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Devotions
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When you Don't Know What to Do .... Trust the One Who Does!
"O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great
company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." (2 Chronicles 20:12 KJV)
I love how the Message words the end of the verse ... "O dear
God, won't you take care of them? We're helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don't know what
to do; we're looking to you." Oh yes, we are looking to you Jesus for answers.
We can feel it about to happen - we're about to hit rock bottom and we need help dear Jesus! When you feel like
you don't know what to do and you don't know where to turn find this verse! I remember a Pastor that came to
our church one time preached a messaged out of this verse titled ... What to do, when you don't know what
to do. It was good. Anytime you don't know what to do - get on your knees.
Again I am reminded of the end of the movie, Facing The Giants
when the main character, so amazed by the blessings of God cries out, "Oh God, I am so overwhelmed."
It is so easy to also get overwhelmed with our problems and our valley's in life. But Jesus wants us to know He
loves us and He is our ROCK. Rest upon Him. I have many days where my inner self is down in a valley, some days
I don't even know why! But the Lord always brings someone into my path to encourage me, to make
me laugh, to help me see that He loves me and I am not alone. He always does it! Most times the other person does
not even know what they have done for me. I try to just say 'thanks I needed that' ~ when you don't know
what to do ... turn to the one who does! Jesus.
I hope you all have a great Friday. Please remember my friend Anita, she is having a colonoscopy this morning.
Also Polly, her mother passed away this week. Please pray for me as a Mom that I lead my children in the right direction
as we approach the preteen years. I hope you all find yourself in church this Sunday ~ invite someone with you!
If you are not going to church - why not? Pray that the Lord will guide and direct you where you need to be. Count
your blessings my dear friends ... for we really are blessed! Love, Tracy
God's Grace
"For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)
As I sit here in my quiet time this morning I keep reading over this verse. Did you know
that there is only one thing that will keep you from spending eternity with Jesus AND there is only one thing that guarantees
that you will spend eternity with Jesus? Rejecting Jesus Christ as your Savior is the only thing that
will guarantee that you will not spend eternity with Jesus. John 6:40 says: "For my Father's will is that
everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
It is by the Grace of God that we are saved. Our sins are forgiven because of Jesus.
All we have to do is ask Him to forgive us and we have to have a repentive heart and we have to change. When it is true
repentance, verse 1 says: "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and
judgment" So when we know the Lord, He will convict your heart of wrong doing. He touches our hearts
today so we know His promises are true. We are saved by His Grace. It is nothing we do. He comes to us and
places that desire in our hearts. Is that your desire?
Aren't the
grass, tree's and flowers looking beautiful? The colors are starting to get so vibrant. I can only imagine
what Heaven looks like. I imagine that there is one season and the colors are extremely vibrant! I hope you
can hear the Lord's voice in your life today. I hope you feel the Peace that passes all understanding.
As I type that phrase, I am thinking about my friends and family that have lost someone ... the Peace that passes all
understanding - we may not understand the loss of our loved ones taken so young - but Jesus does give us peace to get through
each day. His peace. His strength. He love you. I hope you are counting your blessings ... for we
ARE blessed. Have a great day. Love, Tracy
Discover The Journey
"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." (Micah 6:8 KJV)
Yesterday was such a beautiful day here in the South. I was sitting at a park in my car at lunch just looking
at how green the grass was and how blue the sky was. Children playing, Moms talking, construction sounds in the background
... life. I was thinking back to yesterday's devotion and thinking about all the changes in my life since I was
a little girl. It amazes me. When you think about how the choices we make affect our lives. Then I read
this verse this morning. The last line of it struck me. Walk humbly with God. Humbly, with
God. Oh how we should be so humble. Did you ever think back to your youth? Did you ever think about how
one little decision could have changed your whole life (for better or worse)? I think about that a lot. My whole
walk with the Lord could have been different. The Lord gives us everything we will need for our journey, but sometimes
we just don't see it because we are busy planning. What if we just would say starting today, I will lift everything
to Jesus in prayer. Every little thing and I will walk humbly with Him. I will not judge, I will not complain,
I will not question. I will be still and listen. Imagine how things in our life will begin to change!
