1 Corinthians 13:7

"love...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."


Love never fails. Love is hard. love is a choice. and by this definition, i fail constantly, at least thru my lenses. but one thing is certain, like it goes on to say in verse 8, Love NEVER fails. no matter what. I pray that God places a deep passion to love and to love biblically and that it will come naturally, that its not something i say "well, i dunno how." that may be true, but Jesus has shown me love, but until I really learn to accept love, and to embrace love, and to open my eyes to love, and to be willing to bear all things, to believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things...i cannot love biblically. I long to love this way. It is how I am supposed to love. It is how I am loved by Jesus. Just have to embrace. Endure. Bear. Hope. Believe.


Love.
Never.
Fails.

Romans 6:18

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
Romans 6:18


Sometimes we don't live this way, or really believe that we have been set free from sin. or we do believe it, but we don't live as slaves to righteousness. Christ has made us righteous, and this is something we need to remember. we have a responsibility. to live for Jesus and that includes our whole being, all that we are, failures, struggles, weaknesses, stregths...goods, bads, everything!
i think our problem is we forget too often. thats a lot of my problem..sometimes..not always. satan loves to keep me from forgettig because he knows that my mind is a precious gift and tool so he messes w it and it works. but i have been set free from all the traps he puts my mind into and that i allow.i am no longer a slave to that, but a slave to righteousness. who i am in Christ.

help me remember Holy Spirit. I ask for a sound mind and a pure heart.

Romans 6:14

"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
Romans 6:14



Can you tell that I am reading through Romans?! hah
I read this this morning, and i just kept repeating it in my head. I think so often, i allow my sins to haunt me, to become my master. I believe lies that keep me from truth. that is sin. and I can't do that! I don't want to do that!
and the fact that I am under grace, and not the old law! Grace...is a beautiful gift. and something I need to grasp more of when it is poured out over me.
For sin shall not be your master, because... you are under grace.

I am under grace. I don't have to be under sin, I am under grace. I am under the grace of God.
Thank You Jesus!

Romans 4:20-21

"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised."
Romans 4:20-21


This part of Romans is talking about Abraham. The Father of our Faith.He is the Father, becasue He didn't waver through unbelief. He fully believed God at His word. I want that kind of faith. That kind of belief and absolute trust. Cuz i believe God is good, i know He is good, and righteous and Holy and Just and Loving.
I'm tired of believing all the things that Satan puts in my head, that keep me from having that unwavering belief, faith, trust. I want to not waver. I want to stand firm in the promises and truth of God.
I admire Abraham. and pray for faith like His.

Romans 3:23-24

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Romans 3:23-24


we are justified freely...by His grace...through the redemption of Jesus' act on the cross. This is hopeful, and joyful truth!
Grace is a precious gift.

Today...I was blessed...by many things from God. But every day, I am blessed with the gift of eternal life, of Jesus Himself. Am i choosing to see this gift, to remember it,to see the blessings of God in each day?!?! When we choose to see the gifts and blessings of God, oh my, blessings you see!
Open the eyes of our hearts Lord. Each and every day! May we remember the cross, may we remember You Jesus.

Romans 2:28-29

"A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God."
Romans 2:28-29

I feel like this is kind of an odd verse of the day for me to have. But as I was reading this morning, this verse just stuck out and reminded me that who I am, is not just what people see on the outside. Who i am, who God designed me to be, is alreayd inside of me. If I want to be true to who I am in Christ, I need to live from the inside out, and not just from the outside.
One thing I am learning about myself is that I tend to care too much of people's perception of me. I like people to think that I have it all together, even when I don't. I don't want people to see my mistakes while they are happening, I feel this need that I have to look a certain way or be "perfect" .....
this is something i've never realized that i do, and franky, im rather embarrassed that I do. But God is definately revealing to me that I live my life this way, I live my life in fear all too often, and it holds me back so much.

My praise is not from men, but from God.
I should not be living to please or to 'perform' or to live for a certain appearance, for men...but only for God.

