Lent- a time of realization

I looked at the calendar and realized this week marks the halfway point in our journey towards Resurrection Sunday and the triumph of the cross. Today’s passage is from a little book in the Old Testament called Nahum.  The prophet Nahum penned these words from a vision given him by God about the fate of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria.  Nineveh was very wicked and God was warning them of their fate if they did not turn from their evil ways.  The words of this book show us the anger God has towards sin and the need to repent.   Repent is a theme for the Lenten season that we need to continue to think about.

“The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.  His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. ”  Nahum 1:3

This verse holds both comfort and hope for us along with the direct message of punishment for sins.  We know that God does not tolerate sin.  Romans 3:23 “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Our sins against others and ourselves all show our rebellion against God.  But, God is merciful!  In His mercy He is slow to anger.    2 Peter 3:9 explains how merciful God is. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  Christ will return and God will judge the world for its sin and rebellion, but God is patiently waiting.  I take great comfort in these words as I continue to pray for lost friends and family to come to salvation.  This verse in Nahum also tells us of God’s power and might.  He will not leave us in our sin but will actively remind us of Who He is and our need to recognize Him.  He uses the people, places and things around us to reveal Himself to us.  God used the dust storms in the desert to get the attention of the Ninevites, showing them His power and might. What is He using to get your attention today?  How is He calling you to repent and look to Him?  Just as we know God is patient and powerful, we know God is faithful and will not let sin and sinners remain forever.  Pray for your unsaved friends and relatives.  Pray for forgiveness and cleansing in your own life today.

Looking to merciful God with hope,

Linda

The thunder of the waters of Niagara Falls reminds us of God’s power and might.

Blessings in Christ

February 19, 2016 nofearlindaLeave a comment

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  Ephesians 1:3

       I love this verse and the straightforward message that I have every spiritual blessing that is possible through Christ.  Yesterday, I wrote about fruit that God desires to produce in and through us as we strive to live for Him in Christ.  That fruit is made possible because of Christ’s work on the cross and our dependence upon His Holy Spirit living within us. This is a privileged position to be blessed and used by God.  Have you considered the spiritual blessings you have in Christ?   The list is long and awesomely impressive if that is a word.  We have our salvation in Christ when we believe.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 and “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Acts 2:22   Salvation begins when we believe and is ours for eternity!   Another blessing we have in Christ is our citizenship in heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”  Philippians 3:20-21   Not only do we have an eternal place in heaven where we will belong  forever but we will have a new glorious body for dwelling there.  The last blessing I’ll mention today is our guarantee that these blessings and so many more are true in Christ.  “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession -to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14  The Holy Spirit that lives within us, when we accept Jesus as our Savior, guarantees the blessings we have in Christ.  Knowing Christ as Savior, brings His living Spirit to dwell within us and give us hope, security, assurance and peace that what we have in Christ is real and true. When I think about these blessings, eternal salvation, citizenship in heaven, a new a glorious body in heaven, and the indwelling  guaranteeing Holy Sprit, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and praise.  How about you?  Will you thank Him today?

Living blessed in Christ,

Linda

Fruits-what kind do you produce?

“By their fruits you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”  Matthew 7: 16,17 &20 

 

      Looking at the fruits of this coconut tree, they appear hard and enduring and can be deadly if they fall on your head!  The verses in Matthew tell us that God expects us to produce good fruit for Him and that we can and will recognize other believers by their fruit.  That is a staggering thought.  What fruit do I produce for the Lord the shows that I am a believer?  Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that godly fruit is to be produced by believers. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”   Which of these are evident in your life?   Do people know by your actions that you belong to Jesus?

      I was at a craft faire yesterday and bought a necklace that intrigued me.  It was made from the seeds of a plant grown only on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The seeds had to be harvested, dried and then strung making earrings, bracelets and necklaces.  They were unlikely fruit made to be useful and beautiful.  I pray that I am like that for the Lord.  I desire to produce fruit for Him and be used in His kingdom.  I want to be flexible and moldable into a beautiful person that reflects Jesus.  How about you?

Striving to please Him in all that I do,

Linda

Ano Ano Hua Wele Weka grown only on the Big Island. A beautiful flower and useful seeds.

Our sins are gone!

   

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?  You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-20

       This verse came to mind today when I looked at the mighty waves pounding the shore.  God, in His mercy, did not say He threw our sins into the sea where they could resurface.  If that were the case, just like these waves we would be pounded over and over by our sin. But God in His mercy, hurled (that would be thrown with great force), into the depths of the sea.  There they would be lost and remembered no more!   Do you let your former actions haunt you, taunt you or bind you?   Do you know that you are free and the sins are gone forever?  God does not want us floundering on the shore struggling to survive under the weight of sin and its effects.  He wants us living victoriously in the freedom we have in Christ Jesus.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of salvery.”  Galatians 5:1   Live a life of freedom through Christ, fully forgiven and whole in Him.

