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Devotions
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Pride Brings You Down
"A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain
honor." Proverbs 29:23 I was reading this devotion this morning and even before that, the last
few days I have been thinking about this word ... PRIDE. I was thinking about my life growing up. One quality
of my Father's I hoped I would never inherit was his pride. I think about the path of his life and the coulda shoulda
woulda's! If only his pride would not have stood in his way. I guess we all exhibit it from time to time.
I believe his realized that in his life and maybe even thought, I don't know how to change that about myself. That
is where my coulda, shoulda, woulda comes in ... But that is one thing I pray about daily, Lord, please take pride out
of my life, help me not to be so concerned with what others think - rather to be more concerned with what you think!
Have you ever just looked at things in your own life and said to yourself ... "self, you need to change this situation
around." And then just sat and humbled yourself before God! I believe at the end of my Father's
life he did that. He had peace in his heart before he passed away. That brings comfort.
When I read this devotion this morning I was thinking of my own life and where I am some
days. How I can do so much better ... not for me - for our Lord. Here is a portion of it, I know some people might
stop right here and not read on - that is conviction ... read on.
Pride
is a great enemy of the Christian. Pride is an overly high opinion of yourself. It motivates you to do things
that you know are not Christlike, and it hinders you from doing what brings glory to God! Pride influenced Adam and
Eve to try to become more like God (Gen. 3:5). Pride motivated Cain to murder his brother (Gen. 4:5). Pride provoked
Joseph's brothers to sell him into slavery (Gen. 37:8). Pride caused King Saul to sent David so deeply that he tried
to murder him (1 Sam. 18:8). Pride led King Hezekiah to foolishly reveal his nations wealth to his enemies (Isa. 39:2).
Pride was at the root of the Pharisees' anger toward Jesus. Pride was the reason the disciples argued over rank
in the kingdom (Luke 9:46).
Pride is your relentless enemy.
If you succumb to its influence - there will be consequences. You may know that you have offended someone, but pride
holds you back from asking for forgiveness. You may realize you need to reconcile a broken relationship, but pride will
lead you to deny that need. The Spirit may convict you that you are living a sinful lifestyle, but pride will discourage
your admitting it. Pride will convince you that you deserve better treatment. Pride will impede your serving others.
Instead, pride will have you striving for places of prominence. Pride will have you listen to flatterers and ignore
honest counselors. Pride will lead you to isolate yourself so that you are not accountable to others!
Humility, on the other hand, is pleasing to God and it places your life in a position where
God will honor you. If pride has crept into some areas of your life, as God to give your victory over it before it robs
you of God's will for your life and all your joy. You will never be completely happy if you let pride stand before
what God has planned for your life. Your your will ... but His will be done! I think we all need a dose or 10
of humility! Anytime I am letting my pride take over the Lord brings this verse to my mind ... (paraphrased) "God
rebukes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" Be humble today, it is never too late to undo what pride does
in your own life - stop making excuses and just seek the Lord. He will use this one circumstance to help you for the
rest of your life.
I hope you all have a blessed day. Please
remember the so many needs that are around you. Please continue to pray for Steve Broome (Cancer), Shirley Robinson
(Cancer and she is back in the hospital), Terry Murray (under going chemo treatments for Asbestosis), the Beach, Byers, and Greene
family's that have all suffered great loss this year. I pray that the Lord will just continue to touch our lives
until He comes again and I pray for this nation. Please also pray for my sister Suzanne who will be having surgery early
tomorrow morning to replace her pacemaker. Count your blessings my friends not all your worries. Don't let
pride stand in your way any longer. I pray for God's peace upon your life. Love, Tracy
The Gift "For I say, through the grace given unto
me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts
differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or
ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he
that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
Romans 12:3-8 (KJV) I was telling one of my sisters about a movie I rented one time called "the ultimate gift". As I
was telling her about it, I decided to go to the video store and rent it again. It was a wonderful, thought provoking
movie. This young man was very , no extremely privileged and never lacked for anything. He was very worldly and never
had to work a day in his life. His grandfather who was the billionaire died and pretty much left nothing to his children
and other grandchildren except this one - he left him 12 gifts and if he could complete his tasks and actually understand
in his heart the true meaning of the gifts he would get the ultimate gift! When I read this verse this morning, and I thought about the different gifts the Lord has given to people
around me. I know many that have the gift of encouragement, no matter how down someone is, they always know the
right thing to say or not to say. Some have the gift to teach, they can study something and know just how to discuss
it so we get it. I know some people with strong faith, no matter what they face, they know Jesus is their
ROCK! Some people are given the gift of a great voice ~ oh how I wish I had that one! I am the out take
of American Idol. This is how the Message puts this
portion of scripture: "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." Have
you ever thought about what your gift is? Have you prayed to ask the Lord how you are to use the gift He has given you
to draw you closer to Him? It is all for His Glory. Nothing we do should be to be boastful or to make ourselves
be set apart from anyone else. Anything good in us comes from Jesus - we should humble ourselves and recognize that.
