“God is far less interested in our activities and accomplishments as He is in knowing the character of our being,” -TLV
“For the Lord sees not as man sees… the Lord looks on the heart.”
-1 Samuel 16:7
Category Archives: Encouragement
The God Of All My Days
“I came to You with my heart in pieces
And found a God with healing in His hands
I turn to You, leave everything behind me
And found the God that makes all things new
I look to You, drowning in my questions
And found the God who holds all wisdom
I trusted You, I stepped out on the ocean
You calm my hand among the waves
‘Cause You’re the God of all my days
Each step I take You made a way
And I will give You all my praise
My seasons change, You stay the same
You’re the God of all my days
In my worry, God You are my stillness.
In my searching, God You are the answer.
In my blindness, God You are my vision
In my bondage, God You are my freedom
In my weakness, God You are my power
You’re the God of all my days.
Each step I take, You’ve made a way
And I will give You all my praise
My seasons change, You stay the same
You’re the God of all my days.”
– from “God of All My Days” by Casting Crowns
Lyrics- John Mark Hall and Jason Ingram
“A New Day!”
If life seems at its lowest ebb, because a day’s gone wrong,
Let not your heart be troubled, for a new day soon will dawn.
And we can never be quite sure, just what it has in store,
Since each one is so different, than the one just gone before.
As it penetrates the darkness, with its soft and tranquil beams,
It calms even the most restless soul, and brings new hopes and dreams.
So when a day’s been troubled, and the night is dark and long,
Lift up your fallen spirits, for a new day soon will dawn.
-Anonymous
True Happiness
“It’s not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes true happiness.”
-Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Harvest of Joy
“When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion,
We were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the nations,
The LORD has done great things for them.
The LORD has done great things for us; and we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
Psalm 126:1-5
The Lifter of My Head
“…You, ADONAI, are a shield around me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” – Psalm 3:4 TLV
Following By Faith
Faith never knows where
it is being led,
but it loves and knows
the One who is leading.
– Oswald Chambers
Survival Kit
“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“He Stills The Storm”
“So they cried out to ADONAI in their distress,
and He brought them out of their troubles.
He stilled the storm to a whisper —
the waves were hushed.
They were glad when it became calm
And He led them to their desired haven.”
-Psalm 107:28-30 TLV
The Trumpet Shall Sound
“O, Happy Thought!”
“For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout,
with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar
and the dead in Messiah shall rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air —
and so shall we always be with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 TLV
Like a Watered Garden
Languish Defined
“To lose vitality… to grow weak or feeble… to suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation.”
“Their life will be like a watered garden,
and they will never languish again.
For I will turn their mourning into joy
And I will comfort them,
And make them rejoice out of their sorrow…
My people will be satisfied with My goodness…”
“The LORD will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.”
Jeremiah 31:11 and Isaiah 58:11
“Hope Beyond Hope”
“In hope beyond hope, he trusted …
And without becoming weak in faith… he did not waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God.
Rather, he was strengthened in faith,
giving glory to God.
He was fully convinced that what God had promised,
He was also able to do.”
Romans 4:18-22
“Planted, Rooted, and Grounded”
“Your Word, O LORD, is like air to my lungs, and water to my soul.”
“Let Your precious Word be like my bones, like my very skeleton, which is my framework, which strengthens me and enables me to stand.
And like the blood, coursing through my veins, empowering me at every point with life, health, and healing, so let Your Word course through my veins reaching every cell, tissue, and organ.
And as the life of the body is in the blood, manufactured in the marrow, let Your Word be as a seed planted within my very marrow, life springing forth as a great tree, reaching to the heavens, bearing much fruit in my life, to Your Glory and for our good.”
“In Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.”
“From Night into Day”
“It is not hard for the LORD to turn night into day. He who sends the clouds can just as easily clear the skies.” – Charles Spurgeon
“To Everything A Season”
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and A time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and A time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and A time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 TLV
Let My Soul Look Up
I am Thine, O Lord
I have heard Thy voice
And it told Thy love to me
But I long to rise
In the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee
Consecrate me now
To Thy service Lord
By the power of grace divine.
Let my soul look up
with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine
Hymn- “I am Tine, O Lord” – by Fanny Crosby / W.H.Doane
A Fresh Start
“Lord help me to begin to begin”
– George Whitefield
“You First”
“Humility can be summed up in just two words… “You first.””
