Listen and Know

Then God said, “Don’t come any closer. Take off your sandals. You are standing on holy ground. Exodus 3:5

You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and that lives in you. You don’t own yourselves. 1 Corinthians 6:19

It is easy to listen for God's voice when we are alone and spending time with Him. It become more difficult to listen when we are busy during the day, working or going to school, and conversing with others. However, these are the most important times to listen for God's voice.

The Holy Spirit was sent to speak to us and remain present with us throughout our days. Every time we choose to listen to God's voice we will be blessed with peace.

My professor this quarter is someone who is one amazing woman. She spoke to us last night about an educational proposal that she has been working on for three years. She had just finished writing it yesterday and sent it in. She told us of her spiritual journey throughout the entire time of this endeavor and how in-tune with God she felt. It was amazing to hear her story and to know that God is always present. He was with her every step of the way and really worked through her on this project. She said that she just felt His presence constantly and what an amazing feeling to know.

I know that God is a present God. I know He is here waiting to be felt, seen, heard. Trust Him and know that He is ready to show you His presence.

"If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from their heart. That is what the Scriptures say.”  Jesus was talking about the Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given to people, because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit. John 7:38-39 

Quality Time

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

I'm sure that most of us rush through our morning routines. We are doing our best not to be late to school, work, or other life obligations. I tend to snooze my alarm and each time I do I have to cut out something from my morning. It usually is breakfast, actually doing my hair, or making lunch for the day. One thing I don't cut out is my devotional time. I'm sure that even though I'm not eliminating it, waking up later is cutting it short.

It seems so easy at times to cut short our time with God. It seems like we treat is as a privilege we have instead of a requirement. Now, God doesn't require us to spend time with Him, but we should require ourselves to do it! It not only rejuvenates us for the day, but God is our source of life. We need to be plugging in to Him every day, all the time!

Spending quality time with God is a must. In order to live our lives well we need to be living in tune with God. We will wear out faster than you know - so spend some time with your life source and be made new!

Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying. Hebrews 12:3 

You Need God

“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything." John 15:5

Our world is constantly telling us that we need to focus more on ourselves and find inner-peace and strength.

God is telling us that we need to turn to Him for peace and strength.

It is hard to live in our world today fully-committed to God. Everything around us tells us we can do it alone and don't need anything but our own self to succeed. It is hard to break away from that mindset and remember that we do need something else: we need God. We need Him to strengthen us. We need Him to give us peace and understanding with the things of this world.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you don't need any help in this life...know that you need God and He wants you to go to Him for peace and strength.

If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be. James 1:4 

Stop and Rest

The Lord is my shepherd.    I will always have everything I need.He gives me green pastures to lie in.    He leads me by calm pools of water.He restores my strength.    He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.Psalm 23:1-3

I apologize for being absent from this blogging world for awhile. My schedule has been different and I am doing my best to post my devotional thought at least Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I only have time on Tuesdays and Thursdays for my own personal devotional time and not to blog. So I apologize for not making that known earlier. From now on, hopefully only until the end of this year, I will blog 3 days a week....and then hopefully back to 5.

Anyways, speaking of "timing" and "schedules" my devotion this morning was about rest. God created us to need it! He even set aside a special day to rest and rejuvenate. So many of us, being apart of the world we live in, forget to find time to rest. We are always on the go, and even when we aren't our minds are busy watching TV, being on the computer, or talking on the phone. Our bodies might get a rest at those times but our minds aren't.

God wants us to be able to rest in Him and find the peace that we so desperately need. It is vital to understand that we were created to have a time of rest. Our bodies and minds breakdown and need time to rejuvenate. It's okay! Take the time to rest up, find peace, and get control of your mind and body.

God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work. God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world. Genesis 2:2-3

It will bring light to those who live in darkness, in the fear of death.    It will guide us into the way that brings peace. Luke 1:79 

Search for Peace

You have given him blessings that will last forever.    You have given him the joy of being near you.Psalm 21:6

We all go through highs and lows of this life but it is important to remember that God is with us through it all!

It is easy to see God's presence when our lives are going well and everything seems to be easy. However, when life gets hectic and hard to handle, finding God is not always an easy task. Remember at these times that searching for God may be your answer to peace. Sometimes the act of looking for God will take your mind off the heartache, confusion, and chaos and bring peace about to your life.

We already know that God does not leave us. He will not fail us and He has a plan for each one of us. Knowing this is easy, but living it out is a different story. When times are tough look for God and in the act of searching you will find God and His peaceful presence.

Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. Proverbs 2:4 

Comfort

Praise the Lord with me.    Let us honor his name.I went to the Lord for help, and he listened.    He saved me from all that I fear.If you look to him for help,    he will put a smile on your face.    You will have no need to be ashamed.As a poor, helpless man I prayed to the Lord,    and he heard me.    He saved me from all my troubles.Psalm 34:4-6

Going to God for comfort is a must in this life. He has promised that He will never leave us but has also promised that He will comfort us.

