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Devotions
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Jesus, Name Above All Names!
"In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver
me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation,
whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver
me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou art my hope,
O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out
of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong
refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. Cast me not off in the time of old
age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take
counsel together, Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him. O God,
be not far from me: O My God, make haste for my help. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my
soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt. But I will hope
continually, and will yet praise thee more and more." (Psalm 71:1-14 KJV)
I was thinking about this lady
I spoke to once. She was dying of cancer and we were talking about Heaven. She said, I hope I am going to Heaven.
Oh, my goodness, what an open door! I said, you don't have to hope. You can know. You can have assurance.
All you need to do is open God's Word and trust Jesus with all your heart. Ask Him to guide your life and forgive
you of the sin that is in your life and help you to change your ways. He will. He loves you and He will change
your heart. There will be no question of I think I am going to Heaven. It is I know I am going to Heaven because
Jesus died for my sin. I confess it daily and ask Him to help me daily live for Him and do the right thing and when
I don't do the right thing, I get right back on my knees and ask Him to forgive me and ask Him to change me.
What a beautiful prayer in Psalm 71.
If you can't grasp King James - look how the Message puts it: "I run for dear life to God, I'll
never live to regret it.
Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your
ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your
door was always open! You're my salvation—my vast, granite fortress. My God, free me from the grip of
Wicked, from the clutch of Bad and Bully. You keep me going when times are tough— my bedrock, God, since my childhood. I've hung on you from the day of my birth, the
day you took me from the cradle; I'll never run out of praise. Many gasp in alarm when they see me, but
you take me in stride. Just as each day brims with your beauty, my mouth brims with praise. But don't turn
me out to pasture when I'm old or put me on the shelf when I can't pull my weight. My enemies are talking
behind my back, watching for their chance to knife me. The gossip is: "God has abandoned him. Pounce on
him now; no one will help him." God, don't just watch from the sidelines. Come on! Run to my side! My
accusers—make them lose face. Those out to get me—make them look like idiots, while I stretch out, reaching
for you, and daily add praise to praise. I'll write the book on your righteousness, talk up your salvation
the livelong day, never run out of good things to write or say. I come in the power of the Lord God, I post
signs marking his right-of-way."
When we don't understand, or can't imagine God loving us so much, the Lord provides a
way for us to understand. I am praying that someone comes into your path today that helps you understand how important
the Lord should be in your life. I cannot imagine never taking my children to church. I can't imagine my children
not knowing how important Jesus is. It is no wonder we have such a hard time explaining death and heaven to children.
So many are not even hearing the Word of God. Shame on us for not telling them. Not only should we be working
on strengthening our relationship with the Lord, we need to teach our children. Look at the influence we can have on
our kids. As I sit here I have a family on my heart. Both parents raised in wonderful homes. Yet, when they
started raising their family church was not important to them. There children are now adults and rarely go to church.
What happens to them socially is what is most important. They party all week and them sleep in Sunday to catch up on
their rest. What a shame, absolutely missed opportunity. I pray each day for my family and that I am raising my
children right. Being a parent is very challenging and what a huge responsibility. I do not take it lightly.
I pray you do not as well. It is never too late to tell your children about Jesus. Share a word of testimony.
Make a decision to change today so you don't have to say, well, I hope I am going to heaven. Know, that you, that
you know. Jesus loves you. He loves you. Have a great weekend? Invite someone to
church with you this Sunday. Take your kids to church -- if you don't go to church, pray that the Lord will lead
you to the right fellowship. Count your blessings ... we are so blessed! Love, Tracy
Shout to the Lord!
"Hear
my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead
me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to
dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you have heard my vows, O God; you
have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Increase the days of the king's life, his years for
many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect
him. Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day." (Psalm 61 NIV)
This is one of my favorite verses of scripture. Have you ever
prayed and prayed and prayed about something until you feel like you can't pray about it anymore? You almost want
to go outside your house, look up at the sky and yell, "hello God, are you listening???" Oh He is listening.
Perhaps we are not praying the right prayer. Or maybe He has already answered that prayer, sometimes His answer will
be no. Sometimes His answer will be "not yet" and sometimes His answer will be "the time is now."
When the Lord closes one door, keep praying for His will to be done, another door is going to open. I was talking to
a friend that really does not like their job. They keep praying and praying the Lord would provide the opportunity for
them to leave. But they are still there after 25 years. I said, perhaps the Lord still has something for you to
do here! The perfect opportunity will present itself, in God's timing. Be patient and wait upon the Lord.
That is a word for all of us. No matter what we face today, what dreams we have and what desires we have, if they do
not fall into the plan the Lord has for us we should wait.
Call upon the Lord. Make this verse of scripture a life verse. Use it devotionally
each day. Lead me Lord, to a rock that is higher than I! I hope you all have a great Thursday. Where did
this week go? Please continue to remember the Quinton and Cherry families in prayer. I can't even begin to
know their pains, struggles and heartache of losing a 9 and 7 year old. So sad. Hug your children today.
