” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing:
You have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You, and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”
Psalm 30:11-12
Tag Archives: healing
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
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
Be Not Dismayed
Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
Through every day,
O’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean weary one upon His breast, God will take care of you.
Hymn- “God Will Take Care of You” by Walter and Civilla Martin
Crazy Faith
There was a time when, my family, friends, and neighbors would have thought that “Crazy Faith” would be a perfect title for my autobiography! :)
I know that this is true, because once, when I was in the final months of my pregnancy, (you know, the pregnancy that I prayed 10 years for), I heard someone talking to a neighbor, saying; “We all thought that Faith was losing her mind!… While she was struggling with her health and praying for another baby, her mother and sister would call and say, “We’re really concerned about Faith..” They thought that I was going crazy!!! I was never told this before, so when I heard it, I laughed, and said, “That’s OK… They thought that Noah was crazy too, but it sure did rain didn’t it? So, I’m in good company!”
It all began 15 years earlier, when I read Luke 8:48, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole…”, and from that moment on, there was no turning back for me… I believed it.
Of course, I myself, don’t think it’s “crazy”, but lots of people might consider it crazy to believe for something that seems impossible. Reading those words as a young 24-year-old, and believing that God had spoken to my heart, “fueled” me to move forward in faith, convinced and certain, that God would bless me, despite my physical circumstances.
Is there something that you would like for God to do for you, but you think that it’s impossible, or not important enough, or too big, to ask for?.. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is “…able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,..” The power at work in us includes our faith! Many times when Jesus healed someone, he said, “according to your faith be it unto you”, or “your faith has made you whole.”
Even if it makes you look “crazy” to those around you, or, if it’s just a secret request that you haven’t mentioned to anyone else, ask God what you will, and believe with “crazy” or unexplainable faith that, “with God… nothing is impossible.”
Smiles and Blessings,
Faith ♥
Just Ask
“They don’t have anymore wine.” she said, asking Him to do something about it. “Woman, what does this have to do with you or I?” was His reply.
She turned to the servers and said, “Do whatever He tells you to do.”
They filled the jars with water as He instructed, and took them to the headwaiter, who after tasting it, shouted with excitement to the bridegroom, “…You’ve saved the best wine for last!”
It was the first miracle performed by Jesus, at Mary’s request, turning water into wine during a wedding in Cana; and what was the outcome?
The servants, the wedding guests, the bridegroom, and the disciples, were all astonished and drawn to Him.
“Jesus did this. He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.” -John 2:11
And all because she just asked. Got a problem? Ask the Lord to do something about it!
Here it is in a nutshell;
“… Anything you ask in My Name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
– John 14:13
The Good Doctor
When they saw Him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples,
“With tax collectors and sinners He eats?”
On hearing this, Jesus said to them,
“Healthy people don’t need a physician, but sick ones do.
I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners.”
– Mark 2:16-17
The Hat Rack
Here’s a “post from the past” at my daughter’s request. Blessings! – Faith
Once, when we were visiting a new church for the first time, an elderly lady came up to us and invited us to her house for dinner. We gladly accepted, and followed her home after service. As we sat in her living room, we had a very pleasant conversation, and got to know a little more about each other. She was a long-standing member of her church, and well-loved by the congregation. Although she was elderly, she was vibrant and enthusiastic, and very happy to talk about how much she loved the Lord, and all that He had done for her. She enthusiastically shared some of her many testimonies, and I talked a little about my faith experience. I mentioned how our two children, a son and a daughter, toddlers at the time, had been miracle babies, because I was told that I would never conceive, and even so, I was still praying and believing God for another baby.
She looked at me, with a smile in her eyes, and said, “You see that hat rack over there on the wall?” I answered, “Yes.” she said, “Whenever the Lord does something for me, I imagine that I’m hanging a hat on a hat rack…and every time he answers I just keep adding a new hat. And the next time I find myself frustrated about something that I’m praying for, I just take a look at that hat rack, and see all those hats hanging there, and I’m reminded of all the prayers that God has answered, (some that I may have even forgotten), and I am encouraged that He did it before and He’ll do it again.”