My prayer is that I live to please God, my approval comes from God, that I'm okay with my mistakes and trust that other people can handle and deal. I don't need to be perfect. I can enjoy my time in the mistakes, make the most. my prayer is that I don't take myself too seriously anymore.

Hebrews 12:14

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."
Hebrews 12:14


Once again, to quote my devotions. "Peace is a committment...making peace can be harder than waging war but it can result in harmony and happiness."
Peace as well, has a lot to do with relationships. And that is what this verse is talking about in Hebrews. Seek peace with all people. If they are not giving you peace, you be the peacemaker. be the 'bigger man' in this day and age.

i also love how it says to pursue holiness as well. and without holiness (and im assuming peace w others as well), our eyes to see the Lord will be blurred without that pursuit and without holiness and peace. So if we are not pursueing holiness (set-apartness) and peace with all people we will not see God.
So many times I think when we are struggling, we dont see God, because a lot of times, we are not seeking peace with others. if others are involved in our struggles, we usually want revenge, or we want them to be the first to say sorry or something of that sort, rather than us pursue it ourselves. we also dont pursue holiness. i dont think we think about pursueing holiness enough. holiness is a big thing. its us being totally set apart from the world, FOR God. do we really set ourselves apart for God, especially when we are struggling!?
do we pursue holiness at all costs, to see our Lord and Savior?!?!
I often don't. but I want to. and the only way I know to change that, and to pursue is to pray. to give more of my time to Jesus. to spend more time with Him. and to seek Him. read His word!



"Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God."
Matthew 5:9

I want to be a peacemaker. whenever i think of a peacemaker, i think of a quiet, shy person. but thats totally wrong. a peacemaker is a warrior. is a bold person who will not stand for anything but peace, who strives for harmony between them and others. who strives for God in every part of a relationship. and every part of their own life.
God, I want to be a peacemaker. I want to see you. I want to live set-apart for You. I want to live in harmony with others. with myself. with You.

1 Corinthians 3:11

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 3:11


I'm basically sharing my devotions from this morning.
"New Testament people were attracted to the early church by expressions of God's power at work: the charachter of the leaders and the generosity, sincerity, honesty, and unity of the members...It is the power and love of Jesus radiating out of his people that is attractive to others."

I want to be attractive to others, and I want that attraction to be Jesus radiating out of me. I want to be unified, generous, honest, sincere, and full of charachter. I want to radiate Jesus.

Make-Up

Because I missed an evening the other night, this is it!

Romans 15:13
"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."


I want to overflow with confident hope in God. through His Holy Spirit. that is living inside of me. I want to totally trust God. Basically I want to be perfect, but I know that I am full of sin, and it is only by the grace and love and blood of Christ that I am made righteous. But God sees me as perfect because of Christ's righteousness.

"No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me..." (In Christ Alone by Newsboys)

I want to hope and live in the power of God. So often I forget that it is there, working inside of me even when I don't notice Him. which frustrates me a bit. But I want to just love, to embrace, and to trust, and to hope, and to be confident. in God. and to give my absolute everything. cuz lets face it, i am lazy and selfish the majority of the time. :/

But in Christ, I have a confident hope. Filled with joy and peace.
PEACE.

1 Corinthians 4:12

"We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it..."
1 Corinthians 4:12

This verse is amidst a passage where Paul is talking to the Corinthians on how the apostles are living. I think we as Americans, have no idea what it is like to live in persuction, to run for our lives, to not have clothes or food or anything we want really. and when we get remotely close to that, we freak out. we have no idea. i think we are so blessed, yet we take all of it for granted and we don't know how to use our blessings to the best we can. we don't know how to appreciate them.

this verse stuck out to me, becaue I tend to hate working. Like despise it kinda. And so often I look at the apostles lives, and think in my head, 'well they never had to work, they just served the Lord and traveled all the time!' which its my dream to just travel for Jesus. But this verse, and there are others, show that the apostles had to work to survive. They worked hard, harder than I probably can even imagine, we all have to make an ends meet. and our work, no matter what kind of labor, is all part of our ministry. Is all a part of our lives that are for God.