Living forgiven and free,

Linda

Are you a well-watered garden?

 

"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11  
      Several years ago I came upon this verse and began to realize the promises God provides me that are given in this short verse. He promises to guide me, meet my needs, strengthen me when I encounter adversity and treat me with special care like a gardener does to his favorite plants.  Which of these promises are you in need of today?   Are you trying to make decisions and need guidance?  Turn to God's Word and seek Him in prayer. Do you need strength in your body spiritually, emotionally or physically?  Turn to God's Word and seek Him in prayer.  Are you facing a difficult situation?  Being in a sun-scorched land  can be intense and draining.  Turn to God's Word and seek Him in prayer.  Since we are promised that we will be like a well-watered garden and have a spring of life within us that will never run dry, look for His caring touch today!  God keeps His promises and will never fail us!!
Blessings today from a well-watered person in God's garden,
Linda

Finding Pleasant Places

“LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”  Psalm 16:5-6

        This verse came to mind this morning as I looked at the view off my nephew’s deck.  The ‘vog’ obscures the view but you can make out the shoreline, waves and you can imagine the soft tropical breezes that meet my face.  As I try to make sense out of the things that come into my life, I am reminded that God knows and holds me secure.  He has made the boundaries of my life to fall in pleasant places.  This is a promise that I can claim with HOPE!  If we do not understand the events of our lives, we can rest assured by His security and our inheritance in Him. There is a beautiful verse in Deuteronomy 1:3-4 that talks about our security in the Lord.  “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rest between his shoulders.”    1 Peter 1:3-4 gives us confidence in our inheritance. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heave for you.”  What a blessed hope!

        Rest in the assurance and security of the Lord today.  Claim the hope and promise of Psalm 16:5-6 and be encouraged by the protection of the Lord that endures with you all day long.  Lay your burdens down between his shoulders, know His love and believe in His eternal inheritance for you!

Linda

1st Sunday of Lent

“Come let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to him.  The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.  Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;”           Psalm 95: 1-6

Enjoy the first Sunday of Lent as you worship the LORD!  Praise Him for who He is and what He has done.  Draw near to the Lord and He will draw near to you.

Blessings,
Linda

Happy Valentine’s Day you rejoice in Him!

Pruning yields beauty

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”  John 15:1-2

 

       On my walk this morning, I saw a beautiful Hawaiian Plumeria tree with white blossoms on the end of bare branches.  Such beauty that stands alone on stark bare pruned branches. It made me think of this verse where we are encouraged that God’s pruning brings more fruit.  Going through hard times and learning to lean and trust God will bear fruit in our lives.  As we walk with our Savior, He will hold our hand to guide us or carry us when we need to be carried.  2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”   Jesus assures us that His grace, unmerited favor, is enough for anything we encounter.  This is a verse you can claim and hold onto during hard times.

 

Be encouraged today.  God’s pruning is for our good.  He is with us and will produce beauty in our lives.

Linda

A Time to be washed anew

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”  Psalm 51:1-2

      Lent is a time for us to clean up our souls.  Since we have no power to do this- no amount of good deeds can make us clean, our only hope is to fall upon the mercy of God and ask His forgiveness.  He alone can make us clean and wash away our sin.  How does God do that?  Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  God loved us so much and wanted to bring us into a right relationship with Him that he willingly sent Jesus to save us.  That could only be achieved through Jesus and His death on the cross.

Prayer:  Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins and bringing me to a place where I can have a relationship with you.  You and you alone can make me clean.  Forgive my sins and create in me a clean heart, open and willing to listen and obey.  Make these 40 days of Lent a time of renewal and hope for my soul.

A thankful and prayerful beginning to Lent,

Linda

A young river Jordan as it rushes over the pebbles of Northern Israel.

Lent- a time of devotion

 

Lent.   As we approach this time of reflection and confession, I am struggling through my own grief over the loss of my son.  I am looking forward to being in God’s Word and writing each day as I pour my heart out to you and my Savior.  I do pray that my mediations will be uplifting and help you to focus during this season of preparation as we move towards Easter and the celebration of Christ’s victory at the cross.  Christ’s death and resurrection mean freedom from sin, the reality of eternal life and hope for our lives.  Take time today to consider what Christ has done for you.

Hebrews 10:22-23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” Did you know that your profession of faith is something you need to hold onto and claim with hope?  Scripture tells us over and over that God is faithful.  He was a promise keeping God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the children of Israel.  He was a promise keeping God to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Silas and all the early Christians in the New Testament.  He is a promise keeping God to you and me.   Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  God is immutable, unchanging.    We can trust in Him.  Hold fast as today’s verse tells us knowing God is faithful.  Let the faithfulness of God move you to love and good works.  Walk with Him in faith, full of hope and goodness!

Depending upon our faithful God,

Linda