God’s love

Hope, Joy And Peace

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“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 NIV

“You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Psalm 16:11 NIV

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

We have hope because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and He is alive

We can have joy when we understand that nothing in this life is too big for God to help us overcome

We can have peace knowing that God loves us, provides for us and will never leave us or abandon us

Know this hope, be filled with this joy and you will have peace that surpasses understanding

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

(This photo was taken at a Fish Sunflowers Field in Buffalo, Minnesota)

Gratitude

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 100:1-3 NIV

Gratitude by Brandon Lake

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“Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

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

Angels

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“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them.”

Psalm 34:7 NIV

Angels Among Us by Alabama

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“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 91:9-12 NIV

(This photo was taken at Palisade Head along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Put Your Hope In God

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“Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.“

Psalm 42:11 NIV

Find Rest by Fracesca Battistelli

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

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

Sacrifice…Savior

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“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5 NIV

Father God, thank You for sending Your only Son to save us.  Thank You for creating a way for us to be reconciled with You.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice our mistakes are forgiven!  Help us never take this for granted.  Give us courage to glorify You in every area of our lives.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:17 NIV

(This photo was taken at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)

Worry And Anxiety

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“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:25-34 NIV

Cornerstone ft. Zach Williams by TobyMac

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

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

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

Prayer Makes A Difference

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6 NIV

Do we always get what we want, when we want it?

No. Does a child always get what they ask for?

No. Do they understand why?

No, they don’t…what we do know is that God wants us to pray.

It is our way to communicate and stay connected to God.

When We Pray by Tauren Wells

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“ Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessolanians 5:16-18 NIV

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

Comfort

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“May your unfailing love be my comfort,
    according to your promise to your servant.”

Psalm 119:76 NIV

Our God is the God of all comfort

There is nothing and no one in the world that can comfort us the way God can

Turn towards God and you will find comfort and peace

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

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

His Way

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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

Father God, sometimes it is hard to surrender our lives to You.  We make the mistake of thinking our plans are better than Yours.  We know Your purpose for us is far greater than we can imagine, so help us let go and release all control to You.  We invite You into our decision-making.  Please inspire our thoughts and actions each day.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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

Psalm 51:10-12 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling through the state of Washington)

God’s Promises…

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“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

“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

John 15:7 NIV

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“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. 17 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 NIV

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