Fervor (Acts)

Right now I am reading through Acts, and reading about Paul and his travels and his life of such fervor for the will and gospel of Jesus Christ. It is amazing and inspiring to see how drastically Jesus changed His life and used Paul.
So I'm going to cheat tonight and share a couple verses...WHOOPSIE! hope you don't mind. It's God's word, so its truth!


Acts 20:24
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
Is my focus, or have I allowed the grace of God to have such an impact on me, that i consider my life worth nothing to me...and am so focused on testifying of God's grace and goodness....?!?! I think in this day and age, we are too focused on ourselves, on our lives and what we want...we forget that God has bestowed on us this abundant sea of Grace that we constantly swimming in...we somehow forget that...and testify to our trials, our circumstances...and not of this amazing grace.
Our focus needs shifted. We need to really allow the grace of God to change us and to open our eyes and to praise God for that. Set our hearts on things Above.

Acts 20:27
"For I have not hestitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God."
How often do we hestitate to tell people the whole will of God? For ourselves, for others?! Why do we let fear hold us back?


Acts 20:31
"So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears."

This scripture comes after when Paul was talking to the Ephesian Elder's and warning about False Teachers and those turning and distorting the truth...
i love the fact that it says, for 3 yrs...nonstop...Paul warned them. I don't know if I can actually comprehend what this looks like...because I am like a golfish and forget constantly even just the little things, unfortunately. This is something I am praying through too. Our minds need to be sharp, so that we can warn people, so that we can remember and be aware of the things around us and the people in our lives and to serve them the best we can, and to speak God's truth.


Lastly:
Acts 21:14
"When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, 'The Lord's will be done.'"

This is when the ones who were with Paul, were trying to plead with Paul from going into Jerusalem becasue a Prophet came to Paul and basically (in short) said that theJews will find Paul and hand him over to the Gentiles. Then Paul says this...
"why are you weeping abd breaking my heart? I amready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (verse 13)

Paul was ready, he didn't hestitate or seem to think twice. He was ready for whatever was to come, whatever the LORD had for him. People tried to tell him otherwise, to not go forward because of what was to come...and Paul was so persistent in what he was supposed to do, that they finally gave up becasue they realized Paul was not going to change his mind. He was going.
How often are we the people who plead to run away from the oppression or trouble?!
How often does it take us to "give up" after much pleading, and say...'The Lord's will be done.'??


Just some things to think about.
May we be a people of fervor(passion, earnestness). Focused on the grace of God, His will, the life of Jesus Christ. Proclaiming His truth, in love.

1 Peter 3:15

I'm on a 1 Peter Kick at the moment.

1 Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to eveeryone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."


What struck me most from this verse, is the first sentence. How often do I really set Christ apart in my life, as LORD over all. every single detail. how often do I take the time in my day to hand over that control, and to set aside my day and my time FOR Him. How often do I check my heart, to make sure that I am setting Christ apart as LORD. So this is a challenge to me.
Also, I think that each day if we set Christ apart as Lord in our hearts (which is such a beautiful picture), I think that by that, we will be more engulged in His word and with that, comes knowing Him more intimately, as well as being able to give an answer to all with gentleness and respect...because we are so focused on Jesus.

This is my prayer for tonight. To set apart Christ as Lord in my heart. each day. each moment. and to know Jesus, more intimately each day. To give up my time, my effort, my desires....but to be completely engulfed with Him. My Savior...My Lover....My Friend!

1 Peter 3:3-4

1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT Translation)
"Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."


In the NKJV and ESV, in verse 4 it uses the phrase, 'hidden person of the heart.' where it says the 'beauty that comes from within.'

