“For we are God’s handiwork” Ephesians 2:10
Bruno Mars hit song “Just the way you are” says, “and when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while. ‘Cause,
We don’t think that way enough. After all, God created you and I, just the way we are, and God does not make mistakes! It’s time for you to discover the beautiful person that you are, and also time for you to see the beauty in others, just the way they are!
“He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15
Yes, pictured above is my cookie jar. I love to laugh! From “The Three Stooges”, to worn out cliche knock-knock Dad jokes, to comic films or television. Give me a reason to laugh and I’m the first one on board. You may have heard that laughter is the best medicine. Well, that’s actually found in Proverbs 17:22, which says, “A merry heart does you good, like a medicine”. Does God love laughter? How about what we read in Psalm 126:2, where King David says “Then our mouth was filled with laughter.” Just imagine,
So what are you waiting for? Enough of the long drawn serious faces when talking about our faith. God invented laughter and he’s just itching for you to discover joy in your worship, in your prayer time, and in your life. Let Isaiah 55:12 be your new motto; “you shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace!”
“Therefore, surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…let us run the race set before us”. Hebrews 12:1
Sometimes it’s easy to forget all those who made our journey possible. The older I get the more fondly I remember those who cared enough to teach me, and reprimand me, and encourage me, and sustain me along the way. Indeed we are a collection of memories, so take the time to
Hebrews 11 takes just such a journey, recounting those with great faith who came before us, from Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to David and so many others. If you want to see what Faith looks like read Hebrews 11, and end with Hebrew 12:1, and realize that you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses cheering you on as you walk your own journey of faith.
“Sing to the Lord a new song!” Psalm 98:1
Why is it that we love new, but we hate change? We love a new car, new apartment, new house, new clothes, new phone, new (fill in the blank), and yet we loath change. Isn’t new, by definition, change? Sometime,
I think David knew this when he wrote Psalm 98, in which he said, “Sing to the Lord a new song”. Sometimes our prayer life can be a bit of a broken record. Same requests, same opening line, same closing line, and so forth. How long would your relationship with a loved one last if you said the exact same thing to them every single day. Mix it up a little! Perhaps pack away your old cliche’s and find some new ways to Praise God, for He is worthy. You’ll be amazed how your attitude toward prayer changes, and a new closeness you feel with your Lord.
“I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24
Jesus meets a man whose son has a tragic sickness. The man says to Jesus, “if you can, help my son.” Jesus responds,
The man then responds, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” How many times do be miss out on incredible blessings in life simply because we walk around with a timid faith, or we believe in a timid God. If you lack faith in your life, ask for more. Jesus has an endless supply just waiting for those who ask Him.
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
If there is one concept that we need to grasp in scripture it is that we need to literally
An Angel approached Mary and said, “Do not be afraid”. Jesus said over and over again, “Do not worry” and “Do not be afraid”. And Today, Timothy reminds us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” You will win this war against fear when you surrender your fears to God. You will be amazed at how He responds with a peace that can only come from Him.
“All things work together for good for those who love God…” Romans 8:28
The above photo is no ordinary mud puddle. For as I walked by this morning there was a very young boy, perhaps no more than a year and a half old, crouched studiously over these muddy waters. What was so interesting to me was the fact that a large playground filled with slides and swings and monkey bars was only a few steps away. Yet those playground toys held no interest for this toddler. He was focused, and fixated, on the mud. He was absolutely convinced that,
In the book of Romans, Paul writes that “All things work together for good for those who love God”. That means lurking in the messy and muddy bits of our lives God will pull together a wonderful plan that brings forth blessings you never thought possible. Take heart today, and understand that indeed something wonderful is waiting for you in your mud puddle.
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you,” Jeremiah 29:12
God is so near to every person on this planet, quietly waiting in the stillness to be invited to draw near and fill every single empty void in your life.
In Jeremiah 29 God makes a promise that if we call on him He will listen. Amazing things are about to happen for you when you pick up that phone called prayer, and call on the Lord.
“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 89:1
Sometimes you have to block out all the distractions and just focus on the Lord in worship. King David, the author of the Psalms knew this. He only knew only one way to praise God, and that was with everything he had.
One thing I have learned in my faith journey is that it’s impossible to praise God without Him drawing close to you. Learn this lesson for yourself today. Start singing!
I will lift up my eyes to the hills, From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121
I grew up in Colorado near the majestic Rocky Mountains. There was not a day that I did not look up and to the West just to see the peaks rising on the horizon. With such a backdrop I learned that there wasn’t much a view in looking down. Down revealed mostly my dirty shoes and cracks in the sidewalks. Looking down I saw problems.
You may find yourself spending too much time in life looking down. Looking up means dreaming something new, seeing the splendor around you, or finding hope in a hopeless situation. Looking up means looking into the face of God, for that is where your help comes from. Yesterday’s post talked about God being our endless supply. Look up, it’s time to realize your help comes from the Lord.
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