I know some days are hard to face for
some of you. I have weeks where I wish the week would end so I could start the next week. But through it all,
Jesus gives me strength and He gives my heart joy. I think about friends around me that are facing a dark valley and
I have to just give myself a reality check and say "snap out of it." Jesus loves you my friends. He
does. No matter what is going on in your life - put Him first and He will direct your path. Put Him first and
He will touch your heart. Put Him first and He will give your heart Joy. He loves you. I hope you have a
great Wednesday ... count your blessings ... you really are blessed!!! Love, Tracy
Share a Word
"But, beloved, be not ignorant
of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not
slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens
shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein
shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being
on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise,
look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3:8-13 KJV)
Last night
I finally got to clean out a few boxes in my closet. It seemed like I was all settled after the move but lately as I
was searching for a few things it occurred to me that I had not unpacked a few important boxes. Last night I opened
a box that had a journal in it from 2004-2005, what a year that was for me. I sat on the floor of my closet reading
this journal for an hour and a half. In the back of the journal I had placed 5 letters. These letters I will cherish
forever, they were just short notes, written to me from 1990 to 1993. They are so special to me because they were from
my Mother. I love my Mother! Just looking at her handwriting touched my heart.
Then I opened
a box which was from her funeral and I began to read all the hundreds of names of people that came to see us at the funeral
home and I read notes that people wrote to her during her illness. In the back of the funeral home book was a one line
note written by my father ... I love you and I miss you. Love, John.
As I sat there I started thinking about their reunion in Heaven. I was thinking about the letters written to
us by Jesus in the New Testament. I was thinking about how much God loves us. How things in this life are hard,
but without the love of Jesus we would be so empty and have nothing to look forward to at the end of our journey here.
I am thinking about my friend this morning who is about to lose her mother. She is an only child. I thought about
how blessed I was to have 8 siblings. We may not always agree, but one thing is for sure we love each other and
what happens in our lives matters to each other.
Our journey may be long
or it may be short, we don't know - but what the Lord has told us to do on this mission is to live a life that is pleasing
to Him. What can be more pleasing than to love one another and share a testimony of what God is doing in your life.
What has He brought you through? What is your journey? Have you told someone? Are you thanking Him each
day for the memories you do have of a loved one that is no longer with you? If you are a Mom or Dad, write your child
a note and tell them how special they are and how much you love them. Tell them how much Jesus loves them. My
notes from my Mother mean so much to me.
I
hope you all have a great Tuesday! Count your blessings ... you are truly blessed!!
The Voice of Truth! "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good." (Romans 12:21 KJV)
If you have not seen the movie Facing The Giants yet, what a movie you are missing.
It is very uplifting and to me an "ah ha" moment. At the end of the movie the song "The Voice of Truth"
by Casting Crowns is played. I was listening to that song this morning and every time I hear it, I think of the movie
... that is just like God! To remind us of His love and His strength through testimony of what is seen through
trusting the unseen.
Read
the words to the song below. Think of your life and the struggles you have been through. When you are facing your
giant, think of the voice of TRUTH. Satan tries to get us to feal defeated ... listen to the inner voice of truth, Jesus
is calling you, just trust in Him and have faith to step out! The evil of the world is trying to invade our homes today,
we need to listen for that voice of truth. No matter what you are facing today as a family, Jesus is the voice of truth.
Help your family hear that voice. Are you praying for your kids today? I wish my children had the same innocence
of my childhood. Kids today are too advanced, there is no just being 11 or just being 9 ... when my sister and I were
9 and 11 we rode our bikes through our neighborhood playing Electra Woman and Dinah Girl (LOL), my kids are growing up too
fast, my 11 year old received a note from a girl the other day that said she wanted to kiss him! What happened to the
innocence? I pray for my kids each day. I listen for that voice of truth, encouraging me each day to stay
strong in my faith in Him.
I
hope you all have a great Monday! Count your blessings ... for you are blessed! Love, Tracy
"Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
onto the
crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's
holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all
the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy,
you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This
is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just
a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd
have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding
me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again, "Boy
you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This
is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't
seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I soar with the wings of EAGLES
When I stop and listen
to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe-
I will
choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice
of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you, you are-
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| Devotions |
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| by Tracy Beckham |
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