She Believes 3
Category

Prayers

Category
Faith

Squash The Negativity

Squash The Negativity

If you are one that is paying attention to politics right now, you know that this past week has been a political roller coaster. My purpose in writing the blog on this topic today, is not to encourage you as to whom you should vote for. You will come to that conclusion on your own. Also, I believe that who we choose to vote for is a very personal decision. However, what I would like to do is encourage you to remember who you represent at all times, and that is Jesus Christ.

Let’s be the change that we want to see in our political climate right now. Let’s not add to the current negativity that is brewing in politics each and every day as we get closer to the election.

As Christians we are called to a much higher standard. A standard that calls us to love and respect others even when we don’t necessarily agree with their viewpoint. We are called to use wise judgement and to choose our words wisely. We are called to love and not hate. Let’s not spread this evil poison called negativity.

We know that negativity is another tactic that Satan uses to destroy what is good. Don’t fall prey to his antics.

Choose to be a part of our country’s solution, not its problem. Choose to take the high road when you see something ridiculous posted on social media. Just simply choose not to comment. Not all things are worthy to be dignified with a comment. Let it go and move on. Win by making your statement in the voting booth. Continue to let your light shine and remember God is still the One in control and He will ultimately have the final say. it is His will that will supersede everything.  May God bless us all, as we navigate through this political season.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

20 and said:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!
Proverbs 10:19
19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Proverbs 12:18
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Matthew 12:36
36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
Ephesians 4:32
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by
Keep Reading
Fruit of the Spirit

WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING ON TO?

WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING ON TO?

 Recently I had a conversation with a lady, who shared that she had been deeply hurt by someone in her family over thirty years ago.   As she talked about how this person disappointed her, I could hear in her voice that she was still very angry.  I had also noticed that she never has anything positive to say in regard to this person.  It’s almost always a negative comment when she mentions their name.  In my opinion, her unresolved anger has turned into bitterness.

The interesting thing about all of this is, the person that she is so angry with, does not have a clue that she is upset because she never shared with them, how they made her feel. So many times, this is the case, and unless we are willing to swallow our pride and open up about our feelings, most people will walk away from us not even knowing that they just hurt our feelings.

If you have been hurt or even betrayed by someone, I have 10 tips of advice for you.

  1. Don’t walk around angry and bitter. Pray and ask God to help you to forgive the person that offended you.  Try to release any ill feelings and resentment that          you may have towards that person.
  2. Don’t allow your past to hold your future hostage. Move on, let it go!
  3. Be patient with those who offend you.  Remember that hurting people, hurt people.
  4. Don’t talk about the person that offended you.  (A sexual offense is different, however.)  If you are being sexually offended, by all means talk to someone ASAP)

Set up a time to talk directly with the person that offended you. (Unless it’s a sexual offense, in which case you will want to have a professional course  involved as a mediator). Pray and ask God to give you the right words for this difficult conversation, so that things go smoothly.

  1. Even though you may not agree, be willing to listen to the other person’s point of view.
  2. Seek God’s will on the correct timing to have the conversation.

Know that if God has forgiven the person that offended you, you can too.   At some point you will probably offend someone. Forgive the way you will want to be forgiven.

  1. Pray for your offender.
  2. Remember that unresolved anger can affect your health.  It can raise your blood pressure, cause stress as well as anxiety in your body.  It can also drain you of your energy. Our bodies were not meant to be containers for anger but love.
  3. Read your scriptures regarding anger and bitterness.  Know what God says about anger.

    11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
    Colossians 3:8
    8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
    Proverbs 16:32
    32 Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.
    Matthew 5:22
    22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[a][b] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[c] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
    Proverbs 14:29
    29 Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
    Ephesians 4:26-27
    26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
    Ephesians 4:31-32
    31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
    Hebrews 12:14-15
    14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
    Colossians 3:13
    13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
    Romans 12:19
    19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] says the Lord.
    Matthew 6:14-15
    14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

 

by
Keep Reading
Faith

The Gift Of Peace

The Gift Of Peace
In my younger years, I spent a lot of sleepless nights tossing and turning in bed, worrying over one thing or another.  Whether it was how I was going to pay my bills or something else, it seemed that there was always something to worry about.
As I have grown older and closer to God, I have noticed that the things that I used to spend countless hours worrying about, don’t even register on my worry radar anymore.

