God's Love

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

~ John 3:16-17

Do Not Fear

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

~ Isaiah 41:10

God's Power

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Give thanks

"GIVE THANKS to the LORD, call on His Name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and His strength; seek HIS face always."

~ Psalm 105:1-4

Loving God with All of Me

This month in children's church the theme is Loving God with All of Me. Their memory verse is:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.
~ Mark 12:30-31

Call God - He's Always Available

Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

~ Jeremiah 33:3

Strength for the Weary

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 40:29-31

Meditate on Scripture

I've been using this blog mainly to share Scripture verses and passages that have meaning to me and verses that I have memorized or need to memorize. Recently I started reading a book (Be Still and Know that I Am God compiled by Amy and Judge Reinhold) that gives insight into how to meditate on Scripture and develop a deeper prayer life. I tend to be the kind of person who competes against myself and tries to do better or more than the day before or if I think I can't beat it I just give up. Neither of those are good especially when dealing with Bible reading and prayer. When I try to read a lot of Scripture quickly, I tend to miss much of what I've read. If I know I can't read more or as much as I did the day before I am apt to skip it until I feel I can do what I think I must. I'm finding that I need to meditate on Scripture more even if its a smaller amount.

In the book, Be Still and Know that I am God, Lectio Divina is described. You may ask, what is that? "It means listening to the text of Scripture, really listening – yielded and still. It means submitting to the text of Scripture, allowing its message to flow into us rather than us attempting to master it. It means reflecting on the text of Scripture, permitting ourselves to be fully engaged by the drama of the passage. It means praying the text of Scripture, letting the biblical reality give rise to our heart cry of gratitude or confession or petition. It means applying the text of Scripture, seeing how God’s Holy Word provides personal guidance for our life circumstances. It means obeying the text of Scripture, always turning from our ways and into the life everlasting."

I've found in the last week since I've been reading this book and practicing Lectio Divina that Scripture is speaking loudly to me and fresh life is flowing.

Steps of Lectio Divina
·Read: On the first reading, simply listen to the words read aloud.
·Reflect: On the second reading, ask, What in the passage touches my life today?
·Respond: After the third reading, ask yourself, What is God inviting me to do today?
·Rest: During the fourth and final reading, ask nothing, simply rest in the presence of the Lord and experience His guidance through the Word.

If you can find this book, it would be a useful compliment to your Bible reading time or if you'd like you could print the Steps of Lectio Divina and keep it with your Bible so you can practice them as you read God's Word.

Let me leave you with this thought from God's Word:

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. whatever he does prospers."
~ Psalm 1:1-3

Faith, Hope and Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

~ 1 Corinthians 13

Humble yourself and pray!

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

Note

I just logged on and found out my music was somehow changed without my permission to music I do not know or appreciate. I removed that option for the time being until I have time to investigate further.

Shout for Joy!

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

~ Psalm 100:1-5 (NIV)

Psalm of Thanksgiving.

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100:1-5 (KJV)

How should we live?

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence"

~ 1 John 3:17-19

God's Plans

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
~ Jeremiah 29:11

"For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be."
~ Psalm 139:13-16

The Lord is my strength

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song."

~ Psalm 28:7