Tag: Eternal

Isaiah 40, Treasures for Living

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Before I leave Chapter 40 of Isaiah, I want to draw your attention to my favorite verses that give me strength, courage and a feeling of being loved by God.

Isaiah 40:8 shows me the strength I am assured of through God’s Word. “The grass withers and the flowers fall,  but the word of our God endures forever.” God and His Word are eternal and will not change, fade or die out. I can use His Word as an anchor for my soul as God and His Word do not change. Hebrews 13:8 speaks of the immutability of Jesus and confirms our trust in Him. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Proverbs 30:5 speaks of the perfection of God’s Word and its ability to protect us. “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Hebrews 4:12 speaks of how the Word of God is alive and will help us discern our own hearts and the world around us. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The Word of God is eternal and provides grounding and hope in any situation.

Isaiah 40:11 “He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.” This verse is very comforting as God reveals his heart of compassion and love for me. I know that in times of heartache, joy and desperation He will hold me close to His heart and never let me go. There is no one or nothing like our God. He alone can hold and comfort me. However, He uses other believers to come alongside me and bring tangible comfort right when I need it. Thank you God for you exquisite care of me.

Lastly, I love Isaiah 40:28-31. This portion of scripture is a favorite of so many. Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

There is such strength in knowing God is creator of all, sovereign and everlasting. Nothing can outlast God. He is tireless and in my human weariness I can know that God will not give up or not help because He is too tired or preoccupied. He gives strength and power in Jesus’ name. He uplifts when I grow tired and always will renew my strength. He will cause me to soar and not grow faint. God is an amazing God who loves me and will always support me. I am reminded of Lamentations 3:21-23 when reading these verses, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness.” We know that God always loves us and each and every day His mercies are new for us. We can count on His Faithfulness!

I pray you have seen God in new ways as we have spent time in Isaiah Chapter 40.

Linda

Rest in the Power of God

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So far in Isaiah Chapter 40 we have seen God as caring, glorious and eternal. Today’s verses reveal God as powerful. Isaiah 40:9-10 tell us that God is coming with a message, a powerful message.

“O Zion, messenger of good news,
    shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
    Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
    “Your God is coming!”
10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
    He will rule with a powerful arm.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.” God is encouraging the people of Israel that He will indeed return and when He does it will be with power and rewards for the faithful. The message of good news is the gospel brought by and through Jesus Christ. The rule of power would refer to the future and His return as King to judge and rule overall creation. There is a promise of return, hope, salvation, power, might and reward. Only God can achieve all this perfectly in His power. He is All Powerful or Omnipotent. God has unlimited power, authority and influence. His power is not bound by time and He does all He wants and intends to do. What He says He will accomplish. God is the source of all power in the universe and with out Him all things fall apart. We can depend upon His power and might to sustain and keep us. I am encouraged by Hebrews 1:3 “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”

Isaiah 40:28b also speaks of God’s power. “The Lord is the everlasting God,  the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.   No one can measure the depths of his understanding”. In addition to God’s power we see His eternality, creativity, and incomprehensibility. Only an all powerful, Omnipotent God could be all these things. He is eternal- everlasting. He is the Creator of all heavens and earth. He never tires or grows weary as we humans do- He is tireless. He is so deep in character and thought that our finite minds cannot comprehend all of God. We do not have to worry that God will not understand us or grow tired of dealing with our problems or circumstances. I am encouraged when I consider God’s description of himself in Isaiah 55:8-9
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God is God and there is no one like Him. He is above us in intellect, power and might. Praise God He is in control and is the Sovereign power of the universe.

How does God’s power impact your life? I am encouraged as I can always depend upon Him. He never tires or grows weary. He has the power and grace to help me though any circumstance. 2 Corinthians 12:9 constantly reminds me He is the sustainer of all.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” His plans are eternal and nothing can thwart His will. His power leads me to rest in Him and take a breath as He Has This and He Has me!

Linda

Two Key Attributes for Daily Living

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The attributes God reveals to us today from Chapter 40 of Isaiah are: God is glorious and God’s Word is eternal. These are two profound attributes of our great God that can have direct meaning for our lives today.

