Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, trust also in me."


John 14:27 "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."


Jesus tells us that He will exchange our troubles and fears for peace -- a specific peace that only He can give.  If you go to "the world" with your troubles, the world answers you with flawed opinions and conflicting advice that originate in the imperfect perspective of this world. Jesus wants us to lay down our troubles at His feet and accept the gift of peace for our hearts that can only come from Him.


Dear Heavenly Father, I want to simply thank You that You do not give as the world gives. Thank You that You give me peace.  Jesus, I put my trust in You.  Amen.

Let My Teaching Fall Like Rain

Deuteronomy 32:1-2 "Listen, O Heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.  Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants."


I smiled as I opened my Bible this morning to this beautiful scripture as I was sitting at my kitchen table. It was raining outside -- a gentle, soaking rain. The grass, trees and plants displayed the vibrant shade of green that only comes after an abundant rain. I love seeing the plants after a spring rain like today...  how rich, lush and nourished the world looks! Our Heavenly Father provides that same nourishment to us through His teaching and His Word -- growing us into the person he planned for us to be.


Dear Heavenly Father,  Oh, how You nourish me! Thank you for giving me such a visual picture of your Scripture today! I pray that Your Word saturates me like the quenching of a satisfying spring rain. Let Your teaching descend like rain so that I may soak in your knowledge and be radiant with your truth. Thank you, God, that You are my sustainer, and I pray that Your teaching nourishes me and grows me into the person You have always planned for me to be.  Amen.

Keep Your Focus on Jesus

Matthew 14:25-31 

"During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.  "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.  

   

But Jesus immediately said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

   "Lord, if it is you,"  Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

   "Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

   

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Dear Jesus, I pray that I keep my focus on You. Help me to not be distracted by the "wind" of life. Whether I am going through trials, or enjoying times of peace in my life, help me to stay firmly focused on You. Thank You that You are always there, with Your hand reaching out, ready to catch me if I doubt or become distracted.  I pray that You help me to have an unshakeable faith in You.  Amen.

Psalm 121

Psalm 121 is one of my very favorite Psalms.  Whenever I read it, I always feel peaceful and secure in the knowledge that God watches over us.  Always.  I simply want to share it with you today.  Enjoy His perfect Word!


Psalm 121


I lift up my eyes to the hills -- 
   where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, 
   the Maker of heaven and earth.


He will not let your foot slip -- 
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.


The LORD watches over you -- 
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.


The LORD will keep you from all harm -- 
   he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going,
   both now and forevermore.


Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your everlasting love.  I am humbled to know that You, the Maker of heaven and earth, care so deeply for me that You watch over me.  Always.  Thank You for the comfort of Your presence and Your perfect Word.  Amen.

Moses, I will be with you...

Exodus 3:12 "And God said, "I will be with you..."'

God had a plan for Moses. He told Moses to go to Pharoh and to bring the Israelites out of Egypt where they had spent 430 years in slavery. God was asking him to do something way beyond what Moses thought he was personally capable of doing.  Moses was hesitant, to say the least.

Exodus 4:10-12  
Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant.  I am slow of speech and tongue."  The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

After hearing this from God, one would think Moses might say, "Okay God, Yes! I'll do it because You will be with me!  Let's go!"  Yet, in the next verse, Moses responds...

Exodus 4:13  
But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

I love Moses' response.  It is so honest and human!  Yet God is persistant -- He has His plan for Moses -- one that is bigger than Moses can ever imagine.  Yes, Moses cannot do it.  But God can do the impossible through Moses -- and He does.  

I can identify with Moses.  About five years ago, I was saying "no" to God.  Two opportunities were put in my path that would stretch me.  One:  Lead a bible study small group -- "Oh, I can't speak in front of all those ladies!"  Two:  Go to my first Mom's in Touch prayer group - "Oh, I can't pray out loud and sound as eloquent as the other moms!" I was telling God exactly what Moses was telling Him in Exodus 4:13.  "I'm not the one you want, LORD!  I cannot do this!  Send someone else!"   
  
But God had other plans...  At the time, I was reading through Exodus Chapters 3 and 4.  Through this scripture reading He was saying to me, "Yes you can, I will be with you. I made your mouth!  Now, let's go, my child!"  


God let me know, "Yes, I want you to do these things.  And Yes, you'll be okay.  Lean on me. It may not go exactly how you want it to go, you may not sound perfect or be perfect, but I will still work through you. Child, say yes to Me!"  I said "yes", and He used those opportunities to bring me further along His path, change me, stretch me, and strengthen my faith.  


LORD, I thank You that you stretch me.  I am imperfect, yet You are perfect. Thank You that we can point to things that stretch us beyond what we can do -- and we can say "That wasn't me, I could only have done it through God's help."  Help me to say "Yes" when You call on me to do the impossible, fully trusting in Your perfect plan.  Amen.

I do encourage you to read Exodus chapters 3 and 4.  They will give you courage, and they will even make you smile!

Our Teacher

Psalm 25:4  "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."


