Lent is a time of self-reflection and prayer. Each Sunday during Lent, I will post a passage that will hopefully turn your hearts towards Him in thanks. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can be eternally grateful and secure in our salvation.
Psalm 85: 7-9 Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. 9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory.
Acts 4:11-12 “For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 12There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Ephesians 2:7-9 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
John 10:28 is a favorite verse of one of my Sisters in Christ as it assures us that we belong to Him and NO ONE can remove us from His care and love. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. Noonecansnatch them away from me.”
Thank you Lord for sending Jesus so that we might be reconciled to you through our faith in Him. Thank you Lord for sending Jesus to redeem us eternally and make us his own. Jesus paid the price for my sins and I am eternally grateful. Amen.
What do you do when you are troubled? How do you find assurance and peace? In our chaotic world with wars, rumors of wars, famine, geopolitics and unsettling circumstances all around us, there seems to be no place with or for peace. David lived in such a time as he was pursued by his enemy King Saul for 10+ years. Saul was jealous of David and wanted him gone! David found peace in the assurances of the Lord and comfort from God’s faithful promise that he would be king. God held his future, and David leaned into and depended upon God.
Psalm 29:10-11 The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever. 11 The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
Promise: God promises strength and peace to His people.
David knew that God was sovereign and in control of the world around him. He trusted him for his future and the circumstances of his life. He took God at his word that he would provide the strength David needed to face and oppose Saul, lead his people and fight the battles before him. What about your strength? Do you seem to run out of strength to face the hard things in your life? Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:19 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Christ is the source of all strength and He will provide. In Isaiah 40:29 God assures us, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” God is the source of all strength and it is to be ours through Jesus who gives us the strength we need. We need to ask Him for His strength when we are feeling weak. He will provide what we need to meet the challenges we face.
David also took God at his word and relied upon Him for peace. Not peace from his enemies, but internal peace knowing that all was in God’s hands and under His control. Do you know that peace? It transcends our world and is from within. Jesus spoke of this peace in John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Jesus knew we are prone to worry and would struggle with the circumstances of our lives. He did not want us to live in turmoil or to be afraid! Jesus wanted us to see his peace as a blessing to our lives. It is a blessing that provides hope and assurance and rest in Him.
What we can know from these verses: God our source of strength, God’s peace is a blessing to us when we receive it, God cares about me, God wants me to be secure and resting in His peace.
Lenten reflections: How am I doing at accepting and reflecting God’s peace in my life? Is He winning or am I succumbing to the pressures and worries of the world? Have I asked God to give me strength instead of trying to do all things on my own?
I pray that you will look to Jesus as the source of your strength and peace. He had promised to provide them both. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can trust Him to provide peace and strength in my life as He has promised!
Related verses: Isaiah 40:29, Philippians 4:19, 2 Timothy 4:17, John 14:27, Jon 16:33, Romans 5:1, Psalm 102:27-28, Psalm 62:1-2.
Linda
Here is the entire Psalm 29. Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings; honor the Lord for his glory and strength. 2 Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. 5 The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
10 The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever. 11 The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
Do you ever feel that nobody cares what is happening to you or will take time to listens to your emotional distress? Do you feel there is no one to help you in your time of need? All of us feel that way from time to time in varying degrees, but what do you do about it??? The Bible gives us hope as God promises to be that someone for each of us. David wrote in Psalm 34 about just those feelings and knew where to turn for help, comfort and understanding.
Psalm 34:17-18 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Promise: God promises to hear our cries for help, deliver us from troubles, comfort us when we are brokenhearted and revive us when our spirits are crushed.
I take great comfort in this promise as it is rooted in God’s love. His love can find us and bring restoration. God desires to help those who love Him and He is committed to us. He wants to deliver us, as many times we are caught in the consequences of our own sins. I have experienced God’s deliverance in these times by a lessening of the severity of the consequences. I recognized His hand in my life and the circumstances and thanked Him for His help. It did not take away the consequence, but showed me how much worse it could have been without His help. When I have needed comfort, I have been overwhelmed by the way God uses others to come alongside me and put an arm around me or provide me exactly what I need. We may think we are alone, but God uses others in our lives to do His work. I need to keep that in mind when I feel nudged to help a brother or sister, call or write a note. The Holy Spirit is within us and can minister to others through us. When my spirits have been crushed, God has lifted and pointed me in a new direction. It was not instantaneous but little by little He revived and renewed me. I claim His promise from Joel 2:25a “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,” I have definitely felt His restorative powers in my life. It is not the same as it was before I was crushed but new and different- restored! Praise God! Experiencing God’s love in these tangible ways deepens and confirms our faith. I confirms how much He loves and cares for us.
