Bear Fruit in Old Age

Psalm 92:12-14 NIV, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,”

Oftentimes outward beauty and youth are celebrated above the beauty of growing older and gaining godly wisdom. This Psalm speaks of bearing fruit and being vibrant, even in old age. The longer we live for the Lord and continue to grow in Him, the more good He can do through us.

Photo by: Andrea Piacquadio of Hungary 🇭🇺

In God’s kingdom, we are not limited by age, looks, or our natural human capabilities and understanding. His power working in us, will enable us to supernaturally do more than we can ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Things that seem like hinderances, can be stepping stones God uses to accomplish His purpose in our lives. He can somehow shine through our imperfections to help others see the love and light of Jesus. God desires for us to flourish all the days of our lives, as we intentionally seek Him and dwell in His presence. We just need to be available, willing, and obedient to answer His call.

Vincent Ehindero Blogger Award

Thank you to Tangie @ Mrs. T’s Corner for nominating me for this award. I appreciate you thinking of me, and I’m thankful we are connected. I enjoy your blog. 🌷

Please visit Tangie’s blog. Her post are very enjoyable and inspiring, and are filled with faith and hope. 🤗❤️

QUESTIONS TO NOMINEES:

  1. How long have you been blogging? I’ve been blogging for about 3 years, but for about 2 years consistently. 👩🏿‍💻
  2. How were you inspired to blog? I used to write devotionals and email them to family and friends. Then eventually the Lord lead me to start this blog. 🖊
  3. What country do you live in and how is the weather there now? I live in the U.S.A., in the state of Virginia. The temperature has been up and down but today it is about 65 and sunny. 🇺🇸
  4. What are your thoughts (opinions) on the COVID-19 virus? It’s unfortunate that this is happening, but we just need to follow the guidelines, stay in prayer for the situation and one another, and keep trusting God for protection. 🙏🏿
  5. What are some of your happiest moments? Special times with family and taking walks in the beautiful sunshine, while spending time with the Lord. ☀️
  • Rules:
  • Thank the person that nominated you with a link to their blog: https://tangietwoods.blog
  • Post the award nomination photo
  • Post the rules
  • Nominate 20-30 other bloggers (or more) and notify them.
  • vincentehindero.wordpress.com is Vincent’s blog site, and he would appreciate you checking out his blog and consider following and supporting him too.
  • Notify Vincent of your nomination, via comment and send an email to vincentehindero@gmail.com for faster replies.
  • After notifying Vincent, he will check out your blog, follow and give you your unique award for the good work on your blog.

Vincent said to nominate 20-30 (or more) bloggers. Well the more, the merrier, so I would like to give any of my followers who would like to participate the opportunity to do so. I enjoyed Tangie’s questions so please answer the same 5 questions. 🤗

For God So Loved the World

John 3:16 NKJV, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

My mom bought me this picture when I was a litttle girl. John 3:16 is not only my favorite verse, it’s also the first verse I ever memorized. When my daughter was born, I passed this picture on to her and put it up in her room. When she left home to go to college, it ended up back with me again.

This picture is special to me, because I’ve had it so long, but even more special are the words on it. God loves us, and so He gave His only Son Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. Now through Jesus, we have the gift of eternal life. The love that God has for us is the root of our faith in Jesus. Everything we do and say for Jesus and for others should be rooted in God’s unchanging love for us.

Because of God’s love, we can face life each day and continue on in His strength. His love will never fail us. I pray you will always find confidence and security in God’s unwavering love for you.

None Like Him

Psalm 77:11-14 NIV, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.”

Photo by: Ray Bilcliff of the UK 🇬🇧

These verses really bring hope and a right perspective. God is still God and He has not changed. He is a God of miracles and mighty deeds. We can place our confidence in Him every moment of everyday. His power and love will never cease. When times get hard, we can meditate on His goodness and rest in His faithfulness. His way is perfect, His words are flawless.