John 14:23:  "Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'"


"The school of life offers some difficult courses, but it is in the difficult class that one learns the most -- especially when your teacher is the Lord Jesus Himself." 
   -- Corrie Ten Boom Tramp For The Lord


LORD, you are my teacher. Your ways are perfect.  But, Jesus, I have so much to learn!  LORD, I pray that You teach me Your paths, and show me Your ways.  Whether the course is difficult, easy, or somewhere in-between, I know You will be my patient teacher who will never leave my side. You will transform me into the person You have always planned for me to be.  Thank You, Jesus, for making Your home with me.  Amen.  

Resting in Him

Matthew 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  


Exodus 33:14 "The LORD replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."


Psalm 62:1,5  "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him."  "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."


We all know how good it feels to have physical rest.  Physical rest slows us down and refreshes us.  But God wants to give us a different kind of rest!  A rest that only He can give us -- a rest that restores our souls. 


Heavenly Father, thank You for Your constant Presence in my life. Thank You for the rest that only You can give. You restore my soul, and You give me such peace!  I pray that I will always spend time in Your Word and always dwell in Your beautiful Presence.  Amen.  

When We Don't Know What to Pray

Romans 8:26-27  "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."


There are times when a situation is so frightening, seemingly hopeless, or incredibly overwhelming, that we don't know what to pray.  We think, "LORD, I don't even know what to say!  This is so overwhelming!"  We can be completely, totally at a loss for words...  


When I first read this scripture in Romans 8, I felt such a sense of peace and blessed assurance.  The picture of me, being in God's presence, while the Holy Spirit is interceding fills me with awe.  I don't need to know what to say, or what to pray.  He knows.  In these situations, whether praying for my own needs or needs of others, if something is too overwhelming, the Holy Spirit knows exactly what to pray with groans that words cannot express...  What a beautiful, peaceful picture!


Dear Heavenly Father,  Thank you for loving us so much that even when we do not have the words to pray, you have taken care of that.  You search our hearts and the Holy Spirit intercedes with groans that words cannot express.  You may not hear our words, but you hear our hearts.  Praise be to God!  Amen.

He Holds Me

Psalm 73:23  "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand."


"My LORD knows the way through the wilderness -- all I have to do is follow and to put my hand into His hand.  He holds me." -- Corrie Ten Boom

I love this quote from one of my very favorite people, Corrie Ten Boom.  What a beautiful picture I get in my mind of being held by God as I go through any wilderness that will come my way. 


Dear Heavenly Father,  Thank You that You hold me.  You reach out your hand to me at the edge of any wilderness I will go through.  And there we will go, hand in hand, through any wilderness that may come my way.  I Praise You that you are always, always with me!  Amen.

Our Deliverer

Psalm 34:4-7  
"I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.  
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; 
he saved him out of all his troubles.  
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, 
and he delivers them."


Dear LORD, I praise You today!  You answer me when I seek you and call upon Your mighty name.  You hold my hand and lean down to hear my prayer.  Your comforting presence delivers me from all my fears.  I can trust You completely, and I trust You with my life.  You are my redeemer, my deliverer, my healer and my savior.  I will worship You forever and ever!  Amen.

Believe Him

Luke 1:45  "Blessed is she who has believed that what the LORD has said to her will be accomplished!"


I was on my walk this morning, and was thinking about the difference between "believing in" Jesus and actually believing Him.  


I invite you to think about the relationships you have in your own life.  Think about the difference between your relationship with an aquaintance; and your relationship between you and a close, trusted friend.  How much richer, deeper and satisfying is your relationship with your friend when compared with your aquaintance?  


"Believing in" Him is like having a superficial, aquaintance relationship. It's nice, but there is no depth.  Believing Him is having that relationship grounded in the solid knowledge of who He is and how His truths and promises can transform your life.  A relationship with incredible depth.


How do you get to know God and Jesus more deeply?  How do you go from "believing in" to believing?  Invite Him in!  Make spending time with Him a daily priority in your life.  Talk with Him daily through prayer.  Read your bible every day.  Perhaps join a bible study to meet others who are seeking a deeper relationship with Him, too.  "As you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you."  James 4:8


Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You that You have moved me from "believing in" You to believing You.  What a rich, satisfying place to be!  Amen.

...For I Am With You

Deuteronomy 31:6  "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."


Matthew 28:20 "And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age."


God tells us, "Do not fear!"  Almost always, He follows "fear not"  with His reassuring promise that He is with you.  Not just occassionally, but always!  While I was choosing Scripture to share today, there was a overflowing river of Scripture that confirms that comforting promise.  


The lyrics to one of my favorite songs kept playing over and over in my head today.  They sing of God saying, "I'm with you."  I encourage you to google it and listen if you aren't familiar with it.  It is by Casting Crowns, "I Will Praise You in This Storm"  I promise it will bless you.  The beautiful lyric that went through my head today was:


...As the thunder rolls,
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
And as your mercy falls... 


I can just imagine hearing that beautiful whisper!