What we can know from these verses: God is accessible- He hears and listens, God is merciful and tenderhearted, God cares about me and my troubles, God can and does uplift and restore.
Lenten Reflection: Where have I felt God’s comfort, help or restoration in my life that I need to thank Him for His expressions of love towards me? Who is God nudging me to minister to in His name?
Related verses: 1 John 5:14-15, Psalm 103:8, Nahum 1:7, Joel 2:25, Isaiah 40:30-31, Psalm 90:1-2.
May you take strength from this promise in Psalm knowing God truly cares for you and will uphold and restore you if you will turn to Him. The key here is we have to humble ourselves and turn to Him for help. Because Christ died on the cross and rose again, we can come to Him in confidence knowing He will be there for us! Linda
Today’s promise comes from my favorite chapter of Romans, Romans 8:28. This is a verse to be claimed at all times, especially when you don’t understand what is happening. It can give you courage and backbone that comes directly from God.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Promise: God promises He can and does use (work) all things for the good of the believer.
This is a much quoted verse that give comfort to believers. When we face difficult circumstances such as: major problems, dire consequences, financial reversals, the death of a loved one, natural disasters or tragedies, it is only human nature to question God and say, Why me? Why did this have to happen? Why did you allow it God? The believer in Jesus can cling to this verse knowing that God keeps His promises and will bring good out of the circumstances for us and for His kingdom. Many times the good is evident right away and sometimes it is a long time coming or not evident at all in our lifetime. As believers we have to cling to this verse and claim its truth! We know God’s intent is always for our good and His glory. We have to trust Him knowing He is sovereign and His will absolutely will come to pass in His way. We need to hold on and have faith in our Heavenly Father.
What we can know from this verse: no circumstance is beyond God’s control, His intentions are good towards me, God has a special purpose for me as a believer and God’s ways are not our human ways and we have to trust Him with the past, present and future.
Lenten reflections – Am I harboring anger towards God about a situation that I need to seek His forgiveness? What am I facing today that I need to trust Him, knowing He has my best interest at heart?
Related verses: 2 Chronicles 20:6, Psalm 34:8, Lamentations 3:25, Nahum 1:7, John 10:29, Acts 17:26, Ephesians 1:11-14, Philippians 2:12-13 and 2 Timothy 1:9-10.
I pray that this verse or one of these related verses will encourage your trust in God and that you may catch a glimpse of his plans for you. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, so that you can be assured of His love, care and plans for you and your future.
As I was praying about what to write on during our 6 week Lenten journey, God impressed upon me that He keeps His promises and not knowing His promises means you are are lacking something vital that God intends you to have! I decided to blog each day on a different promise that God has for us in His Word. The promises will come from both the Old and New Testament as He has been in the promise giving and keeping business since the beginning of creation.
In my book, Promises for Dynamic Living, I wrote the following in the forward. It seemed a very appropriate reminder of why we need to know and claim His promises. “In studying God’s promises I have seen a completeness to God’s Word and how He has woven it together to confirm, assure, and build us up to be the men and women He desires. His Word in us glorifies Him, and He longs for us to study and know Him. When I work with young people, I try to teach them that God’s Word, on the pages of our Bible, holds the same power as the spoken word of God, which brought the world into existence. There is power in His Word and He desires that we know His Word and claim it in our lives.
I am so encouraged because the depth of God’s promises span throughout the entire Bible. God’s promises are not just limited to those things given to us by Christ. God has been in the promise-making business from the very beginning of His relationship with man. He knows us and knows that we need assurance of who He is and what He will do in, and through our lives. I pray that you will find promises in both the Old and New Testaments to enrich your walk with the Lord and that it brings you assurance of His loving character. May His promises remove, any and all doubts you are experiencing. Claiming His promises in your life will dispel doubts and fear. It will lead you on the pathway towards assurance and HOPE in Christ.”
Are you feeling doubts about the future from the circumstances that surround you? Are you anxious about your finances or health issues? Studying God’s promises is guaranteed to reassure and uplift. If this is what you need. Join me for the next six weeks and be ready for joy and hope to invade your life!
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.
