summer.

The Waters

When the waters pass over your head,
Stand thou still.
This thing is allowed of Me;
It is within my control.

Running will not help;
Fighting will get you down.
Only by standing still,
Can you win the victor’s crown.

When the waters pass over your head,
Simply be still and rest;
Relax in my strength alone;
I will bring you through the test.

No matter how deep the waters appear,
The way up ahead is clear.
Simply standing, resting
Will bring you through this testing.

These Scriptures speak of Israel but we can take them as God’s promises for all God’s people today in the midst of the Covid 19 lockdown, job loss and national economic collapse. This poem is based on Isaiah 43:2 but the other verses also apply.

Isaiah 43:1-3 (all verses from NKJV):
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 30:15, 18-21:
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not. 18 And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. 20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers.21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

Jeremiah 29:11-14a
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity.

The Many Blessings of Knowing Jesus

Let us pray: Father, I ask that as we’re in this sacred time of Passover and Resurrection Sunday, enable us to understand in a new way just what it is that Jesus did for us by becoming our Lamb and the blood on our hearts’ doors. As the lamb’s blood saved the first-born of the Jews and delivered them from slavery and death, help us realize more deeply how Jesus’ holy blood delivers us from the slavery of sin and spiritual death.

We thank You Holy God for doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. We acknowledge that on our own we’re unworthy of your goodness; yet made worthy because of your deep love for us and Jesus monumental sacrifice. We become presentable to You as we acknowledge and receive that holy ransom for ourselves.

As You etch all the wonder of this sacred time on our hearts, enable us to not only understand more deeply but to shine the light of that tremendous blessing to others who still live in the slavery of sin and the bondage of eternal death. We come boldly before your throne and ask this because Jesus’ precious blood gives us this privilege. Thank You Holy God, that Jesus empowers us to come to you in his eternal Name. Amen.

Remembering Jesus’ Sufferings

very time I take the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, I stop and think a few moments about what Jesus Christ, Son of God, sacrificed so that I might know Him. I remember his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and I think about the scourging and how agonizing that felt on his naked back as repeatedly flesh was torn from bone. I reflect on how Jesus shed his blood for me until none was left. Considering that nothing had ever separated Jesus from his Father since eternity began, I know I can’t imagine the horror of taking my sin upon Himself so that they were divided for a time. Probably that was the worst of Jesus’ agony.

Then I thank my Lord Jesus. And my Father, God Almighty, that they were willing to suffer all this for me. What a tremendous debt I owe, one I can never pay no matter what I do or how I try to serve. So, with a grateful heart of love, I again say Thank You.

Consider with me a moment the things Jesus endured. In the Garden even his disciples couldn’t stay awake to pray with Him. Think of how comforting it is to have a loved one with us when we’re grieving, but his closest friends couldn’t stay awake to pray. Jesus’ prayers to be spared the horrors of the cross were agonizing, causing Him to sweat drops of blood.  Reading the Scriptures of those prayers breaks my heart. Knowing what the near future held, Jesus so wanted to avoid the unimaginable torment He would endure, yet He wanted more to follow his Father’s will and surrendered to it.

After his arrest, the soldiers pulled out his beard, mocked and spit on him, putting a crown of thorns on his head. Finally, they scourged Jesus with a whip braided with pieces of iron so that it efficiently pulled the skin from the bones. That continued 39 times because more would kill a person, and many died before reaching that number.

After all this Jesus carried the armpiece of the cross on that broken back until He could no longer, and another had to carry it. As crude nails hammered into his wrist and feet, pain must have been unbearable, yet Jesus didn’t cry out or curse his torturers. Hanging on a cross would eventually suffocate a person, so they naturally used their feet to try to lift themselves up to catch a breath, all the time rubbing that bruised and opened flesh against the splintering upright log of the cross. Arms also rubbed against the splinters in the armpiece, causing even more pain. Yet most people took a couple of days to die, which is why soldiers broke the legs of prisoners, so that they couldn’t lift themselves up to breathe any more. The Son of God did not have his legs broken because He had already accomplished his task of paying for the sin of all people of all time, including you and me. But the soldier had to get his revenge and put his sword into Jesus’ side. That’s when he realized Who was on that cross.

Do you wonder why I thank Jesus and Father God when I take the Communion? How could I not?

How Did I Come to Know Jesus?

I grew up in church so heard about Jesus all my life at church as well as at home. One Easter Sunday the preacher talked about the two thieves who died beside Jesus, and even though I was a child, I understood that I had committed things against God too. I hadn’t known Jesus as my Savior but did that morning. I felt a joy in my heart that I hadn’t known previously, and Jesus became a Reality to me. I knew that whenever I died, I’d go to heaven and spend eternity there, seeing Jesus and Father God face to face.

I could pray and believe God would answer my prayers, growing very close to the Lord. Later I lost that closeness and although I continued going to church, I didn’t pray or read my Bible very much – until I got so hungry for more of God and searched for Him. Then I surrendered my will and asked Jesus to once again be my Lord as well as my Savior. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, which is different from being sealed with the Spirit when I first accepted Jesus. I felt a joy unlike anything I’d ever previously known, like I was walking on a cloud. One morning when I woke our children to get ready for school, one of our daughters said to me, “How can you be so happy so early in the morning?” I told her, “How could I not be, after spending an hour with God?”

