Tag: God

Forgiveness came at a Price-Provided by our Good Shepherd

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The name for God that I chose for today is mostly found in the New Testament. However, one of the many prophecies about the good shepherd appears in Micah 5:2-5a.  “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace. The Hebrew word for Good Shepherd is El Rohi.

We see in these verses that Jesus, the good shepherd, will be born in Bethlehem (2) and that his name and majesty comes from His God (4). Jesus was both man and God incarnate during his time on earth. He calls himself our good shepherd. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 14-15“ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Isaiah 40: 10-11 makes it clear that the Lord is the good shepherd to come. “Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.”

What does this name mean for you and me? Both the Old and New Testaments tell us that God is the Good Shepherd. A shepherd loves his sheep, protects, feeds, defends and is willing to die for them. Jesus came willingly and died for us bearing our sins on the cross. If Jesus had not come and died on the cross we would still be dead in our sins, as HE provided forgiveness and atonement before the Father. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can know HE is this good shepherd and He made atonement for us and our sins so we can stand before God forgiven. He will care for us eternally holding us close to himself.

What an amazing thing it is to be loved and cared for by God! Hold on to this truth today and feel His loving arms around you as you go about your day. He is there and cares for you!

Linda

A Great Place to Start- God Almighty

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Let our Lenten journey begin as we look into the names of God from His Word. How does God refer to himself or how do others see Him? What can we learn about Him from these names and what impact can it have upon our daily lives through the eyes of Jesus?

The name I will start with today is El Shaddai (Hebrew word) translated God Almighty, Lord of the Mountains, All-Sufficient One. This first appears in Genesis 17:1 where God is speaking to Abraham. “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,” This term is used to refer to God 30 times in the Old Testament and 9 in the New Testament. It is an important distinction for us that God is the mighty one. He is the one to whom we can turn and the one who will provide for us. I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” All aspects of God are sufficient to meet our needs. There is nothing or no one who is greater or mightier to whom we can turn.

Another place El Shaddai is used is in Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” This verse is particularly meaningful to me as I think of my friend Bob when I see or hear it. He was a WWII veteran who flew bombing missions during the war. He said this verse was the SOS or 911 verse for servicemen who were headed into danger. They could hold onto the truth that if you know Jesus you are under God’s wings of protection. I love that thought and image.

What does the mightiness of God and his All sufficiency mean to you? Do you claim His promises and depend upon His strength each day? Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we have assurance of His love and protection. Jesus said, in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” 1 John 5:18 “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” Lean into God’s love and protection today as you thank Him for His great provision in Jesus!

Linda

It’s Almost February- got your Word done?

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Before we leave this month of new beginnings, January, I wanted to check in with you about your word for the year. I hope you have been following the progression- thinking and praying about your word for the year. God will give you one!! My next step is to take my word and search scripture to see how it is used in God’s Word. Often this step gives you additional insight into the word and how God will possibly use it in your life. After that, you need to meditate on that word and look up related words- kind of define it for yourself in actions, feeling or meaning. I love the art portion of this when you make a graphic image of your words that you can visualize.

What now? I have my word, my scripture and my picture. I usually put my scripture for the year on my email below my signature. That is a visible reminder to me of what my word is. I post my picture by my desk, too. Next, I pray and wait for God to show me how my word will be manifested in my life. This may happen slowly or rapidly as it depends upon God’s timeline. This year I have immediately seen how God wants me to be diligent in various ways. Our church is doing a read the Bible in a year program and it takes diligence to keep this going. I have various students that I have to diligently teach and persevere with so they can be successful. I see others that are coming up that I will need to walk with diligence alongside. I had a spine injection of cortisone recently and will need to be diligent in exercising. I know God will have other things as my list of what it means to be diligent expands.

Linda

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”I would encourage you to persevere and seek His guidance for the year ahead. Here are mine- I’m ready to be diligent this year for the Lord!!

Proverbs 8:17 ” I love those who love me,  and those who seek me diligently find me.”

Words for Focus, Memory and Viewing!

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I have been praying about my Word for the year and God has given me diligent or diligently. I struggled with this idea even more after I identified my 8-10 related words that helped define what diligent means. They are: tenacity, firmness, grit, resolute, assiduity, determination, perseverance, and stamina. Wow! I was pretty intimidated by this list and what they mean. However, God would not have given me this word unless He has something planned for this year that my character needs to be uplifted in diligence.

My next step was to look for focus scripture or scriptures. The words diligent and diligently are not used that many times in scripture but I found several significant verses that spoke to my heart.

Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me,  and those who seek me diligently find me.”

Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

Romans 12:8 “ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

1 Timothy 4:15 “  Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

The two that I have highlighted are my chosen verses for the year. I know God has much to teach me but I’ll start with diligence in seeking Him. Hebrews 11:6 has always been a favorite verse of mine and promise from God of being rewarded if I diligently seek Him! It goes well with Proverbs 8:17 too.

The last step in this process is to take your word and the 8-10 others and put them into a program offered for free on http://www.wordart.com You can set up a free account to save your word art, print it out to post near your desk and/or send it to others to encourage them. Here are my 2 efforts at word art

I pray you will be able to make your own and find confirmation in your words. God has a great year ahead for you!!