So what about 2025? Actually, the word God has impressed upon me is Thankfulness. Unlike last year when I prayed for several weeks about the word, it came to me quickly and I feel assured this is the word God intends for 2025. In the next few days, I will pray about 8-10 words related to thankfulness that will help to hone and sharpen my thankfulness focus.
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.)
We live in uncertain times and do not know what this year will bring. However, as a believer I can know with certainty that I know the one who Holds the Future! As I testified in my reflections for 2024, God is faithful. Here are some scriptures to encourage you as you look into the New Year: (be sure to read the note to self at the bottom)
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God is faithful and His mercies are new each and every morning.Lamentations 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.” I can cling to God’s character as I traverse this year being assured of His unending love for me and His faithfulness to those who believe in Him.
God cares for me. Nahum 1:7“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,” I can depend upon the goodness of God, His protective nature and His care for me.
God a plan for my life that is good.Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Whatever this year may hold, I can trust in God’s plans for my life as they are good and filled with hope. My future is secure in Him.
God’s salvation plan is secure because of my faith in Jesus. John 10:28“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
God’s promises are true and He is always with me. 2 Peter 1:4 “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” I know God has given me His promises so I can live rightly for Him without fear. Deuteronomy 31:6“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” I do not need to live in fear of them- the world, enemies, bad economic downturns and difficult times, because God is always with me. I can depend upon His faithful character.
May you look to the New Year with hope and anticipation of what God will do in and through your life in 2025! The world is constantly changing and often not in a good way. But we can remain steadfast and plugged into God as He is constant and will not change on us. Hebrews 13:8 is a promise to hold onto, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”. Praise God we have a faithful, immutable God to lead us in 2025!
I am always amazed when I reach the 31st of December and look back. Where did it all go? My word for this year was Commit and I choose the following two scriptures.
Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
Commit is almost a dirty word in today’s society. Trying to get people to commit to being on a committee, working with a group, deciding to read or study a certain book, being in a relationship… etc. People don’t seem to want to tie themselves down incase 1- something better comes along or 2-things don’t go so well, they worry about how to get out of it. Knowing this, God wanted me to focus on things in my life and be faithful to continue them.
God enable me to read the New Testament this year with a reading plan so that a read a portion of scripture daily.
God enabled me to continue working and serving children in the school district that are unable to go to school and to work with children at Bible Study Fellowship.
God gave me health issues to persevere through, though no always cheerfully I might add.
God allowed me to continue writing my blog and one for the church I attend.
What did I learn? God is faithfully with me each day and gives me joy and inspiration when I write or teach. Even when things are not the best, God is with me and helps me to persevere. God provides me with multiple opportunities to thank and praise Him!
I am looking forward to 2025 and what God will teach me in the New Year.
This Christmas Day our scripture is from Matthew 1:18-23. This passage recalls the angel’s appearance to Joseph and the revelation that Mary, his betrothed, was to bear the son of God, the Messiah. Let the familiar words cause you to reflect on the place Jesus has in your life.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us).“
What does it mean that God is with us? How much God must love us to send His son to dwell with us and die for our redemption? Without Jesus, we would still be stuck in our sinful nature and subject to God’s wrath. Without Jesus, we would not know the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in our lives through faith. Without Jesus, we would be lost and without hope.
Thank you God for sending Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6 captures our hope in Jesus. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 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,” Thank you Jesus for coming to save us.
May you have a blessed Christmas as you remember how much we have in Jesus!
Today we come to the Christmas Eve story of the birth of Jesus. I marvel each time I read this passage at the protection, the provision and the majesty of God that we see in these words. Luke 2:1-20
The journey for Mary and Joseph at the decreed of the government was used by God to reposition Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth as foretold by the prophets hundreds of years before. “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. God protected them on the road, made it possible for Mary to withstand the journey on a donkey and brought them into Bethlehem for the birth.
The birth of Jesus was timed perfectly as God provided a place for them to stay, when there was nothing available, and provided for the delivery of the child. “6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.“
After the birth, God joyously announced the arrival of His Son to the lowly shepherds watching their flocks just outside Bethlehem. “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Having received the glorious news the shepherds wanted to see this child for themselves. “15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.“
Do you seek to see Jesus yourself during this Advent season? Do you identify with the journey and how God provided? God can and will do similar things in our lives if we know Jesus. Knowing Jesus is the key to life and happiness as he brings love and peace into our hearts.
I pray this Christmas Eve story finds a special place in your heart today.
Fearless Living 