The Many Blessings

While the Bible promises enough benefits of knowing Jesus to fill a book, I’m only including a few here. In John 16:7, 13-15 Jesus promises that when He goes away (when He ascends to heaven), he will send Someone else, calling Him the Comforter, the Helper, the Spirit of truth. He will guide us and tell us things to come. The Spirit won’t speak on his own authority but only what He hears, always glorifying Jesus, who then glorifies the Father. In other parts of the New Testament we learn much more about the working of the Holy Spirit and all the benefits He brings to believers.

The first blessing I noticed immediately after this infilling was not being lonely when I was by myself and our home no longer needed music or TV until my family returned. I was shy and didn’t have many friends. We’d moved often, and I wasn’t sure how to make small talk with people I didn’t know well. Therefore, I watched soap operas because they went wherever we did. I was addicted to them. The first three days after I was baptized with the Spirit different things caused me to be gone during the time my favorite shows were on TV. On the fourth day I was home and didn’t even think about the shows when it was time. I was too busy singing. Jesus had immediately taken away my need for relationship with people other than my family; my addiction. I’m not saying this would happen always, just that I’m thankful it happened to me.

A great blessing from Jesus is the peace He gives. No longer did I struggle and feel restless, not knowing exactly what was wrong. That’s what I’d felt, plus an unhappiness I couldn’t explain. Now I had an inner serenity or well-being that had been missing. I’d been miserable because Jesus was no longer my Lord, and the Holy Spirit used that to draw me back to Him. I understood in a new way that my sins were forgiven so I didn’t have that guilt hanging over my head, beating me up about something I’m powerless to change. I felt at rest; my soul was calm as well as my spirit. Now whenever I’m missing this peace and calm, I run to my Father and ask Him to show me the problem.

A deep love fills believers with knowing we’re worthwhile, not because of who we are or what we’ve done but simply because we were worth so much to our Father that Jesus died for us so that we can be God’s child forever. Think of that! If I’d been the only person in the world, Jesus still would have suffered and died for me. That’s amazing! The same is true for you!

The next difference I noticed was a prayer language that wasn’t in English; indeed, my spirit communicated with the Holy Spirit, bypassing my human mind. He gave me ideas for prayer that I’d never have considered. I knew people I’d never met needed food or Bibles, for instance, and prayed for them. He brought prayers to mind of people I knew, though I didn’t know why they needed prayer. One friend came to mind several times and each time I talked with her soon afterward; she or her family needed prayer about a specific problem. Afterwards whenever someone’s name came to mind, I’d stop and pray for them, knowing there was a need. Without knowing what that need was, I prayed in my prayer language because it was given by God for such times (see Romans 8:26-27).

Sometimes when I’m praying by myself or with a group about a subject, I’ll ask something that seems off the central focus that others are praying, but I’ve learned that it’s needed even if I don’t understand all the details. It used to embarrass me when I was with others and this happened because they’d been praying about a certain part of the subject, and I’d interject something from a different angle. But I learned that’s what the Holy Spirit led me to pray so it was ok, nothing so off the wall at all.

Found in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, the gifts of the Spirit become available to us. God gives these so that we can fulfill the purpose He planned for us before we were ever born. These gifts aren’t meant so we gain a name for ourselves; indeed, I think the people who are most gifted must be very humble people, or at least started out that way. We can’t set a goal of obtaining a spiritual gift and we don’t get to choose which gift we desire. However, we should learn to mature in the use of the gifts. We start as children and make mistakes along the way, but with practice we grow in the use and it blesses others more as we grow.

Talents and spiritual gifts can be related but are not the same thing. Talents are natural abilities we’re born with, which also must grow. Anyone can have them, but they usually follow in a family line. Spiritual gifts are only had by people who allow the Holy Spirit to lead their lives and are given by the Spirit of God, as He desires.

Believers also receive the Fruit of the Spirit. Found in Galatians 5:22-23, these are love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The verse goes on to say that there’s no law against these. Indeed, we can’t imagine people complaining when we demonstrate the fruit, especially towards them. However, we also must grow in living steadily in the fruit through our daily lives.

Another blessing of Jesus is sometimes just saying or emailing exactly what another person needs to hear. We don’t plan anything in particular; it just comes out and is the perfect encouragement or advice. Our Father knows what they need even when we don’t, but He’s glad to use us to bless others. And it’s a great blessing to us when they say, “That’s just what I needed today.” It gives us reassurance that we did hear Him correctly.

I write a blog (dailyGod.net) and it’s another place the Holy Spirit gives me ideas of what to say. I start writing and it simply flows, but if I suddenly find difficulty, I stop and don’t try to force myself to find words. I realize either I’ve misunderstood or it’s not the correct time to finish that piece. I have an internet friend who daily blogs prayers based on Bible verses. She told me she’s a scribe because she doesn’t have to sit and research what she writes: she reads the Bible in her customary order and God gives her the prayer to go with it. That’s the way I write. I don’t sit with an outline and follow all the rules for filling out the details, although I do start with a subject in mind. But even the direction of that may get changed mid-course; I simply write as I believe God leads me.

God speaks to us. He has many ways of doing this and knows exactly how to let us know what He desires. Often it’s through Scripture, but it may be through music or a sermon; sometimes friends say a word or nature gives us God’s thought for that day. My blog contains a section I call “Nature-inspired Thoughts” with many posts that nature stimulated. Occasionally, we’ll simply know we’re supposed to do something, and it settles deep in our heart. If we’re listening, we’ll know when God communicates.

