No Buts About It

Good Morning!! "BUT",...basically, this three letter word undermines the phrase preceding it by either canceling out the meaning or destroying any absolute quality it may have had. In plain English, to use a "but" statement is to make a contradiction. When we ascribe power and honor and glory and strength and ability to God followed by a "but" statement, we contradict ourselves. We imply that we don't really believe all those attributes to be true of Him. At the very moment we ask God for something, we immediately undermine His ability to answer it.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.—James 1:5-6 (NIV)
Yet, the "but" statement used in this verse is appropriate because it refers to the inconsistency of human nature. We are fickle. We have doubts. There is no telling when we'll change our minds,...or what we'll do. However, God is none of those things. He is constant. He is absolute. His promises are sure. Unlike the definitions I found in the dictionary,...there is no exception to God's character. The moment the word "but" escapes our lips is the very moment doubt creeps into our hearts. We have a lot of knowledge about God in our heads,...but the heart is another matter. If we have the urge to end one of our prayers requests with a "but" statement, we have to ask why we are going to God in the first place. We must trust that God's ways are perfect and His promises absolute. That is, in fact, the only hope we have in this world. I encourage you to remember that truth tonight, when you go to God in prayer.

You may have doubts and anxieties plaguing your heart,...BUT God is faithful, and His triumph over them is sure.

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Father God, You are powerful, sovereign, faithful and merciful. There is no exception to Your character.  Please teach us to trust You in all we say and do. Please mold our words and our actions, to match the truth of who You are. We desire to believe Your promises in our hearts, and we want our lives to be proof of Your faithfulness to everyone around us. Thank You for Your patient faithfulness to us! For Your name's sake, we pray all these things, Amen.

"Always remember this; God's power to restore, is stronger than Satan's power to destroy."

Getting Past Our Past

Good Morning!! Everyone has sinned. We've all hurt someone, maybe emotionally, physically or sexually. Someone's hurt us, with their words or deeds. We've walked where we should not have walked. We've touched things we should not have touched. We've thought things we should not have thought. Satan takes great pleasure in whispering reminders of our sin into our minds. But the truth is that Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for those sins. They do not have the power to hurt us anymore,...unless we refuse to accept God's forgiveness. Unfortunately, many people believe they aren't worth forgiving. They believe that God could never use someone like them. Oh, sweet brothers and sisters, what a whopper of a lie that is.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.—Psalm 103:10 (NIV)
The maker of this vast and wonderful universe is waiting for the key to the heart of His greatest creation,...You. He wants the keys to our hearts,...our whole heart, especially the hidden parts. When we try to hold the keys, Satan attempts to wrestle them from us, to unlock our shame, and use it to accuse and condemn us.The secrets of our past have the power to rob us of the joy of today, and the potential of our future,...only when we seek to hide them. God is the only One that matters,...and He already knows the secrets of our hearts.

Satan takes great pleasure in whispering reminders of our sin, into our minds,
...but the truth is that Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for all those sins.

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Father God, we thank You for loving us in spite of the sins of our past. We know these sins and selfishness have separated us from You. Please forgive us for choosing our way instead of Your way.  Help us to trust You and Your plan for our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

"Always remember this; God's power to restore, is stronger than Satan's power to destroy."

God Is Truth In Full,...And Not In Part.

Good Morning!! The purpose of the Old Testament law was to encourage thorough and consistent truthfulness. God desired a people whose very lives reflected truth in word and deed. But the Israelites were experts at twisting the law to fit their purposes. In the middle of the greatest sermon ever told, the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5,...Jesus addressed the issue of oath taking, or swearing. In verses 33-36, Jesus summarized the laws that forbade irreverent oaths, misuse of the Lord's name and broken vows. It seems people were swearing by all kinds of things in order to prove the truth of their words. But Jesus called their bluff, and ours, when He cut through the technicalities,...right to the heart of the matter.
All you need to say is simply ' Yes' or ' No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.—Matthew 5:37 (NIV)
Jesus tells His followers to live a life of simplicity and integrity: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' be 'No." And as God's people, we are called to live truthful lives. I believe it's important for our word to mean something. Because when others trust us in the small things, they learn they can trust us in the big things. If I say yes, I will be there at 10 a.m.,..I am there at 10 a.m. If I say yes, I will have that assignment done by next Friday,...it's done by next Friday. No flimsy excuses, no technicalities. This is the picture of an honorable life!