I really appreciated this example and made an effort to apply it in my own life. In fact the Lord did answer my prayer and blessed me miraculously with another sweet baby girl!
When I think back on this example, it reminds me of what young David said to King Saul, when he volunteered to fight Goliath…
“David said… The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…” I Samuel 17:37
You see, the lion and the bear were hanging on David’s hat rack!!! He just took a look back, and was fully persuaded, that God would do it again. :)
“Has it been awhile since you took a look at your own hat rack?”
Surely God has blessed you and answered your prayers in the past, and hey, there’s always room for another hat, so
Just take a look back, have faith, and, like David, be fully persuaded that God will do it again!
A Clean Heart
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence; and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation; and sustain me with a willing spirit.”
Psalm 51:1-12
Amazing Grace
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
The Good Shepherd
Yes, though I walk
Through the valley
Of the shadow of death
You are with me
Your rod and Your staff
They comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
He Was Wounded, We Are Healed
“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
“Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.”
Thomas Moore
Take Courage My Heart
He’s In The Waiting.♥
“Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He’s in the waiting
He’s in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He’s never failing
He’s never failing.”
“Wait for ADONAI. Be strong, let your heart take courage, and wait for ADONAI.” – Psalm 27:14
Take Courage Lyrics- Kristene DiMarco/ Photo- Google Images
Quiet Place
“Come by yourselves apart into a quiet place, and rest a while…”
Mark 6:31
Season of Showers
“… I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing;
and I will cause the shower to come down in his season;
there shall be
Showers of Blessing.”
Ezekiel 34:26
Behold, I Am Doing a New Thing, Now it Will Spring Forth
It’s Blooming in the Desert!
After 5 years of devastating drought in southern California, the mountains and deserts of Death Valley are exploding with beautiful blooms and color!
Thus says ADONAI…
“Here I am, doing a new thing; Now it is springing up!”
“I will make a way in the desert and rivers in the wasteland”
– Isaiah 43:19
TLV
Cactus blooms in Southern California desert/Photos- CBS News
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
Wonders
“Remember the wonders He has performed,
His miracles…”
I Chronicles 16:11
Morning by Morning
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been,Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
-Thomas Chisholm
Through Trials
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.
Only through experiences of trial and suffering
Can the soul be strengthened,
Vision cleared,
ambition inspired,
and success achieved.”
Helen Keller
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Bold
Proverbs 28:1 says, “… the righteous are bold as a lion.” and in Hebrews 4:16 we’re told to come boldly before God’s throne in prayer. This is what Caleb did.
You can read about Caleb in Joshua chapter 14 verses 7-14 , and interestingly enough, the name Caleb means “bold”. Here’s his story…
Caleb was 85 years old when the Israelites reached the promised land. He was one of only two men who had survived the 40 year wanderings in the desert. After being freed from slavery in Egypt, he and Joshua were chosen by Moses to spy out the land that God had promised them. There were 12 men in all, one for each tribe. When they returned from their travels, 10 of the spies were terrified, and reported that it would be impossible to defeat these cities because they considered themselves and their own people to be too small in comparison. But Joshua and Caleb believed that God had led them to this good land and had faith that He would give them the victory.
The people believed the 10 spies. God was angry with them and because of their unbelief, they would have to spend the next 40 years walking around the desert until they all died off, leaving only their children and grandchildren to be the ones who would inherit the promised land. But God honored the faith of Caleb and Joshua.
