Category: blessings

Saturday 3/3 ~ But how powerful it is

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The scripture for today, March 4 (3/4), is James 3:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

04-Isaac&Jacob-KindleThumbnail.jpg“Take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”

James, in this scripture, is talking about the tongue being a small thing, but it can get our entire lives into a lot of trouble. Once we say things, we cannot take them back.

What do you spend your day saying to people? You do have a choice. People do more good things than bad things. Do you respond to them with more good or more bad words? It is your choice.

When you compliment someone, they will take heart and try to do that good thing even more. When you berate someone, they will lose heart and probably do the bad thing again. Years ago there was a saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Are your words honey or vinegar?

Jesus said out of our heart comes our words. If you normally say nice things to others, it shows you have a nice heart. If you normally say hard things to others, it shows you have a hard heart.  Jesus also said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Starting now, when you launch out into a new day, go of your way to say small nice things to people.  The rudder of your tongue may be small, but oh how powerful it is. It could help guide someone through a storm you don’t even know about. How powerful your words are.

 

Monday 2/26 ~ Paralysis or freedom?

On By In blessings, emptiness, good works, Loss, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 26 (26), is Ecclesiastes 2:26 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-new“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Are you happy regardless of how much wealth you do or do not have? Do you require things in order to be happy? Solomon, who wrote the above scripture, was the wealthiest man in the world, but he found it to be meaningless, a chasing after the wind. In another place in Ecclesiastes (5:10) he said that a man loving money never has enough.

Indeed, centuries later, the highly educated and intelligent apostle Paul, who did not own a home or much of anything else, explained his happiness: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11b-12).

If you lost everything tomorrow, would you panic? Or would you use God’s wisdom and knowledge to create a new happiness?  Might you look around and begin doing something you have always wanted to do but were too tied down with things to do?  If you lost everything tomorrow, might it bring a new freedom to you or paralyze you?

Saturday 2/17 ~ What do you crave?

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The scripture for today, February 17 (2/17), is 1st John 2:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail“The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

Have you lost anything very important to you lately? Has it left you feeling empty?

Were you injured and cannot participate in a certain sport or your bones are getting old and you have to get around in a wheelchair?  Did you lose a savings or part of your income and no longer can buy fancy clothes, a shiny car, a big house?  Did you miss out on being an official for a committee or community and all the importance that comes with it?

The previous verse in the KJV says there are three basic types of sins: Lust of the flesh and eye, and pride. Is your loss devastating to you? Do you now feel worthless?  Do you sometimes even have fleeting thoughts that life is no longer worth living?

Or, perhaps recently you actually obtained your heart’s desire. Were you satisfied? Or did you begin to look higher wanting a little more? Take a deep look at yourself?  Do you think you will ever be truly satisfied?

What are your cravings? Are they all that important?  Are they all that valuable?

Only one thing can ever give us what we truly crave ~ doing the gentle will of God. He is our Creator and he knows what will make us happy. Then we can have all we ever craved ~ forever.

 

Thursday 2/8 ~ And Satan laughed

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The scripture for today, February 8 (2/8), is Genesis 2:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnail“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.”

Just think: Mankind’s nursery was a garden. How God wanted to spoil us, his children. And dote on us.

He even visited us sometimes and walked with us through the beautiful home he gave us and walked with us in the cool of the evening. It was the first of many times in the future he would walk with man. It was a beautiful time.

Then jealous Satan came along and lied to us. He claimed God was our enemy. How could he say that with God providing tasty food to eat and sparkling water to drink beautiful flowers and trees and…  Well, we had everything.

Satan knew he couldn’t deny that, so he planted in their minds what they did not have. “See that tree over there? God doesn’t like you or he would let you touch that tree.  See that fruit over there? God doesn’t like you or he would let you eat anything you want.”  Oh, and the biggie. “God doesn’t want you to be as smart as him.  Evil is fun, but he is keeping you from knowing what evil is.  It’s the most wonderful thing in the world. Evil is so much fun. If God hates you that much, then hate him back.”

So, they did. And Satan laughed. They were so gullible. Too late they discovered God had been trying to protect them.

Many people even today still believe those lies about God not wanting them to have any fun. They are not true. God does not hate you. God is not trying to keep you from having a good time. The real good time is in heaven and he is trying to get you there.

Do not listen to Satan. He is the one who hates you.  Do not wait until it is too late. Turn around and try once more listening to God. He loves you beyond comprehension. And wants to spoil you. In heaven.

Thursday 1/4 ~ Finding our joy

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The scripture for today, January 4, is Philippians 1:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Medium“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”

Do your prayers consist mostly of give me this, help me with that? Begin today to keep an on-going list of your prayer requests for the year, and another one of thanksgiving for when those prayers are answered. Begin today to tell God “Thank you.”

