Always Faithful

This week I have been stressed over situations in my life.  I cannot change the situations but I CAN change the stress level.  By focusing on God’s faithfulness, I can move forward and leave the stress with Him.  He is sovereign over all things, circumstances and people and He is forever faithful.  I pray this promise about God’s faithfulness speaks to you today as it has to me.
Blessing as you walk trusting in God’s faithfulness,
Linda

2 Timothy 2:11-13

The saying is trustworthy,  for:
      If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
      if we endure, we will also reign with him;
      if we deny him, he also will deny us;
     if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.    (ESV)    
         
Promise:   God promises that our actions towards him will be rewarded and that above all He is faithful.

      Have you ever felt your actions for good will go unrewarded or that the things you say when trying to witness have fallen on deaf ears? This promise calls us to account for our own actions towards both man and God. The thing that makes this doable is God’s faithfulness in spite of our failings. If we will cling to Him in faith, we will be victorious. Today if you are tempted to doubt doing what is right or struggle in professing faith in Jesus to others, call on God’s faithfulness to see you though.

Lessons and Truths:
1.     Giving my life to God and living sacrificially brings the assurance of eternal life with Christ.
2.     God rewards perseverance in faith filled living..
3.     Rejecting Christ will result in judgment for eternity.
4.     Stumbling in my walk with Christ and faltering in my faith does not mean Christ will lose faith or give up on me.
5.     God is faithful.

Prayer:   Lord, I am so thankful for your faithfulness. You are always with me and desire that I live for you. Help me to glorify you in my daily encounters and speak boldly about Jesus and the transformations You have performed in my life. Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

How am I being faithless in my daily walk?
How am I being faithful?
Who do I need to speak to about Jesus?

Promise Confirmation: Proverbs 3:3-4, Colossians 3:23-25, James 1:2-4.

This picture was taken on my last trip to Bible Study Fellowship Headquarters. The banner proclaims God’s faithfulness to this wonderful Bible teaching organization. Volunteers are used to help prepare the materials for shipping, etc. that will be used in classes around the world. Check out their website at http://www.biblestudyfellowship.org

Need Courage??

This promise spoke to my heart today for as relaxing as summer is- there are times of stress with family, coming changes and pressures with expenses.  As I reflected on the courage we can receive from God’s abiding presence, I was encouraged.  I pray you will be too.

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (NIV)

Promise: God promises to be with me wherever I go and His presence will dispel fear and discouragement.

     God knows that I get fearful and discouraged as I face the trials of living each day. The people and circumstances that surround me often lead to discouragement, depression and fatigue. Without God to give me encouragement, direction and courage, I can become overwhelmed with despair. God faithfully reminds me that He is with me and His Spirit indwells me giving me His power to persevere. Praise God!

Lessons and Truths
1.     God is greater than anything or anyone that I might fear.
2.     God’s presence dispels fear.
3.     God is omnipresent.
4.     God is sovereign.

Prayer:   Lord, help me to live each day with the assurance of your presence. Give me the encouragement and courage to claim this promise and keep it near to my heart and mind. Thank you that you are greater than anything I will face today and that You are in control of all things.   Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?
Today will I strive to walk with God and rely upon Him.   What fears do I face today that I need to give to Him?
How can I practice living in God’s presence?

Here are a couple of practical tips that may help you to live in God’s presence today:   
   Pray in the moment– arrow prayers of needs as you see them.  
        Memorize Joshua 1:8-9 so that you can say it when you need assurance of God’s presence.  
              Ask God for assurance of His presence during your day.

Promise Confirmation:    Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 139: 7-10, Matthew 28:19-20

Blessings as you let this promise live in you today.

Linda

A picture of earthly peace and serenity in the gardens of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

Life's Perfect Manual

Psalm 119:9, 160
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…..All your words are true: all your righteous laws are eternal.”  (NIV)

Promise: God promises that His Word is eternal, righteous and a guide to godly living.