We ruin our witness when we use a gift the Lord has given us and then brag about ourselves that is not pleasing to God.
Trust God. Use the gift He has given you as a witness for Him, so that others around you can see the Light of Jesus. Each one of us is at the very least given the gift of prayer. Praying to God
should just be like talking to your best friend. God doesn't expect us to have fancy words ~ just heart felt ones.
Jesus loves you. I hope you all have a blessed day. Please continue to pray for Steve Broome, Shirley Robinson
and Terry Murray. I also have another Shirley that needs prayer, she underwent surgery yesterday for breast cancer.
Please pray for healing for all of these. Thank you. Love, Tracy
He Knows Me, Yet He Loves Me! "Then the word of the
LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb
I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak:
for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee,
and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith
the LORD." (Jeremiah 1:4-8 KJV) I love this verse in
Jeremiah. It is hard to actually imagine, even though I have had two children of my own; what a miracle the birth of
a baby really is. To actually have a perfectly healthy child what a blessing. To think that when we were
nothing ~ God already knew us. He already knew the person we would become. Even through our hard times, He is
in our corner - He gave us our advocate, Jesus. To bring us through those hard times, to take us out
of the valley's - that He already knew would be there.
I know that when you get to the bottom of
that valley life can seem impossible. Thinking that life were over it would be so much simpler. When times are
taught for me I think, "Come quickly Lord Jesus!" Oh, I just thank the Lord for His saving Grace!
He does solve every problem perhaps it is not always in our timing ... but through Him, in every single circumstance
He has used that valley to help another person who feels that despair. Maybe you are saying, I don't want to face
this valley just to be an example to someone else. OK, but maybe you are looking at this wrong, maybe He has used someone
else's circumstance to be a witness in your life. Really seek the Lord today and ask HIM for guidance
and direction.
To Jeremiah the Lord says, I knew who you are and what you'd become before you were even born.
To You the Lord says, I knew you and who you would become before you were even born! Have faith in me. Trust in
me. I will give you rest. Yes,
life's circumstances can weigh heavy on our hearts. Everything seems like a challenge (Marriage, parenting, finances
can have you bound). You are not alone. The Lord will sustain you. My Mom always used to say "Tracy,
this too shall pass." Sometimes we say that and don't believe it ourselves, but it will. Life is such
a journey - what kind of journey will you make it? The Lord always knows the direction He is sending you, are you
following that path? Are you stuck in the valley because you are not turning your eyes upon Jesus for a way out?
Is the directions our kids are going in the wrong way because they are a carbon copy of us? Can you just say "whoa,
wait a minute - we need to back up and start over." It is not too late to do that. Do not let the voice of
pride take over and allow you to feel defeat, when Jesus is saying Here I am, have faith. I am praying for each of you and your circumstances, I know that your
problems seem big ... but GOD IS BIGGER. Restore your faith to what it once was. If I have learned anything in
these last 10 years it is that we have to live life to the fullest and that means serving the Lord and a desire to walk
closer to Him. It does not mean, live in the world, spend every penny you make and just have a good time. Pray
for those around you today. There might be someone to your right or left that is going through a deep valley and you
don't even know about it. Pray for a touch from the Lord today on our nation that has grown so cold to Him.