More Blessings

 What are other blessings of being a child of God? John, the beloved disciple, tells us many of these blessings in the three letters he writes the churches. 1 John 1:9 tells us about confession.  We confess our sins when we first believe in Christ, but we do sin afterwards and sometimes unknowingly. For instance, we may hurt a person’s feelings by saying something and not realize that we’ve offended them. Sometimes we do something that doesn’t please God; although the action itself isn’t bad, He has a better purpose for us. 1 John 1:9 tells us that when we confess what we’ve done wrong that God will even forgive us those things we don’t realize.

God perfects his love in us (1 John 2:5). He first teaches us to love and forgive ourselves so that we’re able to love and forgive others. We’re told to love our neighbor as ourselves; but if we don’t love ourselves, that’s impossible. This love doesn’t make us feel more important than others; it gives us an appreciation of who God created us to be. We realize we’re not perfect but also not condemned because of that. When I as an adult made Jesus my Lord and not simply my Savior, I repeatedly berated myself for the years I’d not been the person God called me to be. One day Holy Spirit said to me, “If God forgives you, are you better than He is that you can’t forgive yourself?” That made me realize I’d been putting myself higher than God by not forgiving myself when I knew He had forgiven me. I immediately forgave myself and learned to love myself in the way God intended.

God’s perfecting his love in us often causes pain because the way He accomplishes this is when we need to love someone who is difficult to love, and we’ve all known those people. The reason it’s difficult is because they have hurt us, and we must forgive them, even if we choose not to be around them. Those memories return so we forgive them again each time we remember, until we’re finally able to allow the Lord to take that pain from our hearts.

True forgiveness towards another demonstrates God’s forgiveness of us, blessing us as we learn it. Years ago, I was hurt by a friend, and each time I thought of what she’d done, I mentally saw a billboard with her name on it. Finally, I asked the Lord to help me to forgive, and I then imagined her face and saw her as the usually kind person she was. Another time someone else hurt me repeatedly and the pain went much deeper. I prayed about forgiving this person because about the time I’d think I’d forgiven them, something else happened to reopen that wound. Holy Spirit reminded me of Romans 8:5 (NLT)  God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  When I realized the significance of that single verse, I knew I had to forgive this person because they had not hurt me as deeply as I’d hurt God before I became a Christ-follower, even though I didn’t realize at the time what I was doing.

The Bible tells us to test the spirits to see if something is really from God (1 John 4:1). For years people have gone to fortune tellers or read horoscopes. These are not from God and if we know the Word, we don’t need to ask. But often things aren’t so obvious. Someone on TV may say something and claim it comes from God, but it doesn’t sound like that to us. We “test” the spirit behind that by asking, “Does it conform to the Bible? Does it deny either Jesus’ humanity or his holiness?” If it doesn’t meet these tests, then it’s not from God.

We need wisdom and discernment, so James 1:5 tells us to ask God without doubting and He will give us the knowledge we need. This means if we’re wondering if the person we want to marry is the right one, we can ask. If we’re looking at a new job, a move to a new city or whatever else we need, we can expect our Father to give us the wisdom about whether this is the best thing for us. Because of his great love, He will always guide us to the best for his future purpose in our lives.

Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing we’ll ever need. What a great benefit this is! And chapter 2, verse 6 reminds us that God raised us from the dead when He raised Jesus, and we now spiritually sit in heavenly realms because that’s where Christ sits, and we’re united with Him.

Another great benefit of knowing Jesus is that we may boldly approach the throne of God, the Lord Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Hebrews 4:16 tells us this so that we can receive the grace and mercy we need. We go humbly, never demanding, but we also go confidently because God looks at us through the blood of Jesus and loves us mightily.

Although it would probably take a book to list all the goodness we receive when we know Jesus, the last one I’d like to mention is healing. We are assured of this in several places in the Bible, so I’ll only mention two, and both are connected directly with our forgiveness of sin. I confess I don’t understand why we don’t see this more often. I’ve prayed for healing and others have prayed for me, but still I’m not healed. That doesn’t keep me from believing the Word of God, however. Because the Word connects forgiveness and healing, I know I’m forgiven; therefore, I know I’m healed and simply waiting for the manifestation of it.   A New Testament scripture is 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV): [Jesus] who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed. As far as God is concerned, we were healed at the same time we were forgiven when Jesus died on the cross!

The Old Testament tells the same message in Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV): Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless His holy name! (2) Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities [sins] and heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction. Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfied your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Let us open our hearts and our minds to receive all that Jesus sacrificed so much to give us. During this Passover, let us pass over from old ways of thinking and enter new realms of realization about our blessings from Jesus. This Resurrection Sunday let us resurrect into living on a higher spiritual plane.

 

 

 

Verses of Cheer

During this Covid-19 pandemic when many of us are staying inside, we tend to get lonely and restless. The news shouts so much negative and rarely tells us how many people have recovered from the virus or other heroic stories. Especially people who live along or don’t communicate via the internet or suffer from other diseases may feel overwhelmed with all the bad news.

A couple of months ago an old health issue returned unexpectedly, and I suddenly focused on the problem, not on my blessings. I realized where that would lead, so I compiled this group of verses. They’re in no particular order, but I did select from several different translations to see which version spoke clearly to my heart. Today in the midst of the chaos, confusion and unexpected nature of the pandemic, perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed. That’s why I’m sharing these verses to lift up our spirits and lighten our hearts. I pray they will bless you as they continue to bless me.