Dear LORD, You are with me, always.  You are with me when I am content, You are with me when I am frustrated, You are with me when I am joyous, You are with me when I am in the center of a stormy trial.  You are with me when I am in need, You are with me when I have abundance, You know when I rise and when I lay down to rest -- and everything in between. Thank you, God that you have promised me that "surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Do Not Fear...

Isaiah 41:10 "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." 


Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."


I've had these particular verses written on 3x5 index cards and posted on my refrigerator for almost two years.  I've always liked these verses and thought they were comforting.  They developed a whole new meaning to me after I was injured last year.  I remember looking at them on the refrigerator after the accident and feeling such an overwhelming sense of comfort and peace. Through these little 3x5 cards posted on my fridge, God was reassuring me, telling me not to fear, and that He would help me.  And without a doubt, He did.  


Dear Heavenly Father, You are mighty, powerful and You do not change. You are our creator, provider, counselor, protector and healer.  You go before us as we follow Your path and You are everything we need.  LORD, when we come upon trials in our life, I pray that our first instinct is to run to You, pray to You, and saturate ourselves in Your Word.  Thank you for Your Scripture, and thank You for telling us in Your Word, over and over again, not to fear.  Thank You that You hold our hand and help us through any trial, any worry, and any concern.  Nothing is too big or too small for You.  Thank You that You are with us, always.  Amen.

Streams of Water

Psalm 1:2-3 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers."


God's Word is alive.  His Word teaches, sustains, encourages, and directs us in the way we should go.  I want my roots to go deep and drink from this never ending flow of knowledge and truth.  I am always amazed that I can read the same scripture, at different times, and God reveals something new to me that I hadn't realized before!   An ever-flowing stream of water -- always quenching, always satisfying, always sustaining.


LORD, I pray that I will know your Word, and seek your truths every day.  I pray that as I study your Word, that You would saturate me, so that I may be like a tree planted by a stream of water, producing good fruit -- fruit that blesses others and helps to guide them to you.  Amen.

Worry

Philipians 4:6-7  "Don't fret or worry.  Instead of worrying, pray.  Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.  Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.  It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."


Choose prayer over worry.  I absolutely love this passage in Scripture!  It reminds me that in all circumstances, He is enough.  Praise God!


LORD, teach me to trust You as You should be trusted.  Jesus, help me to make you the absolute center of my life.  Amen.

He is Risen!

John 20:15-16  "Woman," he said, "Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardner, she said "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."  Jesus said to her "Mary."  She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).


I love John's account of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb after His resurrection.  Jesus can transform our unimaginable grief, our impossible circumstances, and our tangled lives.  He changed Mary's overwhelming grief and sorrow into rejoicing.  Can you imagine the incredible joy she experienced the instant he spoke her name?  "Mary."  The thought of this beautiful encounter just takes my breath away.  He is calling my name, He is calling your name...  turn toward Him and receive His gift of eternal life.   


Happy Resurrection Day!

His Friend

John 15:13  "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."   


Jesus wants a relationship with us!  Think about your most rewarding friendships.  You intimately share your hopes, dreams, worries, concerns, laughter, and tears.  True friendships are solidly based in honesty, trust and love.  


I am humbled to know that Jesus was tortured, killed, and laid down His life for a relationship with me, His friend.  He rose again to give me eternal life -- an eternal friendship -- with Him.   


When I read scripture, I often like to insert my name into the verse I am reading and pray the scripture to God...  


"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for Donna, His friend."  Thank you Jesus, my friend, that you laid down your life and died for me!

Remarkable Things

Luke 5:26  Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.  They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."


This verse is found in the account of Jesus' healing of a paralytic.  The paralytic's friends were desparate to bring their friend to Jesus for healing, but could not get through the crowd and into the house where Jesus was.  The obstacle did not stop them, and they proceeded to lower the paralytic through the roof right in front of Jesus!  Jesus saw their faith and healed their friend.  After witnessing the remarkable healing, everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.  


Dear LORD, I hope to always have the same intense desire to witness Your power.  I pray to wake up each new morning with glorious expectation of what remarkable things You will do today.  Amen!

Holding His Hand

Psalm 139:5  You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.


Isaiah 30:21  Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."


Isaiah 42:16  I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.  These are the things I will do; I will not foresake them.


It is so comforting to know that God is all around me.  Before me, behind me, and holding my hand -- walking with me and leading me.  As long as I am on His path, whatever happens, I know that I am in the shelter of His mighty love.  


Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that I resist the temptation to run ahead of You or fall behind.  I pray that I always hold on tight to your mighty hand and walk with You.  Amen.

Simplicity, Part 2

Luke 18:35-43  ...Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him.  When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"  "Lord, I want to see," he replied...


I love the accounts of Jesus' healings recorded throughout the Gospels.  My very favorite has to be the account of a blind beggar receiving his sight.  Jesus asks, quite simply, "What do you want me to do for you?"  and the blind beggar replies, quite simply, "Lord, I want to see."   After this simple dialogue, Jesus restores the blind beggar's sight.  This healing is beautiful to me in its utter simplicity.


Our dialogue with God doesn't have to be complicated.  He is always ready and waiting to have a heartfelt, simple, yet beautiful dialogue with you!