Wednesday's Word: Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me

to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

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.

Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Hear my voice when I call, LORD;

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

the LORD will receive me.

Teach me your way, LORD;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27 (NIV)

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. It reminds me that I have no reason to fear or be anxious, because God is with me. It speaks to the joy that I feel when I enter into God's presence. When I am there, I never want to leave!

This chapter also speaks to my shortcomings. Often, my heart nudges me to seek the face of the Lord, but I find myself caught up in other things. I say that I'll spend time in prayer, and then I'll find myself doing something else. And by the time I do make it to the Lord, I'm asking for His forgiveness.

Yet, I can always be confident of the Lord's goodness. I can always count on Him to be there for me when I need Him. His love never fails.

He's Right Beside You

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me... You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:8, 11

Many of us know that the Lord is with us. However, how many of us take advantage of the fact that the Lord is always right beside us?

David was unafraid of whatever challenge he faced because he knew that God was with him. He listened to the Lord's advice in how to live his life. And because David acknowledged God's presence, he lived a life of joy and pleasure.

Are you lacking direction? Do you not know what to do or where to go? Is your life without joy? Have you no pleasure in your way of living?

Perhaps you are missing out on the advantage of the Lord walking by your side.

The Bible says that the Lord will never leave us. He is always right there, ready, willing and able to help us in whatever we have need of. Even if it's something as simple as needing to smile, the Lord wants to help.

Today, take advantage of the Lord's presence. Allow Him to lead you, guide you, and fill your life with joy and purpose.

Verse of the Day: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

Getting Up

This morning it was hard for me to get up out the bed. I hate it when I wake up and still feel tired. So I laid there. I laid there and thought about all the things I have to complete today. My mind started whizzing, and I wanted to go back further under my covers.

I took a break from analyzing my upcoming day and took a moment to pray. I prayed about my day. I prayed for strength. I prayed for the Lord's help.

And then I got up.

What's facing you today? What is piling up on your plate already and making your head spin? What is trying to keep you from moving forward?

Take a moment to pray. Ask the Lord for strength. Ask the Lord for help. And then get up and keep moving.

God is always there for you. He will lead you, guide you, strengthen and keep you. You're not facing anything alone. You don't have to do it all on your own. The Lord is there, ready and willing to help you. Whether your problems seem great or small, God wants to help carry you through it all.

Allow Him to keep you on today.

Verse of the Day: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

All You Need

This morning I got frustrated. I mean really frustrated. I could feel the tension building up in my shoulders and I felt my mood turning darker.

I caught myself and said a prayer. I laid everything on the altar, gave my frustrations over to the Lord, asked Him to fight my battle - and left it all there with Him.

I could feel the weight lift and my emotions calm down. The Lord gave me peace, and I was able to move on with my day. I'm so glad we have the blessing of prayer!

Something so simple as having an honest, open conversation with the Lord can change so much! Trusting Him to be Who He has said He is can make all the difference. He has told us in His Word that He is our source of peace, joy, comfort, strength, and love. When we find ourselves in need of those things, we should have the faith to come to the Lord and receive those gifts from Him.

Far too often we turn to other people, food, shopping, other vices, the internet, or anything else we can find for the comfort we seek. God has already told us the foolproof way to get what we need! All we have to do is turn to Him with open hearts in complete surrender.

God will not berate us. He won't ignore us. He won't leave us hanging. He will fill us up with all that we need. He will embrace us with His love.

Today, when you find yourself in need, turn to the One Who can completely satisfy all your needs. Allow the Lord to be your Everything.

Verse of the Day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:11

Can't Get Enough!

On Sunday, my church's worship team sung a song about wanting more of God. That song has been ringing in my heart since! God is so wonderful and amazing! The closer I get to Him, the more I want to get closer to Him!

There is a line in the song that says: So I lay down my life to make room for you. In order to get more of the Lord, we have to be willing to set ourselves aside. Our selfish wants, our fleshly desires, and our own pursuits have all got to fall in the face of our Father. We have to trust in God's love for us and that He knows what is best for us, can give us what we need, and can take us to better places than we can ever dream of.

When Jesus called His disciples, they literally walked away from everything. They left their families, their jobs, their homes... all to follow Christ. And their willingness to give it all up took them to places of greatness in God. Are you willing to give it all up to reach your great place in the Lord?

