Walking With God

September 17, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

When we are in step with God and His plan we will not feel weary, we will not feel weak. Weariness is a warning sign that something we are doing or are spending time on is not part of God’s will for us. When we are walking with Him there is no weariness or exhausted feelings as He provides energy and strength that we never knew existed. Take time to assess where and how you are spending your time and pray to God to guide you to His will. Amen.

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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.“

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

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

Turn Towards God

September 16, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

“Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalms 37:3-4 NIV

Don’t go your own way…come near to God. Trust His way and most importantly His timing. The world pushes us to be impatient and to seek immediate gratification…this is the work of evil. Set aside self-serving desires and learn about God’s promises. Turn towards God and put your hope in Him and you will know peace.

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“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

James 4:7-10 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Power In The Name Of Jesus

September 15, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

When life is difficult and frustrating, where do we get the ability to move forward? What could possibly renew us? What makes some people so resilient? It has been my experience that there is only one thing powerful enough to lift us up out of any tragedy or trial…and His name is Jesus. A relationship with Jesus Christ in the way to strength in the battle and rest when we are weary. To experience His presence, we must do our part and be willing to spend time in devotions and prayer building our relationship with Him. God made a promise, He will never leave you nor forsake you and He always keeps His promises. Invite Jesus into your heart and into your life daily and you will be renewed each day. May God’s peace be with you. Amen.

There Is Power by Lincoln Brewster

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“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

Holy Spirit

September 14, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

For all our worrying, trying, striving and wondering about life the best approach is to come to the Lord…rest with Him and trust His way. We seem to be very good at being distracted and making things more difficult for ourselves than they need to be. God has promised to send His Holy Spirit to dwell within us and be our guide…not our assistant for our plans rather our leader for God’s plans. Our job is to follow Him and know that the Lord is good. Give thanks to God for His Holy Spirit.

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“Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:3 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming)

Love One Another

September 13, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:7-10 NIV

Think about it…God sacrificed His one and only Son for other people just as much as He did it for you. He created all of us…yes even the person on your mind right now that chooses to reject God and shows it in their daily life. We are not here to be the judge of each other, we can’t because we are all sinful and we all need the Savior. Trust me I struggle with this in my faith as much as anyone else does…maybe that other person has never had anyone show them kindness, compassion or taken time to listen to them because society has decided they are not worth it. In the end it is not up to us…our purpose is to love God, love others and share the Gospel, that is how we can make a difference in our lifetime.

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“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:11-12 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

God Is Good

September 12, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

Though circumstances and events around us are difficult, sad or frustrating in this broken world…God is still good. The difficulties have come because of sin and the rejection of God…bad things happen becasue of human choices to pursue sinful desires and not God. Take any difficulty in your life and pray about it openly and honestly to God every day for a period of time and you will see what God can do. Trust in the Lord, for He is good.

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“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

James 1:17-18 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

Love

September 11, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

Romans 12:9-13 NIV

Love is more than words or feelings…love is action! We are told in the bible exactly what actions are love. Not only in 1 Corinthians, which is the most popular description of love. Again, this is more than the words you hear at a wedding…think about what it takes to live it out. When we review our life and our daily actions…how are we doing living out? I know I have work to do to be better, which is why a relationship with God is so important. We are broken, we are sinful and we need the Savior to keep us close to God and His love. The best part is nothing can separate us from His love…nothing. No matter where you are, no matter what your circumstances…turn towards the Lord and think about how you can act out in love. Amen.

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Big Sky Resort in Montana)

His Way Is Better Than Our Ways

September 10, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“He must become greater; I must become less.”^[h]

John 3:30 NIV

When you made a recent decision or were experiencing a crisis…did you meet with God about it? Did you pray for guidance or wisdom? It has taken most of my life and many “how did I get here?” moments to learn that I need to walk with God and not race out in front of Him thinking I have everything figured out. His way is better…it won’t align with worldly views and perspectives…it will be different yet better. Take everything in your life to God…the worries, the relationships, the decisions, the things you struggle with…everything and then the most important part comes next…look and listen for Him and His reply. Amen.

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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

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 while walking the dog in a neighborhood near Plymouth, MN)

Persistence

September 9, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

Do not give up…don’t assume you know the outcome…they say failure is a stepping stone to success…or the next attempt maybe the one that brings success. We will always have the opportunity to stop trying to do something. Maybe the answers for a situation are related to trying a new approach or a new way rather than quitting. If we are able to surrender control and trust in God and His plan, we may find new outcomes we didn’t imagine were possible. Bring your worries and struggles to the Cross and let Jesus lead the way. Amen.

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“Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9 NIV

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

He Gives Strength To The Weary

September 8, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

If you find yourself weary and weak…struggling and feeling defeated. There is hope. Check yourself by reviewing your relationship with God. When have you last spoken to Him? Is He a part of everyday or just here and there as needed? I know I have found myself guilty of living distracted by my circumstances more often than I like to admit…walking with God takes time and effort on our part. God offers us so much yet we still have to do our part to make a commitment to follow Him. He will give you strength when you are weary and weak. Trust in the Lord and you will find strength.

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