God is Truth,...the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

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Heavenly Father, You are truth. In You there is no shadow of darkness. Please remove any shadows from our lives, and help us to walk in integrity. We know we need Your help, to become like Jesus. We submit our lives to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"Always remember this; God's power to restore, is stronger than Satan's power to destroy."

Wait For Your Time

Good Morning!! Timing is everything. Jesus often told His disciples, "It's not my time." The disciples were eager for Jesus to build His kingdom, here on earth. HE had to constantly remind them of the crucial factor of time. Timing is so important. We discount that fact, largely because waiting is a lost art. But Jesus knew how to wait. It is the essence of self-control, the power within that takes command over the flesh. HE lived it.
A twelve-year-old Jesus surrendered to the authority of earthly parents.

The carpenter's son worked with His hands like everybody else.

The accused Son of God stood before Herod without saying a word in His own defense.

The open hands of a 33-year-old man willingly accepted Calvary's cruel spikes.

...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.—Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Jesus had the advantage of a heavenly perspective, of course. He saw the big picture, and knew that His death would offer eternal life to everyone. For us, from our limited perspective, waiting is a life exercise,...that strengthens our faith muscles.

We may not always have a heavenly perspective, but we know the One who does,...we just have to trust Him, while we wait.

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Father God, sometimes we might think You've forgotten us. We can feel like we're sitting or standing alone. We must confess, that in our eagerness to move on or up,...even when we think we're ready,...we're not always fully trusting You, to know what's best. Please forgive us. Help us to willingly remain on Your schedule, Your perfect plan for our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"Always remember this; God's power to restore, is stronger than Satan's power to destroy."

We Are Children Of The Most High

Good Morning!! A little child gains confidence because of his or her identification with a parent. Today, you and I can walk through this world with confidence because of our identification with our Heavenly Father. As sons and daughters of the Most High King, we have the privilege of approaching our Father's throne with the boldest of requests,...and yet, for some reason, (perhaps a false humility) we hang back. In fact, we often act like orphans; afraid to ask for too much, afraid to seem greedy. But the truth is we have a Heavenly Father who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.—Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

Jesus told us in Matthew 7:11 "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" We need to think like the sons and the daughters, of The King. We need to be convinced that God is able to do anything you or I ask,...and that it pleases Him to do so. It would be wrong to give the impression that God is like a rich grandfather with a blank check. Scripture is clear in other places that we need to be seeking God's righteousness, and pray according to His will.

We are princes and princesses,...and it's beneath us to walk around with our heads hung low, desperately seeking confidence and identity, from worldly sources.

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Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing us, and adopting us into Your family. Your love is overwhelming. Teach us to hunger after Your will and Your righteousness. We ask for hearts of boldness and confidence, that comes from knowing our identity lies in being loved by You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"Always remember this; God's power to restore, is stronger than Satan's power to destroy."

The Goodness Of God

Good Morning, My Friend!! "Be good!" we tell our children. What exactly does that mean to us? (Usually it infers not embarrassing us.) The problem with the term "good" results from the fact that each of us has our own definition and expectations of what makes something good. For example, My grand-kids and I love asparagus, but my children considered it a tortuous punishment if I make them taste it. For someone who loves to exercise, a personal trainer would top the list in blessings; others would rather have the flu. Do you see what I mean about goodness? The term "goodness" is subjective with us.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.—Psalm 100:5 (NIV)

The Bible illustrates to us the goodness and greatness of the God we serve. Psalm 136 begins with "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." The primary reason we know God is good, is that His love for us is never ending. There is nothing we can do that will make Him stop loving us. The Message Bible says, "None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus has embraced us (Romans 8:37-39)." The ultimate proof of God's goodness rests on the foundation of His never-ending love for us.

