He just hung on

The scripture for today, July 13 (7/13), is in Job 7:13ff in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail“When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine. I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”

Job was extremely depressed. It happens to everyone sometimes. His depression was certainly valid ~ he had lost all his income and all his children in a recent storm. Now he had what the Bible translated as “boils” but the symptoms indicate he had a form of leprosy called Elephantiasis.

This particular form leads to nightmares in addition to the physical problems. Job had every right to be depressed. So depressed was he, that he no longer wanted to live, for his life no longer had meaning.

But, as miserable as Job was, he hung on. Patiently he hung on during the bad times. Sometimes during your bad times, the greatest thing you can do is “hang on” ~ be patient.

Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Job loved the Lord. Even in his misery and desire to die,  he continued to love God and trust Him.

And, although at such times you may believe your misery will never end and you will never even smile again, it will happen. The misery comes to an end. It did for Job. He got his health and wealth back and more children to comfort him. God will see you through too.

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Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail375 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS is book 2 in the TOUCHING GOD SERIES.  Each day has one proverb and a passage from Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, or Song of Songs.  Cover is original art by famed watercolorist and Christian, Betsy Kemp Thompson.  Interior is dramatic papyrus font.  Beautiful gift book.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/3epvDgU

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https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/365-pearls-of-wisdom-gods-soul-to-yours/

So gear up and take that leap

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, July 3 (7/3), is Acts 7:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible: 

” ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ “

This is part of a speech by Christian Stephen soon after the church began. He was reminding the Jewish leaders how God told their ancestor Abraham to leave his religion, home and family, and move to where God had something special for him ~ to begin the Jewish nation and religion.

But when Stephen got to the part where, since Jesus’ arrival, now God wanted his audience to leave the Jewish religion and move on to a still better one ~ the Christian religion ~ they were outraged. They were not like Abraham; they did not want to change. So, not liking the message, they killed the messenger. These religious leaders stoned Stephen to death.

Have you learned “new” things in the Bible that your religion is against? It is hard to change. You could lose your friends and family like Abraham did; you could even lose your home as Abraham did. It takes a great big “leap of faith” to follow that “new” truth you have discovered in the Bible.

But when God does the recommending, you can know he has something special in mind for you. So, gear up and take that leap!

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00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR was a coward as a teenager and his best friend was crucified. But little by little through the years, he stepped up and exhibited courage at increasing levels. How did he do it? What happened to him?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or PASTE THIS……….  https://bit.ly/2XBFXvJ  

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#courage, #Godsrules, #winintheend, #deathtolife, #pride, #Stephenunlikelymartyr, #againstyourfriends, #newbeliefs, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer  https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-7-stephen-unlikely-martyr/    

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Stretch your spirit and praise him anyway

The scripture for today, June 15 (6/15), is 1st Timothy 6:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail.” ..which God will bring about in his own time ~ God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords!”

But it’s hard to know just when God’s time for certain things in our life is. You may think it is when an opportunity arises, but something happens, and it doesn’t turn out. So later, another opportunity arises, but something happens there too, and it still doesn’t turn out.

This verse can carry you from hope to hope from discouragement to discouragement. That is because you cannot see what God sees.

Your life is like a line drawn across a piece of paper, and you have to stay on that line. But God looks down and can see the entire line at once, and he can also see everything going on around you. Those other events may not be good for you to become involved in.  There may never be a time when events around you will be good for you.

Rather than give up on God and decide he doesn’t really love you as he claims, amidst your tears of disappointment, stretch your spirit and praise him anyway. Acknowledge him. Then rest until his own time, whether it be soon or in eternity.

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0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-ThumbnailMICHEL: THE FOURTH WISEMAN is a fictional account of what may have been.  Michel decides to buy and restore the Garden of Eden down where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers meet.  But he is interrupted by a Star.  He and the other Wise Men search the world for the meaning of the star while his Garden of Eden wait so God will walk the earth there again. Then they God to Bethlehem. He realizes God is already walking the earth. He has a meltdown.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2UJitnI

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An odd way to beat poverty

The scripture for today, June 10 (6/10), is Proverbs 6:10f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Applied Christianity“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest ~ and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”

Oh! This scripture really comes to the point, doesn’t it? Perhaps during difficult economic times for some people, this can be a gentle reminder. If you can’t work for money, you can work for free. There is always work to do as a volunteer either in an organization or just by yourself. All it takes is for you to look around.

Well, if you’re already in the clutches of poverty, what will volunteering do to help the situation? People will notice you. They will notice your work ethic and your cheerfulness and your thoughtfulness.  They will know you are out of work and just might tell people looking for someone to hire. And in the process, you are helping others. That in itself can make you feel rich ~ even if you’re not.

