Where Two Or Three Gather

For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.

Matthew 18:20 NLT

My heart is full this morning as I look back on my evening with my GFF's.  Girls just need other girls to talk to, cry with, laugh with and pray with and last night was one of those nights!  Spending time with other believers, genuine people, regular people who strugggle with things, just like me, give me comfort and encouragement.  It is so important to have someone or a group of someone's to spend time with regularly.  This isn't a piece of cake walk through the park, friends!  Life is difficult, following Jesus in a world that promotes sin, is not easy!  We need each other to encourage and be honest with.  We need friends who will keep us in check and hold us accountable but love us right where we are, in our mess, our confusion, our pain, our joy............And the best part of all that is Jesus is right there with us!  When we gather in His name, studying His word, and praying to Him, He promises to be there with us, hearing us, helping us, and loving us.  Jesus is waiting for us to gather together!  He is open to hear our prayers which are made stronger when more are praying together through the Holy Spirit.  So don't be shy!  

And let's not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near (Hebrews 10:25 NLT). 

     

Posture of Prayer

We will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

Acts 6:4

Prayer is communication with God. When the angels in heaven approach the throne of God they are in an attitude of worship and praise. They understand the power and majesty of our Holy God. When we approach God's throne for praise or petition, we must come in an attitude of prayer. We must come with reverence and understanding the privilege we have of coming before an awesome, just God!

Though we are to be in constant prayer, whether we are on our knees or moving about the duties of the day, we must be alert to the power that prayer holds. Prayer is not to be lackadaisical and without thought. Prayer comes from a mind that is alert and attuned to the presence of God.

Lord, 

Teach me to live in a spirit of prayer- even when I'm not on my knees! Help my mind to be alert and ready to receive communication from you and offer you worship and praise at all times. Help me to understand the posture of prayer.

Amen and amen

Firmly Anchored

Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.

Psalm 119:61 NLT

When it's time to make hard decisions what are you anchored to?  When things are moving quickly and you need advice where do you turn?  I love anchors, in fact, they are my new obsession.  I decorated my bedroom around a vision of an anchor and since then I have been drawn to all types of them, on t-shirts, jewelry, accesories, artwork and tattoos.  Anchors are a symbol of God for me.  Aside from their shape and beauty, when I see one I am reminded of whom I am firmly planted to.  With my chain attached to God I can and will have difficulties but I know I will stay afloat during those and I will not get taken off course.  The high winds may blow me around some and get me facing a new direction but I will always be attached to God and I will use His Word and instructions to keep me from going the wrong way.  There will always be people in our lives who try to take us down a new path, a wrong path or a scary path.  We need to make sure when we are making decisions that we are seeking God's way for us.  Sometimes He will take us down the scary path, sometimes He will ask us to get out of our comfort zone but other times He will tell us to follow Him instead of the world and the people in our life.  Let your anchor be God instead of that person or website you always run to for advice, make sure you are anchored to something secure, never changing, always seeking what's best for you and God's kingdom.  Release yourself from the people and things that aren't looking out for your best and attach yourself to God and His instructions that promise to keep you on course.  Attach yourself to the only anchor strong enough to keep you firmly planted for eternity.  Even when the seas get rough you are sure to be safe with God.                 

Little By Little

The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little. 

Deuteronomy 7:22

The Israelites were finally ready to enter the Promise Land. God had allowed them to wander in the desert for 40 years. They had whined against God, questioned his power and his purpose, and turned from him as they built an idol to worship in the form of a golden calf. 

Even still, God loved this Holy people. He had chosen them as a dearly loved people who he would use to reveal himself to the world. God showed his power through plagues and miracles. He parted the Red Sea, brought manna from heaven, and water through a rock. God was and is powerful and omnipotent.

As the Israelites entered the promised land, God promised to destroy those living there little by little. You may ask, "Why didn't God just obliterate all those in the way? Why didn't he completely destroy the people living in Canaan before the Israelites entered?" God could have chosen to miraculously empty the land before the Israelites very eyes, but he chose to do so little by little.

He often does the same in our lives. God shows a little more of his power and character each time he works through a situation with us. He teaches us lessons as we go and opens our hearts and minds to new things along the way. 