I am praying for you. Please pray for Terry Murray as he starts his treatments today. Love, Tracy
Trust In Jesus
"In
my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. It is
better to take refuge in the Lord then to trust in man."
(Psalm 118:5-8 NIV)
As I sat at my computer this morning, I did a spell check then I hit back space and the
whole devotion was erased! 40 minutes, gone. I guess that was a message just for me and it was good too :-)
I pulled up this old devotion on line when I got to work ...
"In my anguish I
cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man
do to me? The Lord is with me; He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take
refuge in the Lord then to trust in man."
Always look up ~ not around. The Lord is with
you and He will get you through anything! I love you all. Have a great weekend ... count your blessings. Invite
someone to church with you this Sunday. Love, Tracy
When You Face A Valley ... Jesus is Near "Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV) I often wonder where people turn when they don't have a personal relationship
with Jesus. They are so down and so depressed, they just don't know where to turn. When I am upset
or facing a valley so deep, I turn to the Word of God for my strength. The Lord brings people into my path that will
pray for me and He is my strength. Isn't it something when you can actually feel the Lord working in your
life! Have you ever experienced that? Where you are so down in the valley you don't think you can face another
day, yet you do. That is the Lord. We have reasons to get up each day! After my parents passed away a part
of the funeral "package" was a website - a memorial site. Each individual, if their family choose to, can
have a video of up to 100 pictures of their loved one and a guest book where you could write or visitors could leave a note
for the family. I go there just about every day. I don't always write a note, but it helps me to look at my
Mom or my Dad's pictures. They were my earthly parents. They loved me. When I was down they comforted
me. Some days I can be in a valley and with each day I need strength, I turn to my heavenly Father.
I read His Word and look for direction every day because I know I am not alone. Look at the first line in this verse
... "Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!" Have you ever just
imagined the day that you will see Jesus? You should. I think about it from time to time, what it will be like.
A lot of people say, when I get to Heaven I am asking Jesus ... I think we will be so in awe of our surroundings, we won't
remember our worries and concerns that we had on earth. We will be so filled with Joy that the questions we had in this
world will disappear. I think about when someone is passing over, what they experience. Sometimes we want them
to fight hard to stay with us, lately I have thought about that with my Dad. But deep down I know he fought as hard
as he could. And when we really think about the Lord, don't we want their pain and suffering to end?
If they know the Lord and are taken to Heaven, their body is immediately healed! No more pain, only joy. Do you
know Him in that way? I pray you do. I hope you have a great Thursday. Please continue to pray for Terry
Murray (starting chemo Sunday to treat Asbestosis), Shirley Robinson (stomach cancer) and Steve Broome (Steve received encouraging
news yesterday - his cancer is contained to one area. He will be going Friday to have a bone marrow test and they will
decide the course of treatment for him). Please also continue to pray for the Byers family. Have a blessed day
... count your blessings. Love, Tracy
Faith, Hope and The Greatest ... Love
"....Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."
(Hebrews 4:7 NIV) Sometimes we don't like what God is saying to us. We want to direct our life
down a certain path and God says no. Isn't it typical of us to miss it and say God really didn't say no!
We try to do it on our own and we fail. We keep running into walls, until we realize that God has great opportunities
waiting for us! We need to learn to ask the Lord for patience and to wait for His timing. We try to rush
things to get them when we want them, then we miss an even better blessing that the Lord had for us. This
was a nice long weekend for us and since it was so cold we spent most of it in doors. I was looking at the pictures
hanging in my Dining room, ones that had hung in my parents home for at least 30 years that I can remember. Always
grouped together ~ Faith, Hope and Love. I am not sure what happened to the other pictures that hung in our dining
room, I suppose after one of our moves over the years they just disappeared. But the Love One Another, and Faith, Hope and
Love have always been in our parents dining room until my Father passed away a few years ago. Now, Faith, Hope
and Love have become a part of my home. Those three pictures now hang in my dining room.