Today, put aside yourself and make room for more of the Lord in your life. Put down the phone, turn off the blogs, shut off the television, and get in God's presence. Sneak away and wrap yourself in personal time with the Lord.

Got a few minutes? Get some worship time right now and watch this:

Verse of the Day: For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:10

Let the Holy Spirit Minister To You Today

The Bible says that the Lord will be our comforter when we need it. After Jesus left the earth, He sent the Holy Spirit to us who is our Comforter.

So, why do we allow ourselves to become worried or distressed?

Perhaps you need to take some time today to allow the Holy Spirit to comfort you. In your prayer time, just sit in God's presence and allow Him to minister His Comfort to you. Rest in the Lord and allow Him to take your troubles and cares on His capable shoulders. Let your Heavenly Father minister healing to your heart and solace to your soul.

The Holy Spirit also helps us to remember the promises of the Lord to encourage us to keep going. When we allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us, He will remind us of God's Word and the victory that we have in Him. He will speak directly to our situations and show us how to move forward.

You have the Holy Spirit inside of you. Don't allow the cares of this world to distract you from the fact that
you have immediate comfort for your every trial. Don't be so consumed with your problem that you don't pay attention to the Holy Spirit. He is there to remind you of your victory in Christ.

Let today be a day that you cherish the gift of the Holy Spirit's presence in your life. Allow Him to minister and talk with you as you go about your day.

Verse of the Day: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26

Perfect Peace

This week I have been amazed by the presence of God's peace. It is literally all around me. In the midst of all the planning, preparing, and busyness for my father's homegoing, an inner calm has been present that has helped carry me through this difficult time in my life.

I have been reminded of the words of David: I have never seen the righteous forsaken! God has given my family every single thing we needed. I can only stand in amazement at how God orchestrated everything down to the smallest detail. He is truly an Awesome God!

Yes, my heart is hurting. Yes, there are some questions that I don't have answers to. Yes, I am wondering why... Still, God is faithful. Still, I feel His love surrounding me. Still, I have His joy giving me strength to keep going.

When you take the time to build a strong foundation, you will have what you need to face whatever God allows to come your way. When you take the time to develop a relationship with your Heavenly Father, it won't matter how loud the storm gets; you will still hear His voice guiding you through it all.

Make sure you are keeping your spirit in tune with God. Don't allow the troubles and cares of this world to separate you from His love. Even if your skies are blue, you should cling to His hand all the more. Life is full of twists and turns, and you never know what may be on the horizon. Yet, if you remain firmly in the Lord's grasp, your ride will be smooth, and you'll be able to remain steadfast in your journey.

Verse of the Day: I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25

God Might Be In It

I admire the Pharisee Nicodemus. He was able to recognize that God was working through Jesus after observing His ministry to the people. Nicodemus saw that Jesus would not have been able to perform the miracles He did without the help of God.

Jesus' ministry was a radical ministry. It wasn't built on rules or traditions like what the Jews were practicing at the time. It's foundation was love and forgiveness. Jesus didn't view God as apart or aloof from man, but He regarded the Lord as His Father someone with whom He could have a close relationship with. Jesus performed miracles that boggled the mind and told His followers that they could do the same.

Many learned men who witness Jesus' ministry chose to ignore the glory and focus on what they knew. They knew Scripture. They knew tradition. They knew the rules of man. Jesus was out of the box. He didn't line up with what they knew.

So, instead of seeing the God working in Him, they chose to see how Jesus didn't fit. They chose to focus on how Jesus was out of line with tradition and their rules. They missed that Jesus was creating a whole new space of love and grace.

But Nicodemus recognized that God was moving in a new way, and he came to Jesus to get answers. He came to Jesus to fill in the blanks. The resulting conversation is the cornerstone to our salvation ministry.

I love that God can use new and different things for His glory. He uses foolish things to confound the wise. Though He always remains the same, the Lord uses ways we could never imagine to display His glory and love.

Many of the Pharisees of Nicodemus' day missed out on recognizing who Jesus was. They were so caught up in what they believed to be correct, they missed when the answer to their greatest prayers showed up on their doorstep.

Don't allow your preconceived notions about what it means to be a Christian, or what ministry looks like, or how you think things should be keep you from experiencing a move of God. Don't dismiss something as unholy just because it's not done in the way you think it should be done.

Look beyond what you know and seek the presence of the Lord. You may be surprised how He has chosen to manifest Himself.

Verse of the Day: There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. John 3:1, 2

Take Heart, God's With You!

