Tag: Abraham

“Walk In Peace!”

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“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee,” Isaiah 26:3

Peace is something that may seem far out of reach for most.  It is greatly desired and sought after; yet, many will never lay hold of it.  Why is that?  The answer is because of where it is found.  It is found in a made-up mind centered on who He is and a devoted heart that believes in the promises He has made.  “Perfect peace” speaks of the character of God at work.  Wherever He operates and whatever He delves into is marked by perfection.  That means when He established something that He wants to offer to all mankind He does so without there being anything wrong with it.  No fault in it whatsoever.  And He does here also.  As a matter of fact, the only thing that can mar this “perfect peace” that He is so willing to give is how man (the human race) accepts it.

When one’s mind is focused wholeheartedly on an idea, then that becomes the single vision of that person.  Once the picture of the mind’s eye is narrowed in one direction, that’s where one will be led to follow.  Now imagine a time of being in the midst of arduous and severe trials and tribulations.  Where there are sorrows and disappointments that seem to do nothing to encourage one’s focus on God, only working to tear away at one’s faith.  Yet, through it all, that person takes a stand within them and says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

The person who is able to stir up his faith in this manner as a defense and a shield to his mind, using the focus of God at work in his life and verifying it through His Word, will be kept in “perfect peace.”  He has made an on-purpose decision that no matter how bleak and dismal it may seem right now, God is greater than all, and “His tender mercies are over all His works,” (Ps. 145:9).  “How is one able to do that?” you may be crying out in frustration.  I answer you with Abraham’s example as referred to by Paul in Romans 4:20-21, where it says, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”  Simply put, as our verse in Isaiah 26:3 says, “Because he trusteth thee.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” That is including, “perfect peace.”  All His promises are in His Word and the one who bases the foundation of all that he believes on that one rock-solid truth will be upheld and kept through the worst of storms.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

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Beginning Anew in 2022

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Friends, countless of us use the passing of the old year into the new as a marker for beginning again in many areas of our lives. 

And, I believe that’s okay.

As time goes by, we can sometimes get into a rut or feel stale in our routines, life, etc.  Using this time as a point of evaluation can wake up our perspective and challenge our resolve to do better, to do more.  This time of year is also used by some to reinvent oneself or to redirect one’s path, relationships, work, ministry, health, life, and so on.

So, what do we look for in the new?

Truthfully, that is a question only you can answer for yourself.  I can only speak of what I am looking for.  When pursuing the new for myself, I look for increased awareness of distractions to my goals which can help me navigate each as they come in a befitting manner.

Knowing that distractions will come since we live this thing called life, I am also trying to be more aware of my priorities.  In order to get the most out of the gifts and life that God has given me, how do I best use my time each day?   Am I spending my time developing those things that I say are “priorities,”  or am I just talking about them?

There is a measure of accountability with oneself that comes with those questions.  Am I happy with what I see?  If not, what can I do to improve those areas?  Where and how can I inspire and challenge change?

Beginning anew is not supposed to put a sour taste in your mouth as you grit out words of resolve through your teeth.  To me, it is a breath of fresh air, bringing with it new inspiration to work or improve in areas of my own life where I desire to see positive adjustments made.

There are countless stories in the Bible where people had the chance to start over, to begin again, but two of my favorites are Ruth and Abraham.  I find their experiences encouraging for all who are pressing for the new. 

Ruth, especially, in the natural, lost everything.  And when she was willing to walk away from everything familiar, comfortable, and reliable – she found what she was walking toward to be so much more fulfilling (more on returning to the familiar in an upcoming article).

Her story, like Abraham’s, stretched them to go forward into an unknown future, and holding on to faith in God, they went. Neither one of them knew exactly where each step would lead, but they walked forward and were greatly rewarded for their press, for their diligence, for their continued faith in God.

As I said before, beginning anew can look like so many things to so many people.  The example of Ruth and Abraham can teach us all a little something about letting go of an unprofitable past and moving forward in faith (take time to read their stories in the Bible).

These last two years have been something special, to say the least.  I can’t predict what’s in store for us this year.  As with Ruth and Abraham, we may not have all the answers about the future we are currently going into, but through it all, may we be found moving in the forward press of our faith in God.  As we are beginning anew in 2022, be confident that He has us, and may we continue holding on to Him as we trust in God’s guiding hand, for He is the “same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Psalm 48:14

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8

Image above provided by Pixabay

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site may not be copied and pasted, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic). See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

 
 

“YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING!”

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“It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” Acts 1:7

 . . . . But we try to, don’t we?  We feel a pull of God on our lives; a tugging to go here, or do this, or start that – and, we begin to question Jesus like the disciples did.

