If Only

 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."Romans 6:23

Starting in the beginning of time if only Adam and Eve would have followed God’s plan and obeyed instead of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil where would we be today? Interesting to ponder. 

Since that time mankind wants his or her own way and Satan is more than delighted to accommodate this behavior. The ploy of the enemy is to destroy God’s creation of the family with lies and deception. If you can tear the family apart and lie about creation and get people trying to be their own god then why is a savior even needed? 

Brother and sister don’t play around with eternity. Don’t get into meaningless squabbles that don’t matter in the long run. Keep pressing in to prayer for lost family and friends. Pray for city leaders to hear the voice of truth. Pray for your grandchildren if you have some that they could experience Holy Spirit revival. Pray for leaders of the church to repent and follow hard after God and seek forgiveness from anyone they have hurt. Now go and be a blessing to someone today. Everyone is harboring a hurt that needs to be healed. 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus use me to help someone else whose heart is shattered. Help those waiting for answers to hang on. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Can You Really Truly Rest In God

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

That is a question I asked myself one night when listening to a Lectio 365 devotion. Can I rest no matter what and do I rest?Resting meaning letting go of burdens wearing you down. Do I do this? Can I do this? 

Is God truly the strength of your life? Then if He is and you believe it then let Him be that strength. I am talking to myself now too not just my readers. 

You can’t have true rest in your life if you say you have surrendered but keep picking up the burdens all over again. God wants to help you but you have to want to be helped. What are you mulling over in your mind and why is it so hard to let God have it so you can indeed trust He is working. Go be at peace. Trust God. 

PRAYER: I thank you Lord for your constant protection over me yet when I fail to let you be totally in control I am restless. Help me trust you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

GV2Bless

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."Luke 6:38

I  am a huge fan of vanity tags particularly ones conveying a message of hope or comfort for people who see them. Today’s title is once again a vanity tag messaging to the reader ‘give to bless’ but I guess it could mean ‘give to be blessed’. Either is fine. 

You should not give in order to get but to be a blessing to someone. You never know what a person may be going through. Even those people we all see at intersections with their hand lettered cardboard signs, whether truthful or not, still need a touch from God. If you feel you are led to give the person is responsible to God for misrepresenting aka lying about any need they may have. If you did it out of love then you did the right thing. 

I often wonder about those who really need help. What do they do where do they go. One thing is when you give do t shout it from the rooftops but it should be between you and God. (See Matthew 10:27). Go find someone you can bless today. 

PRAYER: Today I need you Lord as I do daily. Stir the hearts of those who don’t pay attention to you anymore or never did. Bring children to the kingdom of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Too Much Information

 "Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler."1 Peter 4:15

Sometimes do you find out something and you wished you didn’t know cause you may feel left out and then maybe you wish you had not stuck your nose where it didn’t belong? 

I guess the thing is mind your own business. I think this may be more of a lady issue than a man maybe hormonal or something but never-the-less rejection of any sort hurts but the good news is God has not rejected you. He loves you and you are never an after thought with Him. 

Try to mind your own business and give your hurts and pains to God. He is the one who will lift you up. Whatever type of rejection whether simple like not being invited to a party or big like being shut out of a friend or family members life. Keep leaning in to God for deliverance and healing. 

PRAYER: Father I thank you this day for your love for me and for your understanding my hurts and pains. Help me move on and move closer to you and let things go. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Wash My Feet

 “So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”John‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭5‬

The example in scripture of Jesus’ washing his disciples feet is an act of humility and a way to die to self.

Most people don’t like people messing with their feet. Feet take the beating of the entire body with cracks, corns, blisters, hammer toes and so forth and many are ashamed of their feet.

To allow feet washing is a sign of humility. I have heard of weddings where the bride and groom wash each other’s feet as a way to die to self and serve the other. What about you, could you allow someone to wash your feet? Not a pedicure but truly be humble and let someone serve you in that way. In the faith based movie ‘Redeeming Love’ the character Michael played by actor Tom Lewis washes his brides Angel (Abigail Cowen) feet after she had run away yet again on the dusty road leading back to the brothel. (Check it out on Netflix).
Humble yourself and in due time you will be exalted. It’s just feet. 

PRAYER: Father help me not be so uptight about serving in areas that seem dirty and ugly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Is Your Identity Your Idol?

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.Revelation 3:20 

I was thinking of this and came up with a few identities formerly or now for myself. Athlete, gym girl, runner, hiker, movie goer, Ohio girl, Army officer, energizer bunny, Superintendents kid, writer and so forth. Is your identity rooted in what you do and what you want people to know about you and admire or is it rooted in Christ?

Perhaps you were on fire for the Lord at one time but somehow got derailed by the culture who made you think you don’t need ‘religion’. Deep down if you once trusted Christ as your savior what caused that identity to be thrown in the recycle bin? 

You may need to have your spiritual fire relit and you may even need new friends. If your peers live more for the culture forgetting Christ it may be time for a re-set. Have you found a church home to build relationships in or is Sunday your play day? You need a place to go to worship Christ as King and one where God’s word is honored and taught. Start today and search your heart. Forgive yourself for mistakes and ask God to help you find your identity in Him. 

PRAYER: Lord forgive me when I have tossed my faith aside and let this culture and its lies and temptations shape me. I pray for anyone I know stuck in a rut who needs to run back to Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

You Can’t Force People To Like You

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."Proverbs 27:17

Not everyone is a people person and for those of us who are it is hard when you are shunned or belittled or hurt verbally in any way. If that happens you need to pray for the person being ugly as there may be underlying causes that made this behavior happen. 

The age of social media has hurt many for if you are blocked or unfriended it hurts but social media is not real, remember that. I challenge those on it to fast from it for a while. It may do you a world of good use the time you would scroll to pray. 

Just remember that God always loves you and he is a 24/7 friend. It is Satan who tries to get you distraught even for some to the point of taking their own life. Cry out to God and let Him hear your heart. 

PRAYER: Father I give you my life, my friends, my family, my concerns. I lay them all at the foot of the cross. In Jesus’ name. Amen.