 Everything seems to go wrong when you feel weak and depressed. But when you choose to be cheerful, every day will bring you more and more joy and fullness. Proverbs 15:15 TPT

Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden day by day, The God who is our salvation! Selah. Ps 68.19 AMP

What a glorious God! He gives us salvation over and over, then daily he carries our burdens! Pause in his presence.                Psalm 68:19 TPT

A cheerful heart puts a smile on your face, but a broken heart leads to depression. Proverbs 15:13 TPT

Eyes that focus on what is beautiful bring joy to the heart, and hearing a good report refreshes and strengthens the inner being. Proverbs 15:30 TPT

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22 NLT

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. Proverbs 15:30 NLT

A joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit. Proverbs 15:13 CSB

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. Proverbs 15:13 ESV
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TPT: The Passion Translation
AMP: Amplified Version
NLT: New Living Translation
CSB: Christian Standard Bible
ESV: English Standard Version

When We Meet Fog

The weather gave me more understanding of my morning Bible reading from Mark, chapter 8. In verses 1-10 Jesus fed the four thousand with seven small loaves of bread and a few fish. Leftovers could feed another crowd. Slightly later when Jesus and the disciples got into a boat to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the men discussed their forgetfulness in bringing food with them. Probably most of us would have called them stupid at that point unless we were also complaining about not having any bread.

Possibly an hour or two beforehand Jesus had multiplied a meager amount of food so that it feed a throng of people. Why didn’t the disciples remember that and consider that He would also multiply their one loaf? What made them so thick-headed?

Further down the chapter in verses 27-30 Jesus asked the disciples to tell Him who people said that He is. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the longed-for Jewish Messiah. But when Jesus tells his men that He will be put to death and rise again, Peter once more speaks up and said No, that can’t happen. However, Jesus reprimanded Peter telling him that thought wasn’t from God.

Not long afterward I sat at our breakfast table eating and looking at the fog making the home across the street slightly blurry from our window. Only when I drove to church with about one-half mile visibility did I realize that the disciples saw Jesus through fog. Their minds weren’t yet understanding that Messiah could do anything, even though they’d seen miracles of healing as well as the feedings. In the same way, when Peter proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ, his mind couldn’t grasp the fact that He had to die.

Driving down the state highway to my church this morning I drove in the inside lane to be sure I didn’t come suddenly upon some of the bikers who use the early-morning emptiness of the road as practice lanes. I didn’t want the fog to obscure my vision. In daily life, however, we often run into spiritual fog, just as the first disciples did.

Isaiah 55:9 states that God’s ways and thoughts are tremendously higher than ours, just as the heavens are far higher above the earth. In other words, often we can’t understand our loving Father’s actions or even the way He’s thinking about us because they’re so profound. The spiritual fog keeps us from seeing and understanding our circumstances from His viewpoint.

The next time something in my life doesn’t go the way I think it should, I’ll remember that my Father loves me so very much that He sent His only Son to die for me so I can become His child. God has promised never to leave me or to forsake me, so therefore I can trust His love even when I can’t understand the reasons behind it. I’ll remember that from time to time I meet spiritual fog.

Resting in His Arms

Where do I go when my world just crashed in upon me? Who can help me? Confusion, doubt, fear, dismay, depression all crowd in upon me. How can I escape? The cause of this terrible state varies from person to person, whether loss of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of health or loss of confidence in a trusted one or yourself. The joy of life disappeared; only stress remains.

At such times, I must ask myself: How much do I care where I am? Do I care enough to use all my energy to push myself out of this place? Do I even have that much energy? How long will I be content to wallow in not only self-pity but helplessness? Do I have the courage and strength to seek a means of escape?

Perhaps I’m not sitting as a recluse from the world; perhaps I’m doing the normal things of life that must be done. But I’ve lost interest in them. My heart hides behind a closed door.

I can choose escapism though many means – denial, alcoholism or less harmful devices. When I really want to escape, I watch HGTV or Hallmark movies. Yes, the shows vary little from each other, but they’re lighthearted and take my mind off whatever I’m trying to avoid.

However, I know a far better escape. If someone doesn’t know Jesus as their Savior, they may think my hiding place sounds like a cliché but I can find help, comfort and hope in this special environment. A child of God Almighty can run to Daddy-God and find soul-rest in His strong arms. I find a quiet place and play some calming worshipful music. I imagine myself as a small child when I’d bump my knee or have some other problem. I run to my daddy and crawl up in his lap. He’d wrap his strong arms of love around me, and I felt safe and secure. Somehow the pain of the bump disappeared in those arms.

In the same way, when I need a secure place of retreat from whatever disturbs me, I run to my Daddy-God – because He loves us better than any earthly father – and feel His strong arms of love wrapped snugly around me. My Father gives me not only a place of escape, He provides comfort, hope and strength to fight whatever battle I’m facing. He gives me confidence that I can be victorious over my circumstance because He works in it. God Almighty loves me enough to send helpers I need, whether it’s a word of encouragement or physical help.

When I escape to this secure rest, I find peace, not simply escapism like with watching TV. Rather, I find confidence for the future as well as the answers to questions I must face. My emotions calm and I begin to think about possibilities instead of the negatives of my situation. I feel a resurgence of energy and strength. I begin to look ahead and am unstuck from my present circumstances. My Daddy-God does all this when I rest in His strong arms of love.

  • Terry MacAlmon’s song In My Father’s Arms inspired this devotional.

The Sunflower

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A man once told my friend, “You’re like a sunflower in a snowstorm.” I thought, “What a compliment!” Later, I started considering this simile. Who’d ever consider seeing a sunflower blooming during a snowstorm? When we lived in Kentucky, snow fell on some blooming crocuses I had. While crocuses bloom in early spring, sunflowers only bloom in the heat, so how could you see one in mid-winter, when you’d expect a snowstorm?

