Bible

God to us: When it comes to your cares, size really doesn’t matter.

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February 3, 2017

7:05 AM

Dear God,

It’s day two of my commitment to meet with You for at least 30 minutes every morning for seven days dear godand I have already gotten distracted by playing games, scanning social media, reading daily scripture, downloading podcasts and doing research on my phone.

Not that these things are necessarily bad, but my goal is to land on this blank page and commune with You during the first moments of my day. Help me, Lord, to resist the urge to grab my phone first thing and to instead make a new habit of grabbing my bible and/or my computer and focus solely on You during this time. It should be simple for me as this time always, always pays off. I’m not sure why I struggle so. I love You, dear Lord. With all my heart and soul, I love You, and long to be in constant communion with Your Holy Spirit. Help me stay close to You, oh Lord. Help me to walk with and talk with You throughout my day. Help me minimize the distractions and to make every moment of the day count not only for my personal growth, but for the growth and glory of Your Kingdom. May this day bring me closer to You. Amen and Ehmen.

Beautiful Child,

Of course, I will help you. Remember yesterday when I talked to you about remaining IN Me. Well, child, when you do that, you are as close to Me as you can get until the day you join Me in Heaven. Just keep talking to Me; reaching out to Me; including Me in everything that you do; not just the big decisions, but in everything. I care about it all, child, because I care about you. Nothing is too small or too great for My attention.

Today, child, I want you to read and study Philippians 4:6 and 7. Commit this verse to memory and then spend some time with the whole chapter. I have many things to say to you through My Word which will help you maneuver this day and days to come. And never forget to lean on Me for wisdom, truth and understanding. I am the only true source for all of these things. I love you, child, and love spending time with you. It My favorite time of day.

Philippians, 4:6-7phillipians-4-6

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Today’s Final Thoughts:

Lord, thank you for never failing to share the perfect scripture with me. Though I no longer need proof that it is indeed You that I am hearing, I will never get tired of this. Though it happens on a regular basis as I allow myself quiet time with You, it never gets old to hear a scripture address, to look it up out of the thousands of scriptures in the Bible and find that it goes hand-in-hand with our day’s conversation. Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to commune with you in this way and for caring about everything in my life. I love you. Amen and Ehmen.

 

Ask. Act. Amen.

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Proverbs 2: 1-6:

“My child, listen to what I say and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”

God’s grace and offer of salvation is a free gift. All we hProverbs 2. 1-6ave to do is ask for it and it is ours. We have entered the land of hope eternal and staked claim to the promise of everlasting life in heaven. God comes to us, so to speak.

This scripture tells us, however, that the tools of wisdom, insight and understanding are set aside for those who not only ask, but who also seek wholeheartedly; those who take action by going to God and delving deep into His Word.

Imagine God’s Word as a literal toolbox. Would the toolbox be helpful if you never opened it? Would just knowing the tools are there do you any good? If a carpenter never took his tools out of his toolbox, would the nails drive themselves into the wood? Would your building supplies magically take the shape and form that you need?

Well, of course not! Yet, that is how we often treat the Bible.

God has given us all the answers. The complete instruction manual and every single tool needed. The rest, however, is up to us.

My prayer today is that we don’t stop at the “free gift” of salvation, but that we earnestly seek all the gifts that God has for us. I know I want more than anything to have wisdom, insight and understanding so that I can lead the best life possible and, as a result, others will follow me into the Kingdom of God. Please Lord, let it be so. Light a fire in all of us to seek, search and find all the hidden treasures you have planted for us in Your Word. Grant us wisdom, insight and understanding so that we may know You even more.

Amen and Ehmen.

The Story With A Happy Never-Ending Ending

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HIStory

Recently as I was re-watching The Bible on the History Channel, I was captivated by the word “history.” It was if my brain hit pause with that word on the screen and it’s all I could think about for a few minutes. I woke up again this morning with that word on my mind. Thus, I pondered it for a bit.