It's imperative that we believe in the goodness of God in our lives, in order for us to begin to trust Him,...in all the details of our seemingly scrambled lives.

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Heavenly Father, help us to realize that You are good, and that Your love for us endures forever,...especially when our life circumstances seem out of control. Help us to realize, and be thankful, for Your goodness to us each and every day. Amen.

"A relationship with God, like all relationships, must begin with trust.
Ultimately trust begins with the courage to believe."

Finding The Focus, Again

Good Morning!! When we started our Christian walk, we moved to make Jesus the center of our life,...at home and at work. We wanted and needed Jesus to be the very "center" of everything. It wasn't too long before things began pulling at us, demanding our attention. As we ran out of time and energy, we began to focus more on the immediate issues,...and our "to do" lists started to grow. Oh sure, we managed to keep the name of Jesus shining in the center for a while,...but eventually, it got shoved to the side, or back, by the all of the people or things that vied for our attention.
...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.—Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

I earnestly prayed that God would be glorified and remain the center of this life and ministry, which He has entrusted to me. When I speak and write, I want Jesus to be the reason. But deadlines and other work preparations begin to flood in and suddenly, I'm caught up in a whirlwind of details,..and stuff that needs to get done now. My spiritual vision blurs and my motives lose focus. The sweet name of Jesus gets lost under a pile of responsibilities. But when I realize what was happening, I stop, remove all of the distraction, and started fresh with nothing but my time with God as my center. I pray,...I read,...I remember. It's called " revival ".

Like with Martha, when I began to get in a tizzy over "other things", I stop and allow Jesus to remind me,
" to keep the main thing, the main thing".

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Sweet Spirit of God, help us to look beyond the responsibilities of life and focus on God. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus our example,...even in the midst of chaos. May we not become so consumed with the things around us that we lose sight of our Heavenly Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

"A relationship with God, like all relationships, must begin with trust.
Ultimately trust begins with the courage to believe."

What Faith Are You Walking By?

Good Morning!! Have you ever felt beat down, wrung out, to the point where you don't see how you can go any further. It could be because of your responsibilities at work, or at home. Maybe you've been living in a difficult situation for so long that you're losing hope. Perhaps you look at the world around us, and all you see, and feel is the overwhelming oppression of a sin-sick world. Many people give up trying to standing on God's truth,...in the face of such overwhelming odds. They start walking by sight, and not by faith.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.—2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV)

People are compromising the Word of God at an alarming rate,...just like the Israelites did 1000s of years ago. Christians step willingly away from God's directives, and feel justified doing so,...because it's acceptable in the culture or legal. But God's truth and character has not changed. He still calls us to obey Him, even when it doesn't make sense. He calls us to keep our eyes focused on Him, instead of looking to the left and right.

God is looking for men and women to stand up for His truth,...in spite of overwhelming odds.

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Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your goodness and faithfulness. It's difficult to keep focused on Your truth, in the midst of discouragement. Help us to walk by faith in You,...and not faith in our circumstances. We trust that You are able to do more than we could ever imagine. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

"A relationship with God, like all relationships, must begin with trust.
Ultimately trust begins with the courage to believe."