Psalm 18:30 NIV, “As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

What God is as great as our God? There is none like Him.

Reflect The Heart Of Jesus

Romans 8:17 BSB, “And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

With everyone confined to their homes, there has of course been an increase in activity on social media. I guess people are looking for an outlet. Yesterday I was noticing that there is a challenge on Facebook called, “The 1st Born Challenge”. People are posting pictures of themselves with their first born child and posing the question, “Do we look alike?” Everyone is supposed to comment and say rather or not the person and their firstborn child look alike. I even saw a few people repeat the challenge with their second born child. While some of these facebookers did look like their children, some did not.

Photo by: Nadine Wuchenauer of Germany 🇩🇪

After viewing quite a few of these posts, the thought popped into my head, if we as Christians could place our hearts next to the heart of Jesus, “Would they look alike?” Would the love of Christ be evident in our hearts? Would others be able to tell we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ? Our earthly bodies can easily resemble our earthly parents on the outside, however our relationship with the Lord goes beyond the surface. Our lifestyles must show others that we are His children. People look at the outside, but God can see what is inside of our hearts.

Psalm 139:1, “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.”

1 Samuel 16:7, “…People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

As Christians, may our hearts be a true reflection of the heart of Jesus in all we say and do. Even when we fall short, may we be so close to our Savior, that we respond to the convictions of the Holy Spirit, quickly repent and choose Jesus above all else.

We can ask ourselves these questions daily… “Does my heart look like the heart of Jesus?” “Is my lifestyle a reflection of who Jesus is and does it show my commitment to Him?”

O LORD, Hear Me As I Pray

Psalm 5:1-2 ESV, “O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.”

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. We don’t have to carry our own burdens, because we can cast them on you. We give you all of our worries, doubts, fears, brokenness and pain. Thank you for promising to supply all of our needs according to your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Help us to find contentment and peace in you during these difficult times. Keep our minds sound and filled with your truth. Protect our bodies from illness and disease, and keep us safe and healthy. Thank you for comforting us through the trials that we face. You are always near, and we thank you for your continuous presence with us. Thank you that your Holy Spirit leads us on level ground as we trust in Him daily. Show us areas of our lives where we need to repent. Give us a pure heart, and help us to draw closer to You, as we diligently seek you each day. Teach us to represent you well in all that we say and do. Speak to our hearts about the things that should be a priority in our lives, and help us to obey your voice. Thank you Father for loving us with an everlasting love. Thank you for the power of prayer and the joy of thanksgiving. Through your power working in us, may we love you, love others, pray without ceasing, and be thankful always, this is your will for us in Christ Jesus. Greater is He who lives in us, than he who lives in the world! Thank you Father for who you are and for all that you do.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Have a blessed day and keep trusting in our God, His faithfulness will never end.

Photo by: Fabian Wiktor of Berlin, Germany 🇩🇪

Stay Alert, Stay Alive

1 Peter 5:8 NLT, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

Several years ago, I was living in an apartment where the landlord refused to do pest control. So I called a pest control company and had it done myself. I remember before the pest control technician left, he said that any bugs I saw from now on, would be dead and on their backs. It was true, every bug I saw after he exterminated was dead and on their backs.

I recently thought about this, and I realized it works the same way for us in our walk with Christ. If we are properly prepared when the enemy comes against us with his evil tricks, he will end up defeated, like those bugs. We must take responsibility to ensure spiritual readiness so that we can win the spiritual battles we face.

Photo by: Mike

In Christ we are more than conquerors, however we must do our part by acknowledging Him in all of our ways. We must also put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand firm in our faith and be victorious against the enemy of our souls.

I remember back when I was in the army, one of the phrases they taught us was, “Stay alert, stay alive!” We must stay alert so we don’t fall prey to the sinfulness and deception that is all around us. Blessings to you as you continue on your journey of trusting in the Lord with all of your heart. Let’s continue to pray for and encourage one another in our walk with Jesus.