Bible

Be Still

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So many are searching for something.  Searching for answers to questions like why, what if, when…we want and seek to know and when we arrive at a conclusion what do we find?  The human race is broken, all of us, we are caught up in a cycle of work in-rinse-repeat.  If we continue to trudge along this way we are unable to see the good things, unable to have the perspective that can change behaviors.  In order to see and hear the Lord we need to take time, to be still and listen.  Listen for the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of our feelings and uncontrolled emotions.  Be still before the Lord and you will see His goodness.  May God’s joy and peace be with you.

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“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 37:7

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

God Is With You

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In all the places you will go, with all the people you will meet and in all the things you will do…keep the Word of God close and God is with you.  Pick out a verse that speaks to you and memorize it, hold it with you throughout your day and speak it as a breath prayer and you will sense peace.  Continue this practice and pick more verses to work on memorizing.  The Bible is our instruction manual for life and as we remember verses and speak with God during all times by speaking verses He will be a part of everything.  This isn’t a quick fix, instant gratification thing…this is walking by faith and knowing that the Creator and Savior are with you every step of the way in life.  May the word of God flow in your daily life.

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“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Persevere

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Continue to try, keep going, don’t believe you are a failure.  Mistakes and failure are steps to success.  These hold true in so many aspects of life.  Even in our daily faith life.  If you are working on establishing a daily routine of devotions and bible reading time or just thinking about it, keep trying different times and places.  If you miss a day or more than one get back to it the next day or as soon as you can.  Do your best to make it a priority that sticks and pray about it.  Ask God to guide you to the time and place everyday.  As they say, if it was easy everyone would do it, it takes commitment and it takes perseverance to continue to seek Him and His Word.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

Wisdom And Understanding

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These are two elements that will get us through anything in life.  Wisdom from the Lord and understanding of His Word can help to lead us on the path to joy.  To gain these we must spend time reading the Word, praying and sitting quietly with Jesus.  For these activities are the true sources of wisdom and how we can gain understanding.  The world is filled with darkness and the evil of sin and they will do everything to keep you from spending time with God.  Don’t underestimate the power of sin, it is deceptive and persistent and will always be looking for ways to distract you.  Seek wisdom from the Lord and read the Scriptures for understanding each day.  Ask God to provide you the courage and strength to do so.  He loves you and He is watching over you.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.”

Proverbs 3:13-14

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

Strength

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When life is difficult and frustrating, where do we get the ability to move forward?  What could possibly renew us?  What makes some people so resilient?  It has been my experience that there is only one thing powerful enough to lift us up out of any tragedy or trial…it is the Presence of the Lord.  A relationship with Jesus Christ in the way to strength in the battle and rest when we are weary.  To experience His presence we must do our part and be willing to spend time in devotions and prayer.  God made a promise, He will never leave you nor forsake you and He always keeps His promises.  Invite Jesus into your heart and into your life daily and you will be renewed each day.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

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

The Power Of Faith

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The blessings that come from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are so great it is hard to fully appreciate.  We should be careful not to underestimate the gifts God has given us.  Each and every one of us has been created and blessed with special talents and our role in life is to learn about those gifts and talents and then to use them to do good things in and around our community, to help others and to spread the Good News of Jesus.  Our actions and the things we choose to do and say are a good indication of where we are in our personal faith journey.  For myself, I did not understand or spend much time thinking about such things until about 8 years ago and in the last 8 years I have experienced events of all kinds in life, pain and suffering as well as joy and contentment…most importantly I have been learning to be more open to putting my relationship with God first…I have been learning gratitude and thankfulness…I also know I still have a lot of learning left to do as I still mess things up frequently.  The best part of my journey so far…I know more about who God has made me to be and I know He is always with me no matter what…I know because He told me so in His instruction manual for life…the Bible.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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“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

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 during the sunrise at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Do You Not Know? Have You Not Heard?

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There are so many different verses in the bible that can become a connection point for us.  God’s Word is filled with life application instructions and teachings.  I have heard people say I son’t know what to do, or all I can do is pray…the power of scripture and prayer should not be underestimated.  If you haven’t seen it or you are unsure if God is present in your life…give this a try.  Pick up a bible and find words that may apply to your situation…not sure what part of the book to go to…go out onto the internet and type ‘bible verses about (insert your topic here).’  The world is filled with darkness, evil and suffering…choose to follow the light that has been given to us and see what God has planned for you.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

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 40:28-31

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

The Lord Is Knocking At The Door

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As we venture down the road of a life of faith and spiritual growth we will come to decisions and choices in life and as we learn to listen for God in our conscious, the trust part of faith will need to be addressed.  Similar to yesterday’s post about prayer…there is saying I believe in God and I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came down from heaven, was crucified, died and was buried.  I believe He has risen and He lives in me…and then there is actually living your life with trust in what you believe.  Many of us get stuck at this point, myself included, we are searching to open the right door and to invite Jesus into every aspect of our life and yet we still end up going off the track and wonder what the heck happened here…one of the greatest gifts of God is that He loves us so much that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  He will continue to be with us every slow learning step of the way…Jesus will continue to knock at the door waiting for us to open it and invite Him in to eat with us.  Don’t stop opening new doors, listen closely to God and read the Word of God to know which knock is the Lord.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 of a Yucca plant near Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico)

Change Happens When You Truly Pray

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How many times have we said, I will pray for you or I am praying for you…and then we never do it.  We never sit quietly with God and discuss the specific concern or topic with Him.  I know I am guilty of that and I am working really hard on not saying I will pray for you with out doing so the next morning during my daily devotions.  I am really working on praying for people in situations in my morning time and telling them afterwords, I have been praying for you when I know it is true.  When the words, my thoughts and prayers are with you, become just that a bunch of nice words with no action, we have really disgraced and disrespected the true power of prayer.  The recent protests and marches have shown me that we have turned the power and privilege of prayer into a trite saying that causes anger and does not bring peace.  True and honest prayer between you and God is powerful and it is one of the strongest weapons we have against evil and darkness…even the people that made the movie “Bruce Almighty” understand that, watch the scene near the end when Bruce is offering his prayer.  My last thought for you…every morning just before I hit publish on these posts I pray for you as I pray for anyone who reads my post each day…May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?”  And I said, “Here am I.  Send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while driving through southern New Mexico)

What Can I Do?

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This is an excellent question.  One that we can ask of God anytime and in any situation.  Asking questions and seeking the answers from God first are an excellent way to start letting God be in control.  When we are willing to ask for help we are admitting we don’t have all the answers or finally admitting we tried to answer the questions of life several times on our own and we are ready to surrender to God’s answers.  This is very humbling and yet such a lift of burden all at the same time.  I am sure you have heard the phrase…God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good…while it can be used as a mantra or a call and response exercise the truth of what that states is accurate.  It is our perspective that needs the adjustment not God’s plan.  Be open to questions, ask them to God and be prepared to listen to His answers not only the answer you want.  May God’s peace and goodness be with you.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)