        When you get new appliances they come with a manual for operation or installation. Once I purchased a new sewing machine. The purchase came with 2 introductory classes to learn about the machine and the things you could make it do. When I got to the class I sat down, set up and threaded my machine in preparation for our work. The instructor came around and asked me, “How did you get the machine threaded?” He was shocked that I had accomplished that task without his assistance. I replied, “I followed the directions in the manual.”   In today’s world Google and U-Tube have become our convenient manuals for resolving questions about how things work.  What about in the area of godly living? Where do you go for guidance when you have problems with people, money, jobs, stress, etc? God tells us that all we need is in His Word. We do not need to worry that God’s manual will become out of date, have misleading information or lead us into wrong actions as He says His Word is true, eternal and righteous. His Word is our perfect manual for living our lives His way. Be sure to consult your manual often. You can depend on it!

Lessons and Truths:

1.     Following God’s Word leads to purity in our lives.
2.     God’s Word is true, pure, righteous and eternal.

Prayer:   Lord, instead of consulting friends, Google, or other worldly advice, cause me to look to you and your Word for wisdom. I know that You and You alone have the perfect answer. Give me patience as I wait for your answers and increase my trust in you.  Cause me to hunger after your righteous, eternal Word.  Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

How is my life reflecting the truths of God’s Word?

How am I allowing God to lead me towards truth, purity and righteousness?

Promise Confirmation: Psalm 119: 11,105, Proverbs 30:5, Matthew 24:35, John 6:68 and 17:17, Hebrews 4:12, James 1:22-25

The Dead Sea scrolls found at Qumran confirmed the ancient writings of the Old Testament. God preserved them as an encouragement to our faith of the truth of His Word.

True Freedom

I thought this promise was appropriate for the week of the Fourth of July.  Enjoy the holiday and cherish your freedoms.

John 8:31-32, 36
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’…’So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,’”

Promise: God promises freedom, truth and discipleship in Christ.

     Where and when do you feel truly free? As Americans, we pride ourselves on our independence, self-initiative and having freedoms to claim and practice in our daily lives. As we know our freedoms are defined and limited by the society in which we live. Sometimes we agree with these limitations and sometimes we don’t. We struggle each day to survive and maintain our freedoms within our family, neighborhoods and society.

       The freedom that God promises is dependent upon Christ not us. We just need to believe and accept the true freedom and then live a life dependent upon God. We need to accept the truth that God provides in His Word and the truth of who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross. We need to accept our place in His family and take up the job of living for Him as His disciple. Working for God’s truth in our world will bring greater freedom than anything we think we can obtain or receive here on Earth. So do as Jesus commands, accept His freedom and be free indeed!

Lessons and Truths:
1.     Belief in God involves action.
2.     God is Truth.
3.     Knowing Christ, brings truth into my life.
4.     God gives freedom, true freedom through Christ.

Prayer: Lord, you are truth. Open my eyes to the true freedoms I have in Christ. Guide me to make choices that are glorifying to you and show my willingness to be a disciple of Jesus. Open ways to tell others about Jesus and the freedom you offer in Him. Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

How am I experiencing God’s freedom and truth in my life?

As a disciple of Jesus, how am I holding to my faith and living by His Word?

Promise Confirmation: Psalm 31:5 and 86:11-13, Luke 14:26-27, John 14:6, Romans 8:1-2, Galatians 5:1, Revelation 1:4-5

Be free indeed through Christ,
Linda

Do you believe inn the Power of Prayer?

Mark 11:22-24  “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.  “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

 Promise:  God promises that faith-filled prayer will result in answers.

     Jesus emphatically says that prayer changes things and can be the cause of mountains being moved.  When you think about it, do you see things you prayed for that seemed impossible at the time like broken relationships being healed, healings, job offers, moves, an unsaved person you have prayed for coming to know and serve Christ, mission trips and the gospel being spoken in ways you never dreamed possible, happening.  Prayer warriors, those that constantly and consistently pray for themselves, their families and others, know for a fact that prayer changes things.  When my children were younger, I belonged to a Mom’s prayer group.  We met weekly to pray for our kids, teachers and their school.  Over months, I found that the worries I had about school and feelings I had towards the teachers changed.  They had not changed as a result of prayer but I had.  My attitude was soften, heart opened and I saw their needs from a different perspective. I found that prayer works on those we are praying for and our own hearts as we pray.  Jesus says here that believing God can accomplish anything is essential to effective prayer.  There is no room for doubt.  Will you seek to pray this week believing God for the results?  Will you allow God to move mountains for you by trusting Him to accomplish His work in and through you?