As I pondered more the man’s statement, I considered attributes of my friend. Above all, she was kind to people and refused to get angry when circumstances didn’t work out in her favor. She didn’t try to be the star in the room or expect people to cater to her.

I thought of that statement today in connection with Isaiah 60:1 (New King James) Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

Why should only my friend be told she’s like a sunflower in a snowstorm? If we’re God’s child, shouldn’t we all be that way? Isaiah says we need to shine in a dark world (see verse 2) because the Light already appeared to us. In that way, God’s glory shines upon us. Yes, the world needs believers to reflect the Light of Christ that we already know and to shine through whatever snowstorm or darkness of circumstances we face.

The Assurance of His Love

My husband and I married almost 60 years ago. The assurance of each other’s love kept us together all these years, even when we were selfish about something. God definitely played a big part in this, especially in areas where we disagreed. We both continued faithful to our marriage, no matter what happened. Even when control seemed to rule in my husband’s thoughts, I never doubted his love for me.

In the same way, I’m assured of my heavenly Father’s love for me. Even when I don’t understand his ways with me and with others, I never doubt his love for any of us. Prayers that remain unanswered don’t cause me uncertainty of that care. You might ask, “How can I be so sure?” Just like with my husband’s love, that assurance of God’s love remains deep in my heart. I know that I know both their love, and I never doubt their faithfulness to me.

John 3:16 (Amplified) speaks about that love: For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish but have eternal life.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (Amplified) states: But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect you and guard you from the evil one.

Would you give you only child to save someone who committed evil acts? Most likely not and neither would I! While many go to war to protect their country, what God did sealed us from hell’s fiery torment, if we only believe in Jesus. Simply believing Jesus lived a good life on this earth at one point carries no weight with God. Certainly, the devil knows that also.

Awareness of going our own way instead of God’s and trusting that Jesus’ death on the cross exempts us from living a life totally and eternally separated from God. Then we make Jesus our Savior but our Lord as well, doing as He wants instead of going our way.

My prayer for you today is that you’ll be totally assured of your Father’s love.

Rest Your Mind

A while back as I was resting from my work for a few minutes, my compassionate Daddy-God spoke to me. When follow what He said, I’m amazed at the difference His loving words make in my body. Today I want to share that with you.

“My child, you sit to rest before continuing your work, but you mind fills with time slots for today, next week, next month. This tenses year body so that you cannot rest.

“Learn to give all your concerns to me. Relax into my peace. Feel the lessening of stress throughout your body. Think only of today. Yes, mark your calendar but don’t mentally do the work today. From time to time during your day, bring your mind back to this place of peace. You’ll find you’re not so tired and get more done.

“I tell you this because I love you and want the best for you.”

 

“I Just Want to Hear Your Voice”

Usually I talk weekly with our children, three of whom live a distance away. Loss of kidney function hit our older son last year, making me to want news more than ever. Recently his wife and I had talked about the ups and downs with their lives every week, but I hadn’t talked with our son in two or three weeks.

I called one night and talked with her but then wanted to talk with him, so she checked but he was already asleep. I called the next day, which was Saturday, and we did have a good conversation. You must understand he works hard at a full-time job and has anemia besides the kidney loss. He must start setting up dialysis equipment by 7:30 at night so he’s on dialysis by 8:00 in order to be finished in time to get up early the next morning and go to work.

While I’d talked with his wife regularly and had knowledge about them, I suddenly had a yearning to simply hear his sweet voice. Of course, when I mentioned this to him, he made a joke about his voice being sweet. Possibly no one else thinks his voice is sweet; that’s a mother’s or wife’s interpretation.

Since this happened recently, my mind drifted to it during my worship time. That’s when God spoke to my heart and said, “I just want to hear your voice.” My loving Father hungers for more time of intimacy with me. God feels that way about all of us! He knows all the facts about our lives but loves us so much that He aches to hear our voices more all the time. Especially during a time of trouble or struggle. My friend, is your loving Daddy-God saying that He yearns to hear your voice?

At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart. (Psalm 5:3, Passion Translation.)

I am passionately in love with God because he listens to me. He hears my prayers and answers them. As  long as I live, I’ll keep praying to him, for he stoops down to listen to my heart’s cry. (Psalm 116:1-2)

 

 

 

Do I Fit the Ephesian’s Pattern?

Paul stayed with the church in Ephesus for three years, teaching them all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, during a time when most believers only had an apostle or disciple come to teach the way of salvation for weeks or a few months at most. History says that John the beloved disciple stayed at Ephesus for an equally long time. What a privilege! To have two outstanding apostles teaching and preaching for several years, one would think that later the Ephesian church would be a shining example to all others.

Unfortunately, that did not happen. In Acts 20:29-30 (see verses 18-38 for context) Paul warns the leaders of this church about those who would come in to lead the believers away from God. We read in Revelation 2:1-7 the history of the Ephesian church, not that many years after John was there. Christ commends the church for their hard work, patient endurance and not tolerating those who are evil. Then He said, “You don’t love me or each other as you did at first” (verse 4, New Living Translation). Then Christ warns them to turn back and love Him wholeheartedly.