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Applied ChristianityAPPLIED CHRISTIANITY: A HANDBOOK OF 500 GOOD WORKS gives ideas for every age group, every town size, every congregation size in a step by-step manner.  Some congregations have even used it as a class book.  Great for teen classes and home-schoolers too.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  bit.ly/APPLIEDCHRISTIANITY

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Satan loses. God wins.

000-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, June 9 (6/9), is Job 6:9-8 found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off!”

Job was suffering terribly. The Bible says he had sores all over his body. There were other symptoms listed elsewhere in Job that indicate he had a form of leprosy. Now he just wanted to die.

When you get into a life problem that seems hopeless, do you just give up and say, “God, I can’t go on like this. Just take my life right now. It’s too hard. I can’t do it anymore”?

God knows what you are going through. God knows that Satan is attacking you. When things are desperately low, your job is just to hang on. It often takes God time to shift around a lot of other people’s lives in order to alleviate your pain.

Remember, God hurts just as much when you suffer as when he watched his own Son suffer on the cross. His Son’s suffering accomplished something wonderful for others. So too, someday your suffering will somehow, in some way, accomplish something good. And ultimately, just by surviving, Satan loses, and God wins.

This too, will pass. You may not think so, but it will. You may think you will never smile again, never want to go around people again, never sing again. But you will. Just like Job.

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000-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailLAZARUS: THE SAMARITAN spent years as an indentured servant in the mines. The owner tortured him every way he could.  All for his bride, he Jewess Devorah.  Years later, he became the mine owner.  How did he do it?  Did his meeting Jesus have anything to do with it?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2AfVBoR

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Besides, why should I?

The scripture for today, June 2 (6/2), is Galatians 6:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Applied Christianity“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

In case you’re thinking people should take care of their own problems, you are right. But the term “burdens” here refers to overloads.

The main reason this is hard to do is that taking on someone else’s overloaded burdens upsets our daily routine and our peace of mind which we have worked so hard to achieve and maintain. It is inconvenient.

Just remember, it is always inconvenient for those people to have an overload of burdens. They don’t want them. Many times they didn’t ask for them. But, even if they did ask for them with foolish acts, can we not roll up our sleeves and help them out a little while (not forever)?

We do not have to take on all their problems. But we can give them relief of some of the basic problems so they can concentrate on the more serious ones.  If they need a babysitter, find one for them. If they don’t have decent clothes to go to work, take them to Goodwill.  If they’re behind financially, buy them a tank of gas. Wash their dishes for them so they can have a clean kitchen at least until the next day. If they’re behind on their laundry, take the dirty clothes and linens home with you to wash and dry yourself. If they haven’t written their parents for a year, sit with them while they write that letter. Take parts of their overburden from them.

What if Jesus had said, “Hey, it’s not my problem! Those people on earth mess up their lives all the time. Why should I leave the comforts of heaven to live among sinners and misery?” But he didn’t say that. Thank God he didn’t say that.

Inconvenient for him to take our overloaded burdens to his cross? Yes. Did he want to do it? No. But he did what was necessary to rescue us. Do you really and truly want to be like Him?

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Applied ChristianityAPPLIED CHRISTIANITY: A HANDBOOK OF 500 GOOD WORKS. Letter writing, benevolence, works for and by the handicapped, newcomers, military personnel, university students, works for Bible school class children to do, crafts, keeping your home, workplace by employee and employer, church office, worldwide missionary work, works for seniors, assisted-living homes, nursing homes, loss of loved ones, telephoning, prayer warriors, prayer partners, home Bible studies, heavenly reward. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2TQBGDF

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Pray for me

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, May 26 (5/26), is 1st Thessalonians 5:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Brothers, pray for us.”

Do you have a prayer list? Often prayers get bogged down and short because the only person we “remember” in prayer is ourselves. Well, and maybe a relative or two

There are many people who need your prayers: Your family is obvious. How about your neighbors? If you don’t know their names, pray for them by house or apartment number. What about the newspaper? Every one of those bad-news stories is crying out for prayer. The school near you needs your prayers ~ students, teachers, administrators, janitors. It doesn’t matter whether you have a child in that school; pray for them anyway.

Are you praying for the hospital workers during this time of pandemic? People who keep us safe or rescue us in the fire and police departments? How about people in food service? And the delivery trucks to bring things to us because we hesitate to go to the store? What about people in your town who are self-isolating and have to family nearby?

Who are your local government officials? Not liking them doesn’t make any difference, for Jesus said we are to pray for our enemies too. And that leads to the list of your enemies; do you have any at your workplace? Include them too. It’s pretty hard to resent someone you pray for.

One other thing you might try doing in addition to having a prayer list: Have an answered-prayer list. Write down when you pray for someone, then when it is answered. Keep it as a reminder when you are down and don’t think He’s ever going to answer your requests. God does care, after all.

And speaking of requests, by the time you’re done praying for all the other people on your prayer list, you won’t have a lot of time to pray for yourself. And that is okay too, for others are praying for you!