When My People Pray
“When My people, over whom My Name is called,
humble themselves and pray
and seek My face and turn from their evil ways,
then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.”
– 2 Chronicles 7:14
“Why Things Happen As They Do”
“Why things happen as they do
we do not always know,
And we cannot always fathom
why our spirits sink so low.
We flounder in our dark distress,
we are wavering and unstable,
But when we’re most inadequate,
the Lord God’s always able-
For though we are incapable,
God is powerful and great,
And there’s no darkness of the mind that
God can’t penetrate…
And while He may not instantly
unravel all the strands
Of tangled thoughts that trouble us,
He completely understands-
And in His time, if we have faith,
He will gradually restore
The brightness to our spirits
that we’ve been longing for.
So remember there’s no cloud too dark
for God’s light to penetrate
If we just keep on believing
and have faith enough to wait.”
-Helen Steiner Rice
Peace Be Yours
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God
and of Jesus Christ our Lord.”
-2 Peter 1:2
Take Courage
Look ahead
with courage
Trust God
and
Be strong
Joy
comes in the morning
and
Again will come
the dawn.
“He Watches Over You”
“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains — from where does my help come?”
“My help comes from ADONAI, Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip.
Your keeper will not slumber.
Behold, the Keeper of Israel
neither slumbers nor sleeps.
ADONAI is your keeper. ADONAI is your shadow at your right hand.
The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
ADONAI will protect you from all evil.
He will guard your life.
ADONAI will watch over your coming and your going
From this time forth and forever more.”
Psalm 121 –Tree of Life Version
“My Strength, My Shield, My Song”
“The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped:
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices;
And with my song will I praise Him.”
Psalm 28:7
“Happiness” In The New Year!
He Knows Just How You Feel😢
Jesus knows how you feel…
He’s been there.
Once, while recovering from a near death experience, I felt so hurt, and so low, that I actually told my son;
“I feel as though God has forsaken me!… I feel bad about saying it, but that’s just how I feel.”
In the severity of my pain and suffering, I felt that God had abandoned me.
My son looked at me with such compassion and said, “It’s OK mom, Jesus knows how you feel.
He knows what it’s like to feel forsaken, because as He was dying on the cross, He said,
“My God, My God, Why have You forsaken me?”
He knows how you feel, but He has not forsaken you.”
This was a tremendous comfort to me, and I hope this brings comfort to you too.
God loves you, and no matter what you’re going through, He knows just how you feel.
God of All My Days
In my worry, God
You are my stillness
In my searching,
God You are the answer
In my blindness, God
You are my vision
In my bondage, God
You are my freedom
In my weakness, God
You are my power
You’re the God of all my days.
Each step I take
You’ve made a way
And I will give you all my praise
My seasons change
You stay the same
You’re the God of all my days
*****************************
from “God of All My Days”, – Casting Crowns
Lyrics- John Mark Hall and Jason Ingram
Wanna Bees
“Be
joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:12
A New Day
If life seems at its lowest ebb, because a day’s gone wrong,
Let not your heart be troubled, for a new day soon will dawn.
And we can never be quite sure, just what it has in store,
Since each one is so different, than the one just gone before.
As it penetrates the darkness, with its soft and tranquil beams,
It calms even the most restless soul, and brings new hopes and dreams.
So when a day’s been troubled, and the night is dark and long,
Lift up your fallen spirits, for a new day soon will dawn.
-Anonymous
My Shepherd
ADONAI is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of ADONAI forever.”
Psalm 23- TLV
Way Maker, Chain Breaker
“If you’ve got pain
He’s a Pain Taker
If you feel lost
He’s a Way Maker
If you need freedom or saving
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a Chain Breaker”
Lyrics from “Chain Breaker” by Zach Williams
Expect The Good
“When Almighty God is with you,
Good things will happen
in you, around you and through you.
Expect this to happen to you today!”
Joseph Prince
True Love
“This is love:
Not that we loved God, but that He loved us,
and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
I John 4:10
Poured Out
“I am poured out like water, … all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.”
“Trust in Him at all times; …
Pour out your heart before Him:
God is a refuge for us.”
Selah.
