Tag: hope in Christ

Random Acts of Kindness Award – 1

Thanks Mrs. Holliman @ God’s Love for this nomination. I appreciate you thinking of me. I’ve never received this award before. I know that you and Mr. Holliman have a heart for the homeless and I think that is awesome, because homelessness is a huge problem. It’s all around us. Therefore, I will share a short version of a story about a homeless lady I met named Susie.

The Random Acts Of Kindness Awards Rules:

1. Tell who nominated you and why

2. Copy and share the picture that shows the award, posted above

3. Share a paragraph of something that impacted you own life in the way of receiving kindness or how you extended kindness to someone else

4. Nominate anyone or share to your own page. If you choose to participate. Tag pingback to the original person who nominated you, or the original post

My Story:

There are so many homeless people living on the streets of South Florida. Practically every time I go in the store, there is someone asking for money. Even at the stop lights you see people holding up signs that say, “homeless need a meal” or “lost job need help”.

One day I begin to notice a homeless lady who was often sitting at a bus shelter outside of my apartment complex. When I would drive past, I noticed she was reading what looked like a Bible. Long story short, God lead me to talk to her one day after I got home from work. I ended up visiting her at the bus shelter several times. I also was able to take an offering to her during those visits. She was very thankful. She always had her Bible with her.

What made this 64 year old lady so special, is that she had a whole vision of someday opening a shelter for the homeless. Even though she herself was homeless, she said the Lord was using her to preach the gospel to others on the street. She seemed to know God’s Word very well and hearing her speak was an inspiration.

I went to be a blessing to Susie, but she ended up blessing me. She had such a passion for Jesus and was excited about the purpose and vision that was in her heart. She told me she hoped to someday work with Oprah. I have not seen Susie in months, but I think of her often and pray she is safe.

Nominees:

Great is God’s Faithfulness

Theology of a Newfoundland Housewife

WordPress13730Faith2Faith

The F Word

Wise Hearted

Jesus Will Give You Strength

Philippians 4:13 (NLT), “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

There are many things and people that will attempt to distract us as we try to follow God’s will for our lives. But we must stay focused on Jesus. He will never leave us, forsake us, or fail us. Everything we need is found in Him.

Jesus gives us strength to fulfill the purpose He has for us. He gives us strength to stay on the narrow path that leads to life. His strength helps us to endure the obstacles that come against us and try to steal our peace of mind.

On days where we feel like giving up, we can look to Jesus and find the hope we need to keep going. When we feel tired and weak, it’s His Spirit who gives us the power to stay strong. There is no weight so heavy that the strength of Jesus cannot carry it. Cast your burdens on the Lord Jesus, because He cares for you.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the strength we have through your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for watching over us and helping us to live for you. When we are weak, You are strong. Help us not to fall prey to the ways of this world. Help us to keep our hearts pure, and to keep our eyes fixed on You.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 9:10 NIV, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are much needed for us to navigate this life. Having reverence for God (fear), is the foundation of walking in wisdom. Acquiring more knowledge about who God is, is how we gain understanding about how He is working in our lives. God has always been and He always will be (Revelation 1:8). His wisdom and knowledge far exceed our understanding, however He promised to give us wisdom if we would ask Him to (James 1:5).

We will not know or understand every single thing, because God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). However, He will not withhold anything from us that He knows is good for us (Psalm 84:11). We can trust Him to equip us with what He knows we need to live victoriously for Him.

God gave us His Son Jesus so that we would be able to have a relationship with Him. Having a relationship with our God through Jesus is the way we gain knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. What a privilege it is to know the one true living and eternal God!

Jesus Will Give You Peace

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT), “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

Trusting in Jesus and keeping our thoughts fixed on him, will keep us living in perfect peace. When everything around us is spinning out of control, we can depend on Him to be steady. God is very much involved with the details of our lives, even when we feel otherwise. Just because we may not understand how He is working, does not mean He is not working.

Keeping our thoughts fixed on Him by meditating on scripture will remind us of His sovereignty over our lives. When we give our situations over to the Lord, His perfect peace will comfort us. He is with us no matter what it is we must endure.

Sometimes we wonder why God allows us to go through certain challenges, but we must trust His plans. Everything that He allows into our lives is for a reason. He can see way beyond the surface. His purposes stretch all the way into eternity. His faithfulness to us is also eternal, it will never end. Be encouraged. The Holy Spirit of God is with you.

Holy, Holy, Holy Is The Lord

Revelation 4:8 NIV, “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”

Have you ever wondered what it will be like to be in the presence of the Lord God Almighty for all eternity? I can’t even begin to comprehend the magnificence of it all. I like this verse that talks about these creatures that called out, holy, holy, holy day and night.

Some years ago I was taking a nap on the sofa, and I had a dream. Really it was so crystal clear, that it seemed more like a vision. As I was laying there on the sofa, the front door swung open. There was a bright light, and the presence of the Lord came rushing into the room like a mighty wind. I remember wanting to fall on my knees and worship Him, and tell Him I loved Him. But guess what? I couldn’t move an inch. God’s presence was so powerful that all I could do was just lie there on the sofa.

I remember seeing two beings to the right of the sofa. It’s hard to describe exactly what they looked like. There faces where glowing brightly like lights, and didn’t have features like our faces do. Actually, their whole body was glowing. These two beings, which I believe were angels, were conversing with one another, but they never exchanged any words. Even though no words were being spoken, they seemed to understand each other perfectly.

That’s about all I remember, but I will never forget that feeling I had when the presence of God entered the room. The power of His presence left me in awe. Moses had to hide in the cleft of the rock when the Lord passed by, because He could not come face to face with the Lord (Exodus 33:22). We will need our new glorified bodies in order to stand in His presence face to face.

One day we will behold His glory for all eternity. Are you ecstatic?!! I know I am!! I pray that you will experience the joy of His presence as you go throughout your day.

Blessed With Full Assurance

Hebrews 10:22 NIV, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings…”

One of the many treasures of living our lives in Christ is the full assurance that having faith in Him brings. This assurance isn’t based on circumstances, and it isn’t based on our own abilities. It’s based on who He is. We are able to have complete confidence in Him, because of His flawless character. Things don’t have to make sense to our natural minds, because His wisdom and knowledge far outweigh our own.

Nothing can replace the full assurance we receive from having God’s love surround us. We can be honest with Him about our feelings. We can give all our doubts and fears to Him in prayer, and He will give us His perfect peace. He holds our future and He holds our hand as we walk through this life. Draw near to God with a sincere heart, and find rest as you rely on Him to guide you.

His Love Is Everlasting

Jeremiah 31:3 NIV…“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

I’ve been meditating on this verse over the last few days. God’s everlasting love for us is the foundation that keeps us strong. Knowing that He loves us unconditionally, enables us to keep going, even when we are faced with the sometimes painful and unexpected situations that come our way. The steadfastness of His unfailing love is what gives us strength and hope.

No matter what obstacles you are facing, no matter what weapons the enemy tries to form against you, God’s love for you will never fail. When darkness attempts to overshadow you, the light of God’s radiant love will sustain you.

In Christ, no weapon formed against us will ever prosper. In Him, the victory is already won. God’s love for us is everlasting.