How many of us are in this same position? We’ve had good biblical teaching but suddenly we find ourselves too busy with matters of everyday life? Possibly soon after our salvation, we were excited to share the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness. Possibly we poured over the Bible, eager to learn more; joy filled our heart. Now all that has somehow leaked out and we still go to church, but it’s not as life-giving as it once was. If this fits our situation, be encouraged because our Father always gives us another opportunity to return to loving Him with our whole being. When we determine to turn back to our first love for Christ, we’ll find more blessings than we can imagine.

Order or Chaos?

As I stopped at an intersection of two highways on my way home from church one Sunday, I noticed that cars from two other directions were also stopped. This light took a long time to change because of its location, and we all sat, waiting. No one moved and I thought how senseless that was: that several cars sat stopped and no one could move. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of pictures I’d seen on TV of traffic in third world countries where everyone went all the time, cars bumper to bumper. How could you ever turn left, I’d thought? No one gave anyone else an opportunity to do anything, other than follow the car in front of them. What chaos!

Just as I thought of that chaos, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about what chaos occurs in our lives if we don’t allow God to guide us in all we do. He has a plan for our lives and will show us that plan if we give Him time. Often we’re so busy running from one thing to another, we’re exhausted and don’t even finish all we start or need to get done. Following God’s will for our lives brings clarity and order, just as people obeying traffic lights keeps accidents from happening because traffic flow is orderly.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalm 139:15-16 New Living Translation)

Sometimes since then the thought of order and chaos returns when I’m stopped at a light and waiting while no one moves because there’s no traffic the direction the light is green. Yet, I’d rather sit and enjoy the order traffic lights bring than to experience the chaos of everyone going all the time with no controls.

Am I in chaos or am I allowing the Holy Spirit to bring order to my life?

The Fog

As my car crawled along the road, I tried to keep up with the truck in front of me so I could continue following his lights. That way I could tell better how the road twisted and turned, praying anyone coming from the opposite direction drove carefully and stayed on their side of the highway. While I’ve driven in fog previously, this was thicker than any I’d ever encountered, so I breathed a sigh of relief when that truck pulled out in front of me, giving me guidance by his tail lights.

At times I’ve gone through periods of spiritual fog, hardly able to see the way ahead. The way continued dark for miles, it seemed. God’s voice looked like it had disappeared, and I couldn’t find which direction to go, so I kept doing those things I knew to do even though I wasn’t satisfied. Finally, the light of Jesus came to my rescue, and even though fog still surrounded me, I followed that bit of light to my destination where I could see clearly.

This fog also comes with our emotions. They appear to have become numb or to have died because of heart-break or harm someone has caused us. We simply can’t see our way out of the confusion and pain. “Why did this happen,” we ask. “What did I do wrong,” we continue the self-blame game. Certainly, we had a part to play, but sometimes that part is to get out of a situation that continually harms us. Then we wonder “Am I strong enough to do this? How will I manage by myself?” We feel surrounded by doubts and insufficiency on every side and don’t yet see those lights of Jesus pulling out in front of us to show us the road ahead. That’s when we bow down in surrender and simply tell Jesus we don’t know how to come out of this darkness and depend on His truth to guide us. We must stake our heart on knowing that God’s Word is true and that He loves us beyond measure, trusting Him to lead us back into the light.

Difficult decisions often bring this same foggy effect mentally. We weigh the pros and cons, but both seem to have unintended and unwanted consequences. We don’t know which way to go and again fog surrounds us. That’s when I’ve determined to set aside two or three hours that I’m going to stay in Father’s presence until I get an answer. I don’t do this feeling stubborn or hard-headed but rather surrender myself and agree to submit to God’s will. It takes uninterrupted time, but I’ve always received an answer to my issue of what decision to make.

I’ve learned that when I rush ahead and make my own decision at such times, I later regret it. But when mental, emotional or spiritual fog surrounds me and I surrender to God while waiting for His light to appear, He always shows me the way to a good destination.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:5-7 New Living Translation).

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left” (Isaiah 30:21 NLT).

Who Am I?

Do you have low self-esteem? Many of us do, and for most of my life I did. Circumstances work to make us feel this way, though our situations may be far different. What changed? I learned who I am as a child of God. I also learned that I need to reinforce the positives in my life and not the negatives because that gives them more power if I think about them most of the time. If you’re in this condition, you might every day look in the mirror and repeat the following:

 When I confess Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead, I am saved from sin and have eternal life with God. (Romans 6:23, 10:9; John 17:3)

 When I confess my sins, they are forgiven by God. (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17; 1 John 1:9)

 All my forgiven sins are far from God’s remembrance. (Psalm 103:12)

 I am a beloved daughter/son of the Lord God Almighty. (Romans 5:8; 1 John 6:10)

 I am worthy because Christ died for me. (Romans 8:32; 1 John 4:10)

 When I feel guilty for past sins after I earnestly confess them, Satan is lying to me because I am no longer condemned by God for them. (Romans 8:1)

 God is for me! (Romans 8:31)

 God has promised me good and not evil, and He works for my good. (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28)

 God will hear me when I pray to Him. (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 66:17-19)

 No one can take me away from God. (John 10:38; Romans 8:38 & 39)

 God knows me intimately. (Psalm 139:1-16)

 God chose me and has a purpose for my life. (Jeremiah 1:5; John 15:16)

 God gave me a spiritual gift to be used to glorify Him and help others. (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1 & 4-12, 14:1-6; Ephesians 4:11-12)

 I am not worse or below others, but I am not better than others either. (Romans 12:3)

An old saying tells us that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. This means that we are all equal because God has no favorites. He loves everyone the same, and that is what gives us our worth: that He loved us enough to send Jesus to pay the death penalty for our sins. Therefore, we rejoice because we are the beloved daughters and sons of the Lord Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth.