There are going to be plenty of times in our life that we need comfort. We will need to feel a warm embrace and someone telling us that everything is going to be alright. Some of those comforting times will come directly from God, while other times will be from God through another person.

It is important to know that God can use us a a comfort for others. At times well will need His comfort, and at others we will be the comfort to someone else.

Let God comfort you. Let Him also use you to comfort others.  

Depend on the Lord for strength.    Always go to him for help.Psalm 105:4  

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father who is full of mercy, the God of all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

He is There

Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time. Matthew 28:20

God is with you always! Knowing this and staying conscious of this throughout your day is a must.

 I think we can all read and know that God is with us. We have read the promises and have been told that he is always present and will never leave us. However, we seem to only remember this when it is convenient to us.

Being continually conscious of God's presence is important. Reminding yourself throughout the day that God is there is helpful to you in your daily life and will bring peace to you. God has promised His presence to us always and we can turn to Him at any time and remember that He is there.

We have all these great people around us as examples. Their lives tell us what faith means. So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. Hebrews 12:1-2

God's Opinion

Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him. Hebrews 11:6

It is hard not to turn to other people for advice and to look at ourselves through their eyes.

This world is all about judging. There are other's who judge, television that judges, teachers, leaders, children, everyone judges. And just as much as we are judge, we are guilty of judging other as well.

Sometimes we think that the perception people have of us is true and we believe it. I find myself allowing others' opinions of me get in my head and bother me. Hubby is always telling me, "who care's what they think". (I hate it when he's right!). God actually takes offense when we listen to other people's opinions and begin to believe them.

God has already told us that He made us in His image. He already promised that He is working on us constantly and that we are His own. Let's not fall into the idolatry trap of taking other's options of us and putting them above God's.

He has the ultimate say in who we are...He has the best opinion about our lives!

But the time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. In fact, that time is now here. And these are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers. God is spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24

Just a Thought...

I must calm down and turn to God;    he is my only hope. He is my Rock, the only one who can save me.    He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me 

My victory and honor come from God.

     He is the mighty Rock, where I am safe. People, always put your trust in God!    Tell him all your problems.    God is our place of safety. Psalm 62:5-8

The Lord God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the one who is, who always was, and who is coming. I am the All-Powerful.” Revelation 1:8

It is easy to get attached to things of this life. Some of these things may have even been given to you by God. But the truth is that all earthly things will perish. Do not cling to any of them. Instead, cling to God and know that He is the source for all of these things.

I love hearing, or reading, the verse that God is the "one who is, who always way, and who is coming". I find comfort in this knowing that He is all. Once we can grasp that concept and understand His ways we will blessed abundantly.

Remember that everything good comes form God. Everything you have in your life is sent directly from Him. Remember to thank God today for the things in your life - they may not be here tomorrow.

But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 

Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. James 1:17 

 

Trust and Receive

So trust in the Lord and do good.     Live on your land and be dependable.
Enjoy serving the Lord,     and he will give you whatever you ask for.Depend on the Lord.       Trust in him, and he will help you.He will make it as clear as day that you are right.    Everyone will see that you are being fair.Psalm 37:3-6

Trusting God can be a tough thing to do. Especially if you like to control things like I do.

I never like admitting that I am a control freak....it just sounds so terrible. But, I know it's true and I do like to controls a lot of things. I don't mean to. It's just a part of me that comes out from time to time...

When it comes to my life I tend to plan ahead. I always plan for the worse - that way I'm always prepared. I know that this is not God's intention for my life and I have to say that I've been a lot better with this.

Today's devotion reminded me once again that it is insulting to God when I over-plan and try to control everything. He has already got it under control and I don't need to worry about it! Like the two verses here this morning - Trust God. He will certainly provide everything you need.

My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 

Bad Vibes

I will give rest and strength to those who are weak and tired. Jeremiah 31:25

When we go through struggles of this world it is important to remember that God is with us. It is important that we are walking with Him and that we are able to go to Him with all of our needs and worries.

There is a big difference between going to God with your needs and going to others. So many times we try to go to others to meet our needs and the needing turns into complaining. It is so easy to discuss the difficulties of this world with others. Discussing tough times is important; complaining about them is unnecessary.

When we complain to others about our situations, or our life in general, we tend to have a negative vibe that we give out to others. First of all, I don't think anyone wants to give a negative vibe out, and second, it isn't good to go around complaining and questioning God.

We've learned in life that we must go to the source of a problem or question. It is no good to use talk about it to everyone - that's just gossip. When we go to God with our problems and worries He will listen. He hears them and wants to go through them with you. He will change your perspective on the things worth complaining about and show you how to be content with your life.

Go to the source - Jesus will show you how to be a light, not a bad vibe.

Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world. Philippians 2:14-15 

Loss and Pain - Remembering Our Loved Ones

From far away, the Lord    will appear to his people.The Lord says, “I love you people with a love that continues forever.    That is why I have continued showing you kindness.Jeremiah 31:3

I was beyond saddened to hear the news that my Kindergarten teacher's daughter passed away in her sleep Saturday night. I had just seen my former teacher at church on Sabbath morning. We talked for a brief moment and went our separate ways. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that at that very moment neither of us new that pain and devastation was just around the corner.

I don't understand God's ways. I'm not supposed to understand - and neither are you. It is hard to let go of the people we love on this earth. It is so hard not to wonder what God's plan was for this girl's life. She was very young and had her whole life ahead of her. I can't seem to come up with a "good enough" reason for this loss. All I can assure myself with is that God knows all. He understands our pain and He wants us to go to Him with it.

I can sit and think of many "reasons" why maybe her life had to end early...but it's no use. It may just be that my mind is too consumed with this world. I am hurting for her family and the loved ones she left behind that are mourning her loss and want her back. I can feel their pain and I can understand their selfishness. But maybe it isn't about all that. Maybe it's about understanding that this world is just about over. It's about realizing that just around the corner we will be going to our new home - heaven.

In these times we must remember that God told us this was not our home. He promised us a perfect place. When our loved ones are taken from this place we have confidence that the next thing they will see is Jesus' face. Those we lose may be done with this life here on earth, but they are awaiting Christ's return like the rest of us. They are waiting peacefully for Him to wake them up and call them home.

But with your kindness    you led the people you saved.And with your strength    you led them to your holy land.Exodus 15:13 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 

 

Find Your Joy

Figs might not grow on the fig trees,    and grapes might not grow on the vines.Olives might not grow on the olive trees,    and food might not grow in the fields.There might not be any sheep in the pens    or cattle in the barns.But I will still be glad in the Lord    and rejoice in God my Savior.The Lord God gives me my strength.    He helps me run fast like a deer.    He leads me safely on the mountains.To the music director. On my stringed instruments.

My morning devotion was all about joy. It reminded me that having joy does not depend on the circumstances that are surrounding you - it comes from inside.

There are plenty of bad situations that people find themselves in, but still choose to be happy. There are lots of content people who don't have the most perfect life. It comes from within, and from having an understanding with God and knowing that He has plans for you.

A co-worker of mine offered devotions for us in our staff meeting yesterday. He shared a poem he created. It was all about how we can be confident in ourselves because we have God behind us. We don't have to question our circumstances because God placed us where we are in our life for a reason. He has a purpose for us and we don't have to worry about it. We can find joy in life because we know that God has a plan for us and He is leading us to "greener pastures" and a beautiful life.

He lives in the presence of glory and honor.    His Temple is a place of power and joy.1 Chronicles 16:27 

A Little Craziness and Lots of Thanks

But I trust in your faithful love, Lord.    I will be happy when you save me.Psalm 13:5

I needed this morning's devotion. The first two lines were:

"When many things seem to be going wrong, trust me. When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank me."

My life feels just a little bit out of control! My week has been hectic (to say the least) and I felt as if I was rushing back and forth all day, hurried along to meet deadlines and appointment times, and not much time was spent to just breathe.

Last night I found myself complaining to hubby about how the next 10 weeks were going to be craziness at work.

Now, I'm known for crazy. I love the busyness of work and the tight schedule. I like to be doing something at all times and to know that I'm working for a reason. But, I also like those moments of clarity and moments to myself. They seem to be absent in this new schedule of mine. And when I do get a lovely one I feel like there is always something else to squeeze in.

So I'm changing perspective. God wants me to thank Him for the "out of control" in my life. He wants me to go to Him when life feels all out of whack. I think the change of pace and mindset will bring me to a better place and I will be able to tackle the rest of my day (or at least a few more hours until I need to thank Him again).

So I've decided to use my moments of clarity and "breathers" to thank Him. I want to put everything into perspective and to go to God when life feels crazy and to take a moment to allow Him to change my perspective and show me that I can do this.

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

His Ways

God will make that happen at the right time. God is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. God is the only one who never dies. He lives in light so bright that people cannot go near it. No one has ever seen him; no one is able to see him. All honor and power belong to him forever. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15-16

The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like yours.    Your ways are not like mine.Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,    so my ways are higher than your ways,    and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.Isaiah 55:8-9 

God's ways are much higher then our ways. He knows what is best for us and it is our duty to trust Him. When we choose to trust His ways we begin to live in peace and our relationship with God strengthens.

It is easy for us to want this things we want and to hope that things go the way we want them to go. This world is all about getting what you want - fast. Our society has taught us to plan, plan, plan and to hurry everything along. But God is saying, "Trust me. No that I have something beautiful planned for you and all you need to do is trust me".

Let's begin our day by trusting Him. Let's know that His ways are not ours and He knows what is best for us.

But I have this against you: You have left the love you had in the beginning. Revelation 2:4 

Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28