When it was time for Joshua to take over leading the Israelite people, God made sure that Moses encouraged Joshua's heart before he took the reigns. Moses reminded Joshua that the Lord was on his side and that he had no reason to fear. Moses even encouraged Joshua in front of all the people to make sure the people would not fear following Joshua either.

Joshua had a huge task in front of him. After living their lives as slaves, then wandering in the wilderness for forty years, it was finally time for God's people to obtain His promise to them. In order for them to receive the promise, they were going to go out and do things they had never done and fight giants and powers they had never imagined.

Without courage in their hearts and faith in God and their leader, the Israelites could have easily lost out on the promise God had for them. But they were able to march forward with boldness because they knew that the Lord was with them.

You may be facing something new right now that has you trembling inside. Up ahead, there may be giants waiting on you to cross their path. But in facing the giants, you will be able to take hold of God's promise to you. In facing the unknown you'll be able to know that the Lord is with you.

Be strong and of good courage! The Lord is with you! He's bringing you to your promise!

Remember what He's already done for you. Remember how He saved you from bondage. Remember how He's kept you up to this very point.

Yes, what's ahead may be something you've never dealt with before. Maybe your instructions are something you've never heard of before (Walking around a city to make the walls fall, anyone?) But God is on your side! He won't let you fall! He won't let you be ashamed!

Be encouraged. Go forth and do it!

Just like Joshua went ahead and was able to rout every enemy that stood in his path, you will be able to go forward with great success. Trust in the Lord Who is with you. Stand firm and don't doubt. Believe His Word and watch what He does with your faith!

Verse of the Day: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

It Is Well With My Soul

There's an old hymn with a refrain that says: It is well with my soul. Over and over the psalmist repeats that despite all that's going on, despite the trials that come from the enemy, no matter how much things try to block the way: It is well with my soul.

Life can be overwhelming at times. Things happen unexpectedly. Trials come unnanounced. Hardships pop up in our paths. But, not matter what goes on around us, we should be able to find God's peace buffeting us in the midst of any storm. We should be able to find courage to face any trial because the Lord is with us.

Sometimes that peace and assurance is right there. The trial may come, but it finds us strong and able to face it down with no problems. Other times, we may have to call upon that courage like David. Or, we may have to rehearse God's promises to us in our own ears. We may have to take the time to pray and ask our Father to visit us with His peace.

Either way, the Lord is there with everything we need to face any situation. That's why the psalmist can sing It is well with my soul. No matter what comes up, we have a way to face it, endure, and overcome. Nothing should shake us, scare us, or beat us. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.

Be encouraged today! You have all the tools you need to face your situation. There is nothing too hard for the Lord, and He is with you! So, you can sing along with the psalmist: It is well with my soul!

Verse of the Day: As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me... Psalm 55:16-18

Who Are You Attracted To?

Lots of people give their respect away off of superficial things. If we see someone pull up in a nice car, step out in fancy clothes, carrying expensive bags, hanging with 'popular' people... we look at them with admiration.

We give them credibility merely because they have money and status. We treat them differently... better than others. We want to get close to those types of people. We want to be like them. We want them to like us. We imagine ourselves parading around with their things and dreaming of the day when we can fraternize with the 'popular' crowd.

Yet those people really don't have anything of value to give us. Even if they traded wardrobes, bank accounts, and friends with us... we still wouldn't be better off.

Ruth was a woman who knew how to recognize what was really valuable. When her husband died and she had nothing left, Ruth chose to stay with her mother in-law Naomi, a widower herself. Naomi had no money, no status, no rich connections. In order to eat Ruth had to go behind the threshers in the field to pick up the wheat they had left behind.

Why would anyone want to choose to live that way?

Ruth recognized the value of the God that Naomi served. She recognized the integrity and the spirit of her mother in-law, and Ruth wanted that in her own life. She chose a life of poverty in order to be rich in spirit.

As a result of Ruth's wise choice, she eventually became rich in every area of her life. She married the owner of the field she was picking up scraps from, she bore children, and God blessed her to be at the head of the lineage of King David whose lineage led up to Jesus Christ.

Who do you find yourself gravitating to? Are you attracted to what people have going on outwardly? Or, do you look at their character and listen to their words? Do you study how they live? Can you recognize when someone is close to God? Do you get close to those who are in true relationship with the Father?

