bible verses

Identity Crisis

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Who are we trying to be?  What are our worries?  What are our concerns?  Are we pursuing to be who God created us to be?  How do we know?  Why am I doing this?  Where is God?  Why is this happening?  This is so hard…I don’t know how I got here…I don’t know what to do…

STOP…Pick up a bible

“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

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

“You were taught, with regard to  your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:22-24

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

How do we know that this is the way…that this is the truth…and this is the life?

“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.”

John 3:16

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Amen.

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Rest In Him

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When and where do you get quiet time in your life?  We all  have commitments and responsibilities and if we run ourselves into the ground just trying to keep up, we eventually become weary and ineffective at many things.  The key is to find some balance, to prioritize, we can’t be all things to all people.  This is why the story or analogy of the big rocks, the pebbles and the sand in a bucket hits home with so many people.  We know that if we spend all our time on the sand and pebbles we will never get to the big rocks in life.  For me this analogy is all about balance.  Sometimes we can say yes and sometimes we need to say no or not right now…Jesus set the example for us, while He spent time teaching and speaking to the people He also would go off alone to pray and spend time with God our Father for hours…balance.  Take time and rest in Him.  Amen.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

God Renews Our Strength

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When I read God’s Word different verses and phrases will seem to stick out more than others from time to time.  This is our time to listen…God is speaking to us through the same words His Son spoke so long ago.  In the devotional bible I have been reading I have either highlighted or marked with little stars some of these verses…I have also taken time to make a list in the front of the book of the verses that speak to me the most or the most often.  This morning, on this day of worship, after completing my daily devotional I have read many of those on the list and in doing this I have literally felt peace and comfort washing over me.  If you are looking for something that seems to be missing in your life or in your heart, go look for it in the place God has provided…His Word of life.  I pray we seek the wisdom of God in His Word to renew our strength.  Amen.

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“…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

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

He Gives Us Strength

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When we feel weak and tired…when frustrations seem overwhelming…when the way forward is difficult or unknown.  God the Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son and the Holy Spirit lift us up and renew us.  Everything and anything in life is going to better when God is at the center of our lives.  Spending time in devotions and prayer, reading God’s Word these are ways to build your relationship with Jesus.  The more our relationship grows the more we begin to sense His presence in our lives which can lead us to courage and strength at times when we need it most.  We were never promised a life of faith would be easy…the promise is “…he will never leave you nor forsake you.” –Deuteronomy 31:6  The Lord is good and He is the provider of all we need.  I pray we seek the will of the Lord and trust in Him.  Amen.

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“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

The Word Of Life

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The more I spend time reading the Word of God and in prayer the more I am learning about how God is present in my everyday life.  I like many of us stumble very often in life with my words or my actions or my thoughts and as I sit down each morning and read from a Billy Graham devotional book and from the Bible I am learning about the things Jesus was teaching when He was here and what He is still teaching us today.  When I think about other things I could pick up and read first thing in the morning, the Bible and time with God are clearly the only things that will renew my spirit, restore my mind and comfort my thoughts.  I can physically feel my shoulders loosen up and relax more as I read and pray.  The Word of God also sets up my perspective for the day and helps to refresh my attitude to help and serve others wherever I can.  The Bible is truly the Word of life and the living water that only comes from Jesus Christ.  May we all see and sense the presence of God’s Word in our daily life.

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“But blessed in the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out it roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking near the north shore of Lake Superior)

The Word

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The one true guide for all of life, the gift that provides wisdom and brings us back to the Lord is the The Word of God.  The bible is full of lessons and instructions.  We always seem to want to find answers to our questions in the world and the only thing the prince of this world wants to do is to take us further away from God.  The strongest foundation for us to build our life on is The Word of the Lord.  Seek Him and seek His Word and trust in Him to guide your life.  May we all find time to dwell in the Word of the Lord.

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“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Psalm 119:105

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

 

Understanding

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There are a few places in the bible that state…“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,…”  (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10)  There is also…“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,…”  (Proverbs 1:7)  I want to take a moment to talk about “The fear of the Lord…”  In modern language fear is strictly defined as being afraid of or believing something or someone is dangerous and to avoid.  An older definition of fear is to stand in awe of; to have respect for, to revere, reverence.  These verses are telling us to have ultimate respect for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  To stand in awe of the love, the mercy, the grace and the power of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.  To him belongs eternal praise.”

Psalm 111:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

The Holy Spirit Within Us

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When we turn in faith to God and strengthen our relationship with Him, evil and darkness will increase its attacks on us.  The primary goal of this darkness is to have us turn away from God.  To distract us, to keep us focused on worldly values of wealth and possessions and a self-serving mentality.  Evil wants us to stir up anger, hatred, dissension and all the things we were not made to do.  God knows these will come, Jesus experienced these attacks personally when He was in the desert.  Knowing this God has provided us with the Holy Spirit.  In the Bible it says…“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  (2 Timothy 1:7)  When we stay focused on God and His Word, when we put our relationship with Jesus Christ first with devotions and prayers then we are equipped to fend off darkness.  Take courage in your faith and trust in God.  May the wisdom and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Ephesians 6:16

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Garden of Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado)

The Word Of Life

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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteous, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)