365 Days of Praise
If You Can’t Catch Your Breath
Do you ever feel like you can’t breathe because you have so much weighing on you? Or maybe you’re running so fast, it’s hard to catch your breath. Or, at times we may feel like we’ve had the breath knocked out of us because of financial, physical, emotional, or relational blows. When that happens, we can turn to our Heavenly Father. Isaiah 42:5-6 says, “Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it, I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations.” What comforting words! God gives us His breath and spirit to walk through our day. Our BREATH GIVER reminds us that He holds us by the hand and watches over us. Our BREATH GIVER has appointed us as a light to the nations. Our identity, our comfort, and our purpose are God-breathed. In trying days, hold your Bible close to you and breath deeply.
LORD, thank You for giving us Your BREATH and SPIRIT. May we in turn, live for You as a light to our nation.
So What’s Jesus Up to?
DEAR FRIENDS, OUR WEBSITE HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH SOME UPDATES & COMPLICATIONS. I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE & PRAYERS FOR IT TO BE UP AND WORKING SMOOTHLY AGAIN.
Around Easter, Christians focus on the weeks prior to Jesus’s crucifixion. Resurrection morning, we celebrate that death couldn’t keep Jesus in the grave. But, where is Jesus now and what is He doing? Hebrews 6:20 tells us where Jesus is. “Jesus has entered as a forerunner (in heaven) for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Jesus is in heaven and He’s praying for us. How do we know He’s in heaven? He told His disciples before His crucifixion that He had come down from heaven to earth and He was returning to heaven. People saw Jesus rise from the earth and ascend through the clouds into heaven. Angels assured those watching Jesus rise in the air that what they thought they saw, they truly saw. Yes, it’s true. An airplane defies gravity and ascends beyond our sight into the clouds. An airplane’s power is minuscule compared to Christ’s power. All is well, friends. Christ, our forerunner, has gone ahead of us to heaven. He made it safely there. We will, too, where we’ll be united with loved ones and the Lord forever.
Lord Jesus, forerunner of all who put their trust in You, thank You for safely seeing us through the travail of death and bringing us to heaven’s glory.
A Sippy Cup Won’t Do
When we come to God for a new life in Christ, we don’t come to a sippy cup of refreshing life. We come to an overflowing fountain of life. “Come to Me and drink!” Jesus invites us. (John 7:37) And don’t stop drinking. God’s fountain flows in the “innermost being” of the one who believes in Jesus. From where does the living water originate? Psalm 36:9 tells us. “For with You is the FOUNTAIN of LIFE…” God is a FOUNTAIN of LIFE. During trying days, we can use our time to dive into the deep waters of Bible study. Why? We’ll refresh our soul that has been drained by the day’s trials and worries. There’s no better time than now to read or re-read “The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World.” Or if you prefer, listen to the FREE audio. Rather than let life drain you, drink in all God is and has for you.
Lord, You are the FOUNTAIN of LIFE! Thank You for Your Word, Spirit, and presence that fills us and flows in and through us when we drink richly of You.
The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World: Introduction
Tornado Alley
In a tornado, a storm shelter is the “go-to” place. It must be near. It must be stocked. Knowing we have a storm shelter gives us hope when we’re surrounded by deadly tornadoes. God is mindful that we live in stormy times on enemy ground. The apostle Peter writes that the devil prowls the earth looking for someone to devour. New Testament writers address the evil in the world. The question is, are we mindful that God is our FORTRESS? He’s our “go-to” person in the midst of life’s storms and temptations? Perhaps you, like me, haven’t always thought of God as your fortress. If that’s the case, we can increase our mindfulness that He is and join the psalmist David’s resolve, “I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust.'” (Psalm 91:2) We can live the coming days with confidence in God, our FORTRESS. Are you in?
Lord God, You are our FORTRESS. Thank You that we can turn to You any time, day or night.
BORN from the DEAD
Some time ago I went to a funeral. We celebrated the life of a dear woman who went to be with the Lord. She follows Christ, who Colossians 1:18 describes as “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
“Born from the dead.” Have you ever thought about what that means? Christians have a “new birth.” Before our salvation, we are “dead in our trespasses and sins.” However, after we repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord, we receive the Holy Spirit and are “born” and made alive in Christ. What we experience internally at salvation will be fully realized eternally at our bodily resurrection. Witnesses saw the resurrected Christ lead the way as the firstborn from the dead. As He rose, we will rise to be with Him forever in heaven. Share the good news!