Back in the day, when I had money to spare, I shopped. A lot. Now that I don't really have money, and I feel God is calling me to more a simple life and to not live by all my wants, I don't really shop. At all really, for clothes. In fact, I purposivly try to stay away from shopping, simply because when I'm in a mall and I see things I want...its just not good. I get overwhelmed by this sense and feel of I WANT THAT, like bad...its not even healthy. So I try to flee from the temptation of that sin of my own desires, plus I hate the feeling that it gives me. I feel so greedy and selfish.
But the other day a few of us girls had a fun day and went to the mall. I purposively didnt buy anything, cuz i dont have money and my mother is taking me shopping tomorrow for a few things. And I did decent! But there is still always the, oh i want this, i wish i could have this...mentality.

and i think that a lot of are that way. we focus so much on our outer appearance more than our inner. granted, we want to look good, we need to take care of ourselves, but when we are taking more care of our physical appearance than our hearts appearance...something is seriously wrong. and i think thats y i really love this verse. cuz that is what it is saying basically. to be clothed in the beauty that comes from within. im one of those people who really believe that our beauty, comes from within. when we are beautiful on the inside, we will be much more beautiful on the outside. God created us, He has made each one of us beautiful. And when the hidden person of the heart, the beauty of that person is revealed, its like a light shines down on us and the beauty is there for everyone to notice. and that beauty, will radiate God's Glory. His Honor.

So may we not be so focused on materialistic things, but on our hearts. on what is within.

John 15:7

John 15:7
"If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you."


Firstly, John chapter 15 is probably my most favorite chapter in the Bible. Simply because of the vine and the branches passage, which is what this verse is taken out of. And this morning as I was reading this, for some reason this verse just stood out to me. No matter how many times I read the chapter, it always tugs at my heart.
But this verse just got me this morning. Especially the ending of it, 'ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.'
There are some commands and some limitations in this statement, especially in the context and if you continue reading in the chapter.

But the fact that, if I remain in Jesus, in His love, as the Father loves Him, if i remain in that, and if the words from the Father, through Jesus remain in me. in my heart, and mind...whatever I wish, will be given to me. That is a huge saying.
But i think often we mistake it. I think that the verse is really saying, that if I accept, and remain and am consumed by His Love, and His Words (truth, Jesus), are inside of me, guiding me, leading me, and I am proclaiming that in my life and for myself, then He will give me what I ask. Cuz the truth is, if I am in Christ and His words are in me, a part of me, I won't wish for anything that is outside of Him. Anything outside of Him, should be nothing that even crosses my mind of wishful thinking or desires. My desire will be Him, and will be of Him!

Which is awesome!

Remain in God's love. Remain in Jesus.

1 Peter 4:7

1 Peter 4:7
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray..."

I love verse 7 where it says to be clear minded and self controlled so that i can pray. So often my mind is definately not clear...and so often i am not self-controlled. this verse kind of reminds me of 2 Tim 1:7 where it talks about how we have been given a sound mind and power and not a spirit of fear. God really uses this verse to minister to me. and for some reason I feel this is almost like a sister verse. But my prayer, is for a clear mind and for self-control. to pray. fervently. and clearly. and purely.




And I want to add on the next few verses...just because I really like them. and it was part of my devotions this morning. So just let them touch your heart because there is a lot in the Word of God when we really let it penetrate our hearts and really look at what God is saying through His people.



"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all thing God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." (8-11)

Today I was amazed by reading through the last part of the book of John. Just the charachter of Jesus and how incredible He is! Amazing!
So it's hard to pick one verse for today. and Im noticing that when you read something earlier in the day, then you read it again at night, sometimes it doesn't have the same affect. But its still God's word, and it's still incredible and touches the heart.
So this is the verse that really hit my heart earlier today.

John 17:10
"And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them." NKJV

This is taken from the passage where Jesus is praying for His Disciples. Which I believe He is talking about His Disciples or the Apostles as we also know them, because after this he then prays for all believers. but just the fact that He is talking to the Father, and He is stating that all those the Father has given to the Son, belong to both. and how Jesus is glorified in those who are His. which I think that, is true for all of us. We have the Spirit of God inside of us, the Spirit who was inside of Jesus while He was on earth, comforting Him, is comforting us and because of that, God is glorified in us.