I have decided, that there is absolutely no need to stress or worry over anything.  Our Father is the God of the entire universe. What is it that He cannot do for us?  When we worry we forfeit God’s precious gift of peace.

Prayer and patience is what is required instead of worry. We must also have absolute trust in God and be fully aware that he will not abandon us.  He told us that he would never leave or forsake us, and we must trust that His words are true.

God has always provided for me and He has always been there for me through every circumstance that I have ever encountered.  He has proven His love for me over and over again without fail.  How can I not trust Him?  He has even been there when others have walked away.
So you see my friends, to live in perfect peace we must put total confidence in the One who holds our future. To live free of worry is to live in peace.

You may ask, how does one start this journey?  One way to start on this journey of peace is to have gratitude.  When we focus on all that God has already done for us, we become more and more confident that He will continue to bless us according to His will.  Even when very hard or difficult things happen, trust that He will give you a peace that will pass all understanding, and the strength to carry on.  Trust that one way or another, He will get you through your hard season.

The gift of peace is always there for us to experience and enjoy.  We simply have to accept it.

Isaiah 26:3
3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.
Psalm 29:11
11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
1 Peter 5:7
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Psalm 119:165
165 Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 26:12
12 Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.
Matthew 11:28
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
John 16:33
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 4:8
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

 

by
Keep Reading
Faith

IN THE MIDST OF FEAR

Have you ever been consumed with fear? I certainly have and what I have come to realize, is that only our God can quail the anxiety that comes with this level of fear.

In 2020 I was not only dealing with the fear of Covid like the rest of the world, but I was also dealing with a very scary diagnosis regarding my health.  Had it not been for God so graciously leading me to the best of doctors and blessing me with the support of my family and church I probably would not be here today.

As I read my Bible each morning during that year, I started to notice that every day I was being led to a passage of scripture that had the words ” Don’t Be Afraid ” in it.  I know that only God could orchestrate the timing of this.

While on this journey, one day I went into a medical facility for some testing. My anxiety level was really high to say the least.  As I was about to get into the testing machine, God whispered “Don’t Be Afraid”.  It immediately calmed all of my anxieties.  It reminded me of a child who needs to hear a soothing word from their parents when they are afraid.

It just so happened that before all of this took place, I was already in the process of reading through the Bible in a year.   For years I had made it a habit to read a few scriptures each morning before I started my day, and each night before I went to bed.  I had never read completely through the entire Bible cover to cover though.  In all of the reading that I have done, I have seen Don’t Be Afraid many times over the years, but not consecutively every day.  At least I was not as aware of it as I was during this time.  It was as though God revealed it to me when I needed to see it most.
I found it so comforting to come across these passages of scriptures that said “Don’t Be Afraid”.

I am sharing this today to encourage you to just trust God, if you are currently living in the midst of fear.   Remember as a child of God we are covered by His love, His blood, His grace and mercy and most importantly His strong protective hand.   His timing is perfect, and He always has a plan for our lives that is rooted in kingdom purpose.  Only what God allows can ever penetrate and enter the walls of your life.  So if something not so good is happening in your life today, Don’t Be Afraid.  God can work good from the worst of disasters. Whatever you are going through may just be happening for you instead of to you so again, Don’t Be Afraid!

Luke 12:7

7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Psalm 23:4
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,  for you are with me; your rod and your staff,  they comfort me.
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High  will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;  his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you  to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;  you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 46[a]
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

by
Keep Reading
Prayers

HOW TO HOLD ON DURING A DIFFICULT SEASON

HOW TO HOLD ON DURING A DIFFICULT SEASON

I don’t know what you are going through at this present moment.  Perhaps this is a wonderful season of life for you, and everything that you are hoping for is falling right into place.  For some of you life may be very hard right now, and you are barely hanging on by a thread.

We all go through seasons, and some seasons are much harder than others. I have heard many times that it’s not what we go through, but how we choose to respond to what we are going through that matters.

If this is a tough season for you right now, I want to first encourage you to hang in there, and don’t allow the enemy to take any more ground than he has already taken.  Stand firm in your faith in God.  Trust that he will bring you through, in his perfect timing and in the way that is ultimately best for you.
Sometimes in hard seasons it’s easy to drift away from God, instead of turning towards God.  Let me encourage you to not walk, but run towards God during your difficult season.  When life seems like an unending tornado, he is your safe place.