Psalm 22:14 and 62:8
A Time of Reckoning
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18
To reckon, is to establish by counting or calculation, and today, as I struggle with pain and limitations as I recover from surgery, I am reminded that, in calculating the number of difficulties and painful events that have occurred in my life, I am encouraged and inspired to think of what God has in store for those who love Him, those who are called according to his purpose. Paul, in reckoning all of his pain and suffering, just lays it out there for us in II Corinthians 11:24-27; “… five times received I forty stripes save one. I was beaten three times with rods, stoned once, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, (that’s me today, lol ), in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”
I don’t suppose that many of us can say that we’ve suffered to this extent, and I’m in no way trying to belittle anyone else’s experience, yet Paul kept moving forward and I’m so glad that he did because during these tremendous hardships, He wrote most of the epistles of the New Testament. Most of them from prison. In light of all of this, and considering the hardships that we may be facing, we too can reckon that none of it compares to the glory that shall be revealed in us, as we, like Paul, keep moving forward and looking up…
God is Faithful
Your Red Sea Too Will Part
One day, your Red Sea will part,
and you will walk right thru
one day, you will see God’s plan
and all He has in store for you.
One day, He will lead you out,
and you’ll be in the promised land
one day, you’ll come to understand
your times have been in His hand.
One day, He will send His light,
and you’ll see His mighty power
one day, you’ll know He has been
with you in your darkest hour.
One day, He will rescue you,
and you’ll be free at last . . .
one day, you will praise Him
for the things He brought to pass.
One day, He will send His manna,
and you will be filled with peace
one day, your Red Sea too will part
and your joy will never cease.
One day, you will look back,
and tell of your wilderness story
one day, you will be thankful
and you’ll give God all the glory!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isaiah 43:19
King James Version
“Behold, I will do a new thing;
now it shall spring forth;
shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.
Copyright 2013
Deborah Ann Belka
Double For Your Trouble
There isn’t anything that we go through, that hasn’t first been permitted by God. This may be a little hard to accept sometimes, but it’s true, and in the end we’ll see that it was only allowed for our good… And that’s not all.
When it’s all over, the Lord will bless you in such a way that you receive “double for your trouble”, and sometimes even more.
Remember when the LORD told Abraham, way back in the beginning before Sarah was even pregnant, that he would be the father of a huge nation and this nation would be slaves in a foreign land, and that they would be there for over 400 years, but He would deliver them with a mighty Hand and they would come out with great substance?( Meaning they would come out with great riches.) Well 400 years of slavery is a long time for people to spend working for no pay, and the bible says that the morning after the first Passover, the Egyptians just started giving the Hebrews anything they wanted and they “spoiled” the Egyptians. Psalm 105:37 says, “He brought them forth also (out of Egypt), with silver and gold.” And we all know the story of Job who, after he had so tremendously suffered, received twice as much of all that he had before.
Think about it. Hasn’t God brought you out of trouble and then blessed you? It could be that He blessed you monetarily, or restored your health, or blessed your family, or even blessed you with wisdom, in preparation for the blessings yet to come.
In Isaiah 61:7, the LORD says, ” For your shame you shall have double...” and if God says it, that settles it!
So if you’re going through a rough time right now, be encouraged…
You’re gonna be blessed DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE!!!!
Out of Many Waters
” I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
“He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
He drew me out of many waters.”
Isaiah 46:4 and Psalm 18:16
Stand Still and See
And Moses said unto the people,
“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew you…
for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.”
Exodus 14:13
The Barometer
“Circumstances are not the barometer of God’s love and goodness – the cross is.”
“Do you feel as though God isn’t answering your prayers? Are you tempted to doubt His love and goodness?
When I feel this way, I have to remind myself that my circumstances aren’t the barometer of God’s love and goodness—the cross is. He has shown His love and how good He is by giving His only Son Jesus to die for our sin. We can’t rely on our feelings. But day by day as we choose to trust Him more, we learn to believe with confidence that God is good—all the time.”♥
-Anne Cetas
Suffering
Suffering may endure for a season
And we wonder when relief will come.
Is this for a time of testing
A really deep trial for some?
Day by day we endure our heartaches,
Often questioning why,
We don’t seem to fully understand
And we come before God with a sigh!
“Just quiet yourself in My presence,” He says,
“I have blessings for you in store,
This time with me will be precious,
Even more than ever before.”
The wonderful promises in God’s Holy Word
Bring comfort, encouragement and peace,
And as we nestle up close to Him.
Our Faith brings sweet release.