Don't get so caught up in outward things that hold no real value. Make sure you are drawing close to those people who will feed your spirit. You'll benefit overall in the long run.

Verse of the Day: ...but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. Ruth 1:14b-17

God's Got You!

In Psalm 56, David is praying to God for deliverance from his enemies. In the verses, David tells of being afraid and crying because of the way he is being targeted by evil men. Yet, in the midst of his despair, David had chosen to trust in the Lord. In the midst of his fear, David had decided to stand on the promises of God.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee... (Psalm 56:3)

Who do you run to when you are afraid? Do you run to the Lord? Or, do you only trust yourself to handle dire situations?

Maybe you do turn to the Lord, but do you turn to Him trusting that He can handle what you are facing? Do you come to Him with assurance that He can deliver you from the hands of your enemy?

David made the declaration that he would never fear what a man could do to him. He knew that with the God of the Universe on his side there was nothing the earth could present that could overtake him. He knew that with a cry to the Lord, his enemies would be turned around because God was fighting for him.

In the time of trouble, we should cry out to the Lord trusting in His righteousness and strength to save and deliver us. We should face the world with no fear because we know that we have the ultimate Winner on our side. There is nothing on this earth that can override the will of God.

As long as we're in His will, we have nothing to fear.

We just need to remember to call out to our Savior when trouble comes. We need to fill ourselves up with the Word of God, so we can have something to stand on when things get tight. We need to spend time with the Father to build a relationship so that our instinct is to turn to Him first before anyone else.

When trouble comes, you have someone who can keep you safe from all trouble and harm. Don't let the circumstances cause you to fear or falter. God's got your back!

Verse of the Day: When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Psalm 56:9-11

Big God

What's so great about God is that He can never be fathomed or contained. As long as man has been on the earth, as many scholars and ministers have searched the Scriptures, as deep as people have progressed in their knowledge of God - there is so much more that has gone untapped. We will never reach the limit. We will never know it all.

That's how big our God is. That's how great our Lord is. That's how much higher than us He is.

I take comfort in my great, big God. Because of His grandness, He comes up with solutions that I would never dream of. He finds ways to bless me that I could never figure out on my own. He's set up principles in His Kingdom that will cause me to live a blessed and favored life as I follow after His instructions.

He is so amazing!

What have you learned about your big God lately? How has your relationship with Him been enriched as you've gotten to know the Lord? What things in the Word have you come across that you are excited to learn and apply to your life?

Take some time today to give God some praise and thanksgiving. If you haven't had any new revelations about your big God lately, spend some time in His presence and in His Word and listen to what He reveals to you. Every day is a new opportunity for you to grow in God!

Verse of the Day: I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. Psalm 145:1-3

Don't Shrink Back!

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the glory of God that clothed them was removed and they realized their nakedness. Their sin caused them to feel to feel shame, and they hid when they knew that God was coming to talk with them. (Genesis 3)

As a PK (Preacher's Kid), I've been blessed to be around numerous men and women of God growing up. When I was younger, I would enjoy sitting in the back rooms and listening in on their conversations. It was enlightening to hear what they were like when they weren't preaching to a crowd of people. I thank God that the majority of those men and women were people of integrity and set good examples for me.

It's funny because most of my friends didn't feel the same way that I did about hanging around the preachers. They wouldn't want to go and talk to the ministers out of fear that God would reveal to them something negative about my friends. They were afraid that their 'sins' would be exposed. They shrank back from the anointing God had placed on those people's lives.

In the same way, some of us shrink back from God's presence when we are in sin. We don't pray as deeply as we normally would (if we pray at all). Some of us stop going to church. Others dodge ministry leaders in our church. Like my friends, we don't want to be 'exposed', we don't want anyone to hone in on our secret sins.

Yet, if we continue reading Adam and Eve's story, we see that even though God rightly rebuked them, He made a way for the sins to be covered. At that time, it took the sacrifice of a lamb, but God told Adam and Eve what to do to make things right. He even gave them the lamb's wool as a covering for their nakedness.

We all sin and fall short of God's glory. However, we serve a just and gracious God. Of course there are consequences for our sin, but God's grace is there to cover and make things right again. We are blessed to have the eternal sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus, to cover our transgressions. And He has made a way for us to be reconciled with God.

So what you fell? That doesn't mean that you should turn away from God's presence. It's all the more reason for you to run to Him, so He can make you whole again. Don't shrink back, press in. Your Heavenly Father is waiting with love to make it all okay.