Whatever is going on in your life (relational issues, health issues, financial strains, etc.) could be miraculously removed from your life. God has the power to do so, but most likely he will chose to slowly walk with you, removing one obstacle after another... little by little. So, don't be afraid. Don't worry about today or tomorrow. Just trust that like God did with the Israelites, he will do with you and lead you to the Promised Land of heaven one little victory at a time!

Sunday Scripture

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.  So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. 

Luke 24:1-3

Sing-Along-Saturday Becausr

Today's worship song is by Matt Meher entitled Because He Lives. This beautiful song will prepare your heart to rejoice on Easter morning. You can link to this song by clicking here

I Will Rise

Victory is won and the grave is overwhelmed..........
No matter what is happening in our lives, in the end we will rise!  In the final plan God has for us we will rise up and celebrate our victory in Jesus' name and sing with the angels in heaven.  No matter what pain and suffering we endure, we are loved with an amazing love that will scoop us up and carry us away to the most wonderful place for eternity.

Sing at the top of your lungs with confidence today!  Good Friday, a reminder of the darkness that had to take place for our sins to be washed clean..........but the beauty that comes in 3 days!!   He will rise!!!  and so will we when our time comes.  Stay focused on God's plans for you.  Stay confidence in your freedom and rise in those moments when everyone thinks you should lay down!

I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin  

Greater

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Mercy Me sings about coming to the Lord and giving him our every hurt and pain. We are redeemed from our pain, our shame and our guilt. We can trade them all in for the love of our God; God is greater than our doubt, our fears, and our tears. The One living inside of us is greater than the one living in the world! Hallelujah!

Join Mercy Me in praising God for loving us and being Greater than the one who wants to destroy us.
Click here to listen!

No Longer Slaves!

Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child.  And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Galatians 4:7

No Longer Slaves

by Bethel Music

I hope you listen to todays song over and over taking in the promises that are yours to claim.  You are no longer a slave!  You are loved and cared for by God.  You are a child of God!

He's Making Diamonds!

And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution.  In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, of the appointed time is still to come.

Daniel 11:35

I just love the beauty that God makes from the dust or our messy lives!  This song is a reminder of how God is still working even when things are looking pretty yucky all around us. 

Listen to this song by Hawk Nelson called Diamonds

"He is refining in His timing

He's making diamonds out of us."

Sunday Scripture

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Acts 20:24 (NIV)

Your Words

MUSIC WEEK

Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious.

Psalm 66:2 NASB

We are excited for this small break from writing to bring you some of our favorite songs that inspire us in our faith, songs we hope will encourage you, as well.  As you let the songs move you, listen for words that spark curiosity and a desire to search for corresponding scripture in the bible.  We would love to hear from you and see how the song touches you or what scriptures you find that are related to the song chosen.  Enjoy this change of pace.  Make it something you wont' forget!

Your Words by Third Day

God's Words will never change.  He is Truth, and everything He says, we can't put our trust in.
No matter what, God's words will remain!  Accept this promise.  Live by these words and let them change your life!
 

A Sun and Shield

                                Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

              For the LORD God is a sun and shield the Lord bestows favor and honor;

                                   from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 34:10-11

I don't know about you, but I love the sun! Even as I'm typing I can see the sun shining through my window and it just makes me happy! I feel energized! I sing a different tune in the sunny seasons! Spring can't come fast enough for me and the last days of winter seem to just drag on and on. The sun is surely a source of joy for this girl!

As I read Psalm 34:11, my heart connected immediately; God is a sun! He is energy and joy. He makes our hearts sing with delight. His light provides protection from fears which appear in the dark. Light, warmth, sustainer of life! 

The Lord is a Sun and a Shield!

Cease Striving

Cease striving and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

 I will be exhaulted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10 NASB

I love this translation of Psalm 46:10!  Most of us are familiar with "Be still and know that I am God"  Many may have it posted on a wall in your home, like me, you may have it on a bracelet, or maybe a t-shirt.  It is a popular saying and something that has gotten me through a lot of worry and difficult situations in my life.  It's the topic of many books and devotions, but when I came across this NASB translation, it gave new life to this this timeless scripture.

