Blog
What’s In Your Spiritual Mailbox
Have you ever missed an event because you didn’t open your mail?
It recently happened to me. It wasn’t that the mail hadn’t arrived on time. Rather, I had neglected to check my mail box. Actually, I lost the key to the mailbox. Here’s what happened….
At my old office, we had an onsite mailbox we seldom used; where we received primarily junk mail. We picked up most of our mail at the post office.
Several months ago Hill Country Ministries moved to a new building. But old habits are hard to break. In my mind, the on site mail box was probably empty or full of junk mail. I continued to regularly check the post office for mail. Then, when I realized I needed to check the onsite mail box, I couldn’t find the key.
One day my secretary questioned me about the on site mail box.
“See if you can get another key,” I responded.
Soon, Joanna appeared with an armload of mail and presented me with a new key. We hurriedly opened the envelopes. Among them were two invitations – one to a farewell reception and the other to a luncheon that had already passed. In addition, there were a few bills. I felt terrible. Then, I opened an envelope from Inspiration Point, MN where I had spoken. As I unfolded a thank you letter from the women’s ministry leader, a love offering fell to my desk. I sat in my chair and read her kind words, thanking me for presenting Biblical truth. I felt badly that I’d been neglectful to send a prompt reply. All because of a lost key. No, all because I’d been too busy to find my key or get a replacement.
Are We Too Busy
I wonder if we ever do the same with prayer and reading our Bibles? The key is to find the time. No, the key is to make the time to do the important spiritual disciplines to which God invites us. He invites us to check in with Him every day. He invites us to read His Word and find encouragement for our souls. He invites us to grace when we’ve failed. He invites us to hope, to walk by His Spirit, to learn from Him, and to find rest for our souls.
Are We Checking Our Spiritual Mailbox
What’s in our spiritual mailbox? Do we go to it regularly? Or, do we walk by our Bibles? Do we mean to check in with God in prayer, but get too busy?
I know that the mailbox key is important to me seeing invitations, receiving gifts, and paying that which I owe. I know that spiritual disciplines are key to me knowing that to which Christ invites me, to receiving His gifts, and to paying forward that which I owe Him in service to others.
Take the Time
If we’ve missed Christ’s invitation to daily fellowship or most importantly to salvation, today is a good day to open our Bibles, open our hearts, and gladly respond, “Yes” to Him.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-29
I neglected using my key once. I don’t want to do it again – at the office or in heaven. How about you?
Heavenly Father, thank You for the invitation to come to You to find rest for our souls. Thank You for the invitation to learn from You. Help us not get so busy with the world that we neglect the keys of prayer and Bible reading that open heaven to us. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Praise to the LORD
“‘I am the LORD, that is MY NAME; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.’”
There are occasions when God announces, “This is my name. This is who I am.” Such is the case in Isaiah 42:8, when God announced, “I am the LORD, that is MY NAME.” In the same breath, He explains what it means that His name is LORD. It means He will not give His glory to another. It means that our praise is to be given to Him and Him alone. His pronouncement should cause us to ponder, “Have I given my praise to anything or anyone besides the LORD?” If so, we must hurriedly bow before the LORD in repentance; and then praise the LORD.
Heavenly Father, You alone are LORD. Forgive me for putting other things and other people before You. I bow in humble reverence and praise!
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.
Praise to the Lord, Who LEADS
“‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who LEADS you in the way you should go.'”
When you were a child, did you play “follow the leader”? If so, you recall how important it was to do what the leader did. If they placed their hand on their head, then you followed their lead and placed your hand on your head. If they touched their toes, then you touched yours. In order to follow the leader, it was important to keep your eye on them. You had to pay attention. You had to closely watch them. God LEADS us in the way we should go. He LEADS us in the way that is profitable. I wonder how closely we pay attention to and keep our eye on our LEADER. To follow His LEAD is the greatest honor we can show Him.
God, You are my LEADER! Help me show You honor by following You.
Subscribe to 365 DAYS of PRAISE HERE.
Praise to the LAST ADAM
The first Adam ushered sin into the world and thus, death. Christ, referred to as the LAST ADAM, ushered righteousness into the world, and therefore life. It’s one thing to be a living soul, which is what humans are. It’s another to have Christ’s life-giving spirit within you, which Christians have. If you’ve never received Christ’s life-giving spirit, receive Him today.
