1 Corinthians 10:12-13
So you think you are standing
firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful;
He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that
you can stand up under it."
So many times, people are asking God why? Why do we have to struggle?
Why do we have to face valley's? Why? Why? Why?
The truth of the matter is, we don't know.
We don't know what the Lord's plan is for our lives. We just have to live each day by Faith knowing that He
is our Lord and Savior and God knows the bigger picture for our lives. Tragedy's and valley's are a way to draw
each of us closer to the Lord. We must face each day with the reality that it may be our last. What are we doing
to serve the Lord today? What are we doing to encourage others to live a "Christ-like" life? Are we seeking direction from God for a way out of the valley? Are we asking
God for direction in our life to get beyond temptations that are not doing anything to better our life? It is by God's
Grace that we are pulled up out of a valley. He is always there for us, it is our pride that keeps us away from a closer walk
with the Lord. We think we can handle our situations on our own, but we can't. We
are His children and just as an infant, toddler, child and teen are constantly learning, we as adults are constantly learning
and growing in Him. We are here to share our testimony of how we came through those valley's - by God's Grace!
Giving all the glory to Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Christ.
He wants us to come to Him in the hard times as well as the good. Praising Him always and lifting Him up to others. That is
a life pleasing to God! I pray that His Word has touched your heart today and that you will take a look at your own
life today and what you can do to have a closer relationship with Jesus. Because Salvation is about a personal relationship.
A personal walk with Christ. God be with you today and always.
Can this be your prayer??
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Precious
Jesus, hear my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world
of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none
but Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Precious Jesus, hear my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide
me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Precious
Jesus, hear my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Please
pray for Doug Heffner and Robert Cook today, both of these men from our church have cancer. Also, please lift
up in prayer Frances May and a little boy named Alex Hopkins. Have a blessed Thursday! Love, Tracy
God Gives Comfort
"God comforts us on every side"
Psalm 71:21 (paraphrased)
I was looking through old devotions and I had this one tabbed from a little devotional book
called, In The Shelter Of His Wings . I have highlighted in the book a quote by Hannah Whitall Smith that says
this:
"God stirs up our comfortable
nests, and pushes us over the edge of them, and we are forced to use our wings to save ourselves from fatal falling.
Read your trials in this light, and see if your wings are being developed."
I thought that was such a good reminder from God, that all of the
trials we face - we face because we are to grow. If we just went day to day and faced no challenges, how boring that
would be. I know some of you may be saying, well I'd rather live a life with no trials than a life with the ones
that I have to face. Well, I can't disagree to a certain point. But the Lord has great things for us and if
that means we have to face something that is going to help us and challenge us to grow in Him, then that is what we are to
prepare ourselves for. So many times we just want to stay in our comfort zones. We
don't pray about the things we are facing, we just say I don't understand why I have to go through this. I've
done that many times. Or we don't want to face the reality of a situation and we get involved in something else.
But God in His awesome way to teach us something, will let us "fall from the nest." If we seek His Word and
His guidance, He will guide us right back up to the safety of that nest - showing us along the way and why we fell out and
how HE brought us back! That is God's Grace and His love for us.
Whatever you are facing today - seek God and watch as He brings you from the valley to the
safety of the mountaintop. And what ever you have faced in the past, pray that God will open a door of opportunity where
you can share that experience with someone ... it may help them get through the same or a similar valley.
I hope you all have a great Wednesday. Submit
your petitions to the Lord today and stand in the gap for someone who needs Divine intervention.
Jesus ....
loves .... you!!!!
Love, Tracy
"The Lord is my Shepherd, Shepherd, I shall lack
nothing..." Psalm 23:1
I love that
part of Psalm 23, even when we think we have nothing, the real issue is we lack nothing! When we we're poor,
lonely or depressed ~ if the Lord is your Shepherd, you have everything. That is all we need. Place all your faith
in and your trust in Him. Sometimes things are not what they appear. Trust God to lead you to understand the truth
~ no matter what the outcome is, God is still God. He loves us and will cradle us in hard times and guide us down the
right path. Any time you get down, repeat the verse ... the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing.
I have had many prayer requests sent my way this week.
I especially want to ask you to remember to pray for our country. No matter how you feel about our President, the Bible
tells us to respect our Government. Pray for those in Authority. Please also continue to remember Jeanne
in prayer.
Have a blessed day today.
Love, Tracy
I
think I may have shared this before - but it is worth the read again! I was reading a devotional today called, 15 minutes Alone with God by Emilie Barnes.
Sometimes we may
wonder what to talk to God about when we pray. Most people spend only a few seconds a day asking God
for blessings or asking God why He has allowed bad things to happen in their lives. In the book, 15 Minutes Alone with
God Ms. Barnes gives a few suggestions of how we can spend time in prayer with the Lord.
-
praise God for who He is, the Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe who is interested in each of us who are in His family
(Psalm 150; Matthew 10:30)
- thank God for all He has done for you ... for all
He is doing for you ... and for all that He will do for you in the future (Philippians 4:6)
- confess your sins. Tell God about the things you have done and said and thought for which you are
sorry. He tells us in 1 John 1:9 that He is "faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins."
- pray for your family ... and for friends or neighbors who have needs, physical or spiritual. Ask God
to work in the heart of someone you hope will come to know Jesus as Savior. Pray for our government officials, for your
minister and church officers, for missionaries and other Christian servants (Philippians 2:4).
- pray, too, for yourself. Ask for guidance for the day ahead. Ask God to help you do His will
... and ask Him to arrange opportunities to serve Him throughout the day (Philippians 4:6).
Time with your heavenly Father is never wasted. If you spend time alone with God in the morning,
you'll start your day refreshed and ready for whatever comes your way. If you spend time alone with Him in the evening,
you'll go to sleep relaxed, resting in His care and ready for a new day to serve Him.
I pray you all can set aside at least 15 minutes alone with God. I have always found it
works best in the morning before your day gets started. Open your hearts and your ears to the word that the Lord has
for you. Listen for His guidance for your life and make a plan for the direction He has for each day from now on.
Any valley you face is going to lead you closer to Jesus if your mind and heart are open to His will for your life.
It will lead to a greater understanding for the plan God has just for you. I hope you are counting each blessing He
has given to you and even in those valley's that you are thanking Him and asking Him for wisdom and understanding.
I hope you each have a blessed Monday!
Love, Tracy
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