Why should I care that God is glorious? Isaiah 40:5 “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,   and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” By definition God’s glory is the sum total of all His attributes. God displayed His glory in the beauty and wisdom of His creation. Throughout history, God has revealed His glory to His people through His power, mercy, grace, judgement, holiness, love, etc. In the Old Testament God showed his people His glory in a cloud and it was known as the Shekinah glory. The cloud was used by God to lead his people in the wilderness for 40 years and then filled the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem. The key factor about God’s glory is that Jesus Christ, the Son, reveals to us completely God’s glory. We can know and feel his glorious presence with us each day by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus shows us all about God’s glory. Here in Isaiah 40:5, God tells us He will be revealing to the world His glory and we would see it. Jesus is that glory God spoke of, He was coming and would show us all about God the Father. John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” Jesus made Him known to us.

I am so thankful that I can know God the Father and His glory because of the work of Jesus on the cross. He came to reveal God to us and to save us so we could have a relationship with His Father and ours. All that God is Jesus made known to us in His Word so we can see and feel His glory in a new and personal way today. Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

God’s Word is eternal. Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall,  but the word of our God endures forever.” Recently, I was working with a group of teens to study Chapter 40 and several of us chose this verse as one of our favorites. It is so important to know that God’s Word is eternally true and does not change from generation to generation. The Bible is filled with affirmations of God’s Word being eternal. Here are a couple of my favorites; Psalm 119:89 Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Psalm 119: 160 “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” John 6:68 “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” 2 Peter 3:5 “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” God’s Words brought the world into existence as He spoke “Let there be…” in Genesis. John called Jesus the Word of God in John 1:1-3 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. and verse 14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” As in the case of God’s glory, the world has experienced God’s eternal Word from the beginning as He created all the heavens and the earth. We have experience the fullness of His Word in Jesus, the Word, the one who saves us and lives today after being raised from the dead. We have the assurance from God’s character that His Word is eternal and will endure for all generations. Praise God! That is an anchor for our soul and affirmation of our faith as we seek to live each day for Him. We do not need to worry that God will change His mind about loving and saving us. He is eternally true and keeps His promises.

May you have a day permeated by His glory.

Linda

He Is Who He Says He Is!

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Prophecies from Chapter 9 of Isaiah continue in verses 6-7. Let the beauty of God’s Word fill you as you read.

For to us a child is born, He (Messiah, Savior) will come as a child.
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be a king.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, He will be given glorious names.
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne He will reign on David’s throne.
    and over his kingdom, His will be a kingdom of peace.
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness He will reign with justice and righteousness.
    from that time on and forever. His is an eternal kingdom.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty The Lord will bring this about by His passion
    will accomplish this. and purpose.

All of the above prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus when He came to Earth. The culmination of His kingdom and reign will be fully accomplished when He returns. To increase your faith in who Jesus is, what He did and what He plans to do, let me give you some New Testament references that show the fulfillment of these prophesies.

Jesus was born as a child and was the son of God. Luke 1:35 “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 2:6-7 “ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

Jesus would be king. John 18:36 “Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” Luke 1:32-33 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Jesus would be given glorious names. John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” Matthew 20:30 “Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus will reign on David’s throne. Revelation 22:16 ““I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Matthew 1:1 “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:…”

Jesus’ kingdom is one of peace. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Jesus will reign in justice and righteousness. Romans 3:22 “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,” Matthew 12:18 ““Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”

Jesus’ kingdom is eternal. Romans 5:8 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 2 Peter 2:10-11 “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

The Lord will see that all is accomplished. Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Revelation 17:4 “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Wow! I don’t know if you are as blessed as I am reading through these scriptures. This just touches the surface of how Jesus fully fulfilled the will of the Father. He is who He says He is and will return. You can count on it as God keeps His Promises! Step out in faith today uplifted by God’s eternal promises fixed in Jesus our Savior.

Linda

Here is link to hear these words of prophecy as written in Handel’s Messiah. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/GfZqZlUN1qE

4th Sunday of Lent, 2022

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Our verses for today from Psalm 139: 17-18, reflect the psalmist love for God. He also grasps the immenseness of who God is, His vastness and power. Meditate on these 2 verses as you begin your day.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

The psalmist knows that the knowledge of God, who He and and what He does, is beyond his imagining. God is immense and unending. He knows there is no way to put God in a box and count the number of things He could do. He is amazed and grateful that God thinks about and cares for him. He knows that God is with him 24/7. When he awakes assured that God is still with him. Praise God for His faithfulness.