We want to know is it going to happen like this.  We want the unfolding of the story now so that we will know how to proceed.  We want to know the ins and outs of His plan for our lives.  But, we don’t need to know the everything of everythings that we want to know!  Yep, I said that on purpose 🙂 !

This is the opposite of the faith walk that we are called to.  Think about it.  Abraham was called to leave the familiar to step into the unknown which brought about a name and a legacy that would endure through generations.  Hebrews 11:8 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

He didn’t know!  He didn’t know the plan of God!  He didn’t have all the details.  He just went!  By faith, he stepped out where God told him to go and he “obeyed.”  He didn’t question God and he didn’t try to figure the path out ahead of him.  He just went!

There are certain parts of the plan that God will reveal, and the rest, as Jesus puts it, “the Father has put in His own authority.”

In other words, we have to trust Him to see to His part while we obey, step out, and see to our part even if we don’t know everything.

“Never Too Strong for God!”

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“He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me,” 2 Samuel 22:18

“Is there anything too hard for me?” is a question God asked Jeremiah, (Jer. 32:27). “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” was the question God put to Abraham after Sarah laughed at the possibility of having a child in her old age. Luke 1:37 tells us, “For with God nothing shall be impossible,” and yet, when faced with things in this life we don’t understand and heartaches untold, we often feel our situations are out of His reach. As if the problems that overwhelm us are too strong for Him, also.

Due to the anointing on his life, David faced enemies who hated him for no reason. He spent many days with his life hanging in the balance. But, in the end, he declared, “He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me,” (2 Sam. 22:18).  I’m wondering, is there anything you have been facing lately that just seems off the charts? Do the difficulties you face feel like it’s just too much to handle? Are you going through a situation that seems “too strong” for you?

Take heart today! There is no weight too heavy that God can’t lift it! There is no enemy too strong that God can’t overcome them! There is no miracle too miraculous that God can’t cause it to come to pass! There is nothing too hard for God in any situation, problem or adversity we may face! The enemies and hardship you face today may seem to overwhelm you but they will never overwhelm God. They are never too strong for God to handle. So, with that being said, whatever you face, give it to God and wait for Him to bring you through. God is strong enough to take on anything! We can trust Him with whatever is “too strong” for us. God can deliver you today!

“YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING!”

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“It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” Acts 1:7

 . . . . But we try to, don’t we?  We feel a pull of God on our lives; a tugging to go here, or do this, or start that – and, we begin to question Jesus like the disciples did.

We want to know is it going to happen like this.  We want the unfolding of the story now so that we will know how to proceed.  We want to know the ins and outs of His plan for our lives.  But, we don’t need to know the everything of everythings that we want to know!  Yep, I said that on purpose 🙂 !

This is the opposite of the faith walk that we are called to.  Think about it.  Abraham was called to leave the familiar to step into the unknown which brought about a name and a legacy that would endure through generations.  Hebrews 11:8 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

He didn’t know!  He didn’t know the plan of God!  He didn’t have all the details.  He just went!  By faith, he stepped out where God told him to go and he “obeyed.”  He didn’t question God and he didn’t try to figure the path out ahead of him.  He just went!

There are certain parts of the plan that God will reveal, and the rest, as Jesus puts it, “the Father has put in His own authority.”

In other words, we have to trust Him to see to His part while we obey, step out, and see to our part even if we don’t know everything.

“PROMISE IN A POP OF COLOR!”

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“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth,” Genesis 9:13

I remember a few years ago, I woke up the morning feeling, well . . . .  blah!!!  I had a headache, no energy, not feeling really with it.  It was a hard week and it was taking its toll on my body.  Since I have some days like that this week I decided to write about it again.

I remember I was looking for something to wear and I reached into my closet and pulled out a white shirt (black and white shirts are a standby for me because they usually don’t have to be ironed 🙂 – telling on myself, I know).  But, even though it didn’t need to be ironed, I put it back declaring, in my dreariness, that I needed a pop of color.

As I was going through the drudgery of ironing my pop of color I wondered to myself if that’s why God made His covenant with Noah and all the earth in the form of a rainbow.  After the rains and the storms of life, after the hardships and turmoils, after being tossed about to and fro, maybe we all need that “PROMISE IN A POP OF COLOR!”

We all need that beautiful colorful, covenant to gaze upon to let us know that everything is going to be alright.

Today, we are nearing the end of the week.  And, if your week has been like mine I send out to you this “PROMISE IN A POP OF COLOR!”  God is letting us know, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT! 

God bless you!

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“Your Content Reads More Than Your Cover!”

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My Project 418-001

“The LORD is with you mighty man of valor!” Judge 6:12, NKJV

We’ve all heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  It simply tells us that what we see on the outside doesn’t always accurately represent what’s on the inside.  Books usually contain a lot of content within their pages and when one looks at the cover it is supposed to give an idea of that content.  Sometimes covers can disappoint you.  What they show can appear to be an exciting and promising read but when you get into the story it’s simply not so.  And vice versa.  Covers can inaccurately represent some great stuff on the inside while the outside seems to be dull and dreary.