Also begin today to look around at your circumstances ~ whatever they may be ~ with joy. There can be some kind of joy in every circumstance if you look at it through eyes of joy.

The above quotation is from a letter to Philippi in northern Greece bordering today’s Bulgaria.  Here, a majority of the citizens were barbarian-looking warrior Thracians. But these rough semi-professional warriors also brought the world joy with their beautiful sculptures.

Philippians is a book about peace and joy. This is the book that says, “And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7)

This is also the book that says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (4:13).

From now on, tell God, ”thank you,” and in the process find your joy.

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Always remember, He was…

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Christmas-Born to die

Sunday 12/24 ~ Consider the Ravens

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The scripture for today, December 24 (12/24), is Luke 12:24 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 4-FolkHero-Cover-Kindle-medium-new“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!”

In many nations right now, things are financially strained. Luxuries? No. To be able to live until tomorrow? Yes.

Which is more valuable? To impress men or impress God? A life dedicated to things impresses men. A life dedicated to doing good things impresses God.

I knew of a group of believers recently fleeing soldiers who were after Christians. They had to run immediately upon sight of the soldiers. No time to pack anything. Just run.  Escape. Run. Escape.  

To get to true safety, they had to walk a hundred miles. What did they eat?  Grass. Leaves from bushes. But they made it. They made it to safety and the loving, protective arms of other Christians.

Today, instead of a luxury, can you send the money to people in parts of the world who are struggling to stay alive? Struggling to stay safe because they are Christians?

Consider the ravens.

P.S.

Those of you with children, and you cannot get them much for Christmas: Write IOU’s to them and put each one in a box. Wrap each with typing paper if you don’t have Christmas paper. And with a red or green crayon, draw a ribbon on top. What’s on the IOU’s? “One hour of coloring with you.” “One hour of playing ball with you.” “Three hours of hiking with you.” “Two hours of baking cookies with you.” Give yourself for Christmas!

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Scripture for Friday 12/22 ~ My soul is overwhelmed with joy

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The scripture for today, December 22 (12/22), is 1st Samuel 12:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

03-Abraham-MediumCover“For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.”

Among all the pretend gods that people have worshipped, there has never been one who wants us to be his children. Islam teaches Allah made man to have someone to worship him. Islam teaches we are Allah’s servants. So sad.

          Oh, how much mankind misses by not opening up to the one and only true God.  He wants us to be his children. He wants to lavish us with his love.

          God made us because God is Love.  Love must have someone to love. That’s us, dear friends. That’s us!

Amazing love of God. It pleases him to make us his own. It pleases him! We the lowly. We the weak. We the inconsistent. We the sinners.

Let us reply, “My soul is overwhelmed with joy.”

Scripture for Friday, November 3 (11/3)

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The scripture for today, November 3 (11/3), is Luke 11:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Bible Puzzles for Young And Old-Cover“Give us each day our daily bread.”

This is part of the ideal prayer that Jesus taught his followers to say. We claim to agree with it. But do we completely?

Do we feel like it is our hard-earned money that bought that bread? Do we claim it is our ability to cook that created that bread? Do we claim it was the hard work of the farmers and their equipment that brought us the grain from whence the bread is made? Or the mills that ground it into flour? Or the stores that brought the flour to the consumers?

Ultimately we must look past all of this to that which is beyond our control. It is God who makes the sun to shine down upon the seed. It is God who makes the rain to come down to water it. It is God who places life in the buried wheat germ for it to reproduce with a flourish.

Many activities of man bring us our daily bread. But ultimately it is God the Creator who makes it all possible. He not only makes it possible for good people, he brings bread also to the bad.

He loves everyone so.

Scripture for Saturday, October 28 (10/28)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, faith, Inspirational, judging, power, Satan, Thanksgiving, truthLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 28 (10/28), is Matthew 10:28f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Medium“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”

This scripture indicates that sometimes God’s allows us to “fall to the ground” ~ our bodies suffer, or we are killed. How can that be? After all, God is so loving. Surely a good God would not allow any harm to come to someone if he truly loves them.

But we all have our assignment from God in this war between Good and Evil. Just as Job in the Old Testament lost his entire family and entire wealth and then his health, he refused to blame God. He even said, “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

Satan causes bad to happen to us. Why? In order to get us to blame God for it. Our assignment is to refuse to deny God. That way, Satan loses one more battle, and God wins one more.

There is an old Christian song called “Victory in Jesus.” How can we have victory in Jesus if we do not have something to be victorious over? Romans 8:37 says we are more than conquerors. How can we be conquerors if we have nothing to conquer?

Let us say with James (1:2) that we consider it pure joy whenever we face trials. Hard to say? Of course, it is. But it could turn your life around.