The Children God Seeks

How God’s heart must hurt
As His children misunderstand Him so;
While He reaches out in love,
They go the way of His foe.
 
God seeks children who will
Spend time with Him, wanting to be near;
But who can He find, willing to give Him time?
They are too busy, and His presence they fear.
 
God seeks children to love Him,
To return His love in some small measure;
But His children’s eyes are self-centered,
And they seek to provide their own pleasure.
 
God seeks children committed to Him,
Who — by loving others — give Him glory,
Those who are willing to forget themselves,
To live for God and tell His story.
 
God seeks all over the earth
For children such as these.
Will you be one that He can find,
Give Him time on bended knees?

Poem for Those Who’ve Lost Loved Ones This Year

Several of my friends have lost loved ones this year, and I dedicate this poem to them. Some years ago God gave me this idea of the joy those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior and are children of our Father experience when entering heaven. I cannot say this reality fits all who pass this life, for regrettably they turned their backs on the One who could give them this new life. The Gospel of John tells us much about this decision we must make while still alive.

John calls Satan a thief in John 10:10 and we’re told the different purposes he has in our lives and Jesus has for our lives. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they have life and have [it] abundantly.”

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and in 1 John 3:8 we read, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus therefore tells us that Satan wants only our harm, but He came to bless us.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’” in John 14:6. The thick veil in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem being torn apart from top to bottom when Jesus died indicates that the way for us to know God as our Father is no longer through following laws and rituals but through simply recognizing Jesus as the One who makes us clean before God so we can become His children.

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Many people recognize John 3:16 probably more than any other verse in the Bible unless it’s Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

We hardly hear, however, of verses 17-18 in John 3 which say, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Finally, Ezekiel 18:23 records God saying, “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?”

If anyone does not realize that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for all you’ve done wrong so you can become a child of God, then I ask you to please contact me or talk with someone who is a believer and find out how when you die, you can go to heaven and know the great joy that this poem discusses, plus so much more than words can express.

My Destiny

Joy unspeakable!
How can I describe this blessedness?
So far surpassing all I imagined
The greatest words cannot do it justice.

“What joy,” you ask,
“What brings such rapture?”

The sight of my Jesus’ face!
How can I picture such love
Such compassion, even for me?
What word describes His glory?
The glory of the only begotten Son!

Then I see my Father!
My Daddy-God.
The tears fall down my face
Tears of humility, adoration and love.
I kneel at His feet and worship
Almighty God!

No eye has seen
No ear has heard
No mind has conceived
What God has prepared
For those who love Him.
(1 Corinthians 2:9)

I cannot tell you all this wonder;
Truly, you must see it for yourself!
 

God Became Human!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men….And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14 NASB).

The wonderful message of Christmas in a nutshell is that God became human! Though we may not fully understand it, God is undivided in thought or action, yet is three distinct persons with separate functions: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The Father did not become incarnate. The Holy Spirit only came to live in people’s hearts after Jesus’ resurrection and ascent into heaven. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). Jesus the Son is the one who was born as a baby and lived on earth in a human body, died, was resurrected and ascended into heaven.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God became  human with all the feelings, thoughts and needs we have. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

God became human! May the wonder and blessing of this thought be with you throughout the Christmas Season.

Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!

Receiving God’s Love

God, I don’t really know how to approach You, but a person told me You loved me. Really loved me so much that You gave up your Son on my behalf. Now that’s really hard to believe! I mean, I’m not a good person, so why would You love me or do anything for me?

I’ve been in a deep, deep pit for most of my life. Wanting out but not even knowing how to try to get out. It seemed the harder I tried, the deeper I went. I can’t imagine anyone doing me any favors. No one ever has, so why should You?

But this person told me Jesus loves me and actually suffered all your hatred of my wrong ways, and now I’m free to have a good life, if I only believe that Jesus did this for me. Not only that, but I can become your child. Seems strange for an adult to become someone’s child, even God’s. I didn’t even know my own parents, and my childhood certainly wasn’t something I’d want anyone else to experience.

God, I don’t quite understand all this, but I’m trying. I do believe what I was told that Jesus suffered all your fury for all the horrible things I’ve done. I want to become a different person, a person who can do good for others. I don’t know how I could do anything good for someone; but the person who told me about you, said that I’d find things I could do that would help others. I’d like to be that way – helping people instead of all the evil I’ve done in the past. God, forgive me for all that stuff!

I’ve been rotten and don’t see how anybody could want me, much less You, God. But that’s what I was told, and something happened in my heart at those words. Somehow, I believed them, and they made me smile. I haven’t smiled in a long, long time. I can’t explain it, but something happened, and all the heaviness, anger and bitterness just melted away. Why, I feel like a new person; almost like a little baby just finding out what’s happening in the world and how to adjust to it. Just learning how to be loved, not by a person, but by You, God. Amazing!

Thank you, God, for doing whatever You did to make me feel this way, to give me this joy and this newfound hope. Thank You that Jesus suffered all your wrath over my evil deeds, so I can become a person who’s able to talk with You, to have a relationship with You. God, You are awesome! I just realized that if I’m your child, then You are my Father. What an amazing idea! I’ve never had a father, and now the God of all the universe is my Father. I’m so thankful for this person who told me about You because You have changed my life. You made me a new person, and I love You. I just discovered that: I love You because of what You have done for me. Thank You, Father! Thank You, Jesus!

