Such Great Love

Lamentations 3:22&23: Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

I marvel at the great love of the Creator of the universe! There are over 7 billion people on earth right now, but amazingly, we get to see His hand in our individual lives…His favor…His provision…His mercies.

His faithfulness is great.

A Shield & Refuge

I was so encouraged when this script popped us as the verse of the day. I’m praying it will be a blessing to you as well.

As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.

Psalm 18:30 AMP

Giving

Deuteronomy 16:17: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.

Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”

 

Question #1: Would you trade the blessings of God for $27? If in one hand you were holding $27 and in the other, you were holding the blessings of God, and you could hold onto one but had to release the other - which hand would you keep open and which would you close?

Question #2 - If I handed you $370 but said that if you give me $37 back, you could have God’s blessings, would you give me the $37?

The answers to these simple questions seem like a “no-brainer”. However, when we face these types of scenarios in our lives, and on a more grand scale, it may not be so easy. There are all kinds of factors that shape our giving practices. Regarding this matter of tithing, what have your choices been? What will they be?

 

Philippians 4:19: And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Loving Others

Yesterday I was at my old job. I worked at a church. I got to be in the presence of many who loved me…former co-workers and members of the congregation. I hadn’t seen many of them for a very long time and it was a rich experience. Loving. Mutual appreciation. Laughter. Hugs. Stories. It was wonderful.

When I was driving away, I was thanking the Lord for how loving that time was. It made me think about what the Word says about how we are to be in loving relationship with each other.

Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers. Be first to honor others by putting them first. (Romans 12:10)

So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others. (John 13:34&35)

So support one another. Keep building each other up as you have been doing. (1Thessalonians 5:11)

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Shoulder each other’s burdens, and then you will live as the law of the Anointed teaches us. (Galatians 6:2)

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.


AMEN!!!!

Lead us Not...

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.. (Matthew 6:13) 

For me, this portion of this prayer which we call “The Lord’s Prayer” always was a little weird to me. I wondered how it would be possible for a benevolent God to actually lead us into temptation. Not that He couldn’t, I mean He is omnipotent. But because of His character and because of scripture that seems to contradict this, it was a mystery.

In studying it though, I learned the following from Matthew Henry. I know that in the past I have shared his commentary, but I felt led to revisit it. I pray you will be encouraged.

Regarding Matt 6:13:

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. This petition is expressed, (1.) Negatively: Lead us not into temptation. Having prayed that the guilt of sin may be removed, we pray, as it is fit, that we may never return again to folly, that we may not be tempted to it. It is not as if God tempted any to sin; but, "Lord, do not let Satan loose upon us; chain up that roaring lion, for he is subtle and spiteful; Lord, do not leave us to ourselves (Ps. 19:13 ), for we are very weak; Lord, do not lay stumbling-blocks and snares before us, nor put us into circumstances that may be an occasion of falling.’’ Temptations are to be prayed against, both because of the discomfort and trouble of them, and because of the danger we are in of being overcome by them, and the guilt and grief that then follow. (2.) Positively: But deliver us from evil; apo tou ponerou —from the evil one, the devil, the tempter; "keep us, that either we may not be assaulted by him, or we may not be overcome by those assaults:’’ Or from the evil thing, sin, the worst of evils; an evil, an only evil; that evil thing which God hates, and which Satan tempts men to and destroys them by. "Lord, deliver us from the evil of the world, the corruption that is in the world through lust; from the evil of every condition in the world; from the evil of death; from the sting of death, which is sin: deliver us from ourselves, from our own evil hearts: deliver us from evil men, that they may not be a snare to us, nor we a prey to them.’’

Walking in the Light

What we are telling you now is the very message we heard from Him: God is pure light, undimmed by darkness of any kind.  If we say we have an intimate connection with the Father but we continue stumbling around in darkness, then we are lying because we do not live according to truth.  If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins. (1 John 1:5-7)

Our God is wholly righteous. He is the almighty God. The perfect One. Pure light.  The presence of the Father in our lives is evidenced by walking according to the truth. Walking in His light – not stumbling in darkness. And when we walk step by step in the light, we are connected to each of the Father’s children. We are identified as His children when we have accepted Christ as our Savior; allowing His blood to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Are you walking in the light?  If not but you are interested in that idea, I invite you to message me so we can talk about it.

Blessings to you.