So let us joyfully praise the Lord,
If, through suffering we can learn,
Truths that will help to guide our way,
And His Word more clearly discern.
Elsie K. Young
I Will Rise
“Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.
Though I have fallen— I will arise.
Though I sit in darkness. The Lord is my light.”
Micah 7:8
Spring Training
Get Ready…
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?” Isaiah 43:19
“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.” Isaiah 58:8
Every Morning
“God of second chances, Your mercies are new every morning, and by Your grace
we can begin again!”
A Place of Forgetting
Happy New Year!
“…This one thing I do
Forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forward to
those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”
Philippians 3:13-14
To Those Who Stand and Wait…
“When I consider how my light is spent
Before half my days, In this dark world and wide
And that one Talent which is death to hide,
Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, least He returning chide,
Doth God exact day-labor, light denied
I fondly ask; But patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts, who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best, His State
Is Kingly. Thousands at His bidding speed
And post o’re Land and Ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
“On His Blindness” by John Milton 1608-1674
Perfect Timing
“As for God, His way is perfect:” Psalm 18:30
“There is a time for everything:” Ecclesiastes 3:1
God’s timing is perfect!
Unquenchable, Inseparable
“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it ”
“For I am persuaded
that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor demons,
nor things present nor things to come,
nor principalities nor powers,
nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Song of Solomon 8:7
Romans 8:38-39
We’ve Come This Far
We’ve come this far by faith,
Leaning on the Lord;
Trusting in his Holy Word.
He’s never failed us yet.
Oh! Oh-Oh-Oh! Oh-Oh-Oh!
Can’t turn around, Oh no!
We’ve come this far by faith.
Albert Goodson
It’s About Time
“As for God, His way is perfect:” Psalm 18:30
“There is a time for everything:” Ecclesiastes 3:1
God’s timing is perfect!
After The Rain
“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,”
“He is like dawn’s first light,
like bright sun, blazing on a cloudless morning,
glistening on grassland,
that flourishes
after a rain shower.”
Luke 1:78
II Samuel 23:4
Every Single Day
Happy Ending
“Behold, we count them happy who endure.
You have heard of the patience of Job,
And have seen the end of the Lord;…
The Lord is very compassionate, and of tender mercy.”
James 5:11
“And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job,… and gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Job 42:10
Spring Forth
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
Breakthrough
“Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Corinthians 15:57
Spring is Just Around The Corner!
“Behold, I will do a new thing;
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
And rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:19
It Doesn’t Matter What Things Look Like…
“For we walk by faith and not by sight.”
Garment of Praise
“Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”
Isaiah 61:3
Put on the garment of praise
For the spirit of heaviness
Lift up your voice to God
Praise with the Spirit
And with understanding
O magnify the Lord
Lift up the hands that hang down
Lift up the voice now still
Give unto God continuous praise
Sing forth from Zion’s hill
Sing to Yahweh, alleluia
Worship and praise our God
Love and adore Him
Bow down before Him
O magnify the Lord!
David Ingles
Seems Like Only Yesterday…
My how time flies!
Just wanted to share my good news with you. Yesterday I blogged my 500th post at Faithrises and this is my award!
So happy to have been blogging and sharing here and a special thank you to all of you who have visited, liked or followed Faithrises.
God Bless you!
Love, Faith♥
Bold
“The righteous are bold as a lion.”
“A lion… strongest among beasts,… turns not away for any.”
Proverbs 28:1 and 30:30
Spring is Coming
“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.”
-Author Unknown
Quiet Place
“Come ye yourselves apart into a quiet place, and rest a while…”
Mark 6:31
Peace On Earth
“Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
Neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27
How Long?
O LORD, how long will You forget me? Forever?
How long will You look the other way?
How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
With sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
,,,I trust in Your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because You have rescued me.
I will sing to the LORD because
He is good to me.”
Psalm 13
Hope is Near
There can be miracles … when you believe.
Though hope is frail,
Its hard to kill.
Who knows what miracles you will receive
When you believe,
Somehow you will…
You will when you believe
They don’t always happen when you ask
And its easy to give in to your fears
But when you’re blinded by your pain
Can’t see your way safe through the rain
A small, but still resilient voice, says
“Hope is very near”
-Kenneth Edmonds and Stephen Schwartz
Things Unseen
“It gives me a deep, comforting sense, that things seen are temporal…
and things unseen are eternal.”
