He Knows

Psalm 139:1-4 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 

Psalm 142:3 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who knows my way.

Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

I find such incredible comfort in knowing God is omniscient. Scripture clearly tells us our Heavenly Father has infinite knowledge and understanding. Not just partial knowledge. Infinite. He knows our past, our present, and our future. He knows our needs, our worries, our fears, and our weaknesses. He knows our strengths, our talents, and our dreams. He knows our hearts. He knows our journeys, and He wants to lead us on that journey, step-by-step, with His infinite knowledge, wisdom and love.

Dear Heavenly Father, Your understanding has no limits, and nothing takes You by surprise.  You already know my way and You have the answer. Sometimes I forget, and I take on the insurmountable task of trying to figure out my journey on my own, and not fully relying on You. You know what I should do, You know what step I should take. LORD, I thank You and praise You that You have searched me and You know me. That knowledge truly gives me a peace that passes all understanding. Amen.

Lay Down Your Burdens

Psalm 10:17-18  You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Psalm 28:6-7 Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

Psalm 68:19 Praise be to the LORD, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We hold onto heavy burdens that Jesus never meant for us to carry. And sometimes we carry those burdens with us, strapped securely to our backs, for a very long time.  

He wants us to release our burdens to Him. To know Him. To walk with Him. To trust Him.  

Yes, we live in a world where people will give us joy and happiness. Sometimes. But these same people will also give us anger, hurt, frustration, and sadness -- because they are only human, and full of human frailties. Only God the Father, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit is perfect. Always.

Scripture tells us to give our burdens to Him. God's promise is not a promise of a trial and storm-free life, but a promise of knowing and experiencing a peace that passes all understanding which can only come through Him. Only knowing and following Jesus will give you true peace. True happiness. True joy. The closer you draw to Him, and the more you know Him, the more you will experience His Presence. Spend time with Him. Release your burdens to Him. Be embraced by the peace, happiness and joy that can only come from Him.

Dear Heavenly Father, it is our nature to hold onto our burdens. It is so easy to have those burdens securely strapped to our backs. LORD, I pray that You help us all untie those ropes, ease the burdens off our backs, and place them, once and for all, at the foot of the cross, never to be picked up again. Thank You for the peace You give. Thank You for Your promise of rest from our burdens. Help us, LORD, to know You, to walk with You, and to trust You always. Amen.

I Have An Appointment!

Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I have to admit, I am still learning to put Him first, to sit at His feet...

This morning, I am looking at my calendar for the month... field hockey games for my daughter, doctor's appointments, orthodontic appointment for my son... coffee with a friend, driving for a field trip next week, assorted meetings... some appointments and commitments that I "just can't miss." But what happens to my meetings with God? How is it that sometimes I can reschedule my daily quiet prayer time and reading time with my wonderful Creator, my Heavenly Father who loves me? How is it that sometimes I don't make my time with Him an appointment that I "just can't miss?"

How tempting and easy it is to miss or reschedule your meeting with God...

Oh, yes, we are so very human and we are not perfect! And God is so incredibly faithful! My brothers and sisters in Christ, keep aiming to put Him first! Don't be discouraged! Make that appointment with God a time that you "just can't miss." 

I promise you that the time spent with Him will be fruitful and never wasted. It is a time of rejuvenation, feeding, preparation, peace, clarity and grounding. It can be a set time during the day, for instance in the early morning. However, some people find it helpful to look at their day, and then schedule a time appropriate for that particular day. Yes, He is always with us, and yes, He hears our prayers wherever and whenever we pray. But there is just something about sitting down with Him, with no distractions, that will produce such fruit in your life and will fill you with His Presence and peace. It is then that I can talk with Him, at length, about anything and everything that is going on in my life and the life of others who I am praying for. It is when I am sitting at His feet, like Mary, and not running around like Martha, that I experience the fruit of time spent with Him.  

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with me as I learn to put You first. You wait for me to come to You and You meet me every single time. For that, I am simply so very, very grateful. Amen.

Be Gentle

1 Kings 19:12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Matthew 11:28-29 "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 soul." 