History is the past and many of us spend too much time in the past; we keep busy trying to re-live it or change it and are often unable to fully enjoy the gift of today because of that.

But, take a closer look at the word. History. His-tory. HIStory. His Story. History is His Story and all things that are a part of His Story are woven together “for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose.”

Best of all, if you are one of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, His Story is guaranteed to have a happy never-ending ending.

“And they lived happily ever after….”

Amen and Ehmen!

Plugging into His Power

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Pondering Out Loud

1 Corinthians 4:20
“For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk, it is living by God’s power.”

This was the daily verse provided by You Version today and something aplug into biblebout it just struck a chord with me; so much so that I stopped everything that I was doing, opened my bible and studied not only that verse, but all of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 3 and 4. I wanted to make sure that I understood the context for which this statement was made. Boy, are there some powerful things in those two chapters and I made many notes. I was surprised, however, that this particular scripture verse, which continued to resonate with me, goes completely un-noticed in the notes sections of the Life Application and Study Bibles. So, I prayed. I prayed for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and wisdom in fully understanding the significance of this short, single sentence scriptural verse.

As per usual when I ask for teaching on a biblical principal, I grabbed my computer to open a blank document so that I’d be prepared to start writing. But, just as I did, my computer’s power cord came unplugged from its AC adapter—that little black brick that acts as an electrical bridge between the wall source and the actual computer. Because it had dropped to the floor, I had to get up and retrieve it and, as I lifted the plug, I immediately sensed that this was a teaching moment. And, so, here I sit pondering and whatever follows is my “pondering and praying” out loud.

So, just how does this computer power supply relate to this scripture: “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk, it is living by God’s power?”

As I finished re-typing the scripture, the word “power” leapt off the page at me. In fact, the Microsoft “grammar police” actually underlined it for me and I honed in my focus on that one word. The first thought that popped into my head was that for one to truly understand and share the things of God, they must be plugged into God’s power. Ok, that’s a no-brainer, I thought, and I asked for more. That’s when the Holy Spirit whispered into my own spirit, breaking it down a little further for me and using the computer power supply to help me better understand.

From a technology and scientific standpoint, AC adapters are used with electrical devices that require power, but that do not contain the internal components to derive the required voltage from the main power source. This adapter “adapts” the power so that the device—in this case a laptop computer—can make proper use of it.

I then imagined myself as the laptop computer in this analogy. Without power and the proper power adapter, I am destined for failure. Sure, I may run for a little while on stored up power or even from a corrupt power source, but I will eventually shut down and die. My AC adapter—His Word and Spirit—serves as the bridge between me and the main power source, which is, of course, God. And, like the computer, I alone do not have the internal components to derive and make proper use of God’s power. To live in His Power, I must have His Word and His Holy Spirit within me. And that is the only way to truly possess and promote the Kingdom of God; to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

Indeed, without Him—like the computer whose value and purpose plummets to nothing without power—we are dead and useless. Aha, point taken. Lord, help me to plug into Your power today and everyday. Amen and Ehmen!

What should I tell them?

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BUT GOD…

If I tell them that you love them and I tell them that you are there, what dear godelse am I going to fill the time with? Surely, I need to say more than that. Should I recite scripture? Should I have them take out their bibles and say “turn with me to Hebrews 12:1? Should I say “Ready Read?”

AND THE ANSWER CAME…

No, my child, tell them that I love them. Period. And then tell your story.

They need to read my story for themselves. And I will open it up to them as they are ready. You need to tell YOUR story. You lived it for a reason.

His sign said, “Ugly, Old and Homeless…”

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His sign said ugly, old & homeless. He eagerly and with sincere appreciation took homeless picthe $20 bucks I handed him. His face lit up as he showed me the Lord’s Supper coin he carried in his pocket. He told me that, though it made his bag heavier, he always had his bible with him. He said “God bless you, friend” and I told him I’d be praying for him. I also told him that the last thing on his sign might be true from an earthly sense, but that the other two couldn’t be further from the truth. Beautiful hearts and souls come in many kinds of packages. With cars stacking up behind me, I asked him if he liked Doritos and, when he nodded yes, I returned his coin and gave him the chips. He went back to his curbside seat and in my rear view I could see that he was already enjoying them. I drove away sad and blessed at the same time.