I hope that many
years from now when I am gone and those pictures are 60 or 70 years old, that Joseph or Jenna would want them hanging in their
homes. Knowing what they have meant ... living our lives, placing all of our Faith, our Hope and our Love in Jesus
Christ. Pray for the Lord to give you patience to "wait" today. To be still to hear
His voice for your life. Pray that the Lord guides you and shows you how to Love One Another, how to have Faith in Him
and Him alone. How to place are your Hope in Him and know you are Loved unconditionally by Jesus. God's love
is unconditional and pure. Desire to grow closer to Him and desire His will for your life. I pray the Lord has
touched your heart and will to continue to be the center of your life with each passing day. Have a great Tuesday, please
continue to pray for Bill Sullivan (and his family), Steve Broome (and his family), Shirley Robinson (and her family)
and Terry Murray (and his family). Love, Tracy
He Holds The Future "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised
him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart
fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower
thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached
unto you." 1 Peter 1:18-25 (KJV) I love this verse. As a matter of fact 1st and 2nd Peter are some
of my favorite scriptures. Look at how the message puts it into layman's terms ... "Your life is
a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed
life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And
this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become
public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then
raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. Now that you've cleaned
up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old
life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived
by God himself! That's why the prophet said, The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass
dries up, flowers droop, God's Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in
you." We all try to make things so complicated - because we find it hard to understand the unseen,
but we have to trust the unseen hand. Who is at work daily in our lives! One of our friends sings a song with
the choir at church, I could not find the lyrics probably because I had the Title wrong, but one line in the chorus goes,
I'm trusting to the unseen hand, that guides me through this weary land ... We don't know what each day will
hold for us. No one can tell us our future ~ but the unseen hand of Jesus our Lord, who knows every hair on head - will
guide us through this weary land and one day we will walk on streets of gold! We may not know what the future holds
... but we know who holds the future! I pray that your day
is filled with wonders today. I hope that you can feel and see the Lord working miracles in your life each step of the
way.
I've had several people request prayer yesterday, please pray for Bill Sullivan, he has cancer.
Please pray for his family as well for comfort. Terry Murray, he was just diagnosed with Mesothelioma (Asbestosis) -
he, like my Father, has worked in a power plant for years. Please pray for the right Doctors to be on his case and that
the family will feel comfort from others around them praying for his care. Steve Broome, just diagnosed with stomach
cancer, he is meeting with his Doctors today. Please pray that his cancer is treatable.
Thank you all for
lifting these prayer request up today. I hope you have a great week. Love, Tracy
Trusting in Him "Behold, God is great, and we know
him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down
rain according to the vapour thereof: Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly. Also can any understand
the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his Tabernacle? Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the
bottom of the sea. For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance. With clouds he covereth the light;
and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt. The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle
also concerning the vapour." Job 36:26-33 (KJV) Life
is such a mysterious thing isn't? Do you ever just sit and look at the clouds in the sky. On a beautiful sunny
day they can be so majestic! The sun bursting through little cracks of the clouds shooting rays of light towards
the earth. It is like we almost get a glimpse of Heaven! Or after it has rained and the sky clears up
and there is a beautiful end to end rainbow in the sky - with colors so vibrant sometimes it looks like an artists brush painted
the sky! Oh that is so God. I often wonder when I see those sights how someone can say God does not exist.
When we look at the leaves on the trees in the next few weeks change from green to a vibrant orange, red, yellow and brown
~ how can we say "Where is God?" Sit back
today and look at the wonders of the Lord. Look at your life. I know in my own life I have thought, Oh, how will
I ever get through this? Then the Lord reminds me - I won't get through it alone. He is right beside me and
if I surrender all to Him ~ He will show me the road I need to take. He is always with you. It is a silly comparison
- but I always think of the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy always had the power to go home, but she didn't trust and follow
her heart until someone told her. You have the power to get through anything ~ trust in the Lord with all your heart!
He is the way, He is the truth and He is the Life! He loves you and He will take care of you today and always ... because
He is ... The Alpha, The Omega, The Beginning and The End! He knows your hurts and He knows the desires of your
heart. Is your desire to walk with Him or walk alone? Have Faith in Him and He will do the rest ... Matthew 10:20
says, "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." (KJV)
Pray
for one another, I hope you have a nice weekend. Invite someone to church with you on Sunday, if you do not have
a church, pray that the Lord leads you to one that preaches God's Word, directly from the Bible. Love, Tracy
As A Christian, Are You FAT?