Being Real

Good Morning!! Worship is a word we often use but something we rarely experience. Oh, we say that we are going to a worship service each Sunday, but do we really encounter the living God,...or merely endure another weekly religious gathering? When was the last time you walked away from a worship service charged, or changed forever,...because God met you there? We misunderstand what true worship is, and fail to recognize the requirements of worship,...Openness, and Honesty.
For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; the upright will see His face.—Psalm 11:7 (NIV)

Honesty is a rapidly disappearing attribute. Truth is hedged, and masked. Integrity is compromised. "Mom and Dad aren't here" our children say when we want to avoid the caller. We silently pocket the incorrectly counted change received in the drive-through lane. Untruths we label as "small white lies" permeate our character, until authenticity is completely forfeited. A life of integrity demands honesty,...and so does worship. Worship is all about seeking the face of God. Seeking God with our whole heart is the first step in experiencing authentic worship. We cannot truly seek God until we are willing to come before Him in absolute abandonment, being completely and totally honest before, and with, Him.

True worship, only takes place in an honest heart.

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Father God, we confess that we do not truly understand what it means to worship You, in the way that You desire. But we want to worship You,...and we want to come into Your presence with complete honesty and transparency. Our heart desire is to sit at Your feet. We lay down our pride and arrogance, confessing that without You, we are nothing. We praise You and love You, Father. Teach us how to truly worship You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

"A relationship with God, like all relationships, must begin with trust.
Ultimately trust begins with the courage to believe."

Not Going As Expected

Good Morning!! Shattered Dreams are a part of life,...children die, husbands leave, jobs are lost, cancer tests come back positive, proposals are rejected, teenagers rebel, houses burn, terrorists attack,...and the list goes on. Part of the pain is the feeling that God has forgotten us, grown deaf to our cries,...or lost our address.
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.—Isaiah 49:15 (NIV)

The Bible speaks to these feelings. Zion cried, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14). David lamented, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent" (Psalm 22: 1, 2).  Even Jesus called out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) I have cried, "Where are you, God. How could you do this to me? Have you forgotten all about me?" Then He answered me, with today's scripture.

Yes, the string around His finger, the brand on His palm, the scar on His heart. No, He doesn’t forget.

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Father God, we thank You for Your amazing love. When our hopes and dreams are shattered, and we don't understand, we choose to believe You. And when we cannot see Your hand, we will trust Your heart. Thank You that before we were planned, or wanted by human hearts and minds,...we were planned and wanted in Your heart and mind. Amen.

"A relationship with God, like all relationships, must begin with trust.
Ultimately trust begins with the courage to believe."

Learn To Give, More Freely

Good Morning!! You may be familiar with the principle of tithing. God calls us as His children to give Him ten percent of what we have. A tenth, or a tithe, is to be given back to Him. Do we do this because God needs our money? No. We give back to God as a way to honor and obey Him. When we give back, we are showing our appreciation,...we are recognizing that all we have, comes from Him. The other ninety percent of our money belongs to God, just as much as that first ten percent,...and we are to manage it wisely. The wise manager walks in paths of peace.
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops;—Proverbs 3:9 (NIV)

Money is an area that can be a source of chaos, or a place of peace in our life. I believe that the key to the direction it will take for you, lies in your ability to understand that your money does not belong to you. Ultimately, all income, and gifts come from God. They don't belong to us. We are called to be managers, or stewards, of the money that is entrusted to us. How could I give away money that I could have obviously used my self? Because I knew that the money wasn't mine.

When we trust the Great Provider,...we, too, will walk a path of wisdom, and peace.

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Father God, help us to trust You with our finances. You have a plan that is best. We want to walk in every part of Your plan for our lives,...including where our money is concerned. It’s not really our money anyway, Lord,...it’s Yours. Help us to unclench our fists, opening our hands and our hearts to Your desire, and Your will for our lives. Amen.