Verse of the Day: God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9, 10

Carrying a Heavy Load?

Yesterday afternoon I had a wonderful time in prayer. I just sat and unburdened myself at His feet. It felt so good to just let it all go and give it to Him to handle.

The Bible tells us that we can give God our burdens, and He cares enough about us to carry them for us. Our heavy loads weigh nothing to God, and in His infinite wisdom He can solve any problem we have in less than a moment. We would be fretting for weeks.

Often we get so caught up in calling ourselves responsible, or trying to do it all, or thinking that we're so capable that we wind up carrying heavy loads that crush us. We pack our schedules til we're stressed. The cares of this world pile up and overwhelm us. Our sense of duty leaves us weary and worn.

But, we have a God who can handle all our burdens. More than that, He's willing to take all of them on His shoulders. He loves us with a love so deep that all we have to do is hand it over to Him, and He'll take care of it.

So, you don't have to worry or fret. You don't have to be stressed or overwhelmed. Your Heavenly Father is ready, willing and waiting to take on all of your concerns and cares. Just give them over to Him, allow Him to minister to you His love and rest, and follow whatever plans or steps He gives you to take.

Yep. It's that simple.

Isn't God amazing?!

Verses of the Day:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Get Close

David is one of my favorite Biblical characters. Just looking at his life, you can see that he had a relationship with God. God wasn't just a great being off in the distance, David's faith wasn't just a set of rituals and rules he used to guide his life, David didn't just serve God because He was born into the Israelite nation. David knew God.

David spent time talking to God in prayer. He loved to sit and worship and sing songs to the Lord. David took the time to learn what God wanted from him and tried his best to live accordingly. Even when David sinned, he approached God with a contrite heart and repented (turned away) from his errors.

As a result, God blessed David immensely. He established David's throne, and even chose his bloodline to carry the seed of the Messiah. David's pursuit of the Lord caused favor to rest upon his life.

Forming a relationship with someone takes dedicated time. It doesn't just happen. It occurs after shared experiences, shared conversations, and even shared misunderstandings. It's funny, there are people - co-workers, fellow commuters, family members - who we may see and even speak to every day who we don't really have a relationship with.

We may share trivial stories or engage in the same activities, but we do not share a relationship. We keep certain things private. We don't invite those people to engage in more personal activities with us. We don't allow them to get to know that much or get that close to us.

Could it be that we do the same thing to God?

We may pray every day and even read His word. But do we engage in meaningful activity with Him? Do we have real conversations with Him, or do we just stick to the surface subjects? Do we withhold our inner feelings, fears, and questions from His heart? Do we take the time to dwell in His presence in praise and worship?

Like David, we should have a deep relationship with our Heavenly Father. If there is anyone we should be close to, it's our Lord. He's given us the privilege and the opportunity to get close. Why should we stand off away from Him then? Let's press in like David and get close to God!

Verse of the Day: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Psalm 27:8

Solid Rock

Today... is a day.

I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord... (Psalm 121:1, 2) And I need that help today!

I pray all of you are having excellent days so far. Pray my strength...

God is good. Even in the midst of all of the busyness and things that have to be taken care of, God is still good.

It's nice to just take a minute and pause and think about the greatness of God! He is our rock in the midst of stormy seas. When everything around us is chaotic and troubled, we can cling to His steadfast love. It is so reassuring to have Him ever-present. It's heartening to know that no matter what or who starts acting up in our lives, our Father will remain steady, constant, and faithful.

When the disciples were on a boat that was being walloped by a severe storm, they feared that they were going to die. They were amazed that Jesus was resting peacefully on the boat. After they woke Him up, Jesus questioned their faith. And then He commanded the storm to cease. (Mark 4:36-41)

Don't forget Who's riding with you on your ship! The second you see God freak out - then you can freak out. As long as He is at peace, you can be at peace. And you already know God will never freak out. He will never be flustered, disoriented, or apprehensive. He knows it all, and He knows our glorious everlasting future.

Take heart. You are on solid ground. Things may be shaking, but you will not be destroyed.

Have a great day! (I know I feel better!)

Verse of the Day: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8

Woke Up This Morning With My Mind On Jesus!

This morning I woke up at four in the morning. I repeat - FOUR - in the morning!

For a girl who sets her alarm for 6:30, but doesn't get out of bed til 7ish... this might have been an issue.