It is just an incredible thought! and truth. Whoever belongs to Jesus, belongs to the Father. and He is glorified in them.

and Jesus prays for you. (keep reading John 17, and you will find a prayer for all believers!)

Ephesians 3:20

Ephesians 3:20
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ASK or IMAGINE, according to his power that is at work withing us...(v21)to Him be the glory..."


God is able to do more than we have ever asked, or ever even thought of or imagined in our heads. MORE than that, He can do. Do we realize this?! I think if we really grasped this thought and mentality, a lot of things would change in our lives and in how we deal with issues.

To Him who is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than all we can ask for or imagine according to HIS power that is at work WITHIN us...to Him be the glory.
To God be the Glory.

John 9:33

John 9:33
"If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

This actually kind of goes with yesterdays verse!
It's plain and simple. Jesus could do everything, because He was from God. We have the same Spirit Jesus has. We are God's children.


Just a little side note. I was reading through John today, and I jsut found it interesting how the Pharisees and the Jews who disliked Jesus got so mad at Him for saying He was a son of God, yet they went and called themselves that....
just urks me!! and yet Jesus was still patient and endured, whilst standing His ground of course!

I love this Man! My Savior!

Acts 5:38-39

Acts 5:38-39
"Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find ourselves fighting against God."


I encourage you to read the whole chapter. It's about Peter and the apostles preaching the gospel of Jesus. and the Sanhedrin do not like any of this. and have arrested them, and continue to try to arrest them and want to kill them. Then a Pharisee confronts the group and tells them what verses 39 and 39 say. and i love it.

the truth and fact that if our purpose and activity is from God, nothing can stop it. Nothing in this world can stop God. I find a huge comfort in this.

Which One?!

There were two verses today that really kinda ministered to me. But i do think that the one sunk in deeper. The one, was more a study for me, the other was a penetrating prayer from a devotional. So I suppose I will share the prayer one.

Psalm 1:3
"He is like a tree planted by steams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does propsers."

I am the tree. Planted, created, placed by God. Placed by God at the right spot where He wanted me to grow. 'whose leaf does not wither...' the devo with this in it, mentioned this part of the verse as ever living. With Christ, we have all the water and nutrients we need. and one thing i love about trees, is that they are strong, they are firm, and their roots go deep. I want to be like a tree, in Christ. This passage, says I am a tree.



"In Him, we are permanently lovely."

Luke 10:39

"She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said."
Luke 10:39


Right now, all Jesus wants me to do, is to sit at His feet and listen. I don't do this enough. I get too caught up in making sure tha I DO THIS, or that im doing something...in stuff...all stuff that has to do with God...but its just stuff if I am not sitting at His feet and listening. This is a challenge for me, it is where my heart is at, but everything in my mind is telling me otherwise.
But Jesus wants me, listening to Him, at His feet.

Genesis 1:4

"God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness."
Genesis 1:4

Light and Dark, Night and Day, are separated for a reason. In verse 2 it mentions how darkness was over the surface of the deep. Darkness was over everything, then God created light.
I think this verse resonates with me, because I struggle with light and dark. I am afraid of the dark, yet so often, okay...all to often, I live in the darkness of my soul. and not the light that God has created. The light of who I am, of His truth, His words, His love, His blessings, His grace...etc.
I want to live in the light. To see and to walk in the light. I want the darkness to be separated from me because I am so engulfed in light that it cannot reside inside of me.
Light.

"God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness."
We are the light of the world...

Psalm 139:23-24

Psalm 139 has been a reoccuring passage for me within this past week....it is good.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

God knows my heart...my anxious thoughts...which there are plenty of those...and He will lead me in the way everlasting...He will lead me...he will take all my anxious thoughts, my heart, the offensive ways in me, and will lead me...this is a comforting TRUTH that I am grateful for.
This verse just really ministered to my heart today. i guess in a way that I can't really describe.