Also, remember when it seems like it’s taking God forever to answer your prayers, there are always things going on behind the scenes that we are not aware of.  God is working it out. Be patient, his timing is different from our timing.   Because he has a plan for each of our lives, and he can see our future, the sequence of events that we encounter will be perfectly timed.

How To Hold On During A Difficult Season
  1. Pray, Pray, Pray!  Pray without ceasing.   Prayer will get you through.
  2. Stay close to God by staying close to his Word.  Read your Bible daily and he will guide you on important decisions that you may need to make.
  3. If you are in a Community Group through your Church ask them to keep you and your family lifted up in prayer.  If you are not in a Community Group ask   your Christian friends to pray for you.  There is much power where two or more are gathered in prayer.
  4. Journal your prayers.  Journaling your prayers is like pounding on the door of heaven.  I highly recommend it.  It also is a great way to process your thoughts  and feelings about what you are going through.
  5. Never ever give up on God or yourself.  Stay hopeful, keep trusting in God, and keep believing for your miraculous breakthrough, because it is coming, so hold     on!
    Scriptures:
    Psalm 55:22
    22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
    Psalm 56:3-4
    3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    4     In God, whose word I praise—in God, I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
    Psalm 62:8
    8 Trust in him at all times, you people;  pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
    Isaiah 41:10
    10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
    Hebrews 13:6
    6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[a]
    Psalm 121:1-8
    1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
    2 My help comes from the Lord,  the Maker of heaven and earth.
    3 He will not let your foot slip—  he who watches over you will not slumber;
    4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
    5 The Lord watches over you—   the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
    6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
    7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—  he will watch over your life;
    8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
    Psalm 9:9
    9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,  a stronghold in times of trouble.
    Psalm 32:7
    7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
    Psalm 27:5
    5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
    Psalm 18:2
    2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress , and my deliverer;  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,  my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.
    Psalm 119:114
    114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
    Psalm 91
    1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
    2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
    3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
    4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
    5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
    6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
    7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
    8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked
    9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
    10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
    11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
    12 they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
    13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
    14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
    15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
    16 With long life I will satisfy him  and show him my salvation.”
    Psalm 23
    1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    2     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
    3     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
    4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a]I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
    5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
    You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
    6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
    and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
        forever. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

by
Keep Reading
Prayers

Christ’s Resurrection, Our Eternal Life

Christ’s Resurrection, Our Eternal Life

For Christians all over the world, this week is quite significant, because it is considered Holy Week.  Holy Week is the week leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Savior of the world.

This week as we meditate on the scriptures that lay out so clearly the sequence of the events leading up to Christ’s resurrection, we can only be grateful for the hope that we have in Christ.  No sacrifice has ever, and will ever match the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf.

As you prepare to spend time with your family and friends this Easter Sunday don’t forget to put God first in your celebrations.  In other words, make it about Him, and your gratitude for what He has done for you.  If you are tempted to put Him on the backburner that day, just ask yourself who else has died for me lately?

This should reel you back in pretty quickly.

Have a glorious Easter as you worship our King!

CHRIST DEATH
Mark 15:37-39
37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 When the Roman officer[a] who stood facing him[b] saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
CHRIST BURIAL
Mark 15:46-47
46 Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.
CHRIST RESURRECTION
Romans 6:8-11
8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Mark 16:5-7 ESV
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
Luke 24:6-7 NIV
6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”
Luke 24: 38-40
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
OUR ETERNAL LIFE
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
Romans 10:9
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Revelation 1:5-6
5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.

All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!   All praises to Christ our King, for He has risen!!!.

 

by
Keep Reading
Faith

Are You Spiritually Flabby?

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Romans 12:2
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect
Psalm 1:1-2
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not  follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
17 Never stop praying.
Acts 17:11
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

 For the last four years I have been dealing with a severe illness.  Because it has been so debilitating, I have not been able to be as physical as I normally would have been in the past. This has caused my muscles to weaken, and even become what some would call flabby.  I am currently in physical therapy to strengthen the areas that have become severely weakened due to a lack of movement and exercise.