We all know that cease means to bring or come to an end.  Simply put, cease means to stop something.  Striving means to make great efforts to obtain or achieve something.  It can also mean to struggle or fight vigorously.  When we put these two words together we are told to stop making efforts to achieve our goals or to stop fighting so hard to get our way.  God is telling us to just stop what your doing and trust Me.........let Me fight for you........cease your struggling and let Me take care of your problems.  

Friends, we can take a break.  We don't need to work so hard!  God has our back and He has an ultimate master plan to help our problem child, heal our illness, talk to our spouse, find us someone to love forever, and so much more.  We don't have to put all our energy into manipulating situations to get the results we think we need.  God knows what we need and so we can rest and trust that He has everything under control.  Cease Striving and know that God is on your side, fighting for you.  

Dear God, You are my God I praise You and lift You up in honor and glory.  You are my strength and my song and I will sing about You because You are good to me!  Thank You for giving me this break!  You are my army, You are my answer to prayer!  Fight for me while I sit back and cease striving so much.  Let me rest in Your arms while You work things out in my favor.    Amen       

Do Not Despise Your "Small" Job

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand.

Zechariah 4:10 NLT

The important part is not how big that "thing" is we are doing for God.  God is more concerned about the what instead of the size of the what, and so should we.  Zachariah was a prophet who was sent to the people of Zerubbabel to encourage the reubuilding of the temple.  He was given a big job!  But more than encouraging the jews to rebuild, he introduced the Messiah.  He gave these ex-captives and exiles hope for a King!  He was important in keeping the flame burning and encouraging the continuation of the rebuilding of the Temple, which had been halted for the last 10 years.  Part of his encouraging included talking with the people and letting them know that even though the plans for the temple were much smaller than the origional temple, it was still just as important.  And just like that the scripture says, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin", I am here to encourage you the same.  Your job for God, no matter the size, is very important to His plans.  What you do for God may seem small but God rejoices in what is right and not necessarily what is big.  The building of a smaller temple was just as important as building a large one.  These people needed to know that any work for God was considered important and God was excited to see them working for Him.  God wasn't concerned about the size of the job but about the hearts that were devoted to hearing Him and obeying.  God feels that way about us today.  He knows our abilities, He put us where we are for a reason and we each have jobs to do for the Kingdom.  The size of the job is not as important as staying faithful in the small opportunities.  God just asks us to do what we can and to trust the results in His hands.  

Don't get so caught up in the size of your calling but be focused on doing your calling well and let God take it to the next level if that is what He wants.......for the Lord rejoices to see you working for Him!  It's not the size of the job but the size of the heart that matters in this case.  Be faithful and devoted to God's call even if it's not as big or important as you would like.  God needs us all to perform our jobs well as the body comes together to make a whole.  

Dear God,

Thank you for trusting me with the life I have.  You have put people in my life, jobs in my way and opportunities in my path that are specific to me and I am sorry when I brush them aside thinking they are not significant.  You know what is best for this world and my life and I trust You with it all.  Please help me to be content in the jobs you have for me and give me the energy to do your work well.  In Jesus' Name......Amen   

Our Daily Bread

Give us today our daily bread.

Matthew 6:11

God provides our daily bread, though not just in the manner of food for our physical needs. He also provides the daily food for our soul. He cares about our earthly needs as well as the needs of our spirit.

We often try to be self-sufficient in our jobs, parenting, finances, and relationships. But if we are wise, we will continually surrender to God to lead us and provide what we need at the right time. We will also allow him to lead us from all that is not good and right. Our earthly issues matter to God whether they are large or small. He is Lord of all!

God also provides daily food for our spiritual hunger. He has wisdom for our spirit. He has strength for our soul and can give us the most intimate love and care. He satisfies the longings that even the best of friends or the greatest of spouses can never meet. He alone must be our daily bread!

Do you feast daily on His Word? Are you dependent upon God in all areas of your life? Pray for a relationship of total surrender and dependence! Will you allow the Lord to be your daily bread?

