Jeremiah 29:11 NIV, “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.”
I have been thinking a lot lately about how the Lord sometimes brings change into our lives to bless us. Change allows us to experience new things. I came across this post by Vivian, “Step Into The Unknown”, it was an inspiring reminder not to be afraid to go where God is leading you. When things change, we can trust God to use the changes to work out what is best for us. It is part of His plan. Change can be scary at first, but knowing God is with us as we go through the change brings peace and joy.
Photo by: Nextvoyage of Sweden 🇸🇪
Change can lead to the desires of our heart that we have been praying for. At times, God answers our prayers in unexpected ways. Life’s greatest adventures sometimes come when we are willing to make changes, some big and some small. Trust God and embrace change.
“No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 NLT
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One thing about the Lord that I love is that He loves us. He not only loves us, but He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Therefore, there is nothing we can say or do to earn His love. He gives it to us freely. Even when things around us are unpredictable, God’s Love is the one thing that will never change. We can be sure of His perfect love. It’s true, nothing can separate us from God’s love. When we go through hardships, His love is there. When we feel alone, His love is there. We live in a world that wants to separate us from God’s love by denying His existence, but even through the denial, His love is still there. We don’t have to worry, because His love lives inside of us through His Spirit. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
I encourage you to remember God’s Love for you as you face this day, and I pray you find peace in knowing that His love is always with you.
Just in case you missed Parts 1 & 2 by Kelly and Deandra, you can read them HERE.
As I read Matthew 21:1-11, the word “GO” that is found in verse two popped out at me, and has lingered in my thoughts over the last several days.
Matthew 21:2 ESV reads, “saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.”
Jesus said, “GO”. I thought of how, like the disciples, we must be obedient when the Lord tells us to GO. The command to GO doesn’t always have to mean becoming a missionary in a foreign land, although that is a wonderful thing. We can see from this verse, that GO can be simple. GO can be something that seems menial to us, yet has an impact that changes the course of our lives or the lives of others.
What if the disciples had questioned Jesus when He told them to GO? What if they had refused to obey Jesus, because they reasoned that his request for them to GO didn’t make any sense? Things would have certainly turned out differently. I’m thankful they obeyed.
Matthew 21:6 ESV, “The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.”
The Lord prepared the way for them as they set out on their task. According to verse three, all they had to say if anyone gave them a hard time about taking the donkey and colt, is that, “the Lord needs them”. Jesus said in Matthew 21:3 ESV, “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”
When we are about our Fathers business, He will supply all we need. He will also intervene on our behalf when people or other obstacles try to rise up against us. Sometimes people will be completely unaware that they are instruments being used for God’s purposes. He has all the details arranged, we just need to choose to obey.
The Lord commands us to GO in many ways, big and small. He will strengthen us and equip us for the tasks He calls us to do. I pray that every day, our hearts would be willing to GO as the Holy Spirit leads us. Our Heavenly Father has purposeful and rewarding work for us to do, work that has an eternal purpose.
James 1:2-3 NIV, “2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
Joy may not always be our first response when faced with trials. Instead it may be fear, worry, confusion, or anger, just to name a few. Trials cause us discomfort, and tend to alter our lives in someway, and of course that is not something we are eager to embrace.
However, because we have Jesus, we don’t have to walk through our trials alone. He is always by our side. His presence with us is the reason we can, “consider it pure joy” when faced with trials. God’s Word assures us, that as our faith is tested, we learn to trust Him more and develop perseverance.
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Maintaining our faith in Jesus, and not giving up in the midst of trouble, puts us in a position to experience the joy of the Lord. Everything that occurs in our lives may not be good, but God has promised to work all things out for our good when we love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Whatever trials you may be facing today, take heart and know that God is with you. I pray His joy and love will fill your heart, and that praise to Him would continually be on your lips, as you keep hoping and trusting in His holy Name.
Last week I shared part 1 of this series, Jesus, a donkey, and His Father, by Kelly @ The Simple Preacher. Kelly reminded us of the importance of keeping our priorities straight like Jesus. This week I’m sharing part 2 by Deandra @ Imago Dei. I was enlightened as she shared from the donkey’s perspective. I never knew there was so much to a donkey! Enjoy! 🤗
Happy Tuesday everyone! My prayer is that you all are doing well today and that ABBA has been speaking to your heart in some way, shape or form. Last…
Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT, “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
So many mornings I have remembered this verse and felt joy. The mercy of Jesus is new every morning. Everyday He gives us a fresh start. Even when we fall into sin, His love, forgiveness, and mercy will meet us right where we are. All we have to do is repent.
When the pressures of life come our way, and our energy is low, He will uphold us. He will give us strength to face the day. He will not allow us to be consumed. Praise the Lord for His new mercies! Great is His faithfulness.
Psalm 67:5(NLT),”May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.”
God’s love can speak to us through any language and yesterday was one of those times. During the worship service at church, there was a song that the worship team started singing in Spanish. Being that we live in South Florida, it’s not unusual for them to start singing a verse of a song in Spanish. But usually when they do, they will then sing the same verse in English. So as they were singing in Spanish, I was waiting for the moment when they would switch back over to English. As the soloist continued in Spanish, I glanced to my right and then my left. I was curious to see how many other people looked as if they didn’t understand, like me.
As I examined the parts of the congregation that I could see, I saw some singing along word for word as they worshipped. I also saw others like myself just standing there listening. My daughter speaks Spanish pretty well, and I remember thinking I wish she was there to help me. Once it was clear to me that, “that moment” when they switch to English may never come, I decided to look at the screen that had the words on display. That wasn’t much help. I did understand a word here and there, but my Spanish skills are minimal. I could tell by the tune that it was a familiar song, so I thought I would just try and sing along in English. That didn’t work. What I was hearing from the stage in Spanish, seemed to take precedence over the English I was trying to hear in my own head.
Finally, I decided to just hum along and watch the soloist. As I watched her, her worship seemed pure and heartfelt. I could sense God’s love, not through her words, since I could not understand, but through her body language and her expressions. I could imagine that giving God praise in her native tongue was what felt most comfortable for her.
The hands and hearts that were raised to the Lord were evidence of His presence. As we all stood across the sanctuary, language did not matter. We were all there united by one thing, the love of God. When the Spirit of God is present, He is always ready and willing to do the work He came to do. He did do that work, because at the end of the service, He caused twelve souls to repent and give their lives to Jesus Christ.
I felt the joy of the Lord and saw His goodness as I watched those twelve people walk into the newness of life. They were now new creations in Christ Jesus. I wondered if that song the worship team sung completely in Spanish, could have been the reason at least one of those twelve souls came to Christ. I may never know, but this I do know, God’s love never fails.
Psalm 136:6(CEV),”Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails.”
I’m so thankful the love of God can speak to us through any language, even when we don’t understand the words.
Drawing Closer to Christ 