Linda

Ready to choose your Word?? Start with Prayer.

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Have you ever thought of having a Word for the year?  I started doing this in 2019.  I was asked to choose a word for the year and then a Bible verse or verses to support me in that focus.  I prayed and asked God to give me a word to focus upon for 2019. He gave me the word Trust.  Right then I was going through some things that required that I Trust in Him more than ever and not the world, things or people around me.  The verses I chose were Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him and he will do this” and Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good,  a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

In 2020, God gave me the word Hope. I did not know a pandemic was coming but God did and it was the perfect word. In 2021 I found myself bogged down by the pandemic, life’s complexities with schooling my grandkids, working on Zoom and continued isolation. I felt I lacked something and the word God gave me was Joy. In 2022, God impressed upon me that I needed to seek Him and focus on Faith. In 2023, my word was Obedience. That word was wonderful and I saw spiritual growth in so many ways. In 2024, my word was Commit. As I recently reflected, God showed His faithfulness in different aspects of my life as I committed to serve Him. In 2025, I was moaning a lot over again and the aches and pains that were creeping into my life and clouding my perspective. God gave me the word Thankful. It only took about 3 months of keeping a thankfulness journal to turn my thinking around and lift my countenance.

So what about 2026? Actually, the word God has impressed upon me is diligent. I started praying and thinking about my word in mid-December and God impressed the word upon my heart. I fought it for several weeks- in denial that this was my word but came to realize it was my word for 2026 for sure. In the next few days, I will pray about 8-10 words related to diligent that will help to hone and sharpen my focus. They can be words that help you to see that aspect of your life more clearly or how it can be used in relationship to others.

Pray about your 1 Word. Ask God to give you direction and focus that can carry and motivate you throughout the year. If you have it, send me a response, I’d love to see it. I’ll blog more about the related words in a few days.

Linda

(After I got started with this, I discovered there is actually a book called One Word that will change your life. It is written by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page. It is a short book that explains how they arrived at this discovery and how God has used it in their lives both personally and corporately. I got mine on Amazon.)

Happy New Year, Can you Believe it is 2026?

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New Year, new beginnings, new goals, new diet??? What I have to look forward to and think about is my word for the year. I have done this several years running and have found it better than a goal. Goals you either do well or fail, with a word you have a driving force to look to each and every day.

Last year my word was Thankful. I started the year keeping a thankfulness journal until I realized I did not need it anymore as my focus was turned outward instead of inward each day. I continued with various things to keep me focused on thankfulness as the year progressed. I always end the year by writing a Christmas letter and letting people know how the word impacted my life for that year. It is amazing to me how God helps me choose just the right word and scriptures to make the word meaningful and productive in my life.

So how does the process of choosing a word begin? First, pray about what God wants your focus to be in the New Year. Ask Him for a word of direction to guide you. God is faithful and will provide. Don’t expect it to be instantaneous. Usually He impresses upon me the word He has for me over a series of day and events. Next, ask God to show you scriptures to claim during the year for that word. Search the scriptures and God will show you how you can define and refine this word. Then define the word yourself by choosing 8-10 words that remind you of your word or show your word in action.

That’s enough for now- pray and talk with God about your focus for 2026! I will leave you with my favorite New Year verse that I claim- Lamentation 3:21-23 “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.”

Have a blessed New Year and depend upon His faithfulness!!

Linda

Have a Safe Journey with Protector God

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Have you ever considered God’s perfect timing with the events in history? Today’s scripture tells us how God manipulated the scene to make sure that His Son would be born in Bethlehem. The prophet Micah had foretold years before that Messiah would come from Bethlehem. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Daniel reminds us of how God orchestrates events to His will in Daniel 2:21“He changes times and seasons;  he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;” God moved Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem in an amazing way.

Luke 2:1-5 “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.”

Compelled by the governor’s decree, Joseph and Mary set out for Bethlehem. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 70 miles if they had been able to go in a straight line, but they would have gone around Samaria to avoid hostile Samaritans and through the hill country. The journey would have been arduous for Mary in late stages of pregnancy and the estimated 90 miles would have been on foot or riding a donkey. I marvel at God’s protection for this journey that was upon Mary, Joseph and the unborn baby Jesus. God protected them and He is our protector too.

God protection is evident so many stories in the Bible. God protected David as he fled from King Saul’s hatred and desire to kill him. God protected the Israelites in the desert for 40 years providing them with manna to eat, water and guidance with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God protected Ruth as she gleaned in the fields and met her kinsman redeemer in Boaz. God protected Paul as he was shipwrecked, beaten, flogged, jailed, etc. God desires that His work continue and will always see it to completion. We have God’s promise in Philippians 1:6 to cling to,“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Psalm 121 puts His protection this way:
“I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 91, which is often referred to as God’s 911 calling number, and is one I often claim: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust. 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.“

God is our protector and deliverer just as He was for Mary and Joseph as they journeyed towards Bethlehem. He saw them safely there. He will walk with you through life’s trials, seeing you safely home to Him one day.