Helen Keller
Harvest of Joy
“When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion,
We were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the nations,
The LORD has done great things for them.
The LORD has done great things for us; and we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
Psalm 126:1-5
Monday Motivation
“Lord, when I feel that what I’m doing is insignificant and unimportant,
Help me to remember that everything I do is significant and important in Your eyes,
Because You love me,
And You put me here, and
No one else can do what I am doing in exactly the way I do it.”
― Brennan Manning
Through Hardship
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny…”
C.S.Lewis
Question
“Is any thing too hard for God?” Genesis 18:14
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:27
ANSWER
“With God nothing shall be impossible.”
Luke 1:37
Rest
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
Triumph In Times of Trouble
“Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.
And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.
Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us.” -Romans 5:3-5
Forget About It
“Forget about the past and look forward to what lies ahead,”
Philippians 3″13
Forgive Yourself
“There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus,…”
Romans 8:1
Gracious Guidance
“…Therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you,
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
This is the way, walk in it,
when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:18-21
When We Fail
“There is nothing you can do today to make God love you more,
and there’s nothing you can do to make Him love you any less…
it’s not enough that you know that God loves everyone.
You need to know and believe that He loves you,
and let that revelation burn in your heart,
especially when you fail.”
Joseph Prince
Think
“…Whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Philippians 4:8
When Dreams Seem Dim
“When dreams seem dim,
And you can’t see your way through,
Just rest in Him,
Who is Faithful and True.”
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True,…”
Revelation 19:11
The Path to Peace
-
- O God, our Heavenly Father,
- Give me the grace to accept the things I cannot change,
- The courage to change the things that I can,
- And the Wisdom to know the difference.
-
- Living one day at a time,
- Enjoying one moment at a time,
- Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
- Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is,
- Not as I would have it,
- Trusting that You will make all things right,
- If I surrender to Your will,
- So that I may be reasonably happy
- In this life,
- And supremely happy
- With You forever in the next… Amen
-
- Reinhold Niebuhr
Precious
“He cuts out rivers among the rocks; and His eye sees every precious thing.”
Job 28:10
Happy Day
“This is the day which the LORD has made; Let’s rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24
Just Float
“When you sense that your dark night is one of pregnancy and oceanic return,
You could react accordingly and be still.
Watch and wonder.
Take the human embryo as your model.
Assume the fetal position, emotionally and intellectually.
Be silent.
Float in your darkness, as if it were the waters of the womb,
And give up trying to fight your way out or make sense of it.”
Thomas Moore
Fly like an Eagle
“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
They shall run, and not be weary;
And they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Prospered, Favored, Promoted
“This morning before dawn, I opened my Bible to the story of Joseph.
Genesis 39 and 40
He was sold into slavery, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison, but…
Because God was with him,
He prospered as a servant in Potiphar’s house.
He was favored in jail by the warden, and
He was promoted by Pharaoh.
So, be encouraged and trust in God.
Because no matter what things looks like…
God is with us. ♥
He is Risen
“Christ the Lord is risen indeed! “
Deeply Loved
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love…” Jeremiah 31:3
“My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ
and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.”
Brennan Manning
Strength for Today
“…Be not anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall be anxious for itself”
Matthew 6:34
“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it only empties today of its strength.”
Charles Spurgeon
Total Makeover
“The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Arise, and go down to the potter’s house,…
there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD.”
“Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand...”
Jeremiah 18:1-6
Broken
“Sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can fall together.”
Quietly Wait
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: Great is Thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him,
To the soul that seeks Him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”
“In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.“
Lamentations 3:21-26 and Isaiah 30:15
As You Are
“God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
-Romans 5:8
Happy New Year
Behold, I will do a new thing;
now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43: 18-19
Double For Your Trouble
“Forty percent of people surveyed, said that 2013 was not a good year for them, and many of us would agree, so here’s some good news, and I hope that your blessings are double and running over in the coming New Year! “- Faith ♥
There isn’t anything that we go through, that hasn’t first been permitted by God. That may be a little hard to accept sometimes, but it’s true, and in the end we’ll see that it was only allowed for our good… But there’s more. When it’s all over, the Lord will bless you in such a way that you receive “double for your trouble”, and sometimes even more.