Down through the years this phrase has been applied to people, and rightly so.  As we treat book covers and their content is often how we view other people.  We judge the outside without first getting acquainted with what’s written within.  As in Gideon’s case, sometimes we apply this same judging standard to ourselves, not recognizing the promise and potential in our own person.

It’s not all about how we see ourselves – it’s how God sees us!  God said, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee,” (Jer. 1:5, KJV).  The psalmist said, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb,” (Ps. 139:13, NKJV).  What both of these verses tells us is that God knows us better than we know ourselves.  God can see inside of us where we can’t.  God knows when we lay down and when we get up, Ps. 139:2.  God knows everything about us and more!

As we do with other people we do with ourselves.  We can only judge by what we see.  God has often called and declared more for a person than they have seen in themselves.  Abraham was going to be a father of multitudes though he had no son.  God saw more!  Joseph was going to reign as second in command over Egypt though he was the bane of his brother’s existence.  God saw more!  David, out in the field tending his father’s sheep and considered to be the least in the family rose to be Israel’s greatest king and deemed “A man after God’s own heart.”  God saw more!

God sees more in each of us individually than we could ever imagine.  You may think that you are lowly and not measuring up but God sees more.  Like Gideon you might even feel as if you are the least, Judges 6:15.  But God calls you “mighty!”  God sees you as a force to be reckoned with!  Someone that God can accomplish great feats through if you submit to His will.  It’s all about what God says I am!  Your content reads more than your cover.  Be blessed today as you walk in this truth 🙂

“Walk In Peace!”

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“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee,” Isaiah 26:3

Peace is something that may seem far out of reach for most.  It is greatly desired and sought after; yet, many will never lay hold of it.  Why is that?  The answer is because of where it is found.  It is found in a made-up mind centered on who He is and a devoted heart that believes in the promises He has made.  “Perfect peace” speaks of the character of God at work.  Wherever He operates and whatever He delves into is marked by perfection.  That means when He established something that He wants to offer to all mankind He does so without there being anything wrong with it.  No fault in it whatsoever.  And He does here also.  As a matter of fact, the only thing that can mar this “perfect peace” that He is so willing to give is how man (the human race) accepts it.

When one’s mind is focused wholeheartedly on an idea, then that becomes the single vision of that person.  Once the picture of the mind’s eye is narrowed in one direction, that’s where one will be led to follow.  Now imagine a time of being in the midst of arduous and severe trials and tribulations.  Where there are sorrows and disappointments that seem to do nothing to encourage one’s focus on God, only working to tear away at one’s faith.  Yet, through it all, that person takes a stand within them and says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

The person who is able to stir up his faith in this manner as a defense and a shield to his mind, using the focus of God at work in his life and verifying it through His Word, will be kept in “perfect peace.”  He has made an on-purpose decision that no matter how bleak and dismal it may seem right now, God is greater than all, and “His tender mercies are over all His works,” (Ps. 145:9).  “How is one able to do that?” you may be crying out in frustration.  I answer you with Abraham’s example as referred to by Paul in Romans 4:20-21, where it says, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”  Simply put, as our verse in Isaiah 26:3 says, “Because he trusteth thee.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” That is including, “perfect peace.”  All His promises are in His Word and the one who bases the foundation of all that he believes on that one rock-solid truth will be upheld and kept through the worst of storms.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

“PROMISE IN A POP OF COLOR!”

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rainbow-field

 “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth,” Genesis 9:13

I woke up this morning feeling, well . . . .  blah!!!  Headache, no energy, not feeling really with it.  This week has been something else and I guess it’s taking a toll on my body.

As I was looking for something to wear, I reached into my closet and pulled out a white shirt (black and white shirts are a standby for me because they usually don’t have to be ironed 🙂 – telling on myself, I know).  But, even though it didn’t need to be ironed, I put it back declaring, in my dreariness, that I need a pop of color.

As I was going through the drudgery of ironing my pop of color I wondered if that’s why God made His covenant to Noah and all the earth in the form of a rainbow.  After the rains and the storms of life, after the hardships and turmoils, after being tossed about to and fro, maybe we all need that “PROMISE IN A POP OF COLOR!”

We all need that beautiful colorful, covenant to gaze upon to let us know that everything is going to be alright.

Today, we are at the end of the week.  And, if your week has been like mine I send out to you this “PROMISE IN A POP OF COLOR!”  God is letting us know, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT! 

God bless you this day!!!

Photo Credit: http://free-screensavers-backgrounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/rainbow-field.jpg