Do you know this about God? Is He real as you try to grasp his eternal nature and omniscience? Like the psalmist, I seek to know God and try not to define or limit Him by my human finite standards. God is so much more. I am humbled by the fact that God loves and thinks about me. He alone knows what I need to pursue the work He has designed for me. May you catch a new glimpse of God and His love and care for you today.

Blessings this 4th Sunday of Lent as you seek to know and worship Him.

Linda

A New Heart and Spirit = Thanks to Jesus

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Today’s verse is 1 Chronicles 16:35-36

“Save us, O God of our salvation,
    and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!”

This scene takes place when David was rejoicing at the arrival of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. The ark was the object containing the mercy seat on top and inside the 10 Commandments, Aaron’s rod budding rod and a jar of manna. All these objects were precious to the Israelites and reminded them tangibly of their unseen God’s provision and mercy. The attribute David is extolling God for is being their Savior. He was remembering how God saved them from slavery in Egypt, brought them through the wilderness and led them to conquer the promised land. God had delivered them repeatedly and their eternal God is worthy of all their praises.

When has God saved you? If you are a believer, you were saved from the penalty of sin which is eternal death, when you accepted Jesus as your Savior. Perhaps you have also had other experiences in your life where you have been threatened physically or spiritually and God rescued you from harm. When God saved us by faith in Jesus, it was for eternity and we will belong to Him forever. All the benefits of knowing Him are ours by faith and we can claim the promises He has for us in His Word. The fact that Jesus Saves is worthy of rejoicing and giving thanks. Where would you be without Him? You would be eternally lost and separated from God which are the consequences of disbelief. Thank you Jesus for saving me from that horrible eternal fate and giving me a new life with a new heart and spirit within me. In Ezekiel 36:26 God promises us both. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

Dear Lord, I am so grateful for your Spirit within me that gives me life, hope and guidance as I seek to honor and serve You. Thank you.

Linda

Thankfulness = the Truth of God’s Love

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What attribute of God am I most thankful for? When I pondered this question, the first thing that came to mind was God’s love for me. He loved me so much He sent Jesus, His only Son, to die for my sins so that I could be brought into a relationship with him through faith in Christ. John 3:16 says it so well. ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God wants me to be with Him for eternity and be freed from the power and presence of sin. What an amazing gift we have in His love! Thoughts of God’s love lead me to think about the perfection and purity of His love. In our world we don’t know love that is not motivated by some selfish desire. It is part of our world and our nature no matter how hard we try. God is pure love. His love is not short lived but longsuffering and eternal in nature. His love is steadfast and we can always count on it. Multiple scriptures express the truth that God’s love is steadfast, everlasting, eternal and forever. Here are a few:

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 136:1-26 repeatedly says, “
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.”

God’s love is steadfast, true, pure and will be with me for eternity. I can rely upon God’s love always as God is faithful.

Today as you consider reasons for your thankfulness, I pray that God’s love will be ever present in your heart and mind. His love is an eternal truth we can always be thankful for in every circumstance.

Praise God!

Linda

Take time to read Psalm 136. Read it aloud and let the truth of God’s love sink into your soul.

God’s Kindness, What is it?

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Kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23″22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Like Patience this attribute is one God desires to be in our character and is one that grows and develops as we are indwelt and responsive to the Holy Spirit in our lives. For this discussion, I want to start at the root of Kindness- God Himself. God is perfect in all of His ways and embodies all kindness in His being. Here are some scriptures to help us to better understand the kindness of God.

Ruth 2:20 “And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” God brought Boaz into Ruth’s life to restore her and her mother-in-law when they returned to Israel after losing their husbands. God’s kindness is true for both those living and those who have passed into eternity. God’s kindness transcends all realms as God is God of all, both the living and the dead. I find great comfort in this, like Naomi, God does not stop being God to me when I leave this earthly home. He is eternal and His kind character will be there no matter when or where!