"Step by Step you lead me, and I will follow you all of my days..."
Step by Step...not day by day...but step by step. with each step, comes a thought...comes a new place...a new distance...step by step He will lead me.
Step by Step.

i should be walking more...

Matthew 7:24-25

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."
Matthew 7:24-25


So the conversation tonight has dealt with foundations. So this is my passage for today. I feel like God is maybe trying to point something out. Jesus Christ is our foundation (1 corinthians 3 says that). Colossians 2 tells us to let our roots grow deep into Him. Here in Matthew, if our House (which we are the temple of The Holy Spirit, so US) is built on a firm foundation (Jesus Christ), when trials and storms come, we will not be shaken.

So often, I think we find ourselves shaken. It doesn't mean that the foundation isn't there, it just means that our building is a little wobbly...and we may need to do a bit of reconstructing upon the foundation. Sometimes we forget our foundation is there...and we crumble, to see that yes it is there.
But I want to be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock. I want to be firm, when trials come. i don't want to be tossed from one side to the other, to be drowned...I want to no matter what, stay put. On top of my foundation. To stay firm in and on Jesus Christ. Because HE is my foundation.

I read this quote in my brother's blog tonight, its from Oswald Chambers
"the real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering."

I will leave it at that. That and the wise man, and the firm foundation is my prayer.

Psalm 31:4-5

"Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth."
Psalm 31:4-5


Satan has a trap set before me. And I am aware of it. I see it. And I feel like I am half inside of it, half out of it. God is my refuge. I need to let Him completely pull me out of the trap. to take my Spirit and to just fly. With His presence, and in His truth. I am thankful for His grace though. and His love. and His encouragement. I am not defeated...My Lord will redeem me. Has redeemed me.

Acts 6:10

"but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke."
Acts 6:10

I was reading about Stephen this morning. a couple verses before 10, it says how Stephen was a man FULL of God's grace and power, and did many miraculous and wonderful things. he was FULL of God's GRACE and POWER. and because he was full of God's grace and power, (here comes the verse for today) the Sanhedrin, the people trying to tear him down, the ones causing opposition, could not stand up against him, or prove him wrong...
I find this incredible. It kind of goes with the verse from 2 nights ago, about always speaking the truth. Not being able to help yourself in a sense.
If i want wisdom, I need to ask God for it. If i want to be FULL of God's grace and power, I need to seek God and get to know Jesus more and more each day. A lot needs to change in my heart, and especially in my mind. Change is needed. I need to spend more time with my Savior. Do i take that time?! He is jealous for me...do I meditate on that thought? Do i meditate on His thoughts towards me (verse from the other night too...)? Do I praise Him enough?!

The answer is no, unfortunately. Something needs to change. I desire to be FULL of God's grace and his power.
so that I can stand up for Christ, in truth, and nobody can knock me down...

Psalm 139:14

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
Psalm 139:14


I read this tonight in our girl's bible study and have been looking at this whole chapter all week. But this verse was the one that stuck out to me most today when I read it and even talked about it.
How often do I praise God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made?!?! When i really think about it, I honestly don't think that I ever have...I tend to not see myself as fearfully and wonderfully made. But the Bible clearly states that I am. I need to praise God for who I am. By doing that, my vision and mindset just may change. in the way that it needs to.
So God, thank you for making me fearfully and wonderfully. In your image....

this is my new challenge to myself. Spur me on in Spirit.

Acts 4:20

"For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:20

This verse, comes after Peter and John have spoken to the Jews about Jesus, and after the Sanhedrin had arrested them for healing a man in the name of Jesus. The Sanhedrin also commanded Peter and John to not speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus (v.18). and in verse 19, they tell the Sanhedrin, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God."
Our obedience, our responsibility is to God Almighty.