Joshua became the leader of his people after the death of Moses, leading them into the promised land, dividing the Jordan River, and marching onto victory in the battle of Jericho. Caleb now 85 years old had remained strong in faith, and courageous in battle. In the face of battle over the land that Moses had promised would be his inheritance, Caleb boldly responded, saying:
“… the LORD hath kept me alive, as He said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake His word to Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now lo, I am now eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: As my strength was then, even so is my strength now… Now therefore give me this mountain,… the LORD will be with me, then I will be able to drive (the inhabitants) out, as the LORD said…Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb.”
He got what he wanted. Caleb was bold in his faith as a young man, and even as an old man. He knew that there was nothing too big to ask God for, and his boldness is evidence of that faith.
By faith, we are the righteousness of God in Christ, and “the righteous are as bold as a lion.”
You Can Count On It
You can count on God’s Word.
If God said it, you can count on it to come to pass.
His Word is absolutely trustworthy.
God never breaks His Word.
In Him there are no broken promises.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind.”
“Does He speak and then not act?”
“Does He promise and not fulfill? “
Numbers 23:19
The Faith Factor
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
…”Daughter, your faith has made you whole….” Luke 8:48
These are the words that the LORD spoke into my heart, on this day, November 11, 1985. Like the woman mentioned here in this story, I had seen many doctors and suffered many things. I was in need of a touch from Jesus to heal me and make me whole. I needed a miracle.
At sunrise, on that beautiful fall morning , the Lord heard my quiet cry, and took me from barrenness to motherhood. Little did I know that this was only the beginning. Miraculously, He blessed me to give birth to three children, when the doctors, and the condition of my body, said that I’d never have one.
Forever grateful…
Blessed be His Name!
“He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children”
Psalm 113:9 – TLV
Like Jabez
The bible says that Jabez, a descendant of Judah, was “more honorable than his brothers”and even though his mother named him Jabez (which means pain), he called out to the LORD and God heard him and gave him what he requested.
This is not a story about getting everything we want, it’s actually an example that there’s always hope when we pray because no matter what we’ve been through, or what we’ve been called, as children of God, we have His eye.
Jabez may not be as well known as Abraham or Moses but that’s just the point! God’s love is there for the “little guys”too and the story of Jabez reminds us that in Christ, each of us is special and uniquely significant. He cares for us and will answer when we pray.
“Jabez called out to the God of Israel, saying,
“If only You would greatly bless me, and enlarge my territory. Let Your hand be with me,
and keep me from harm, so that I might not suffer pain.”
And God granted what he asked.”
I Chronicles 4:10-TLV
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…
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!!!!
In Oceans Deep
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise… My soul will rest in your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and you won’t start now
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
-Hillsong “Oceans”
Strong
“You never know how
STRONG
you are until
being strong is the only choice you have. “
– Bob Marley
Anticipation
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5
Trusting God
To trust in God means that He is our confidence; our minds are at rest, as we rely on His word, His integrity, His veracity, His faithfulness, and His unfailing love.
We don’t often hear stories about King Hezekiah, but he is one of my favorite examples of trusting in God. II Kings 18:5, says that Hezekiah trusted God like no other king before or after him.. What a wonderful way to be remembered, as someone who truly trusted in God. In the face of danger, at the threat of war from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and even after the prophet Isaiah warned him that he would soon die, Hezekiah prayed to God, trusted Him to hear and answer, and God delivered him every time!
King Hezekiah’s sincere, unshakable, trust in God, serves as a great encouragement and example for us today, as we face life’s trials and difficulties. Like him, we too can be assured, that God cares, He hears our prayers,He sees our tears, and will not fail to deliver us, as we place our trust in Him.
This Is Only A Test
“In the world ye shall have tribulation…”
“But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that ye have suffered a while,
He Himself will restore, establish, strengthen, settle you.”
John 16:33 and I Peter 5:10
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
The High Place, I’ll Bring Down
I will make the darkness light before you,
What is wrong I’ll make it right before you,
All your battles I will fight before you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.
When you walk by the way I’ll lead you,
On the fatness of the land I’ll feed you,
And a mansion in the sky I’ll deed you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.