Believe it or not, we can also become spiritually flabby.  When we miss several days of a good workout of prayer and Bible reading, our spiritual muscles weaken and we leave ourselves open to the attacks of the enemy.  We start to walk in fear and doubt, and even in some severe cases disbelief.  We may even find ourselves committing sins and getting into situations that we wouldn’t ordinarily get into. And this is simply because we have not been working out spiritually.
Let’s look at what we need to do to get spiritually fit.

  1. Set a time each day that you will meet with God.  Respect this appointment as you would any other important appointment. Make it a priority.
  2. Come to your appointment prepared. Bring your Bible and a notebook or journal, to write down the downloads that you will receive from God for your day.
  3. Start with praising God. You may choose to sing or you may want to have some praise music going to prepare your heart to hear from God.
  4. Quietly sit and pray and ask God to help you understand what you are about to read from His Word.
  5. Make sure that you have selected a place and a time where you will not be interrupted.  Be sure to silence your phone.
  6. Initially just sit to silence yourself.  Let all of the thoughts of what you need to do for the day drift away.  If you find it difficult to silence the noise that is going       on inside your head, write your thoughts in your notebook to get to a place of silence.
  7. Enjoy reading God’s word and just spending time with Him.  Repeat tomorrow and the next day and the next, until it becomes a habit.

I can honestly assure you, that you will never ever regret these spiritual workouts.  It will be the best investment of your time ever.  You will grow stronger in your faith and your love for God. You will find that with God’s help you can weather the toughest of storms.

From these workouts you will find yourself joyful and hopeful about your life now and in the future.  I hope that this blesses you and encourages you to have a spiritual workout each and everyday.  And oh, don’t forget it’s important to commit to staying physically fit as well.

by
Keep Reading
Prayers

Have you ever been overwhelmed with gratitude

32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. 33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! 35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!”

Have you ever been overwhelmed with gratitude?   In 2nd Kings 4:32-36 the woman from Shunem experienced a blessing so great that she became overwhelmed with gratitude.  You see. her young son had died, and she went to Elisha for help.  With God’s power working through Elisha, he was able to bring her son back to life.  Witnessing something like that firsthand, I am sure would not only be amazing, but it would cause the gratitude meter to go way up.

We certainly don’t have to experience anything that profound to become overwhelmed with gratitude.  You may be able to recall on more than one occasion, how God’s goodness to you, brought tears to your eyes because you were so grateful.

When my daughter was twelve years old, she was selected to travel abroad to Europe with several other students from our part of the state. This was a huge honor for her.  My husband and I were so excited for her to have this opportunity to travel and see and experience parts of the world that she had never seen before. We knew that it would be an education in itself.

This experience, however, would come with a huge price tag of $7000.  At that time my husband and we were struggling financially.  We didn’t know how we would pay for our daughter to go on this once in a lifetime trip. We just knew that we wanted this dream to come true for her.  We started to move in faith, believing that it would happen.  She was so excited and determined to go, that we could not stand to see her get disappointed.

During those years my daughter loved making jewelry from beads. She had also learned how to make colorful bracelets from small rubber bands. Teenagers absolutely loved them, and a lot of the kids at her school were wearing these bracelets during that time.  We stocked her up on beads and rubber bands of every color.   We went to a local dress shop here in our town, and the owner loved her jewelry so much, that she let her put her pieces in her shop. In no time her items sold out and she was able to bring more items in.  The owner of the shop knew that her goal was to get to Europe, so she continued to order from her.  Her sales however were only a drop in the bucket compared to how much she needed within a limited amount of time.

My husband and I decided that we needed to do some type of fundraising to help her with this goal, so we sent letters out to all of our friends and relatives, asking them to please support her goal. We could not believe the response.  Everyone that knew her was so excited to help support this goal.

I remember us being so close to wrapping things up, but we still needed a lot more money than my husband and I had personally that we could give.   We were stuck not knowing where the funds would come from, but still believing someway, somehow it would all come together.

One Sunday after church my daughter and I were about to leave the church parking lot, when one of our church members came up to my car door.  When I let my window down to see what she needed, she said that she and her husband wanted to give towards my daughter’s trip. She then handed me a check for $500.

I instantly burst into tears.  It was more than I could have ever imagined.   I was literally overwhelmed with gratitude at that very moment, and uncontrollably so. And it didn’t stop there.  Out of nowhere a friend gave me a check for $250. and said, if you don’t reach the goal by your deadline, let me know and I will give more.  And if that wasn’t enough, my husband got a call from a gentleman that had already given a sizable amount, who told him the same thing.  We did not have to call either person back, because the goal had been reached.  God had provided, and boy were we ever thankful for His goodness towards us!