Note: This was inspired by a man who can often be found sitting on the corner as you leave the Arby’s and Pilot station just off the exit nearest my home. He has been there for about three months. Please, if you see him or another like him, help them in anyway that you can. It really doesn’t matter why they are there; just that they are there and that we all need a little help now and then.

And The Word of God says…

Matthew 25:40

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”

Happiness is Fleeting…

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As I looked to God for some peace during these crazy days, he sent me back in time to a journal entry I made quite awhile ago and, while my part of the conversation is too personal to share at this juncture and the situation far different, this excerpt from His part is applicable and timely for me today. Perhaps it will be for you as well. Amen and Ehmen.

nature shot at stone mountain“Breath in, inhale my Word, My child. You are far from alone and your story does not depend upon another human. I am so proud of you for being so intent on fulfilling my will and purpose for you. Please stay the course as I promise you that it will be well worth it. You, my child, are on the fast-track to joy and joy trumps happiness any day of eternity. Many people that you know, including yourself, still get caught up in seeking happiness, but happiness is fleeting. One rain fall can wash it away. One gust of wind can grab it from your grasp. Joy, on the other hand, like me, will never leave you. You may not recognize it, but it is there for the taking. Believe in me and I will give you peace and joy. Talk to me and ask me and I will give you the ability to see. I love you and, in the end, that really is all that matters. Stick with me. The best days are still ahead!

 

Breadcrumbs to Heaven…

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Writer’s Note: This was penned into my Dear God journals during my personal “Me and Thee” time Easter Sunday 2014. I post it today as God has been nudging me to revisit this verse and teaching. Don’t you just love how He works? May He never stop speaking to our hearts. Amen and Ehmen!

Walking the Talk

Good Morning, God.

You are risen! You are risen indeed! Thank you, Lord, for doing what you did for me. For dying on that cross. For enduring such great emotional, spiritual and physical pain so that I might share in your inheritance with the Father; that I might live forever in the presence of the Almighty God. Today, Lord, in our time together, I’d like to know more about the verse above. Words are very important to the writing craft and being creative is an important part of the writing process. Lord, you lead me to this verse this morning, and I ask you, with humble heart and a desire for obedience, to show me what you mean and help me to not get caught up in trying to write for the sake of writing and impressing others, but writing with a pen dipped in Your power and then walking in that power. I love you, Lord. With all my heart and soul. Lead me. Guide me. Teach me. I am yours today and forever. And you are mine. Thank you for that! Thank you, Jesus!

Dear, dear child of mine,

I love you, too. I gave you this chapter and verse this morning, because I want to make sure that you fully understand your calling. Yes, it is to write, but it is to write in my power and then to go into the world and live those words. When you do this, your pen strokes will flow off the page and into the heavenly realms leaving a clear-cut path to me. Like a trail of bread crumbs that both nourishes and leads the hungry. But, child, do not get caught up so much in the words. Don’t worry and fret. Who can add a single moment to their life by worrying? Don’t worry about what you will say. Just stay in my presence at all times and I will give you the words to say, when words are what is needed. God back and read 1 Corinthians 4:20. Read it three times, out loud. Each time pausing on a different word and then come back to me and this page. Listen, child. For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by My Power. My Word is the fuel of My Power and it is important that you top off your tank every day. Listen to My voice every day, every moment child and I will never lead you astray. My will for you, my purpose for you, the things that you most desire are within your reach as long as I am within your reach; as long as you remain within the sound of My voice. Hear Me, child, and join me in Walking the Talk. I love you, child. And, yes indeed, I AM RISEN! I AM ALIVE and I AM LIVING IN YOU!