Ephesians 4:29-30 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

God often speaks in a gentle whisper. When God speaks in that gentle whisper, and we are still enough to listen, He can soothe our souls. Jesus tells us that He is gentle and humble in heart, and that we will find rest for our soul in Him. 

When I just think of the word "gentle" I naturally feel more peaceful. The word alone tends to still you and make you pause. The LORD instructs us to be gentle with each other. When you have the choice between a scowl and a smile, choose the smile. When you have the choice between a discouraging word and an encouraging word, choose encouragement. When you have the choice between a word that will cut someone down or build them up, choose the one that will build them up. In this world that is often harsh, choose gentleness.  

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that I can be a blessing to someone today. I pray that when that choice arises in my day that I simply choose gentleness. Amen.

Holy Time

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Mark 2:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Praying alone -- quietly, and with purpose to our Heavenly Father -- is a vital, precious, and holy time. Jesus modeled this for us as he removed himself from the distractions and demands of life and prayed quietly and alone to his Father. Nowhere in Scripture do we read, "while Jesus was multitasking, he often tried to carve out a little time to pray on the run..."  I know that when I have hectic days and do not have my time with the LORD, I feel a hunger to sit down and soak in His Presence as I meet with Him. Without this holy time in my day, there is a void that only quiet, prayerful time with Him can fill. This special prayer time with God replenishes us with His strength, His love, and His peace.

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that I do not neglect my quiet prayer time with You. When I pray on the run, I know You still hear me, and I thank You for hearing all my prayers. But I feel thirsty -- thirsty for focused prayer with You. LORD, as I meet with You during this precious, holy time, I humbly ask that You refresh me with Your living water and Your undeniable Presence. I pray this all in Jesus' name, Amen.

Teach Others

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.


Psalm 40:9-10 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
     I do not seal my lips,
     as you know, O LORD.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
     I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
     from the great assembly.

Our Heavenly Father wants us to proclaim His love to the people in our path. He wants us to tell others about Him! There are so many people in the world who do not know Jesus.They are not only living in nations far away... they are right next to us in our daily lives. I am so very thankful and blessed that my parents told me about Jesus! They planted a seed in my life long ago that has grown into a precious relationship with Him that only continues to deepen.

God calls us to share the Gospel! Yes, it may seem awkward, maybe you think you are not eloquent or you don't have enough knowledge...  but I know my own life would be so very, very different if I did not have the blessing of people in my life sharing the Gospel with me and encouraging me in my walk with Him. Won't you be that someone in a person's life? Encourage someone in their journey -- no matter where you are in your journey and no matter where they are in theirs. Where do you start? Simply by showing God's love to them. Then rely and trust in the LORD to give you what to say and how to say it. (Luke 12:12)

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that I do not shy away from any opportunity You give me to share the Gospel. I pray I do not neglect any chance to show Your love to someone. Help me not to seal my lips and conceal Your love and Your truth.  I am so very grateful for that beautiful day I first learned about You. Amen.

Just Like Us

James 5:17-18  Elija was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

I am fascinated by the account of Elija's life in 1 Kings 17-20. I encourage you to read it! You will be blessed. Elija was a prophet who loved God with all his heart. He knew the power of prayer, and was obedient to the LORD. Elija was God's faithful servant and a first-hand witness to His mighty power; personally experiencing God's miracles. Elija was truly one of the "giants" of the bible... yet James, brother of Jesus, says he was just like us...

Even after Elija's experiential knowledge of God's miracles and power, there was a time when he was afraid and running for his life. (1Kings 19:3 & 4 ...Elija was afraid and ran for his life.... "I have had enough LORD,") We all have times when we are afraid; when we have had enough of the circumstances we are in. But God heard his prayer and sent an angel of the LORD to strengthen and sustain Elija. There was more to God's path and plan for Elija... and He encouraged Elija to press on.

Scripture tells us Elija was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly to God... God listened... and God answered. It is a simple lesson, but one that gives me such promise, security, peace, and hope. 

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the account of Elija. I am encouraged by his example as someone who loved You with all his heart, and the testimony of the power of prayer. Thank You for filling Scripture with people who are just like me. People on all different points of their beautiful journey with You. Amen.