Linda

Mary Praises Continue

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Mary’s Song of praise continues in Luke 1:46-49 as she looks to God in praise speaking of God’s care for Israel. Mary recognizes the power of God and His Sovereign nature.

Luke 1:46-49 “And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Only a sovereign God could show His strength and power from generation to generation. He has moved kings and kingdoms, given good things, been merciful to his people and interacted personally with Abraham. Being Sovereign means God controls all things. There is nothing outside of God’s wise control, even to the timing for each individual. What God plans happens. When God allows evil, we can trust He has planned to use it for His people’s good and His glory. God had perfect timing for His Son to come the first time and knows the perfect time for His return. All God has planned will come to pass as He alone has the power to make it happen. His will cannot be thwarted.

Mary knew this about God. She has seen His strength and power in Isabel’s history. She would have known about Moses, the escape from Egypt after the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho falling down to the trumpet of God, their first king Saul and his hatred for beloved king David, their constant idol worship which led them into captivity for 70 years and the return as God promised. Mary had heard these stories read in the temple and knew the power of Almighty God to move in history. She knew God to be merciful and caring. She knew He was sovereign over all things.

What do you know about God? Can you talk about God’s character and how you have seen Him in your life? Mary knew first hand that God was real and she marveled that God had chosen her. I too marvel at how God uses individuals to accomplish His work. Each of us is important to God and can be a part of His work. Paul spoke of the importance of each believer in Romans 12:4-6a “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,” In Christ we are all part of Him and have a purpose for His work and for supporting other believers. We are all gifted by God to help lift up, encourage and build up one another. Who do you need to encourage today? Can you send an email, a card or call with a word to show you care? Be open to God, like Mary, and look expectantly for ways God will use you to show the love of Jesus to the world.

Linda

What would your Song to God sound like?

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Mary’s response to a greater realization of God’s favor upon her after being with Elizabeth is recorded in Luke 1:46-54. The first section is 46-49 which we will look at today. This portion of scripture is known as the Magnificat as it takes its name from the first line-magnifies. Mary begins by praising God and recognizes God is her Savior.

Luke 1:46-49 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.

Mary praises God and tells Him how much she is overjoyed to be His servant. For Mary God is accessible and she can talk directly to Him. Being accessible means God is near and wants to have a relationship with each of us. Mary knew this and calls Him her Savior. She marvels at how God has enlightened and enlivened her soul and blessed her with this child to come. She does not look down or back, but up to God. She knows He alone is Holy God, loves and cares for her and the child she carries. Mary knows that God hears her prayers and humbles herself before God in a prayer of thanksgiving and praise.

How accessible is God to you? Do you take advantage of prayer and spend time communing with God? Is praise on your lips as you think about God and bow before Him? We know God is accessible to us through our faith in Jesus. He is accessible as our Savior, John 14:6  “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is accessible to me anytime I have need, Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” He is accessible to me when I am in need of forgiveness, Hebrews 10:22 “ let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” God promises to be near me if I come towards Him, in James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. ” What is keeping you from God? He is always faithfully waiting for us to come to Him.

Do you have a song of praise for God today? Mary knew the joy of communing with God. It lead her to praise and joy in her soul. Join her in drawing near to accessible God in a song of praise!

Linda

God Knows Mary and He Knows Me too!

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I love the story of the angel’s encounter with Mary. Can you imagine as young girl of about 16 coming face to face with a heavenly being and that you have conversation with him? She is such a young woman of composure that even in her fear, she is able to speak coherently. Being tongue tied would not have been out of the question for me at that age. Listen carefully to Gabriel as he shows compassion and understanding towards this young woman.

Luke 1:26-38 “ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

The attribute I have chosen for this scripture is Personal. God sends Gabriel to meet Mary and he calls her by name. She is known to the God and specially chosen for this holy mission. We know that God knows us but really that is hard to take in and understand. The God of the universe knows me? Jesus confirmed this fact in John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” and John 10:27-28 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Jesus says those who believe in Him are known to Him and to the Father. We will respond to His voice and follow Him. No one can take us away from Jesus! I know this makes me feel loved, affirmed and special in God’s eyes. I can imagine Gabriel calling Mary by name and speaking personally to her made her feel loved, cared for, recognized and humble.

She does ask Gabriel questions about how this is possible as she in not married and has not known a man. Her questions are not like Zechariah’s as she is not asking in a disbelieving manner but with sense of wonder at the possibility. Being a good Jewish girl, she would have know about the prophecies of a Messiah to come. She would have understood who Gabriel was talking about and knew she was a descendant in David’s lineage. I’m sure she was amazed to hear that her cousin Elizabeth was having a child when she was known to be barren. Taking all of this in, Mary ends the passage saying she is and will be a willing and a servant of God.

What about you? Does knowing Jesus knows you, cares and loves you make a difference in your life? Mary was willing to step out in faith and trust God with her life and her future to serve Him. Does that describe you? If not fully, make it a matter of prayer and know God is personal and you make a difference to Him. I love 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” He wants everyone to come to faith in Jesus and belong to His family. Who can you tell about Jesus, a personal God who loves you?

Linda