"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.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
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...
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...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, May 3, 2010
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 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.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
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!
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!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)