"I have done my best
in the race, I have run the full distance,
and I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7 NIV) Isn't it what we all are striving
for - at the end of our lives for others to say we've achieved that verse! Are we doing everything we can do to glorify
God? God never intended for us to be stale and perfect. He intends for us to be living, breathing people, working together
to accomplish His purposes in our lives. To live our lives to be "like" Him. Our desire should be to think
more like Christ with each coming year. To reflect on our days and see what we could have done different, and next time
do it. God doesn't
care about religious words or holier than thou attitudes. He is only interested in the sincerity of our hearts.
He is interested in our willingness to come humbly before Him with our prayers and petitions. Is your relationship with God only when it is convenient
for you? Is it just for show on Sunday mornings or in front of others? Our preacher said last night, God
wants FAT Christians ... Faithful ... Available ... Teachable or Trustworthy.
That is good isn't it? It is time for us to stop standing in the corner accomplishing nothing for God. It
is time for us to start living outwardly what we feel inwardly. Be all you can be for Christ! He will bless your
life for being obedient to Him. I hope you all have a great day today ... stay warm! Please continue to remember
the Byers family in prayer. Please also remember Shirley Robinson and Steve Broome who have both just been diagnosed
with stomach cancer. Pray for healing as they meet with their doctors and discuss their treatment plan. Thank
you all. Love, Tracy
Are You One Of The Few?
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not
know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
(Romans 8:26 NIV)
Persistence! It is easy to just
quit praying when you don't feel like God hears you or He is not giving you an answer quick enough. Sometimes
we are so caught up in our circumstances that we are not still and listening for God's voice. We say, "just
send me a sign Lord" When all along He has been sending us signs of His love and Mercy for us. Through a friend,
through song, through a Word in the Bible, through a devotion we read or through the beauty of the earth He has created. When
I cannot feel His presence, it is me hindering Him in my life.
Have you ever just been still and could feel the presence of the Lord.
The comfort that He provides and the wisdom to know that only God could provide such peace! He ministers to us in so
many ways. Anytime you are having a bad day, think of this verse, "In this World you will have trouble! But take heart, I have overcome
the world!" And a verse in John (14:1) "Do not let your hearts be troubled, Trust in God, trust also in me.
In my fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place
for you...." This world has many troubles, the laborers are few, but the field has many!! Get out and labor!
Encourage someone. Sometimes I find I am so needy and I need encouragement myself. In those times the Lord will
just place me in a circumstance where I am to encourage someone else and somehow, sometimes my whole circumstance has changed
and I don't feel so empty anymore. That is God! He will use any situation if we are a willing vessel.
Are you willing?
I hope you don't ever
give up on the Lord. I'm not. I have been placed on this journey by Him and I pray when I meet Him face to
face someday that His words will be "Well, done, my good and faithful servant. Well done." That
is the purpose of our journey. Tell others about Christ and His love for each one of us! Have a great day today.
Please pray for the Byers family. Count your oh so many blessings. God is good all the time ... ALL THE TIME,
God is good. Blessings, Tracy
link
Your Help ... Only From The Lord "I will lift up my eyes to the hills - where
does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of Heaven and Earth. (Psalm
121:1-2 NIV) I have no Internet this morning for some reason ... so much for high speed access! Here
is a little prayer that I found I had saved on my desk top computer, I have prayed for each of you reading this today and I hope that this prayer gives you encouragement
as you start off your week. "Lord, I thank You that You are my strength. Thank You that no matter what I face
at this moment, You are greater. I am grateful that You give me the knowledge and strength I need to get where I need to go.
I praise You this day for who you are and for Your goodness to me. AMEN" I love this song by Brooklyn
Tabernacle choir ... based on this verse of scripture.
Verse:
I will lift up mine eyes to the hills
from whence cometh my help,
my help cometh from the Lord,
the Lord which made Heaven and Earth.
He
said He would not suffer thy foot,
thy foot to be moved;
the Lord which keepeth thee,
He will not slumber nor
sleep.
Bridge
Oh the Lord is thy keeper,
the Lord is thy shade
upon thy right hand,
upon thy
right hand.
No, the sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night,
He shall preserve thy soul
ever forever more.