With an everlasting love I’ll love you,
Though with trials deep and sore I’ll prove you,
But there’s nothing that can hurt or move you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.
Although satan in his rage would tear you,
And with all his scheming arts would snare you,
Even down to your old age I’ll bear you,
And the high place I’ll bring down.
I will make the darkness light before you,
I will make the crooked straight before you,
I will spread My wings protecting o’er you,
“And the high place I’ll bring down.”
Charles P. Jones
“…I will make the darkness light before them.” Isaiah 42:16
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
Trust in God
To trust in God means that He is our confidence; our minds are at rest, as we rely on His word, His integrity, His veracity, His faithfulness, and His unfailing love.
We don’t often hear stories about King Hezekiah, but he is one of my favorite examples of trusting in God. II Kings 18:5, says that Hezekiah trusted God like no other king before or after him.. What a wonderful way to be remembered, as someone who truly trusted in God. In the face of danger, at the threat of war from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and even after the prophet Isaiah warned him that he would soon die, Hezekiah prayed to God, trusted Him to hear and answer, and God delivered him every time!
King Hezekiah’s sincere, unshakable, trust in God, serves as a great encouragement and example for us today, as we face life’s trials and difficulties. Like him, we too can be assured, that God cares, He hears our prayers,He sees our tears, and will not fail to deliver us, as we place our trust in Him.
New Morning, New Mercies
“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have 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 seeketh Him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”
Lamentations 3: 21- 26
Crazy Faith
There was a time when, my family, friends, and neighbors would have thought that “Crazy Faith” would be a perfect title for my autobiography! :)
I know that this is true, because once, when I was in the final months of my pregnancy, (you know, the pregnancy that I prayed 10 years for), I overheard someone talking to a neighbor, saying; “We all thought that Faith was losing her mind!… While she was struggling with her health and praying for another baby, her mother and sister would call and say, “We’re really concerned about Faith..” They thought that I was going crazy!!! I had never known this before, so when I heard it, I laughed, and said, “That’s OK… They thought that Noah was crazy too, but it sure did rain didn’t it? So, I’m in good company!”
It all began 15 years earlier, when I read Luke 8:48, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole…”, and from that moment on, there was no turning back for me… I believed it.
Of course, I myself, don’t think it’s “crazy”, but lots of people might consider it crazy to believe for something that seems impossible. Reading those words as a 24-year-old, and believing that God had spoken to my heart, “fueled” me to move forward in faith, convinced and certain, that God would bless me, despite my physical circumstances.
Is there something that you would like for God to do for you, but you think that it’s impossible, or not important enough, or too big, to ask for?.. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is “…able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,..” The power at work in us includes our faith! Many times when Jesus healed someone, he said, “according to your faith be it unto you”, or “your faith has made you whole.”
Even if it makes you look “crazy” to those around you, or, if it’s just a secret request that you haven’t mentioned to anyone else, ask God what you will, and believe with “crazy” or unexplainable faith that, “with God… nothing is impossible.”
Smiles and Blessings,
Faith ♥
You Know Better Than I
I put up a fight
And told You how to help me
And just when I had given up
The truth is coming clear
You know…Better Than I
You know…The way
I’ve let go…the need to know why
‘Cause You know Better Than I
If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe not knowing
Is part of getting thru
I tried to do what’s best,
and faith has made it easy
I see the best thing I can do
Is put my faith in You, for
You know…Better Than I
You know…The way
I’ve let go…the need to know why
‘Cause You know Better Than I.
Joy Williams
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
Please Consider…
“Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and lose heart.”
Hebrews 12:3
Recipe for Happiness
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!
My Time Will Come
“…The race is not to the swift
New Living Translation
“I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It…all (happens) by chance, … being in the right place at the right time.”
“Time and chance happens to them all” NKJV
Ecclesiastes 9:11
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
Sometimes…
Time goes by so slowly, and yet
“I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in His word I put my hope.”
