Tag: salvation

His Goodness and Mercy

Psalm 23:6 KJB, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

This verse is a regular prayer of thanksgiving for me. I find myself telling God often that I’m thankful for His goodness and mercy that follow me all the days of my life. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for His goodness and His mercy. The fact that He is good, and has mercy on us is a big part of the reason we are even still here today.

His goodness and mercy is an extension of His great love for us. Remembering how good and merciful God is, is a humbling thought. Because He is so good and merciful to us, we can extend the same thing to other people.

What a joy it is to know that the Lord’s goodness and mercy is following us everyday. What an honor and a privilege it is to worship the Lord and dwell in His house forever.

He’s Still God

James 4:10 NIV, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Not too long ago I was talking to the Lord about some issues I was having, and I heard Him speak these words to my heart, “I’m still God.” When I heard God speak those words to me, I immediately felt peace. No matter what we may go through, He is still God. When our hearts are humbled before Him, it opens the door for Him to be God in our lives. He has promised to lift us up when we are intentional about remaining humble before Him.

Photo by: homethods.com

This picture reminds me of the absolute beauty that is found in having humility before God. The same God who commands the oceans to be still, is the same God who calms the storms in our lives. It’s not all about the words we speak to God, or the things we do for God, but instead it’s all about who He is. It’s about what He says and what He does.

Humility allows us to experience who God is, and the blessings He wants to give us. Remain humble before God, and remember that no matter what happens…

He’s Still God.

Hidden Safely With Christ

Colossians 3:2-3 NIV, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

I’ve been meditating on these verses over the last couple of days. They remind me that my priority should be on eternal things. Earthly things should not take precedence over the things that matter most to the Lord.

It can definitely be a challenge trying to stay focused on what matters most to the Lord. The responsibilities we have in our personal lives, along with the allure of the world, make it difficult to set our minds on things above. It’s like we’re in a constant game of tug of war. Although we want to do what is right, we sometimes choose what is easy instead. Following Jesus is not usually an easy path. Staying committed to Him takes perseverance.

Placing our focus on Jesus, will help us to have a better understanding of what it means to diligently seek God. We will see life and people from His perspective. There will be many impostors throughout our journey, but when our minds are set on Him, we won’t be fooled by a counterfeit.

Our lives are hidden with Christ in God. The covering that the Father has over us, will protect us. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. Don’t be discouraged. When things get tough, look up to Jesus! He is an ever present help in times of trouble.

O Taste And See

I was recently speaking to someone who expressed some concerns about a, “youth fun night” church event she and her family had attended. She stated that she disapproved of the secular music that was being played, and the dancing the young people were doing. She said that because the lights were down low, the atmosphere was similar to a night club. She said it, “just didn’t feel right”, until the very end, when they finally played one worship song to close the evening.

After our conversation this verse in Psalm 34 came to my mind…

Psalm 34:8 KJB, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

When people come to the church, I believe they are coming because they desire to “taste” something different than what they have tasted in the world. We have the privilege of introducing them to the difference they are seeking…Jesus Christ.

It’s easy for us as Christians, to fall into the trap of thinking that by mimicking the ways of the world, we will somehow win people over. Jesus never used worldly tactics to convince people. He always spoke words of truth, and He lived by the words He spoke.

We must believe in our hearts that once people taste what Jesus has to offer, their lives will be changed. The lives we live, will be the first taste of Jesus that many will see. If we do not show them “something different” they will not know how amazing our Lord is. They will not know of His love, grace, and peace. They will not know that during the tribulations of life, He will carry their burdens and heal their broken hearts. If we do not help them to taste and see that our Lord is good, they may never know the joy of eternity in His presence.

Father,

Thank you Father for the difference Your Son Jesus has made in our lives. Help us not to conform to the ways of this world, but instead to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Teach us to make knowing you and showing the world who Jesus is a priority. Help us not to be afraid to be different, so that we can share the beauty of that difference with others.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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.

Showing God’s Love – A Chain Blog Post

Thanks big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall for coming up with this idea and tagging me in, “Showing God’s Love – A Chain Blog Post”. I hope also along with you, that we would all continue to encourage one another to show God’s love through these posts. ❤️

Link to Matt’s post:

Showing God’s Love-A Chain Blog Post

To participate:

1. Link the original post of Matt, the creator of this chain blog post.

2. Write a post on love.

3. Tag another blogger.

From my own personal experiences, I can definitely say that the closer I have gotten to Christ, the more I have learned about receiving and showing God’s love. When our hearts are open to receiving His love, His Holy Spirit works in us to heal us from any brokenness and pain we have. He completes us and makes our hearts whole. It is a process, but as God heals us, we will have a desire to share His love and healing with others, because of what He has done for us.

1 John 3:18 GNT, “My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.”

At a church I attended in the past, there was a ministry called, “The Prison Letter Ministry”. You could volunteer to write letters of encouragement to inmates. The commitment was for one year. So I decided to sign up, and shortly after, I was assigned an inmate. Her name was Sherry. You could use the church address and any name you wanted while writing, but I just stuck with my name Dawn.

We were told from the beginning that we may not receive return letters depending on the inmates situation. So although I wasn’t getting any responses from Sherry, I looked forward to sending her letters and cards of encouragement. I wrote her for six months, before being told she had been released from prison.

Shortly after Sherry’s release, I was excited to receive a card at the church from her. She thanked me for diligently sending her letters and cards and said she was really encouraged by them. She apologized for not being able to write back while in prison, and told me she had been incarcerated for seven years.

I don’t know where Sherry is today, but I pray God is continuing to work in her life. When we are willing to be vessels for Jesus, we never know how He will use us to show love to others. I’m thankful I had the chance to help Sherry understand how much God loves her. I always realized that I could have been the one locked in the cell instead of her. But by God’s grace, I was one of the people who had the privilege of offering her support.

I still have the card Sherry sent me. Through her card, God also showed His love to me. Please say a prayer for Sherry, that God will continue to work in her life and bring her healing. Please also pray that God will bring the right opportunities her way. It’s very difficult for people who have been in prison once they are released.

1 John 4:7 NLT, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”

I’m tagging…

Jacquie at Joy Cottage

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.