“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
(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park near Winterset, Iowa)
When we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and we confess our sins, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…which is a light, the light that shines within us and enables us to walk in darkness. We do not have all the answers, yet we have confidence in God for this life and the life to come. Amen.
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 4:6
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)
In this world we will have trouble. We will get knocked down, turned away, rejected and discouraged because we live in a fallen world, filled with our sin. Do not be defeated…turn towards God in prayer, be encouraged and strengthened by His love, proclaim your faith in Jesus Christ, believe and He will help you rise. Amen.
“Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.”
Micah 7:8
(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
Believe in the power of God…He is our Creator…He is our Savior…He will guide us with the Holy Spirit. God can and will rescue you. Don’t give up hope…don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Believe in God’s saving grace, believe in God’s love for you. Trust in the Lord and He will rescue you. Amen.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91:14-16
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass near the Montana and Wyoming border)
Trust…belief…confidence. Faith is not about the quantity of it that you have…it is more focused on do you have it or not? We sometimes think, ‘if I just had more faith’ or ‘if I just prayed the right way,’ things would have gone the way I wanted them to…as if we are somehow in control of the outcomes in life. God, our Creator and Father of all, gave us the gift of free will to choose how we will live and what we will believe…He loves us and wants a personal relationship with each one of us. The facts of faith are in the bible and the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are events that happened here on earth…so as you think about your life, your relationships and your circumstances ask yourself…’what do I believe?’ As for me, my response is the words of the Apostles Creed. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Matthew 21:21-22
(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
Are we fully committed to putting Christ first in life? Our actions will always speak louder than our words. We know we can never be good enough on our own, yet we seem to keep trying to go our own way. Thank you, God, for your mercy and your grace…because of His great love for us we can return to Him and confess our sins because we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified, died and has risen. I know I struggle often when I reflect on my own actions…the things I have done and the things I have left undone. It is at these moments that I imagine with my mind’s eye, kneeling at the foot of the Cross, laying down my sins and thanking Jesus Christ for His sacrifice. God is with you and me, He loves us and only He can see us through the event in our lives. Amen.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)
Belief. In the Apostles’ Creed there are three statements that begin with ‘I believe…’ Those statements refer to God the Father, Jesus Christ His only Son and the Holy Spirit. Faith is a journey and one of the first and most important steps on this journey is to face the question…What do you believe? Your beliefs guide your values and your perspective and those will drive your words and your actions. Every day is a new opportunity to feed your mind information about what you believe…no matter what your past has been…start or continue today to read the Word of God and what Jesus Christ said about life, love, faith and hope. What matters most is what you believe. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
The Creator of all things knows you. He loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. He is greater than anyone and anything you will encounter in this world. When we walk with Him, we can conquer anything in this life. You are loved…you are forgiven…you have been saved. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31
(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
Faith is most difficult when everything around us is telling us to doubt and have fear. The overwhelming message from the world is don’t believe…it takes courage to believe and to stand firm in your belief and if you have a solid relationship with the Lord, He will give you courage when it seems hopeless. If you are unsure of your relationship with God…begin a daily time for prayer and reading God’s Word and stick with it. There is no right way or wrong way to make time to be with God, the best way is to just start doing it. All things are possible with God. Amen.
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)
Each day is a gift. Nobody is guaranteed to wake up to a new day. Keep your thoughts and actions focused on the present people and circumstances…for all areas of life we should pray and seek God’s will for us. God is with us and He is working for good things for all of us. Amen.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-14
(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)
Take Your Faith With You 