Lessons and Truths:
1.     Prayer requires faith in God that He can accomplish what is being asked.
2.     Prayer changes things.
3.     Prayer shows God’s power to me.
4,     Effective prayer requires the absence of doubt in the results.

Prayer:  Lord, open my eyes and my heart to greater faith.  Remove all doubt from my mind and help me to resist Satan’s attacks of unbelief.  Hold me close and show me your love as I pray for others and myself.  Allow me to see answered prayer in the little things of life so that I can build my faith and trust in you.  Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?
Am I not seeing answered prayer due to my lack of faith?      If so, ask God to increase your faith and trust in Him.
When I pray, am I only looking for answers my way or am I really openly seeking God’s answer in God’s time?        If you see this happening, pray directly for God’s will to be done so your thinking does not even enter your mind.  God’s way is always better than anything we can even imagine.

Promise Confirmation: Matthew 21:21-22, Philippians 4:6, James 1:5-8 and 5:15-16,  1Peter 3:12

The mountains around Masada in Israel would have been formidable mountains David would have encountered as he hid very near there when fleeing from Saul. Moving mountains is a God thing as David later found himself king after 14 years of waiting. God moves mountains in His time and in His way.

Motivation, what drives you?

Flags flying as a memorial to those who gave their lives at Normandy, France during WWII.

James 1:12  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Promise:  God promises blessings and an eternal reward to those who persevere during difficult times with love for Him.

     What motives you to ‘hang in’ when times are hard?  Do you persevere because you are hoping for monetary compensation, a better education, advancement potential, family commitment or self-enhancement?  Do you persevere because of loyalty, patriotism or love? The Bible tells us in James 1:2-4 that perseverance builds our character, but here God reminds us that our perseverance brings blessings and eternal rewards.  In a world that is driven by ‘self’ promotion and advancement, isn’t it important that we look at our motives and see what is really driving us.  Are you looking for godly blessings?  If so, do you have godly goals for your life?  How much time do you spend in God’s Word meditating and studying?   This summer, why not look into God’s Word and see what you can learn about Him.  He promises that you will be rewarded now and in eternity.  My final questions are:  are you motivated by the love that God showed towards you by sending Jesus?    Do you seek to show  godly love towards others?

Lessons and Truths:
1.     God blesses steadfastness and perseverance.
2.     God’s tests have a time limit, they will not go on indefinitely.
3.     God’s rewards have eternal valuable.
4.     God loves us and desires that we show our love for Him in our lives.

Prayer:   Lord, create in me a steadfast character so that I can withstand the trials of life.  Show me ways that I can love others as you would love them.  Give me the desire to establish goals and habits that are glorifying to you.  Guide me in your ways so that I will reflect Jesus in all I say and do.  Amen.

What is my response to God’s promise?

What goals can I set that will reflect Christ in my life?

Where or to whom do I need to show God’s love today?

Promise Confirmation:  (Where else in the Bible do we find a similar promise?)   2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 4:12-13 and  5:4,  Revelation 2:10 and 3:10-11

     I pray you find this promise thought provoking and encouraging.    More to come this summer as I am preparing to launch my new book, Promises for Dynamic Living.

Blessings,
Linda

The cathedral in Burgos, Spain began construction in 1221 and was completed in 1567. 
This stands as a testament to godly perseverance and determination to glorify God.

 

Summer Adventures in God's Word

Summer,  I’m so glad this season of the year has arrived.  I was exhausted by my yearly commitments and teaching responsibilities.  I was able to travel a bit and regain my focus and rest.  Now I can get back to writing and studying.  My new book, Promises for Dynamic Living, will be out in the fall.  I am just putting the finishing touches on it, and then it will be ready to print.  God in his graciousness, has blessed me with this second book.  I am praying that many will be find it a tool to strengthen and grow their faith.  In preparation for the launch of this new book, I will be blogging this summer about God’s promises.  I know that we can all use as much assurance and hope as we can get,  so that will be my focus each week.  I hope to faithfully blog each week and give you a nugget of scripture to consider, meditate on and memorize as you travel, rest by the pool, or drive home from work.
Summer fun in God’s word.  Look for my blogs each week.

Blessings,
Linda

Here is the scripture I am standing upon for my new book.      2 Peter 1:3-4    “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world cause by evil desires.”

God’s promises enable us to understand and know Him better and keep us from falling into sin.  What a wonderful assurance of His power in our lives.