"If we don't believe, or struggle to believe, we are doubters.
But it's not that doubters simply don't believe,...it's that they don't really trust"

Investing In Eternity

Good Morning!! We live in a "stuff" driven world, where it doesn’t matter what, or how much we possess,... where it's never enough!, there is always something else to want. We're told that the more we have, the more successful we are! We frantically accumulate materialistic idols and false gods, to which we sacrifice our time, health, happiness and peace. Greed has become the driving force behind almost everything we do in life,...and is an unrelenting enemy of contentment.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."—Luke 6:38 (NIV)

We all want to live a life of "enjoyment",...but money alone won't get it. We must not only recognize money for what it is,.. a resource loaned to us by God,...but we must also adhere to the absolute principle that when it comes to financial gain, our only responsibility is to manage and disperse that resource well. We want to make a difference, we want our lives to really count. But, in order to live a life that matters, a life of "enjoyment", we must not only understand Kingdom living, but Kingdom giving as well. Everything we are or have belongs to God, and comes straight from His heart of perfect provision. It is His hand that opens the door of opportunity. It's His plan that orchestrates the minutes and circumstances of each day to accomplish His Will in our surrendered lives. It's His perfect gift of Jesus Christ that made a way for unholy people, to enjoy an intimate relationship with a Holy God.

The reality is that our Father wants us to have wealth,...we just have to be careful not to settle for money!

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Father God,  we lay down everything we are,...and everything we have at Your feet. We want our lives to make a difference, for and in eternity. But Lord, we are so greedy. we cling to our possessions, and stockpile life resources. Today, we choose to become Kingdom livers, and givers! Help us to give with joy, and invest in others,...what You've invested in us. We love You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

"If we don't believe, or struggle to believe, we are doubters.
But it's not that doubters simply don't believe,...it's that they don't really trust"

Mean What You Say,...

Good Morning!! It is so easy for us to fall into the trap of repeating our instructions, or behavior speaks against what we claim to want. We are sometimes just too afraid to follow through with consequences that we've promised,...so we hope that if we give them one more chance, they’ll comply. We are to say what we mean, and mean what we say, or we run the risk of not being believed at all,...it's hard to take a liar seriously.
In studying some the most admirable and successful generals in history, you'll found that they all had one thing in common,...they were certain of their commands before they issued them.
All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.—Matthew 5:37 (NIV)

Therefore, we should never issue a warning or a command without following it through. If you say you won't put up with something, then don't. This rule of thumb requires that we think before we speak. Try not to say "yes" or "no" to something until you are sure that it is your definite answer. According to Proverbs 15:28 it is biblical that we not speak before thinking: "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers."  Let us weigh our answers, give confident commands, and be a mighty army for the Lord!

No one will respect or respond well to an uncertain and inconsistent instructions.

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Father God,  help us to be strong and confident in Your words, and ours. Help us to say what we mean and mean what we say. When we're fearful the reactions of the consequences we've set forth, for the people in our lives,...give us the strength to follow through, rather than giving them threats, or repeating our wishes again, and again. Help us to consistent, with love and self-control. Amen.

"If we don't believe, or struggle to believe, we are doubters.
But it's not that doubters simply don't believe,...it's that they don't really trust"

Welcomed Into The Family

Good Morning!! We belong to God, because He made us. We are His children, because He has adopted us. As adopted children of God, we have been given full rights as His sons and daughters. That's exactly what the word "adoption" means,...to be given the rights of a son. We can know that we belong to God by faith. We may not always feel God’s presence or see Him at work in our lives,...but He is there. Feelings come and go, but trust believes in God's promises. God's Word doesn't say we can feel that we have eternal life,...It says we can know we have eternal life. And we know this by faith. (1John 5:13)
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—Ephesians 3:1 (NIV)
And we also know that we belong to God, by His loving care. God is not some far off God. He is near to us,... and approachable for our needs. Our Father wants to be involved in every detail of our lives. He wants to know our joys and our pains. The word "Father" is translated "papa" or "daddy." Perhaps you’ve never had an earthly father to turn to in times of celebration, or sorrow,...but as a child of God you have a Heavenly Father to whom you can cry out "daddy" any time, any place, anywhere.