Prayer for Those with Debilitating Diseases

(This prayer is for three people close to my heart, but I extend it to others in this situation.)

Father, my heart hurts for people close to me who are enduring debilitating diseases that Satan has inflicted upon them. I know many others face the same or different issues, all of which prove difficult to cure. Only you can touch these loved ones and heal them, Father. Whether you use doctors and medicine or whether You divinely heal them, I pray you touch their lives.

In the meanwhile, give them peace in the journey; comfort them in pain; let them know you stand beside them and your Spirit within them each moment of the day and night.

Father, you know each of their life situations, and I lift those up to you, for you alone know what each one needs at this very moment and in the coming days as they walk through these life-changing challenges. Give them courage, strength, energy, hope and peace. Let them know your very real presence upon them.

Father, if I could, I’d instantly remove each of these illnesses from them; but I can’t. I know you can. That is not a difficult thing for you, Daddy-God! However, sometimes you allow us to walk through these challenges, teaching us more about you along the way. I pray each one learns the lessons you have for them during this time, drawing them ever closer to you, Holy God.

I pray your glory comes out of these situations in whatever way you choose. May you be honored and exalted; and may all these close to me – and others also – have a greater testimony of your mercy and grace in the future than they do presently.

Father, I love and exalt you, for you alone are holy, high and worthy of worship.  You sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins and our healing, as the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:24 (NASB) “He Himself [Jesus] bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds you were healed.” In Jesus’ precious and holy name, I ask for your mercy, Holy God. Amen.

Abba, I Belong to You

As my church sang the song Abba[1], I thought in a way I hadn’t previously – yes, I do belong to my Father. That thought struck deep in my heart. I “BELONG” to my Daddy-God. He sacrificed so very much by sending Jesus to die so I could become His child. They both paid with all they had for my eternal life with them and so that here on earth I can have an intimate relationship with my Father God, Jesus Christ my Savior and the Holy Spirit. I am a daughter loving my Father because He first loved me.

First John 4:18-19 (The Message Bible) reminds us: There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life — fear of death, fear of judgment — is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love — love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

I like to call my heavenly Father Daddy-God. The word Abba means an intimate relationship, as a child might say Daddy today or as an adult might say Father. My earthly dad and I had a very good relationship, so I don’t have the major roadblocks some people do who didn’t know their earthly fathers or had abusive ones. I appreciate the freedom this gives me to relate more easily to God than some can.

Someone might ask who a small child belongs to, meaning their parents. That parent has responsibility to take care of and protect that child; he educates and trains the child, as well as providing food, shelter and clothes for her. In the same way, our heavenly Father takes care me, His child, so I do belong to Him, not including the tremendous price He paid for me.

As I thought more about belonging to my Father, I realized that makes it easier for me to resist any temptation that comes my way. I don’t belong to the devil, so I can stand against him and not give in to whatever he puts in front of me. I count on the blessings of my inheritance as a child of God and don’t need anything that will lead me away from those blessings.

Satan may approach me with wrong thoughts or actions, trying to lure me that way. Some of these God emphasized No to – There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Other times my enemy surprises me with those little nagging inclinations that aren’t wrong in themselves but are still activities where I know I need to limit the time I spend with them.

I thought of this verse, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2a NASU.)

I walk along the beach, paying attention to the gulls and other shorebirds. Further down children build sand castles and grab my attention. Suddenly I realize I’ve stepped into a cast net left carelessly behind and my sandals become tangled in it. I almost fall because I wasn’t paying attention.

That’s what the Hebrews verse warns me of – not paying attention when a temptation comes, or I’ll stumble into it without realizing it’s even there. One of those little things that isn’t bad itself but that I have to control is watching too much TV at night instead of studying my Bible or reading godly books. Nothing is wrong with the shows themselves, I just must not let them dominate all my time when I have instructive books to read or a Bible study I didn’t have time for during the day. I like to start my day with Bible reading and prayer, but often don’t have time before breakfast for real study.

Because I belong to Father God, I put on the spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-18[2]). This armor covers me from head to toe in front, but safety only comes when I’m fighting. God gives me no protection if I’m running away. Watchful prayer guards me from Satan’s snares so I don’t step into that cast net. I pray with and for others to give and receive mutual support as the body of Christ on earth.

Fortunately, when I do get caught up in temptation, there’s a way back to the loving relationship with my Daddy-God. First John 1:9 (Message) encourages us:  If we admit our sins — make a clean breast of them — he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. My Father doesn’t hold a grudge! He wants our rapport flowing full of love more than I do, so as soon as I honestly turn away from the wrong I’ve done, He’s quick to forgive me and take up where we left off in our relationship.

Abba, I belong to You – now and forever!

____________________
[1] Abba (Arms of a Father)
>Jonathan David & Melissa Helser

You’re more real than the ground I’m standing on
You’re more real than the wind in my lungs
Your thoughts define me
You’re inside me
You’re my reality

Abba, I belong to You 

You’re closer than the skin on my bones
You’re closer than the song on my tongue
You came running down my prodigal road
You came running with a ring and a robe
Grace is the collision on the way back home
With the arms of a Father who won’t let go

Songwriters: Ed Cash / Jonathan David Helser
Abba (Arms of a Father) lyrics © Bethel Music Publishing

 

 

[2] Ephesians 6:10-18: And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. 11 So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. 12 This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. 14 Truth, righteousness, 15 peace, 16 faith, 17 and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. 18 In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)