Dear Lord,

Be for me my daily bread. I thank you for the way you meet my earthly needs of food and shelter. Thank you for bringing others into my life that support and encourage me in my daily walk both in matters of the world and matters of the spirit. Humble my heart to seek you as my daily bread. Amen

Sunday Scripture

Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to life freely and lightly.

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

Sing-A-Long Saturday

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek 

him with all your heart and all you soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Today's song by Third Day is entitled Soul on Fire. The words of this song are beautiful and call out to God asking him to help set a fire in your soul for Him, His Words, and His Ways.

Do you remember the joy you had when you first found the Lord, the freedom of his grace and the power of his salvation? Have you wandered and need to find the intimacy and closeness you once had with Jesus? This song calls you back to the fire you had when you first found the Lord. It's a song about seeking Him until your heart blazes and all you see is Him!


God, I'm running for Your heart
I'm running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I'm longing for Your ways
I'm waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire

Lord, restore the joy I had
And I have wandered bring me back
In this darkness, lead me through
Until all I see is You

Lord, let me burn for You again
Let me return to You again
And Lord, let me burn for You again
Let me return to You again

Click Here to Listen to Soul on Fire

Give Your Servants Great Boldness

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures.  They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 NLT

Having boldness is showing the ability to take risks.  Someone who is bold is confident and courageous.  Like Peter and John, and many others in bible, Daniel was a bold man.  His confidence in His God gave him the courage to break the man made rules in order to keep His devotion to God.  He wasn't afraid of the consequences that awaited him because He knew that God was there to protect  and provide for him.  Whether he made it out of the den of lions alive or dead, he trusted that God had his back.  This boldnesess that Daniel possessed gave him peace of mind in his circumstances and He was able to live his life fully devoted to God with no fear of what might happen to him.  

Daniel was empowered by his complete confidence in God.  Do you have this boldness found in so many ordinary men and women in the bible?  Are you courageous enough to go against the world's standards and rules in order to stick with God's standards?  With so many compromises to God's commands and the slow fade of values in this world now is the time to evaluate your boldness.  

Dear God,  give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word (Acts 4:29). 

 Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and lead us out into the world to preach and act out boldly on your behalf (Acts 4:31).  Like Daniel, give us confidence in Your ability to protect and provide that we may choose to follow You instead of falling into sin and fitting in to this world.   

Amen and Amen

Choose Joy!

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!

Psalm 126:3

Joy-What is it? What does it look like? Joy is not an emotion it is not based on circumstance. Joy is 'a source or cause of delight.' It is a state of being.

As Christians our joy is in the salvation and hope of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is constant and trustworthy. He is a rock and a foundation. Therefore, our joy doesn't ebb and flow. Knowing that we are his and he is ours creates a calm delight within our spirits. It is a choice to remain in this place of joy. It is a choice to focus on the One who created us and holds our soul and in doing so, he fills us with His joy. 

On the contrary happiness ebbs and flows. It is based on circumstance, therefore the foundation of happiness is rocky and unsafe. Happiness bubbles over and then runs dry. Happiness is not joy. Oh, yes, our joy can evoke happy feelings, but happiness is not the same as joy. 

Happiness is like a coke on ice; It fizzes up and overflows. Then settles down and loses it's fizz. And as you know, sodas often leave one thirsting for more. Joy however is like a glass of water. It brings calm refreshment and quenches the thirst. 

Do you understand the difference of joy and happiness? Ask God to help you live in HIS constant joy. 

Get Some Sleep!

I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.

Psalm 3:5 NLT

We can't base our peace on our situation.  We must always take our eyes off of the problem if we ever want to sleep at night.  Like David, we may have an army surrounding us, but if we are able to give it to God and trust He has our problems taken care of then we can rest knowing we will be safe.  We can lie down and sleep because we know that God is working for our good.  Even when we wake up and the problem is still there we must keep our focus on His power and ability to help us.  Even when we don't see Him working, or don't get the answers we want, we have to trust that God knows best.  If you have something going on in your life right now that makes it hard to rest or sleep at night chances are you aren't giving it all to God.  You might just need to hand over a little more control to the One who has all control.  Focus on Who has your problem in His hands instead of the problem itself.  