Psalm 130:5
Breakthrough
“Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Corinthians 15:57
St. Patrick’s Day
The true story of St. Patrick’s Day, is about a simple man of prayer, perseverance, faith, and a genuine concern for others. I really like this story, and I hope that you will too!
Patrick, whose real name was Maewyn Succat, was not Irish, but English. He was born to a wealthy Christian family, and as an early teen, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland to become a slave. His name was changed to Patrick. As a slave in Ireland, he witnessed the pagan practices of the Irish, but remained true to his Christian faith, and it is said that he prayed up to a 100 times a day.
One day Maewyn escaped and took the long journey back to his home in England. After many years, he developed a deep desire to return to Ireland as a missionary. He taught the people about God and advised them not trust in pagan superstitions. He used the three leafed clover, the shamrock, to explain the Trinity,” Three in One”, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland, and after 30 years of evangelism, he died on March 17, 461 AD. After his death he became known as St. Patrick and March 17th has been named a holiday in honor of him.
St. Patrick’s Day is about the faith and sacrifice of a man who shared his faith, and the love of God, with a nation…
and for that we remember him today. ♣
Make Your Appeal, Present Your Case
“…If I were you, I would appeal to God, and would present my case to Him.
He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.
He sets the lowly on high, and mourners are lifted to safety.
He frustrates the schemes of the crafty so that they achieve no success.
He traps the wise in their craftiness so that the plans of the deceptive
Are quickly brought to an end.
They encounter darkness by day, and they grope at noon as if it were night.
He saves the needy from their sharp words and from the clutches of the powerful.
So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
See how happy the man is God corrects;
So do not reject the discipline of the •Almighty. For He crushes but also binds up;
He strikes, but His hands also heal.
He will rescue you from six calamities; No harm will touch you in seven.
In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle, from the power of the sword.
You will be safe from slander and not fear destruction when it comes.
You will laugh at destruction and hunger and not fear the animals of the earth.
For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
You will know that your tent is secure,
And nothing will be missing when you inspect your home.
You will also know that your offspring will be many
And your descendants like the grass of the earth.
You will approach the grave in full vigor, as a stack of sheaves is gathered in its season.
We have investigated this, and it is true! Hear it and understand it for yourself.”
Job 5:8-27
Two Cozy
“A friend loves at all times…”
Proverbs 17:17
Our Help, Our Hope, Our Home
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Isaac Watts
Tried and True
“As for God, His way is perfect;
the Word of the LORD is tried:
He is a *buckler to all them that trust in Him.”
II Samuel 22:31
*buckler- “a small, round shield, held by a handle or worn on the forearm.”
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
In Due Time, In Due Season
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you
in due time…” I Peter 5:6
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9
“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” Leviticus 26:4
Hope
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Emily Dickinson
In Parched Places
“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.”
Isaiah 58:11
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
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
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
His Name Is Wonderful
His Name is Wonderful, His Name is Wonderful, His Name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord
He is the mighty King,
Master of everything,
His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord.
He’s the Great Shepherd,
The Rock of all ages,
Almighty God is He,
Bow down before Him,
Love and adore Him,
His name is wonderful,
Jesus my Lord.
– Audrey May Mieir
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
If
“If my people,
who are called by my name,
shall humble themselves,
and pray,
and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land,”
II Chronicles 7:14
Rest
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
Dynamic Duo
Quietness and Trust
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,…”
Isaiah 19:15
Forgive Yourself
“There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus,…”
Romans 8:1
In The Twilight
“The period of the evening between daylight and darkness is called twilight.”
In the days of Elisha, there was a severe famine. Outside the city gates there were four men who were lepers. These four men reasoned among themselves, “Why should we just sit here until we die? If we go into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there, and if we just sit here, we will die also. Let’s go to the camp of the Syrians. Maybe they will save us alive, or if they kill us, we shall but die…
And so they rose up in the twilight, to go to the camp of the Syrians.