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I pen my thoughts to encourage souls. Most are based on one or more of my books.  Will you help me spread the word about today’s book?          https://bit.ly/3eh9Yrk

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00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailLUKE: SLAVE & PHYSICIAN is part of the spoils of war when he is 8 and his big, strong Norse father has been killed.  He is adopted by Theophilus, tribune in the Roman legion, as his slave, and helps the legion physician.  When grown, he meets Paul and leaves paganism for Christianity.  He is freed by Theophilus to become Paul’s personal physician, trying to keep Paul alive after all his beatings and lashings by pagan priests to try to stop him.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover, or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/3eh9Yrk

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Love everyone? What an intriguing thought.

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailThe scripture for today, May 25 (5/25), is Galatians 5:25f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.”

When someone is better than you in doing something, do you pick fights with them as punishment, or spread gossip about them in order to get others to quit respecting them?

Perhaps you don’t do this all the time. But what about times when there is something you feel you are really good at, but another person not as talented gets the honor? That’s when it’s hard to “keep in step with the Spirit.”

Whenever you envy someone, deep down, you consider that person your enemy. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45a).

To many, loving our enemy is the most difficult command in the Bible. Perhaps one way to love your “enemy” is to realize that Jesus loved his enemies. Every time you sin, you become one of his enemies. But Jesus keeps right on loving you, even when you don’t want to stop doing whatever you shouldn’t.

Jesus demonstrates the love of the Son of God. And here he says, if you love your enemies, you are demonstrating what the children of God do. And that is far more important than honor that goes to those you envy. Leaving behind conceit makes it much easier to love everyone.  Love everyone?  What an intriguing thought.

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I pen my thoughts and stories to touch souls. Will you help me tell people about today’s book?

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0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE.  If ever anyone deserved to destroy his enemies it was this man.  His uncle took the throne from him, the steward of his grandfather’s palace took the palace from him, his grandfather’s enemies went after him.  Yet, he smiled.  Why?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………https://bit.ly/2ywrqJi

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The coward slinked away

05-Joseph-KindleThumbnailAh, my Lord, You are the only God and you are glorious. You are powerful in love, in justice, in mercy. You are life and must ever be creating life. Woe to those who kill, for they are fighting you.  Those who lie dare to deny you. Those who boost their will over yours are siding with Satan who desires to be over you.  Ah, my Lord God, I adore you and fall at your feet.  You are beyond understanding and fill my heart with the unspeakable joy of seeing you face to face some day.

Help me see myself as others do and as you do. Open my eyes to the real me. Make me go through things that reveal to me the stuff I am truly made of.

Thank you, Lord, for providing Words in writing so I know what and who my God is and how you react to people like me. You love me so and never stop thinking about me. Lord Jesus, thank you for being willing to go backward ~ leaving heaven to dwell on earth as one of us, resisting all the temptations of Satan. You went backward so I could go forward ~ leaving earth to dwell in heaven. You risked it all for me. What if Satan had succeeded? But you stood strong, head-to-head against him, refusing to obey him, side with him, or even to give you what he dared think you wanted ~ his kingdoms. They were not his to give. They were already yours. The coward slinked away in your mighty presence.

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    I pen my thoughts to inspire souls. Will you help me spread the word?      https://amzn.to/35ZOf44

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05-Joseph-KindleThumbnailJOSEPH is storybook in the series A CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES.  Everything and everyone in life were against him but his feeble father.  He was thirty years old before the world saw him as a great man worthy to lead the nation of Egypt. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/35ZOf44

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He truly does.

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-newThe scripture for today, May 7 (5/7), is 1st Peter 5:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Oh, how hard life can be sometimes. We wonder why God doesn’t stop all the bad things. But, if there was no evil and bad things happening, we would have heaven on earth. Satan is the Prince of this earth.  Jesus said so.

How many times in a week are you anxious about something? Especially now when our world has been turned upside down and inside out with an unseen enemy that taunts the earth. Your job, your home, your children, your neighbors, your government, your health? How many times in a day do your anxieties weigh you down? Are your burdens heavy? Almost too heavy to bear?

Name them to God. Tell him all about them. Go into as much detail as you want. Then put them all on his shoulders. That’s what he wants you to do. He will carry those burdens for you while you try to rest your soul.

Indeed, this is not heaven on earth. But Jesus provides a way for us to escape in our hearts to his world.  Of course, you don’t have to escape; he doesn’t force you. But always he calls out to you, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Why would he do that? He cares for you. He truly does.

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I pen my thoughts to encourage souls. Will you help me share today’s book with someone?          https://amzn.to/2WyA0z3

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0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-newHEARTS AFIRE takes place when Jesus makes trips around the country healing people to prove who he was, and teaching the multitudes now following him how to rise above the wars and violence around them. This is novel 3 in the series THEY MET JESUS.  At the end of each chapter are life application questions and historical evidences of the events.  To BUY NOW,  click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/2WyA0z3

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