He Is With You Wherever You Go

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

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

Joshua 1:9 NIV

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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.

11 “All who rage against you
    will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
    will be as nothing and perish.
12 Though you search for your enemies,
    you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
    will be as nothing at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.”

Isaiah 41:10-13 NIV

(This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Commitment

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.”

Matthew 22:37-38 NIV

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 9:23 NIV

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling in South Dakota)

Trust God

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.”[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Good and Gracious God, You are my source of strength and hope

You are the foundation of my life

With You, all things are possible

I will place my hope in You

Even when everything around me seems to be crumbling, I will put my trust in You

I will not be afraid because You make my life secure

Thank You

In Jesus name, Amen

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Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4 NIV

(This photo was taken at sunset while traveling in South Dakota)

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV

Our mission…to Know Him

Our ministry…to Make Him Known.

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Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Contentment…Generosity

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

1 Timothy 6:6-9 NIV

Give to others and be content when your needs are fulfilled

The world will tell you to want more and to get more

God has provided more than enough for everyone

Contentment and Generosity involve all aspects of life…our time, our talents, our emotions, our faith

  The more we are content the more we can share when we have received an abundance

Take time to assess where you stand…where do you have more than enough on your hands and how can you share to help those who are in need?

May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you

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Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)

Anything Is Possible With God

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

No matter what, anything is possible with God

If you are discouraged or defeated and thinking this is never going to change or get better…turn towards God, put your trust in Him

If you are frustrated and at your wits end with your circumstances or another person don’t give up…pray to God and draw near to Him

In the Bible look at the story of Saul who became Paul…Saul was filled with anger and hate and he was leading the charge to kill believers in Jesus and yet this was the person God chose to change so he could help lead the charge to spread the Good News about Jesus…you can read more about him in the Book of Acts

If God can change Saul to Paul, He can change you or someone you are praying for as well

Anything is possible with God!

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“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its 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 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

By Faith

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV

When our faith is strong our foundation is solid

When we live by faith our motives and our purpose are clear

When we walk in faith our troubles will not disappear but God has promised to walk through them with us

By faith we will know hope that surpasses all understanding

By faith we will find peace that comes from God

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“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1

(This photo was taken while traveling in southern New Mexico)

The Truth

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NIV

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

The Truth is what God says it is…

You Say by Lauren Daigle

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NIV

(This photo was taken in at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Wisdom And Understanding

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 NIV

How much better to get wisdom than gold,
    to get insight rather than silver!

Proverbs 16:16 NIV

Often times the writings in the Bible can be misunderstood because the true intent of the word has lost its meaning in society

  Take the word ‘fear’ as an example…in today’s world this strictly means to be afraid, danger or a bad feeling

In the Bible to fear the Lord is to regard God with reverence and awe, to be respectful

When we learn we gain wisdom and when we understand the writing becomes clearer

We would be wise to seek wisdom and to get understanding from God, not the world

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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 NIV

(This photo was taken on the shore on Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

A Better Way

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

1 John 2:15-17 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

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Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling in northern Colorado)