It’s All About Perspective…

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amenandehmen eagle

It’s all about perspective and perseverance…

Proper perspective solves many problems. Before I chose the will of God over my own, life was so much harder. I cried a lot. I felt unsettled. I lamented about my conditions and worried about my future. I struggled to control things that were never mine to control. I had no true purpose and my passion was misplaced. Don’t get me wrong, I still hurt sometimes. I still have problems. I grow impatient. I cry. But I can also quickly turn it around and crawl right back into the lap of Jesus. I no longer wander thirsty, because Jesus makes hope spring forth even in the deserts. When you know Jesus, your past becomes a building block instead of a stumbling block and your present becomes an opportunity to soar high as if on the wings of eagles. Thank you, Jesus! Amen and Ehmen.

Live By Truth Not By Feelings…

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Note: It has admittedly been awhile since I woke up and spent time with the Father via the blank page. However, He’s been waking me up a lot lately and this morning I decided it was time. I have been struggling and, for whatever reason, when struggling, I sometimes allow myself to become distanced from God. I blame it on needing sleep and wind up tossing and turning. This morning I turned myself back to His Voice. And, as per usual, He did not disappoint! Look at the scripture He gave me! I do not know the Bible that well; at least from a standpoint of where scriptures are specifically. But, when I earnestly ask, He always answers and it is always just what I need at that moment. I sure love Him. Praise you, Jesus! Amen and Ehmen!

September 30, 2015, 6:45 a.m.

Hi, God. I’m sorry it has been so long since I met you here on the blank dear godpage. I have definitely let life get in the way of our time together; which, I know makes no sense at all. It’s when life gets hard that I need this time with You even more. And, yet, I struggle to get here. I let the enemy use my health, fatigue, worry, frustration and despair to keep me from truly focusing on the only One that can give me peace. I know better and yet I let it happen. But, not today! Even though I only have about 10 more minutes before I have to get ready for my earthly responsibilities, I know that I know that You will use them in an incredible way, teaching me and directing me as I continue along my journey to You. Lord, I need You more than ever. I feel scared. Alone. Hurt. Unsettled. And I feel disappointed in myself for feeling those things for I know that with You that I am safe, never alone, cared for and that my future is secure. Remind me, Lord. Draw me so close to You that I can see and feel only You. I love you, with all my heart and soul. Amen and Ehmen.

Oh my dear, dear child:

Pick up My Word and read Romans 8:6.

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

Child, you must get out of your feelings and into My Truth. Your feelings are a product of your flesh and they can lead you far away from me. The enemy loves to trap you in them; to weld them together into a chain with which he can keep you in bondage. But, my child, never fear for I Am strong in your weakness. I can break any chain that holds you. You must let this seep in deep, deep into your spirit. You must let it take root in your mind. Yes, your flesh is weak, but I AM strong. Your flesh is weak, but it is in your weakness that My strength is made PERFECT. Just hold tight to Me, child. Trust in Me. It is human to feel this way some times, but don’t stay there. Allow Me to use it to draw you closer to Me. Breathe in My Spirit and exhale utter peace and joy knowing that I AM with you always. You are My daughter and I love you with all My heart. You are a part of My plan and My purpose and have been since before you were born. Before the foundation of the earth was formed, I knew your name. And like the earth and all that has ever inhabited it, I spoke you into being. You were a Word, a breath from My own mouth. Because I knew you before you were born, I know every, single detail about you. I know your beginning, your present and your end and it is PERFECT; not always easy, but PERFECT. Just wait until you see the big picture, child. It will blow you away and all of this; every single detail of your life will make glorious sense. But, for now, you just have to trust Me. Walk the path in front of you, keeping your eyes always locked on Me. And, if you do get distracted, never fear. Just reach out and I will be there to grab your hand. You will never sink; not on My watch. I promise you that. I love you, child. Go, go about your day and see Me in the little things. Feel Me. Feel My presence all around you. For in Me, you will have peace and fullness of life. Memorize Romans 8:6 and hold it close to your heart. Repeat it when you begin to feel anything but Me.