Remember when the LORD told Abraham, way back in the beginning before Sarah was even pregnant, that he would be the father of a huge nation and this nation would be slaves in a foreign land, and that they would be there for over 400 years, but He would deliver them with a mighty Hand and they would come out with great substance?( Meaning they would come out with great riches.) Well 400 years of slavery is a long time for people to spend working for no pay, and the bible says that the morning after the first Passover, the Egyptians just started giving the Hebrews anything they wanted and they “spoiled” the Egyptians. Psalm 105:37 says, “He brought them forth also (out of Egypt), with silver and gold.” And we all know the story of Job who, after he had so tremendously suffered, received twice as much of all that he had before.
Think about it. Hasn’t God brought you out of trouble and then blessed you? It could be that He blessed you monetarily, or restored your health, or blessed your family, or even blessed you with wisdom, in preparation for the blessings yet to come. In Isaiah 61:7, the LORD says, ” For your shame you shall have double...” and if God says it, that settles it!
So if you’re going through a rough time right now, be encouraged…
You’re gonna be blessed DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE!!!!
Peace on Earth
“Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27
Suffering
For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment
worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory.
2 Corinthians 4:7
Suffering may endure for a season
And we wonder when relief will come.
Is this for a time of testing
A really deep trial for some?
Day by day we endure our heartaches,
Often questioning why,
We don’t seem to fully understand
And we come before God with a sigh!
“Just quiet yourself in My presence,” He says,
“I have blessings for you in store,
This time with me will be precious,
Even more than ever before.”
The wonderful promises in God’s Holy Word
Bring comfort, encouragement and peace,
And as we nestle up close to Him.
Our Faith brings sweet release.
So let us joyfully praise the Lord,
If, through suffering we can learn,
Truths that will help to guide our way,
And His Word more clearly discern.
Elsie K. Young
Marvelous Light
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light…”
I Peter 2:9
Poured Out
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after thee, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Deep calls unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 42
I Will Carry You
“Through the fire, Through the storm, Through the valley, Through the desert, Through it all.”
Through the Fire:”When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Isaiah 43:2
Through the Storm:“And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm…He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”
Mark 4:39 and Psalm 107:29
Through the Valley: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4
Through the Desert: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth ; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. “
Isaiah 43:19
Through it All:
“Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
Isaiah 46:4
Trusting God
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
and lean not unto your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Quietness
“In quietness and confidence is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15
He’s Sweet, I Know
He’s sweet I know
He’s sweet I know
Storm clouds may rise
And strong winds may blow
But, I’ll tell the world
Wherever I go
That I have found a Savior
And He’s sweet I know
Mahalia Jackson
Waiting on God
“Truly my soul waits upon God: from Him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
They only consult to cast Him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.”
Psalm 62
Out of Many Waters
“He reached down from heaven, and rescued me;
He drew me out of many waters.”
Psalm 18:16
It’s By Design
“…Being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will…”
“…We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose…”
Ephesians 1:11 , Romans 8:28
We Can’t… God Can
Why things happen as they do
we do not always know,
And we cannot always fathom
why our spirits sink so low.
We flounder in our dark distress,
we are wavering and unstable,
But when we’re most inadequate,
the Lord God’s always able-
For though we are incapable,
God’s powerful and great,
And there’s no darkness of the mind
God cannot penetrate…
And while He may not instantly
unravel all the strands
Of the tanglesd thoughts that trouble us,
He completely understands-
And in HIs time, if we have faith,
He will gradually restore
The brightness to our spirits
that we’ve been longing for.
So remember there’s no cloud too dark
for God’s light to penetrate
If we keep on believing
and have faith enough to wait.
Helen Steiner Rice
Word to the Weary
Jesus said:
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Right as Rain
” You are the righteousness of God in Christ” – II Corinthians 5:21
“When you believe right,
You will live right
You will receive right
Everything will be alright.”
Joseph Prince
“
Rise and Shine
Arise, shine; for thy light has come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1
Amazing Grace
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T’was grace that taught…
my heart to fear.
And grace, my fears relieved.How precious did that Grace appear…the hour I first believed.
The Lord has promised good to me…His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be…
as long as life endures
Through many dangers, toils and snares…
I have already come.
T’was grace that brought me safe thus far…
and grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years…
bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise…
then when we’ve first begun.
John Newton
Forever Faithful
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I Am He,
I Am He who will sustain you.
I have made you, and I will carry you;
I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.”
Isaiah 46:4
Faithrises 