“The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.”
Psalm 145:8-9 NIV
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.”
Psalm 86:5 NIV
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NIV
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling in northern Colorado)
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.”
Psalm 145:17-19 NIV
Don’t give up…keep going. God is with you. We may not understand everything right now…yet we must continue on in faith. Remember in previous times and struggles from our pasts how God showed up even though we thought the situation was hopeless or impossible? Keep praying and be courageous even though you are unsure of the outcome. May God’s comfort and peace be with you.
Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:12 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling along Beartooth Pass)
Love God
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 NIRV
Love God and Love Others
“He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]””
Luke 10:27 NIV
What does loving God look like in your life? How can we live out what Jesus has said are the first and second greatest commandments in all of God’s Word? Who is our neighbor in the world and how can we show God’s love to them?
Share The Good News
“So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”
Matthew 28:19-20 NIRV
Love God…Love Other People…Share the Gospel
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”
1 Peter 1:3 NIV
“…the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.”
Colossians 1:5-6 NIV
God is greater than anything in this world. It is in Him that we can find hope.
“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 in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24 NIV
God doesn’t need us to make the plans and try to control the outcomes…and frankly living this way often leads to disappointment and frustration. I read once in a devotional these words…’God does not need our help or cooperation in establishing purpose in our lives…only our surrender.’ This is true, we need to remember that God is with us and within us always and at all times…instead of thinking He is only near when we pay attention or recognize His presence. We need to ask ourselves…What have I been trying to plan and control that I need to surrender to God?
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 NIV
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
God is with you…He cares for you…He is faithful in everything…nothing can separate you from His love.
“Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures.”
Psalm 119:90 NIV
(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.”
Micah 6:8 NIV
We are all broken and in need of a Savior. Jesus Christ is that Savior. Let us have the courage to humble ourselves and admit who we are…to come to the Cross and give thanks to Jesus for His sacrifice for us. Then we can take the steps to walk in the Light with God. Amen.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”
1 John 1:5-10 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)
“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
We are saved because of Him. We are forgiven. We can find joy, peace and contentment in life because of Him. Even when we have turned away from God, maybe for a long period of time because we are frustrated or mad or we have been overcome with doubt and fear. He calls to us, He cares for us and He is The Way back to a relationship with God. The things of this world will come and go…time, money, people and friendships. The one constant for us, the one thing we know we can rely upon no matter what is happening or where we are in life…we can always rely on the love of Jesus Christ. Amen.
“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10 NIV
(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)
“The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.”
Psalm 145:9 NIV
“The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,”
Nahum 1:7 NIV
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Psalm 34:8 NIV
Goodness Of God by Jenn Johnson
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1 NIV
(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at sunrise along the North Shore of Lake Superior)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8 NIV
Prayer and communication with God on a daily basis are key elements on our faith journey. Prayer includes confessing our sins, expressing gratitude, asking and listening. Keeping in mind that God is not a wishing well…rather He is your friend, your guide, your confidant. He knows about every aspect of your life and He still loves you…so much that He sacrificed His one and only Son in order to reconcile you with Him. God loves you…He is with you…He is wating to hear from you.
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
John 16:24 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2022 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)
Take Your Faith With You 