When they got to the camp of the Syrians, there was no one there because the Lord had made the entire Syrian army to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, and the noise of a great army approaching, and they thought that the king of Israel had hired other foreign armies to join with him to fight them...So they arose and fled in the twilight... When the lepers arrived they found an abundance of food, silver and gold. They sent word back to the king and the starving people were satisfied.
I love this story. You can find it in II Kings chapter 7. I am always amazed that at precisely the same moment that the lepers decided to step out in faith, God began working on their behalf. As soon as they arose to go at twilight, God allowed the Syrians to hear an illusion at twilight, which scared them out of their wits and caused them to leave their treasures. The lepers were on their way, had probably walked all night, but God had already fought the battle for them, He had already solved their problem.
From famine to feasting, from rags to riches, God turned it all around, at precisely the moment that they believed… in the twilight.
The next morning, with the rising of the sun, came long-awaited joy and deliverance.
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
Temple Cleansed
This is holy week, and as I thought about of how Jesus cleansed the temple, I started thinking about how, once we commit our lives to Christ, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit.
In Psalm 51:1, David prays;
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me…”
He asked the LORD to come in and cleanse his temple, (“Create in me a clean heart”), and once his temple, was cleansed, he wanted the LORD to renew a right spirit within him.
This week, as I remember the events leading up to the crucifixion, I reflect on how Christ “cleansed the temple”, and how, because of His love, and by His blood, we too can be made clean, and by His Holy Spirit, a right spirit is renewed within us.
Overwhelmed
“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer…”
“When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock
That is higher than I.
For Thou hast been a shelter for me,
and a strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever:
I will trust in the covert of Thy wings…
Selah.”
Psalm 62:1-4
The Hat Rack
Many years ago, one Sunday morning, we were visiting a new church for the first time, when an elderly lady came up to us and invited us to her house for dinner. We gladly accepted, and followed her home after service. As we sat in her living room, we had a very pleasant conversation, and got to know a little more about each other. She was a long-standing member of her church, and well-loved by the congregation. Although she was elderly, she was vibrant and enthusiastic, and very happy to talk about how much she loved the Lord, and all that He had done for her. She enthusiastically shared some of her many testimonies, and I talked a little bit about my faith experience. I mentioned how our two children, a son and a daughter, who were very small at the time, had been miracle babies, because I was told that I would never conceive, but I was still praying and believing God for another baby.
She looked at me, with a smile in her eyes, and said, “You see that hat rack over there on the wall?” I answered, “Yes.” she said, “Whenever the Lord does something for me, I imagine that I’m hanging a hat on a hat rack…and every time he answers I just keep adding a new hat. And the next time I find myself frustrated about something that I’m praying for, I just take a look at that hat rack, and see all those hats hanging there, and I’m reminded of all the prayers that God has answered, (some that I may have even forgotten), and I am encouraged that he did it before and he’ll do it again.”
I really appreciated this example and made an effort to apply it in my own life. In fact the Lord did answer my prayer and blessed me miraculously with another sweet baby girl!
When I think back on this example, it reminds me of what young David said to King Saul, when he volunteered to fight Goliath…
“David said… The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…” I Samuel 17:37
The lion and the bear were hanging on David’s hat rack!!! He just took a look back, and was fully persuaded, that God would do it again. :)
“Has it been awhile since you took a look at your own hat rack?”
Surely God has blessed you and answered your prayers in the past…
Just take a look back and, like David, be fully persuaded that God will do it again!
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.”
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
Blessed With Benefits
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and…
“Who forgives all your iniquities;
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from destruction;
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfies your mouth with good things;
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalm 103:2-5
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
Out of Many Waters
“He reached down from heaven, and rescued me;
He drew me out of many waters.”
Psalm 18:16
Can a Mother Forget?