Praying for all my GFF's who find it difficult to rest right now.  Sleep is important and a very good indicator of our peace, minus the hormones that keep us awake at night ;)  Pray for God to take your problems and hand over that which keeps you up at night.  

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls".

Matthew 11:28-29 NLT  

Wise Counsel

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. 

Proverbs 15:22

 This scripture in Proverbs cautions us to stop and seek advice before we act. Notice it doesn't say, 'big plans fail' or 'important plan fail' or 'expensive plans fail'. Solomon simply cautions us that plans fail when we don't seek the advice of other people. God has placed others in our lives so that we don't have the same train wrecks over and over again. Those living in the generation before us have made mistakes and learned from them. We are wise to seek the counsel of our parents and those within our church. Not doing so is just a waste of time and enduring of unnecessary pain. Whether the plans we make are financial, relational, job-related, or as simple as whether to watch a certain movie or not, we are wise to talk with others as we work toward our final decision. 

How do you do with this? Are you humble enough to ask for help and advice or does your pride keep you from seeking the wisdom of others?

Dear Lord, help me to ask for help. Soften my heart to the counsel of others that I may make Godly decisions. Make me aware of stubbornness and pride in my life. Amen

Find Time Anyway!

What a busy weekend!  And of course there is nothing like waking up on Monday morning and realizing you have a doctor's appointment at 8:45 a half hour away and you haven't showered and won't get one in until the kids get on the bus at 7:30.  I should have known by the horrible night of sleep I got that the day was not going to turn out as planned.  It's Monday!  I am just now getting to my quiet time.  It's one in the afternoon and I'm finally sitting down to write a blog for you all and to be quite honest I don't have anything!  But looking at my day and how it relates to so many of you I can't stop thinking about how no matter what our day looks like it's important to never take away from our Jesus time.  There may be some days that we have to put it off until we get our appointments out of the way.  And there will be others when we wake up early and soak up hours of God's word.  Our quiet time should be sacred, honest, heart moving and most important, daily.  But don't feel bad if you can't get it perfect every day.  Don't give up if you miss a morning or can't get it in until you are on your last bout of energy of the day.  What is important is that you never leave Jesus out.  Don't ever forget to read a bit of God's word and don't ignore Jesus who is standing with you all day just waiting for you to call on him for advice.  I can get too caught up on the how and when but I am reminded that Jesus just wants my heart.  He wants my time and my conversation and He understands life is difficult and busy and knows how our day will unfold.  He will always leave us time to call on Him but it's up to us to make the call.  GFF, if you haven't made a daily committment to talk to God and read His Word I encourage you to start today.  Find a friend who feels the same way you do and work together to find Jesus in a new, deeper, meaningful way.  If you already have a relationship with Jesus I want to encourage you that you don't have to be perfect and there is no perfect way to do it.  Don't get discouraged if you miss your usual morning talk or if you can't find time until the evening.  Just be dedicated to doing it sometime during your day.  And absolutely do not discourage someone who may not do it like you.  Friend, I hope you have a wonderful afternoon!  I am sorry my busy day brought you this late blog but I am human!  We all make mistakes and run into obstacles.  We are loved and cherished anyway!  Get that bible out and find out just how much!

Study this Book of Instruction continually.  Meditate on it day andnight so you will b esure to obey everything written in it.  Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Joshua 1:8

Sunday Scripture

“You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sing A Long Saturday

We can look all over the place for answers to our problems.  We can ask others, read books, make decisions based on our knowledge or other's input but ultimately God is the only one who can fix any problem.  Thank God for His faithfulness and His great power to know exactly what is needed for all situations.  He brings the whole world together and fits it like a puzzle to work all things out for those who love Him!  He is truly our only answer!  He is is the Only One!  

Listen to this great reminder by Casting Crowns

You Are The Only One

I hope you go through your day and you just can't get this song out of your head.  Sing it over and over as a reminder that you are not alone and that you have a Great God on your side fixing things in His perfect timing for His perfect plan.  

God Bless you GFF!