Lord Jesus, we praise You, the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD!
Is Your View of God Accurate
Some people have a wrong view of God. They may accuse Him of not being tolerant. However, our faith is based on the tolerance* or forbearance of God. Romans 3:25b-26 says, “…in the FORBEARANCE of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” To clarify, God is not tolerant of sin. Rather, sin is so “intolerable” to God that He sent Jesus to die for our sins so we could be made new. God “passed over” or “paid for” sins that had been committed and would be committed. Our forbearing Lord is just. Our forbearing Lord is the justifier (just as if I’d never sinned) of the one who places their faith in Jesus. There is no better time than now for us to share this message with others. People are dying. Many may never have heard the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Please pray God will stir the hearts of believers to share the good news with others and that the unsaved will hear, be convicted, repent, and be saved.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forbearance, for bearing with us and justifying us so we can stand before You as if we’d never sinned. Amazing!
*”Forbearance,” http://www.blueletterbible.org
Clear. Perfectly Clear.
Sometimes spiritual concepts are difficult. Not so with God’s announcement about Himself. God’s words are simple, direct, and clear. We don’t have to analyze or ponder God’s statement in Isaiah 44:6 in order to understand it. We simply need to respond in faith. “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.”
Heavenly Father, You make it clear that although there are false gods, there is no God besides You. You are the beginning and the end, the FIRST and the LAST! We worship You.
You Look A Lot Like Our Heavenly Father
Have you ever needed someone to extend mercy to you? You did something wrong, thoughtless, or perhaps careless. You felt badly and desired forgiveness. You asked to be forgiven. What if their heart was hardened and they said no? And how horrible it would be if that described our Heavenly Father. But it doesn’t. Second Corinthians 1:3 tells us that God is the Father of Mercies. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the FATHER OF MERCIES and God of all comfort.” Mercy flows from our Father. It’s His nature. He is the original transmitter of mercy. So when you go to a Christian sister or brother and ask forgiveness and they extend mercy, they are a reflection of their Father – the Father of Mercies. The good news doesn’t stop with God being a transmitter of mercy and our Christian brothers and sisters being transmitters of mercy. The good news is we can be transmitters of mercy, reflections of our Father. In today’s society it’s easy to be offended, to hold grudges, to perhaps not want to forgive or extend mercy. But what a precious opportunity for us to reflect our Heavenly Father. Are we?
FATHER of MERCIES, thank You for extending mercy to us. Help us be extenders of mercy to others who point people to You.
Amazing!
God. FATHER OF SPIRITS. Are you familiar with this title of God? It’s used in Hebrews 12:9-10, “We had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the FATHER OF SPIRITS, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.” The Father of Spirits disciplines us for our good just like earthly parents discipline their children for their good. Isn’t that amazing? But that’s not all. Not only did the Father of spirits birth our existence, but He also assumes responsibility for our discipline so that we share in His holiness. The next time we’re about to sin, let’s pay attention to any promptings to not give in to it. If we do sin, no doubt, the Father of spirits will be there to convicting call our attention to it, and draw us to Himself to repent. Father of spirits, Father of our spirit – amazing!
FATHER OF SPIRITS, thank You for loving us and calling us to holiness. We praise You!
The Source of Illumination
Our nation and the world are going through what some would call a physically, intellectually, morally, and spiritually difficult time. What should we do in times like this? Shed God’s light, whom James 1:17 describes as the FATHER OF LIGHTS. The prince of darkness, Satan, would love nothing more than for us to stumble in darkness. But James points to our hope. “Every good thing is given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the FATHER OF LIGHTS, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Charles Ryrie comments on this verse, saying, “God is the source of all light – physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual – and He does not change.”* Rather than stumble physically, intellectually, morally, and spiritually, we can pray with all our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits and walk day by day shedding the illumination of the FATHER OF LIGHTS.
Father of Lights, illumine our hearts, minds, souls, and spirit with Your Light so we walk as children of Light and spread Your Light to others.
Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion Bible study coming soon.