Prayer to Receive Christ: Lord God, thank You for Christ, the last Adam, who offers righteousness to me through His life-giving Spirit. I acknowledge that I’ve sinned against You and others. I know I can’t live a holy, acceptable life on my own. I turn to You and ask You to forgive me, wash away my sins, and fill me with Christ’s life-giving Spirit. Teach me to walk in Christ’s ways the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer of Praise: Lord Jesus, I praise You, the LAST ADAM, the life-gife giving spirit. What a joy to have You in my heart. You bring me all pleasure. I praise You!
Record your prayer, praise, and date in your journal, Prayers of My Heart.
*Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.
Praise to LAMB of GOD
“The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said,
‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'”
Jesus, thank You, LAMB OF GOD, who sacrificed Your precious life to pay for and cover my sins. I love You!
Praise to the KEEPER OF MY SOUL
“‘It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.’”
There are some descriptions of God that “wow” us. This is one of them. “Nothingness.” I don’t know anyone who wants “nothingness” to describe them or their lives. Deep within, we yearn to be significant. But without God, we find ourselves in a pit of nothingness carrying the burden of our sins on our back. Then, one day, we look UP. We respond to Jesus’s outstretched hand. He takes our sins on His back and was scourged for our transgressions. We recognize that in His death, we were made clean. “Nothingness” no longer describes us. We are children of the King and destined for His throne room.
Lord, KEEPER OF MY SOUL, I praise You for casting all my sins behind You and for keeping me from the pit of nothingness.
Praise to Our JUST LORD
“Righteousness and JUSTICE are the foundation of Your throne…”
Do you ever feel like you’re getting a bad rap? That things aren’t fair? Have you wondered why some people get away with things and others don’t? Often, our questions are warranted. As thinking people, we can’t help but wonder. But then we must quickly go to the truth. We don’t see the whole picture, and no one “gets away” with anything before God. He sees sin and even knows thoughts. Most importantly, God is JUST. He seeks justice. Justice is the foundation of His throne. He weighs hearts and motives. Lay your vengeance at His feet. He will rule justly. He is JUST.
Lord, I praise you. You are JUST!
Leave your comments HERE. Subscribe to 365 DAYS of PRAISE HERE.
Praise to the JUDGE of the LIVING & the DEAD
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to JUDGE the living and the dead…”
My husband is a State District Judge over three counties. All day people appear before him. Literally thousands of people have been in his courts. But that is nothing compared to the judgement and courtroom to come. God and Christ Jesus will JUDGE the living and the dead. For those who have called on the name of Jesus for salvation, it will be a judgment of rewards. For those who have rejected God’s gift of forgiveness in Christ, it will be a judgement of works and even thoughts; against which no one will be declared righteousness. If our standing before God is one of rewards, then certainly we have reason to praise.
Lord, I praise you, JUDGE of the LIVING and the DEAD!
Praise to JESUS
“Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, …this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to they agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
What more needs to be said?
I praise you, JESUS, for not only dying on a cross for me, but for cleansing me of my sins. You truly are my Saviour, JESUS!
Leave your comments HERE. Subscribe to 365 DAYS of PRAISE HERE.
Praise to JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH
“Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts (Jehovah Sabbaoth) in Shiloh. “
My friend, Stephanie Shott, who addressed the name Jehovah Sabbaoth in her blog, Do Not Depart, shares the following: “JEHOVAH SABBAOTH is mentioned over 270 times in Scripture and means the Almighty, Sovereign, Self-Existent God over all the multitudes (whether an army, the sun, moon and stars, or creation itself).”
- In Psalm 24:10, The LORD of Hosts is the King of glory
- In Psalm 46:7 He is our Fortress.
- In Zechariah 4:6, He declares that He alone wins our battles when He tells Zerubbabel, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit…”
- And in Isaiah’s life-altering vision of the Lord, he heard the Seraphim speaking to one another, crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)
There is nothing He cannot do, nothing He does not know, nothing He cannot control, no enemy He cannot defeat, no heart He can not heal, no miracle He cannot perform. And how beautiful to know He longs to work in our lives and on our behalf as the LORD of Hosts.”
Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing this with us today!
JEHOVAH SABBAOTH, I praise You and give You glory for who You are and all You do!
© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank youehovah