joy

The Message Of Hope

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No matter what is happening…no matter the circumstances in your life and relationships…even when you can’t see the way…The Word of God provides the message of Hope and a future with the Lord.  The world will provide false truths and absolutes…through the prophets of the Old Testament, through Jesus and the disciples in the New Testament, God provides Hope.  Throughout human history there has been suffering, tragedies and evil, God knows these things will occur in a fallen world filled with sin.  Yet only God can take the broken, suffering, worn down people of this world and give them a new perspective, a renewed strength and a belief in the Hope of good things even in the darkest hours.  Jesus Christ experienced the worst suffering and treatment that humankind can offer and God used that event to provide the greatest moment of Hope the world has ever seen.  I pray we take time to read about God’s message of Hope and believe in what God has in store for us and our lives.  Amen.

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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

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Joyful, Patient, Faithful

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Happy Friday…you know when you are having one of those times when it feels like something is going wrong with everything?  When you are able to take a step back and review you often find the one common thing is your perspective…I know, I know not what you wanted to read.  When things seem to pile up like this I have learned to immediately turn to prayer…stop what ever you are doing and ask God to intervene, to guide you and to cleanse your perspective.  Maybe it’s time for a new approach to something, to look at it differently or just to open your mind to new possibilities to old issues.  Whatever it is we don’t have to do it alone.  May God be with you and provide you comfort.

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“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 on a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Give Good Fruit

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Our lives are filled with choices and decisions.  We are the ones responsible for the attitudes and behaviors we present to the world.  We are blessed with the redeeming blood of Christ.  We have been forgiven for our sins.  Let’s go out and give good fruit.  No matter what your circumstances or your place in life today you can give the good fruit we receive from the Holy Spirit.  It doesn’t take money and it doesn’t take a certain level of influence in society.  The Fruit of the Spirit is all about making the choice to behave as we have been instructed to.  We should not expect the world to always be kind and generous to us as it is broken, however, we know that no matter what, God is with us and He is holding us.  May we share the blessings the Lord has given to us with others.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

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

Praise The Lord

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Today is recognized as Independence Day in the US.  A holiday where people can gather and celebrate freedom.  It is a day where we should give thanks to the Lord for all we have in our lives.  Take a moment and reflect on your surroundings, people in your life…all of the good things are gifts from God.  If it is difficult to see goodness, take some time to work on your relationship with God, talk to Him and listen in the quietness of time alone with God.  You were created out of love by God, He is with you and you can have contentment, security, peace and hope for a future in a way that only God can provide by choosing to turn to Him and His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ.  God is good…all the time…and all the time…God is good!  Praise the Lord.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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“Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord, O my soul.  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

Psalm 146:1-2

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

The Cross

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Come to the Cross…A place to bring your burdens…Savior…Salvation…Forgiveness…Peace.  The Cross of Christ, this is the place we should turn to in all situations.  This is where God sent His One and Only Son to be crucified to save us from our sins.  This is where our relationship with God is reconciled.  There are problems and struggles everywhere you can’t change everything for everyone, but He can.  You can’t change everything but you can change something, you can change one thing that will make a difference in the world…You.  Jesus said ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’  (John 14:6)  Open your heart and mind and invite Jesus Christ into your life everyday.  This will make the world a better place.  May God’s joy and peace be with you.

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“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:30

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

God’s Word

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Instructions…directions…guidance…wisdom…understanding.  It takes a certain attitude to be willing to follow instructions, to accept wisdom from another or to trust the guidance of someone else.  We have to be humble, willing to admit we don’t know our way around a situation or place.  This is easy when we are using one of our devices of “convenience,” a cell phone, Ipad, computer, etc.  It is more difficult when we start involving other people in our need for assistance.  We are challenged to learn how to have humility, to accept our level of knowledge for what it is and to seek out wisdom and to learn from others in history.  God’s Word is the instruction manual for life we all can use.  It provides the Way to make it through this world, it does not say do this and life will be easy and always happy.  It is more honest than that and more about providing wisdom and guidance as help from those who already have lived on earth and know the troubles human beings will have in life.  Pickup a bible and seek the understanding that God provides.  The test for this book is happening all the time in our daily life, how are you answering the multiple choice questions of your life?  May God’s mercy and grace be with you.

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“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Psalm 119:105

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Trust God

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I am finding myself seeing examples of the brokenness of people in my daily life interactions and experiences.  Or at least I am more aware of these things than I used to be.  It is discouraging.  We are so willing to pull and push others down for a variety of reasons.  It is so important to seek out what is good and what we have gratitude for in our lives.  If we look around with the eyes the world wants us to, we will be very negative and feeling unworthy.  If we trust in God and His goodness for our perspective it changes things dramatically.  We are never going to know all the answers or understand them while we are here, however, if we trust in the Lord we know that He is working for the good in all things.  May God’s joy and love be with you.

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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

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

Prayer And Listening

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As we work to grow in our relationship with Jesus, we may begin to focus on offering ourselves up in prayer.  To most of us when we think about prayer we thinking of speaking, however, as we can learn from our relationships with others, listening is a vital yet little used characteristic in the world.  Every strong relationship involves communication two ways.  Speaking and offering up your words and support verbally and then also taking time to sit quietly and listen.  I have been doing my reading and devotions in the early morning for several years and I choose that time for me because the world is very still and quiet in my life in the early morning and I have found I can truly meditate on God’s Word and let it soak into to my soul.  I start each day speaking and listening with the Lord and it sets my perspective and attitude for good things.  Seek the Lord and listen for His voice.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27

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

On Believing And Seeing

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You may have heard someone say or you may have said it yourself, a phrase such as ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’  This originated in biblical times after the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus appeared to the disciples at a time when Thomas was not with them.  Even as one of the apostles who had been with Jesus he could not comprehend the resurrection and told his brothers…“unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25)  Thomas was so sure this could not be true, that Jesus had risen, that he made this statement basically saying to the others…prove it!  Oh boy, I have been there before.  The problem with this approach to our faith is it is not faith at all…if we have to see it to believe it, what do we truly believe in?  A simple example is the wind…the air can move at very high speeds at different elevations and we know this not because we can see it move, what we can see is what it can do.  Don’t get caught being a doubting Thomas, rather learn from him and have faith in the One who knows us and can see what He has planned for our lives.  May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“We live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7

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

Do Not Worry

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We will have what we need, we will not always get what we want (I am now hearing a Rolling Stones song in my mind), yet we struggle with worry and anxiety daily and that constant strain causes physical damage to our bodies over a period of time.  God is our Creator and He knows exactly what we need.  If we are saying it is not enough then we are too focused on our plans and not His.  Before I started daily devotions just over 8 years ago I wasted a large amount of my time on worry and the worst part is, it was about things I can’t even control.  As I have grown spiritually my perspective has changed for the better…I still pray a serenity prayer to help as old habits die hard.  It is a test of faith to let go of the worries and to trust God with the answers and the outcome.  May God’s grace and peace be with you.

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“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:31-33

(This photo was taken in June 2018, last weekend, while driving to South Dakota)