But as I laid there, a song was ringing through my spirit that tells of love for our Savior. As I lay in my bed, I realized that there was a reason why I was awake. Instead of rolling over and trying to get a couple more hours of sleep, I allowed my heart to sing it's song, and I meditated on the goodness of the Lord. I even took some time to talk with the Father.

It's amazing what love will do. It has a way of overtaking your entire being. I remember times when I was crushing on certain boys - I would stay up late daydreaming about them, think about them during the day, anticipate our next time seeing each other. My every spare moment was spent consumed with how much I was head over heels.

How much more should we be thinking about the love of our Father? Like David, we should long to dwell in God's presence all the time. (Psalm 27:4) We should anticipate spending time with Him. Our heart's should be full of longing for His touch.


It was so good to bask in the presence of the Lord this morning. And you know what? Right now I'm not even sleepy or tired. I'm wide awake and ready for the day. My morning worship has set the tone for my day, and my spirit is already primed and listening for the Lord's voice. My whole demeanor is another place. God is good!

Do you wake up bright and early to worship? Or, do you fellowship with God in the evenings? Although I'm a morning devotion girl, I usually spend that quality time in the evenings. After this morning, though, I might just consider switching up my routine. Either way, there's something about spending time with God.

The next time you wake up at an odd hour, don't just roll back over... It might be the perfect time for you to spend with the Lord.

Verse of the Day: O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Psalm 63:1-3

Take Refuge in HIS Strength

As soon as Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they realized they were naked. (Genesis 3:7) Their sin removed them from the covering glory of God, and they saw their vulnerability.

Have you ever thought on it?

Human beings are naturally the most vulnerable creatures on the planet. We don't have thick fur, feathers, scales, quills, or leathery skin to shield us from the elements. We are smooth-bodied creatures who had to create our own coverings to help us navigate through earth.

We were created to exist within the glory of God. As long as Adam and Eve were living in God's glory, they weren't aware to their vulnerabilities. They didn't realize how weak they were. God was strong among them. He covered and shielded them from what they naturally could not combat. He supernaturally provided a world that worked with them to give them fruitful results.

Sin separated them from God and opened them up to the enemy's domain. At that moment, sickness and dis-ease were able to enter in. Adam and Eve would have to experience toil, stress, and pain. Death was now certain.

A Redeemer had to be found to re-establish the balance.

Christ is that Redeemer. Because of Him were are able to be enveloped by the presence of God like Adam and Eve were. We may not have the full benefits that they did in the garden, but the presence of God surrounds us all day. Whatever we come up against, the power of the Lord is there to assist us. No matter what way the enemy tries to attack us, our God is a standard against him.

However, many of us are too worried about how vulnerable we appear to be, and we don't employ our strength in God. We see what we can't do, how we can't win, what we don't have... We're too busy seeing how "naked" we are instead of grabbing hold of the one who can clothe us with His power and strength.

Don't neglect your spiritual covering! Grab hold to the One who created you and release hold of your shame. God made you for a purpose, don't let the enemy snatch that away. No matter what comes, God wants to establish His greatness in you.

Verse of the Day: I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. Psalm 18:1-3

Press In!

When the woman with the issue of blood heard that Jesus was in her city, she made sure that she got to where he was. She got there, saw the crowds, and put aside the Jewish restrictions that forbade her to intermingle with society and pressed in to get close to him. She was determined in her heart that she would at least touch the Savior.

That woman got close enough to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. And she instantly got her healing.

Many of us know that Jesus has the answers to the questions that we seek. We know that he holds the miracle that we've been searching for our entire lives.

Like the woman with the issue of blood, we've gone to other places, people, religions, and schools of thought trying to find an answer. We've spent money in hopes of finding our cure. We've gone to seminars and meetings, tried folk remedies, and advice.

All to no avail.

And then we heard of Jesus. We knew he was the answer to everything.

Despite our letting him into our lives, however, some of us have chosen to stay on the outskirts of the crowds. We've allowed what other people would think to hold us back from trying to get closer to the Master. We know of him, but we haven't made the effort to get close enough to touch him.

It does take more of an effort to get close enough to touch the Savior. Yet, if the woman with the issue of blood is any indication, that very act could instantly unlock the miracle that we've been searching for our whole lives.

Don't let your fear hold you back from your answer. Jesus is there. Are you willing to press in to get to him?

Verse of the Day: And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. Luke 8:46-48