“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 NIV
When you start with this…everything else falls into place. May His peace be with you. Amen.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV
(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)
“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
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.”
Proverbs 16:3 NIV
If we try to do things our own way for our own purposes all the time we will find discouragement and frustration. Our purpose comes from the Lord, our Creator. His purpose is based on love and if we are willing to follow Him we will find everlasting joy and peace. Amen.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21 NIV
(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)
“Praise the Lord.[a]
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”
Psalm 106:1 NIV
We are saved by grace. We can not earn it nor do we deserve it. It is a gift from God. Let us give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for us. He is with us, He loves us and He will never leave us. Amen.
“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.
4 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 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died and was resurrected to save us from our sins and we confess our sins to God…the Holy Spirit will come into us. It is not a feeling and not an emotional state of mind it is the presence of God living in us and working through us. When we surrender our old way of thinking and we live with the Holy Spirit pouring through our hearts and minds the results will be the Fruit of the Spirit flowing through us in our thoughts, words and our actions. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6 NIV
“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
When you don’t know what to do…Pray. Cry out to God for help. Tell God about your worries and fears. He is with you. He is for you. He sent His Son to die on the Cross to save you…there isn’t anything He can’t do. Surrender your ways and look and listen for His ways.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:9 NIV
(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
We are not in control of what happens in the world…the pandemic has made that abundantly clear. The only thing we can control is how we choose to respond to things that do happen. The best thing we can do is turn towards Jesus…believe in Him, confess our sins and do our best to live according to God’s Word. We don’t know and can’t control what will happen tomorrow yet we can trust in Him who sits on the throne of heaven. It is there that we can find rest and be renewed. Amen.
“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. 2 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
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
Hebrews 2:18 NIV
If we seek God first and not the things that the world values we will find comfort with Him. God has done and continues to do more than anyone else for us. He loves us…He cares for us…He wants good things for us. Trust the God of all comfort. Amen.
“May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.”
Psalm 119:76 NIV
“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 in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)
“…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 NIV
Are we fully committed to putting Christ first in life? Our actions will always speak louder than our words. We know we can never be good enough on our own, yet we seem to keep trying to go our own way. Thank you, God, for your mercy and your grace…because of His great love for us we can return to Him and confess our sins because we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified, died and has risen. I know I struggle often when I reflect on my own actions…the things I have done and the things I have left undone. It is at these moments that I imagine with my mind’s eye, kneeling at the foot of the Cross, laying down my sins and thanking Jesus Christ for His sacrifice. God is with you and me, He loves us and only He can lead us through the events in our lives. Amen.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10 NIV
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)
“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
The world is broken. We all have sinned yet because of Jesus and what He has done for us we can have Hope no matter what is happening. God gives us hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has shown us that even after the most tragic circumstances have occurred, He can bring about good. Look at nature as an example…in winter the trees look dead, lifeless…then spring comes and there is new life…the warmth and lush green of summer is joyful and then the colorful beauty of fall creates scenic views only the Creator could design. Trust is the Lord, do good things to help others and live with Hope from God. Amen.
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”
Psalm 23:6 NIV
(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NIV
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.”
John 14:1 NIV
Our Savior and Lord of life…it is up to us…To Know Him and To Make Him Known.
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”
1 Timothy 6:11-16 NIV
(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
Take Your Faith With You 