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also wappear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4

As you read this verseThis verse should be followed by words such as "Hallelujah!" "Amen!" "Praise the Lord!" Can you believe it! Christ will appear and we will meet him in glory. We will

We Are Family

The master himself will give the command.  Archangel thunder!  God's trumpet blast!  He'll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise - they'll go first.  Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master.  Oh, we'll be walking on air!  And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master.  So reassure one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 MSG

Just last night I was envisioning meeting the beautiful people from the bible, thinking to myself, I want to learn all about them now so that I will know them just by seeing them once I get to heaven.  The thought of being one big family with Moses and Esther and Joseph and Ruth and Naomi gives me chills.  My brother, Jesus, and my Daddy!  I love this translation because it is described as a family reunion.  We are all one in Christ, therefore we will know eachother as though we had met before.  We will hug and rejoice and start right in praising God together.  Who knows, maybe we will get to catch up and share stories and ask questions.  I do know we will be happy and it will be like one big celebration that never ends.  So we aren't to fear death and the loss of a loved one.  We are to, instead, encourage each other that this life is only a small fraction of what is to come in eternity.  We have a big party waiting for us!  

     

You've Got the Power!

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."

John 14:1

Do you ever feel like your thoughts are out of control? Does your mind wander and spin with questions, confusion, and fear? If I'm being totally honest with you as my God First Friend, I have to admit that this happens to me more often than I'd like to admit. And these thoughts leave me depressed, exhausted, and afraid.

As I read and meditated on this verse yesterday I realized that one little word meant a whole lot...'let'.
'Let' means to allow. That means it's a choice. I have the power, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, to train my mind to discern what I will and will not allow to control my thoughts. Oh, yes, thoughts will pop into my mind without my control, but I do have the power to decide whether I will entertain and dwell on those thoughts or if I will refocus on God and his truth. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us this: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. WE'VE GOT THE POWER!

GFF's we do not have to let our thoughts control us. Jesus tells us in today's scripture to make a choice... we can choose to live in the power of the Spirit or we can try to live in our own power. The Spirit brings peace, comfort, and hope. On our own we face fear, worry, and sadness.

Let's work together to encourage one another. Send scripture, make calls, write notes! Let's help one another truly keep God first in our thoughts, actions, and our hearts! Do not let your heart be troubled!

Though You Do Not See Him Now, You Trust Him.....

You love him even though you have never seen him.  Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

1 Peter 1:8

This is the person I long to be.  I want to love God deeply and trust him with all that concerns me.  When prayers aren't being answered the way I want or in the time frame I desire, I want to sit back and be this person who holds onto her faith with a joyfull heart.  When my life isn't going as planned I want to be able to express my joy through encouraging others, smiles to strangers, sacrificing my time for those in need and sharing an impossible love with those who don't always share back.  When I'm seeking God, but through His timing he still feels distant, or when I just can't see him through my difficulties and trials, I want to trust that He is there and I want to rejoice with this glorious, inexpressible joy that trumps my feelings of sadness or illness or inadequacy.  

It sounds so simple but with every new trial it seems like I have to start this process all over again.  I fight for a while before I realize it's not my battle to fight and I have to let go of everything so that God can get to work.  Why do I forget so easily every time and I start to panic or worry about what to do or how to fix my problem?  I put so much work in when God really wants me to relax in Him while he works out the details.  God has better things for me.  He has a joy waiting for me to pick up and hold onto.  He doesn't expect me to let go of this joy even when things are hard.  In fact, God wants me to share this joy with others, and rejoice when things are difficult, because in that difficulty He has growth for me.  He has great plans for the things I learn through my trials.  God really does know it all and He has our best in mind.  I just wish I could get that stuck in my head once and for all.

Dear God, I want this joy that never leaves me.  Help me to place my trust in only you and to feel your Spirit calm my heart as I grab hold of the peace you offer me.  The trials in my life are meant to help me and grow me and so I ask that these also give me wisdom and strength to carry throughout my faith journey.  God, you are my Father and you love me with a love so strong it's impossible to understand.  Help me to never doubt you again.  Help me to rejoice in my trials and rejoice in my answered prayers because ultimately you are in charge and you have all the right answers for me. Thank you God, I will honor you with my inexpressible joy.  Amen

These trials will show that your faith is genuine.  It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.  So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor in the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.  

1 Peter 1:7