Sometimes when we’ve been praying for something for a very long time, we begin to lose heart, and wonder if the answer will ever come. I know exactly how that feels. I remember praying and praying for God to work a miracle in my life, and sometimes, I felt that God had forgotten about me and my situation. Of course we know that God sees us always, and knows everything about our lives, but still, it is true of us as humans, that we sometimes think that our situation may not be as urgent to God as we would like for it to be.
This is so not true!
At one of my lowest points, the LORD gave me a verse which comforted me and reassured me, and to this day, this verse is very near and dear to my heart. In Isaiah 49:15-16, the Lord says, “Can a mother forget her nursing child?… Yes, she might, but I have not forgotten you… I have you engraved on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” This is how I understood what He was saying to me through this verse:
1. “Can a mother forget her nursing child?” – Naturally, the answer to this question would be a resounding, “No.” We all know how attached a mother is to her newborn baby, and so we understand the significance of this question. But…
2. “Yes, she might,” – Although it would seem impossible for a mother to forget or abandon her newborn child, it has happened, as unbelievable as it would seem, sadly, it has been the case for some mothers. But…
3. “I have not forgotten you” – God is saying that His love and care for us is even greater than a mother’s love. Infinitely greater. How so?…
4. “I have you engraved on the palms of my hands” – Here, I pictured the palms of my Savior’s Hands, which still bear the nail scars, pierced for me… And then…
5. “Your walls are continually before me.” – My situation and the circumstances that surround me, are continually before Him!… Oh, Glory to God!!
Here it is in a nutshell…
God loves you, more than you can imagine, He has not forgotten you, and your situation is continually, always, before Him.
Hold on. :)
Be Still
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof…
There is a river,
The streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her and that right early.
Be still, and know that I am God
I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Selah.
Psalm 46
Taste and See
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them.”
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him.”
Psalm 34:1-8
When You Don’t Understand
“When you can’t see God’s plan,
And you don’t understand,
Trust in His word…
Hold tight to His Hand.”
-Faithrises
Not Forgotten
“How long will you forget me, O LORD? forever? how long will you hide your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
But I have trusted in your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing unto the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
Psalm 13
About My Future
It’s Bright!
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
“Wait For It”
“Good things are coming, and the best is yet to come! We have God’s Word on it!”
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5
The Microwave Treatment
Sometimes it’s hard to wait when you’re praying for something special to happen, and I know what that feels like…
Once, while I was waiting for my miracle, I had a dream. It had been about 6 months since I had surgery and I was growing more and more impatient about having a baby. I thought I’d get pregnant right away. But that’s not what happened.
One night, I had a very interesting dream
There were two parts to this dream. First, I dreamt that we were visiting some friends for dinner and as the men talked in the living room, I sat in the kitchen while the food was being prepared. I was shocked to see that my friend was spooning raw, runny, red, hamburger meat, into taco shells and placing them in the microwave to be cooked. “YUCK!” I thought to myself, and when she had finished cooking, she topped them with all the trimmings, but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat any, because I saw the way that they were prepared with raw meat, and this really grossed me out!
In the second part of my dream, I was in a meat shop, and I was trying to buy a beef roast which was turning slowly on a spit. I was in a hurry, and I told the man cooking the meat that I had been waiting a long time, and was ready to go. He looked at me and said “I’m sorry ma’am but it’s not ready yet. I said “Are you sure? It looks like it’s done.” then he pulled out a long sharp-pointed thing, and pierced through the meat, and all of this red, runny, gook came pouring out. He was right. The meat was not ready… It was as if both parts of the dream had the same meaning.
When I woke up, I thought that maybe this dream had something to do with my healing from surgery, and how I was not yet healed up enough on the inside.
