https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%204%3A12-13&version=NIV

The Word of God is very important! It is our Bread of Life (John 6:35). In fact, it is actually God who became flesh. Jesus was present in the creation, as told about in Genesis and referenced in John 1. Not only is it life, but Hebrews 4:12-13 mentions that it is truth.

That is so needed in these times….the proper truth being uncovered. There are many people out there claiming to have the accurate viewpoints on life. Jesus has come to cut through the lies. Just like light and darkness, the light is going to drown out the darkness. Jesus is the light, as mentioned in John 8:12. Let us flood our minds and hearts with His Word!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2041%3A10&version=NIV;KJV

Isaiah 41:10 has been my life verse. Why? it is because I am, unfortunately, a person who naturally gets afraid. It has been a verse that gets me to stop and refocus.

This Sunday Pastor Kevin highlighted the factor that our attacks happen in our mind; Satan loves to work on our flawed ideas. In Philippians, I believe Chapter 4, it encourages the believer to think or dwell on what is uplifting. Paul encourages a person to pray about everything, to not try to figure things out alone. What a timely chapter, and Isaiah 41:10, to help set the mood for me and Alan as we attempt to seek God this week (and throughout 2022). I encourage everyone to examine what they put in the mind, and how they channel the concerns and fears of the mind. Praying is what Christ did daily; so it speaks of the necessity of it for our lives.

   https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2019%3A7-14&version=KJV

       I wanted to focus this devotional on Psalm 19, verses 7-14. It shared how holy, without fault, God’s Law is.  First of all, His Laws do not leave a person feeling beat up.  Obeying His instructions gives refreshing to a soul. Secondly, Jesus gives witness to them….He can be trusted.

       I was thinking about the laws of man, and how many times they leave a society feeling put under a burden.  For instance, the most recent vaccination mandate.  It just seems such an overkill to attack people’s livelihood to encourage vaccinations.  I bet many more people would have taken the vaccinations if it wasn’t pushed on everybody.  Jesus was and is the only perfect God/man.  That is why He can be trusted.

     Since Jesus is God and He is perfect, we can trust His Laws are without fault.  He, through His Spirit, has testified to their validity. He gives us truth and enables us to see clearly. King Jesus is worthy of obeying at all times!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2013%3A15&version=NIV

     Job 13:15 appeared on my calendar today….what a statement of faith!  Job had such a reverance and trust in God his creator, that it didn’t phase him all the trials he was going through.  His heart and mind was staid on Jehovah.  Our relationship with our Savior should be focused so much on how much God loves us,  it will erase any doubts or fears we may have (1 John 4:18).

     I believe our downfall is when we begin to make our problems the central focus of our lives, instead of recounting the nature of God and His many promises.  Is God like us?  No!  He is so beyond our understanding (Ephesians 3:20)!  In closing, I would like to leave the thought of His being our Redeemer….He fulfills the lack that every man has.  Jesus, through His Spirit, will answer ever need.  He has paid the price!  Here is a song by Nicole C. Mullen.🙂

    

Romans 8:18

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

This statement from Paul fits in perfectly with the sermon given this morning, based off of Exodus 17. God clearly wants to reveal to all of us where our hearts are at, when we go through the times of testing. It is not for us to complain or challenge God. Let us take courage and hope in the promise that our sufferings will not last forever, but will soon pass.

If we will learn to refocus our attention on Christ and not base our view of ourselves on our emotions or the situations we are facing, then we will find ourselves breaking the ugly chain of bitterness and depression. Instead, we will find ourselves basking in the confidence of who we really are in Christ, and will be utilizing the grace Christ has given through faith in Him. Oh how I want to daily have a heart after Him and His truth! No more measuring myself by past experiences, but by what God has said in His Word!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A22-26&version=NIV

This afternoon I wanted to talk about a topic that is the center of the Christian walk. I was looking at Galatians 5:25, and it reminded me of how to walk righteously…. Christ is righteous (1 Peter 1:16).

When we abide in Christ (John 15) and let His Spirit work in our lives, we will be exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit. It won’t be a case of people just hearing words coming from our mouths, but of actions. The Spirit is our power.

With His power, we will be able to be witnesses to this dying world. This includes our relationships within the Church. People will observe how we relate to each other, and subsequently it will lead them to Jesus. My prayer is that God will help us crucify the old man, so we can walk in new life! Amen!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?interface=amp&search=Romans%202%3A7&version=NIV&interface=print

This morning my Husband and I had as one of our verses, Romans 2:7. In this verse, Paul was sharing how those who were diligent/persistent in their obedience to Christ would gain eternal life. That is so important for all of us to remember!

It reminded me that we should spend our lifetime choosing the things that would please our Savior. In doing so, it is actually life giving. It maybe tiring and difficult,but the end result is life forever…we will not be experiencing trials forever. We need to put on our spiritual armor and run the particular race He has placed for each one of us to accomplish. Through Him we are more than conquerors! We will leave this world full of life, compared to the sinners we all come into the world as.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204%3A8&version=NIV

I felt led to share this verse from Philippians 4 today…I have had a struggle lately with what I dwell on in life.  That is, quite honestly, why it has been many days I haven’t published a blog.  Paul gave us a pointer of what we should be spending our time thinking and meditating on.

I got to thinking, as I went down the things to focus on, how our Savior fits every one of these categories.  Our Lord is pure, He is lovely, He is just, He should be praised!  When we get discouraged or upset in any way, we need to focus on His Word and the promises in it! 

When we are saturated in thoughts of Him, we will be able to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. We will not be exhibiting the warped thoughts of the world; but, we will be renewing our minds through His word. The world will see Jesus.

Today the Lord was impressing on me the importance of His being the Head of the Body of Christ.  In chapter 4 of Ephesians, Paul was mentioning that being a servant of Christ entails being one with each other. What makes us one, you may ask, it is His Spirit. He is peace, and He has broken down every wall…amen (Ephesians 2:14)!

Christ’s Spirit brings us peace and reconciliation with God. He is our salvation! It is up to us to follow His way. It was great hearing the study this morning, in Genesis 43, mentioning the fact that though we are guilty and human it is fitting to admit this. When we do, and look to Christ, we will experience forgiveness and freedom.