I have three thoughts on why we become overwhelmed with gratitude.

  1. Sometimes we pray for things not knowing whether or not God will give us what we are asking Him for. When He says yes to our request, in some cases we are so surprised that we become overwhelmed with gratitude.  Remember we should ask, believing that what we are asking for is already done.
  2. There are times that we have a need so great, that when God meets that need for us we are overwhelmed with gratitude.
  3. When God blesses us, just because we are His children. This can also come as a surprise and cause us to be overcome with gratitude.
  4. During our quiet time, or time of worship when we sincerely praise God for who He is, we can become overwhelmed with gratitude.
    Gratitude is simply an expression of our hearts, saying thank you God for your unwavering kindness towards us.

    24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.

by
Keep Reading
Faith

Too Much Noise

Too Much Noise

5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
Psalm 46:10
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the       world.”
Job 6:24
24 Teach me, and I will keep quiet. Show me what I have done wrong.
1 Kings 19:11-12
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

When was the last time you just sat quiet before the Lord?   Was it so long ago that you have to really think hard to remember when it was.  If so, you may agree that it has been too long.  There are some of you who may have to admit, that you have never sat quiet before the Lord and that’s ok, because starting today you can change that.

The reason you may want to consider making this a new practice, is because God can reveal so much to us when we turn the noise down in our lives.  We can’t hear Him when we are constantly bombarded with the noise from TV’s, phones, social media and Drama that comes our way.

God wants our full attention, and the only way that we can clearly hear His instructions for our day, is to be silent.   When we are constantly racing from place to place and thing to thing, we miss so much that God is eager to share with us. We pray and we ask God to give us answers and directions, but we don’t turn down the volume in our lives, so that we can really hear His response.

When we do this, it is like asking for directions from the GPS in your car, and not making any adjustments to the sound of your car’s radio.

If the sound of the music is constantly blurring, you will miss the directions that your GPS is providing.  It’s not that God is not providing answers, it’s that we have not stopped the flow of noise that is constantly moving in our direction.

So may I suggest to you today, that the next time you grab your Bible, or you kneel to pray, that you end your quiet time, with a few minutes of total silence before the Lord.

If it is hard for your brain to quiet down for a few minutes, I suggest that you bring a notebook to your chair and write down your thoughts as they come to you, until your brain quiets down.  It will take time to develop this new habit, but it will be your most treasured time with God once you master it.  This is a discipline that will reward you over and over again.  You will start to clearly hear the guiding words and instructions from the one who loves you most, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Blessings to each of you, as you start a deeper journey with your Heavenly Father!

by
Keep Reading
Faith

God Is Always At Work

God Is Always At Work

A few weeks ago, I had spent countless hours looking for a Birthday list that I use in my home-based business.  After several days of looking and not finding it, I started to get a little frustrated.   I had prayed and asked God to help me find it, but I still couldn’t seem to put my hands on it.

It was important to me because it was the beginning of a new month, and I always tried to send out my Happy Birthdays on the very first day of the month.  One day while thumbing through lots of papers, still looking for the list, I decided to send up one more prayer.  What happened after that prayer was absolutely amazing, and straight from the hand of God.

I heard a soft whisper saying “Send out a text to all of your customers letting them know that your birthday file had disappeared.  Ask them if they would send you their birthday info”.   The response was unbelievable!   Within 24 hours the size of my list had tripled the size of the original list, and people are still texting their info to me.

What God showed me in that moment, is that so many times we get upset and frustrated because we can’t have what we want when we want it.  We don’t realize that many times God is trying to bless us with more.
I had to stop and just thank God for blessing me beyond my expectations. As a result of things going God’s way and not my way 4 things happened.

  1. I will get to be a blessing to more people through my Birthday Club.  Not only will customers benefit, but my team members will also benefit from what I have learned.
  2. God’s timing and provision proved to be what was best for me.
  3. I became more keenly aware of God’s concern for even the small things in my life.  No need is too small for God to step in and show that He cares about what’s important to me.
  4. I learned that no experience is insignificant, because God is always at work.

 

 

by
Keep Reading