A few days later, I was sitting in the park, watching my son and daughter at soccer practice, when I saw a friend from church. She asked me how I was recovering from the surgery. I told her that I was doing fine, but that I was really ready to have another baby, “After all”, I said “I’m 35 years old!”…She was nearly 50, and told me that I was still young enough to have another baby. “God’s timing is perfect… Just be patient!..I had my last baby when I was 40 years old. ” she said. I smiled, shrugged my shoulders, and said, “But I’ve been waiting so long already.” Then she said, ” Faith, you just had surgery… You need time to heal.” She laughed and said jokingly, .. “What you want is the Microwave Treatment!!”
When she said this, I knew that it was a confirmation of the dream that I’d had a few days earlier… “The Microwave Treatment”… It was true! I didn’t want to wait any longer.. I wanted my miracle,and I wanted it now! This instant… In fact, I wanted it yesterday!!
I was reminded by this incident, that God is in control, and I accepted that He knows best. I would just have to be patient and wait…
Three years later, I realized my miracle, and was expecting our little girl.
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage…”
Psalm 27:14
Showers of Blessing
“….And I will cause the shower to come down…, there shall be showers of blessing.”
Ezekiel 34:26
Good Friday
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised,
and we esteemed Him not.
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But…
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:3-6
.
Isaiah 53:3-9
Up!
“…Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto 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
Emergency Contact
–
One morning, as I sat in the waiting room at my doctors office, I heard the receptionist ask an elderly man for his information as he signed in for his appointment. It was very quiet, as we were among the first few patients of the day. She proceeded to ask all of the usual questions and then she asked. “Emergency contact?” to which he mumbled an inaudible response. She repeated the question very loudly, “Who is your emergency contact?” And he replied, “No one.” “NO ONE AT ALL?!” she said, still speaking loud enough for all of us to hear. “No one” he replied softly. My heart sank for this man…
How sad that there was no one to be contacted in the event that something bad would happen to him.
I dropped my head and began to think about not having anyone to call, when you really needed them, and I thought about what a blessing it is to have loved ones who care. Almost immediately I thought of how much the LORD loves and cares for us, and how even if there is no one we can call in the case of an emergency, or in times of loneliness, He is always there. He always cares. And when we think that we have no one, we are never alone.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” and
“… He has said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee.”
♥
Psalm 46:1 and Hebrews 13:5
Quiet Place
“Come ye yourselves apart into a quiet place,
and rest a while…”
Mark 6:31
Perfect Season
“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under 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
I Shall Arise
“… I will look unto the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation:
my God will hear me.
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy:
when I fall, I shall arise;
when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.”
Micah 7:7-8
Bless the Lord O My Soul
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;Who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeems thy life from destruction;
Who crowns thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
“Bless the Lord O my soul. “
Psalm 103:1-5, 22
Hope
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Emily Dickinson
Comfort Food
During the most painful and trying times of my life, I discovered that reading God’s Word gave me the deepest peace and greatest comfort. I often say that during those times, I read my Bible so much,( morning, noon and night), that I actually “ate” God’s Word. I really delved deeply into it, and read as if my life depended on it, because I believed it did… I “ate” God’s Word and was comforted… God bless you.
“For this is what the Lord says:…As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you…”♥
Isaiah 66: 12-13
Perfect Peace
“I will not leave you comfortless… Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid…”
John 14:8,27
Prayer and Fasting
“…If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove from here to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
“But this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.”
Matthew 17:20-21
Exceeding Abundantly
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.”
“Amen!”
Ephesians 3:20
Snow
“Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…”
Isaiah 1:18
God With Us
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23
Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come O Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow’r to save;
Bring them in vict’ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
John Neal, 1818-66
Living Water
“…Whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life.”
John 4:14
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
Thankful
- “They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. “
Psalm 145:7
Faithful Forgiving Father
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
“And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the Righteous.”
I John 1:9 and 2:1
From Mourning to Dancing
” Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”
Psalm 30:11-12
The Peace of God
Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Double for Your Trouble
It’s Throwback Thursday and here’s a blessing times two just for you! :)
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… But there’s more. When it’s all over, the Lord often blesses 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!
Faithrises 