If you have placed your trust in Christ, then be assured that you are part of God's family,
...and it comes with all the love, support and inheritance Your Heavenly Father has to offer.

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Father God, we thank You for choosing us and making us a part of Your forever family. Thank You for all the rights and privileges You've given us as Your children. Help us to walk worthy of the name we now carry. Amen.

"If we don't believe, or struggle to believe, we are doubters.
But it's not that doubters simply don't believe,...it's that they don't really trust"

Access Granted

Good Morning!! In the Old Testament, there is a sense that God was unapproachable because of His holiness. In the temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies, where God resided,...from the other areas of the temple where the priests attended daily. The high priest only entered the Holy of Holies once a year, on the Day of Atonement. Before he could enter, the priest went through a rigorous ceremonial cleansing process. Bells were hemmed to the bottom of his robe, and a rope was tied around his foot. The people outside listened for the tinkling bells to make sure the priest was still alive,...and if per chance the sound ceased, they pulled the dead priest out by the rope.
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.—Ephesians 3:1 (NIV)
But in the New Testament things changed. God was, and is still the Holy Great I AM,...but He invites us to enter the Holy of Holies with the confidence of a child approaching his daddy. When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, God tore the veil of the Holy of Holies from top to bottom, inviting all those who believe in Christ to enter,...with assurance and confidence. (Mark 15:38).  "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need " (Hebrews 4:16). In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12).

No longer do we have to offer blood sacrifices as they did in the Old Testament.
Jesus Christ is our perfect High Priest who offered the perfect sacrifice,...Himself.

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Dear Lord, thank You that we can come before You at any time. Unlike the people in the Old Testament, we don't have to be afraid to come into Your presence,...and we don't have to go through an earthly priest. You invite us to come directly to You. The only priest we need is Jesus,...our High Priest forever.  It's in His name, that we pray. Amen.

"If we don't believe, or struggle to believe, we are doubters.
But it's not that doubters simply don't believe,...it's that they don't really trust"

A Love That Endures

Good Morning!! "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (I John 3:1). To lavish is to give freely, profusely, extravagantly, and abundantly. He doesn't give us everything we want when we want it. No father wants spoiled children. Rather He gives us everything we need to produce well-behaved children,...who bear His name well.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.—Psalm 136:1 (NIV)
Today's scripture, is how David begins reminding us that God created the world,...lead the captives out of Egypt and through the desert,...and conquered the enemies of the Israelites so they could move into the Promised Land. While He works in many varied ways and with many different people, one thing remains the same,..."His love endures forever"!

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you" (Isaiah 54:10 NIV).

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O' Lord, our God, we don’t want to live like spiritual paupers any more. We thank You that You are a father whose love never changes,...that You are a father who has provided everything we need for life and godliness,...and that You are a father who will always be by our side. Amen.

"With God's strength behind us and His arms beneath us, we can face whatever lies ahead."

Hold On, And Fear Not

Good Morning!! God's delays are never because of poor planning,...it's often a matter of our disobedience, or a matter of us needing to wait upon His perfect timing. It might even be a issue of God preparing us for something better than we've asked for. He knows we often wring our hands, wondering if this time He'll forget,...but the truth is, God never forgets. He sees us and knows our anxious thoughts,...has sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter.

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.—Psalm 33:20-21 (NIV)

We all know waiting is never easy. The good news is, when we wait on the Lord, we can trust that it will be worth the wait.  We need to rest in the knowledge that He never sleeps, slumbers or forgets, and He never is late, and His plans for us will surpass even our highest hopes or biggest dreams.

Remember a time you had to wait for God to answer one or more of your prayers,...can you see how His timing was better than yours?

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Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your faithfulness. Help us to trust You, even when we can’t see what You are doing. Help us wait with anticipation as You reveal Your plans for our lives. Father we thank You for Your steadfast love. Amen.

"With God's strength behind us and His arms beneath us, we can face whatever lies ahead."