What i love about v. 20. It shows that they didn't give up. They weren't hindered. They were empowered completely by the Holy Spirit. They were bold. They were madly in love with Jesus. They believed in the resurrection with every ounce of their being. They knew Jesus personally and were not going to let His name be diminished. They stood up for Jesus Christ. They did not back down at all, to the leaders of the time.
How often do we back down from people? Do we back down from Satan, or even from ourselves? I want to speak and to teach boldly the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. To not be hindered. To be obedient to His name and power and authority. He is Sovereign.

And I want to not be able to help it, that I speak about Jesus. People should get 'tired' of me talking about Jesus, because that be all that I talk about!
"we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
I want that to be true of myself.

Psalm 139:17

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!"
Psalm 139:17


How precious, are Your thoughts God, to me. O the sum of them. God's thoughts to me...how often do I focus on the thoughts of God (concering myself)? God just really kinda spoke to me this morning about His truth, and who I am IN Him and how I just need to focus on His truth and not the lies that Satan tries to feed me on who I am.
God thinks highly of me. He thinks a lot of me. I need to remember this. He is jealous for me. He created me (like the rest of the psalm talks about). So may I think the thoughts of God, towards me.

Psalm 119:45

"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts."

Freedom is something that always strikes my heart. Because it is something I struggle with. I struggle with my freedom....kind of odd, i know.
I believe I have been set free. I used to believe that being set free, meant that what I have been set free from, now has no place in my life, that it will never show up again. but i have come to learn, that being set free, means this 'thing' has no stronghold over me, but it does not mean that it just goes away. nope, Satan reminds you of what you have been set free from, trying to get you back into your chains. But if you've been set free, why would you ever want to go back into chains?! But yet, this is something that i believe we all struggle with.

So when this verse was sent to me today, i loved it.
I want to walk in the freedom Christ has bought for me, given to me. Because I have it. I've been set free. and I can walk in freedom, when I seek out God's precepts (or moral conduct). Jesus' life. His truth. His way. And that can become a part of my life. The more I get to know Jesus, the more and better I can walk in this freedom.

So seek out Jesus. and walk in the freedom He has paid for you. Don't walk in the chains that have been broken. Jesus is greater than any chain, no matter how thick. Jesus' death on the cross overcame it all. His love. Plz walk in that. I plead for you, I plead for myself, walk in freedom. and meditate on the truth of who God is in your life!

1 Corinthians 13:4

Once again, there are a couple I could choose from. God's word is just full of soul filling truth that sometimes I jsut can't wrap my head around. sometimes, i don't know what to do besides just stare and read the words over and over again. sometimes all i can do is pray, for these words to be written on my heart, and for the Spirit to put a passion of obedience inside of me for these words of life as well as a steadfast mind, to remember these words. (This comes from seeking, and praying, and reading daily...)

Today's verse is 1 Corinthians 13:4
"Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

Most people know this passage as the love chapter. Rarely do you see these verses apart from each other. Today, I want to focus on the "love is kind." part of this verse. Ultimately, Jesus is the picture of love. He is the definition of love, as a being.
I just recently finished a book called 'A Love Worth Giving' by Max Lucado. What Max does is breaks down the love chapter/verses. I highly suggest this book, it's become one of my favorites. But one of the chapters that stuck out the most to me, is the one on "love is kind."
For some reason, it seems like we don't really think of love, as being kind. we do, yet we don't. We don't tend to practice kindness. To other people, especially to ourselves. And all to often, we don't focus on the kindness that Jesus Christ has poured onto us. Through the cross(sacrifice), and His love, and His forgiveness. We are not a kind people. We are not a people who try to go out and be intentially kind to people. Kind in forgiving, in mercy, in acts, in love, even in fun.

So my prayer, is that I myself am a person of kindness. That i act in kindness, love in kindness, forgive and show mercy out of kindness. And that my focus, is God's kindness to me, and that I receive that kindness. Mercy plays a huge part in kindness. A lot of us don't deserve any kindness. Yet the Bible says, that love is kind. and we are to love. as Christ has loved us. So be kind. to all. and receive the kindness from Jesus, so that you know how, and can be kind to those around you. and to yourself.