Tell them how much you love them. Count your blessings my friends ... we are so blessed! Love, Tracy
Having A Prayer Life
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping,
eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you
is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even
thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from
you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings
the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude
for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of
you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness
to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does
for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. In this way we are like the various parts of a human
body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's
body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off
toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously
functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully
comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach
God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you
give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if
you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged,
don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face." (Romans
12:1-8 The Message)
The message puts this verse in simple terms
that we can understand. With all that you do each day, first submit it to prayer. Then, for all the glory
and honor to the Lord, get up and face your day. Set aside some time each day to get alone with the Lord and pour
out your heart. Look around you today. Be aware of the needs of others in your midst. Pray for them.
Pray for their needs. Sometimes we can get stuck in our thoughts of what we want to have and what we think we need, and
we forget that there are some people around us that are hurting and have nothing - especially those without Christ.
Take time today to just pray that the Lord would use you in a situation that we help
others see the love of Jesus. I hope you all have a great day. Count your blessings ... for you are very blessed!!
Please remember the Cherry and Quinton families in prayer today. Love, Tracy
You ARE the Everlasting God
"As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of
thy temple. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let
mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. Walk about Zion, and go round about
her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation
following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death." (Psalm
48:8-14 KJV)
In verse 14 the New Living Translations puts it in the simplest of terms ... "For that
is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die." Sometimes we
may not like the journey we are on, but knowing that the Lord is right beside us guiding us through it brings much comfort.
There is always a big picture. What we are facing, whether it be a valley or not the Lord is with us and there is always
a lesson to be learned. I was talking to a friend this weekend and her mother died a tragic death, (she was hit by a
car while walking her dog), she was saying how upset she was because she never had a chance to say good-bye. That was
15 years ago. Don't live life with regret. I had such sympathy for her. What can you do at this point?
Then she said she didn't "necessarily believe" she would ever see her mother again. I am thinking about
all the missed opportunity I had to encourage her right then and there and tell her if she would just trust Christ, she
would see her mother again. Jesus died so that we would have everlasting life, with Him. I have lost my Mother,
I can't imagine what my life would be like if I felt so empty and thought I would never see her again. What a promise
we have from the Lord. When someone leaves us here on earth, through the Salvation of Jesus we will see them again.
I know that my Mother loved Jesus, I
know she tried to live a life that pleased the Lord and I know someday I will see her again. I love her and I miss her
terribly. But I know that I am again going to see her. I know because that is what God has promised. Don't
live life with regrets. Submit everything to the Lord in prayer and act according to His Will. I hope that today
is a new day for you. I hope as you start your day you lift up your eyes to the Lord and ask Him in your heart and ask
Him to guide your day and your thoughts. Have a great Tuesday. Count your blessings! You are blessed.
Love, Tracy
Take A Stand For Christ!
"I
have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have
not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness
and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness
and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold
upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be
pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek
after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for
a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such
as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified." Psalm 40:9-16
KJV
Never become
silent when it comes to standing up for what is right in the Lord. In order to be forgiven of sin - we have to turn
from it. Jesus loves us that is true, but according to the Word of God His desire is for us to have a close walk with
Him. If we continue to walk in Sin we are not walking with the Lord. What is the center of the word sin? I that is what sin is, serving ourselves. Living how we want to live no matter
what. People who live in constant sin, just care about themselves and have a "it's my life attitude".
My personal desire is the first line of this note to you - that I never become silent when it comes to standing up
for what is right in the Lord. I probably have failed in that area - and for that I have much regret. But I
pray that through His Word many come to see the truth - which we are to love the sinner, but despise the sin. Jesus
died so that all will have everlasting life, but to do that we must be walking with Him.
I hope you know how much Jesus loves
you and I hope that you will pray for a closer walk with Him each day. I love each of you - have a great Monday - stay
in tune for what the Lord is revealing to you in your life. Love, Tracy
3-23-07
My Rock ... My Salvation
"Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation;
he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all
of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency:
they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my
expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is
my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour
out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us." (Psalm 62:1-8 KJV)
People
can be unkind can't they? Especially children. My children come home each day and my daughter tells me about
a boy that has kicked her under the desk all day long and he thinks its funny and another boy pushes his books and papers
into her workspace each day and yells in her face if she moves it back. I wonder if it is just kids being kids or if
it is lack of teaching social skills by us, the parents. I think about my daughter having to face that frustration each
day - I wouldn't want to go to school either. As an adult I am surrounded by people encouraging me all day.
As a child she in left in an intimidating environment each day. Are we teaching our kids to rely on God each day
to get them through? Aren't you glad that we don't have to get through this life relying on other people for
strength? Because In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust
in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Can you imagine
if God treated us the way we treat others? Are you aware how you talk to others? Are you
loving and kind? Are you encouraging?
Talk to
your kids today. Encourage someone in Jesus' name today. Pour out your heart before God today. He loves
you. I hope you all have a great weekend. Tell someone that you love them. Pray for those around you and
pray for our kids in school today. I hope you will invite someone to church with you this Sunday. If you are not
going to church, pray that the Lord will place you in a place of worship that stands on God's Word. Count your blessings
... name them one by one ... for you are BLESSED! Love, Tracy
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| Devotions |
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| by Tracy Beckham |
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