Like humans, God desires to show His kindness towards us. He is always motivated by His love. Romans 2:4 says He shows us His love because He desires that we will see and recognize His love, patience and longsuffering towards us and turn to Him. “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” What is the purpose of your acts of kindness? Do you desire to show your Savior to others and draw them to Him?

God’s kindness towards us was given to bring us to repentance and faith and is explained more fully in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians 2:5-8 is one of my favorite and encouraging passages. 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” God’s kindness is evident in His sending Jesus to redeem and save us from eternal death through faith. Jesus came even though we were sinners and dead in our sins. He brought us life. What a wonderful kindness God showed to all of us by this act. God showed us then and will continue to show us His kindness into eternity. Titus put it this way in Titus 3: 4-6 “4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” God’s kindness in sending Jesus to die for our sins was His alone. It was His mercy and cleansing though our faith in Christ that redeems us. He loved us that much! What sacrifices have you made for others out of godly kindness?

David summed up God’s kindness in Psalm145.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and kind in all his works.]

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.

How does God’s kindness towards you affect your day to day walk with Him? Are you seeking to show His kindness to others? Remember, kindness is an outgrowth of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit within. Our kindness is meant to draw others to Jesus. By being and acting kindly towards others we show them Jesus and His great love. Not feeling kindly towards others- pray. Not wanting to do kind acts- pray. Remember, God is eternal and His kindness is unending, longsuffering and always fills us with hope! Thank you God.

Linda

Word for the Year, What’s Yours?

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Each year I pray and ask God for a word to guide me. Last year, as we began a new decade I was given the word Hope. I wrote these words on January 1,2020 which turned out to be very prophetic. “HOPE.  That is my answer to, How will I survive in 2020?  I will cling to Him in HOPE knowing with absolute faith that God is faithful, loving and merciful.  He will be gracious to me as I place my HOPE in Him.” Wow! No truer words did I need and live through during 2020. It was a year that I needed extreme Hope to survive!

This year I have been asking God about a new word for 2021. The word that has come to me over and over is JOY. God knows there is a need within me after all that has happened in 2020 to focus on His joy in my life. His joy is not dependent upon the world events, personal relationships or my own drama of life but in Him alone. As I wrote in my new book, Strategic Living, His joy brings benefits to our souls, is eternal and complete. His joy is a byproduct of the Holy Spirit’s work within us, the fruits of the Spirit are listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

The verses I’ve chosen to claim this year are: Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life;  in your presence there is fullness of joy;  at your right hand are  pleasures forevermore.” Jesus is at God’s right hand in heaven and He will guide me and give me complete joy that is eternal. Psalm 71:23 “My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you;  my soul also, which you have redeemed.” I am confident God will give me opportunities to proclaim to others His goodness in my life. James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Learning to live in joy, praising God and thanking Him for the growth He is bringing to my character in and through the trials of life takes a new attitude and mindset that is filled with His Joy!

Prayerfully consider in this New Year what word God would give you to focus and guide your thoughts this year. As the year progresses, you can look for your word in the events of your life, in relationships and in your thoughts. It is amazing the ways God shows you your word throughout the year. I am so thankful for the word Hope and how it reminded and sustained me in 2020. I am looking forward to clinging to the Joy that is before me in Christ. Nehemiah summed it up in Nehemiah 8:10 “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Since I’ve chosen Joy as my word, I will be blogging in January on various verses that focus on the joy we have in Christ. God is leading me to be uplifted and to uplift others in His joy. I am looking forward to it!

Linda

Thankfulness Day 15: Consider His Peace

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The Bible is full of scriptures about peace. God wants us to know His peace, live in peace and experience peace on a daily basis. Today’s verses come from Isaiah 26:3-4. As you read and meditate on the words from Isaiah, may they lead you towards greater thankfulness as you consider His peace.

3 You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Prayer: Lord, I desire your peace in my life. May my trust in you grow daily so that my mind is steadfastly focused on you. I know you can and will keep me in a state of peace that will cover my mind, body and soul as I trust in you more and more. Lord, you are my rock and refuge. You are eternal and will keep me as your own for eternity. I know Lord that you love me and are a promise keeper. Bring your peace into my life today as I focus upon you and walk trusting in you. Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen.

Have a blessed day filled with His peace and a thankful heart.

Linda