Chorus:
My help, my help, my help,
all of my help cometh from the Lord
Have
a blessed Monday and count every single day as a blessing and a gift! Love, Tracy
The Everlasting Rock
"Trust in the Lord Forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock."
Isaiah
26:4
One of
my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Isaiah. As we begin to pray each day, we have to do so with the understanding
of the purpose and the meaning in the words of our prayers. We should be aware of the Holy Spirit who is working in and through
us. His loving spirit works through us restoring our mind and our bodies. He is the love and He is the light that should shine
out of us each and every day!
God is always with us, healing our brokenness. We
need to turn to Him and not only seek His help, but receive His love and forgiveness daily. Our desire is to be
more like Him. We may say it, we may think it but why don't we strive to do it? Somehow, we may start
out the day devoted to Christ, but somewhere along the line, some of us stop leaning on Him and start relying on ourselves
to get through a storm.
Over 15 years ago my mother in law and I went to hear a Preacher, his name is David Ring
(http://www.davidringministries.org/home.html). To this day the first words he spoke at this revival have stuck in my mind. He is a preacher on fire for the
Lord. His first line is ... "I have cerebral palsy ... what's your problem?" Even through his handicap
he is speaking and witnessing for the Lord. Some words would take a second or two for him to say, but never giving in
to frustration, He is out there doing what the Lord has called him to do!
I love this little prayer ... (I did not write it) - "God,
you are always with me as a healing and revealing presence of life and wisdom. My Amen is not an end to my conversation with
You; it is my commitment to bring an awareness of You to every moment of this day." What a great prayer. A lot of times the Amen is the end of the conversation until the next day or until the next crisis! Don't
you want to make that your prayer today? We need to start making God a part of our daily life! Not just
when He is needed in a storm or when we are in a state of panic, but 24/7. God loves us and His desire is for our
desire to want Jesus to be the center of our lives! To wake up each day with the desire to know Him more, to study His Word more and to help others in this direction
too. I pray that the spirit of the Lord will touch each person that reads this devotion and place a desire in our hearts
to make a change today and desire a closer walk with Him!
Count your blessings each and every
day, David Ring has cerebral palsy ... what's your problem or is it just an excuse? Have a great day weekend,
I hope you find yourself in church this Sunday. If you don't go to church seek God and pray that He guides you to
a place that stands on His word. Love, Tracy
To wake up each day with the desire to know Him more, to study His Word more and to
help others in this direction too. I pray that the spirit of the Lord will touch each person that reads this devotion
and place a desire in our hearts to make a change today and desire a closer walk with Him!
Count
your blessings each and every day, David Ring has cerebral palsy ... what's your problem or is it just an excuse?
Have a great day weekend, I hope you find yourself in church this Sunday. If you don't go to church seek God and
pray that He guides you to a place that stands on His word. Love, Tracy
link
Jesus ... Loves You <This Much>
"Love one another as I have also loved you." John 15:12
Did you ever just sit and wonder how God could love you so much? Do you ever
imagine and wonder that God loves me and He loves you just because that is who He is. Not because of any great and wonderful
thing that we have done. There is nothing we can do to make it happen. It already has. Without God, without what
Jesus has already done for us, we're not lovable. We may disappoint people and we may ourselves get disappointed,
but because of Jesus - I am loved with a love that will last forever. It's a gift. Pure gift! All we have to
do is turn from our ways and live for Him each day.
I am sure in your circle of friends, family and acquaintances there are many who have felt or feel isolated
or depressed at times. Maybe it is even you longing to live an honest, transparent life before others and before God.
Stop hiding behind your mask. If you have been through the valley, perhaps God has taken you there and has anointed
you to reach out to others that are in that valley now. To help them through the trials of their lives. Show
them the love that Jesus has shown you. I can think
of two reasons why we go through valleys in life, first is that we grow in the Lord and the second is to help other people that
are going to go through the same valley. Even when we think God isn't listening, He is there. We need
to be reminded and encouraged by each other each day. I hope you pass along His Word each today to encourage someone. I
hope when you tell someone that you are praying for them, you really take time out of your day to say a prayer for them -
from your heart.
I love you all and I pray that
His Word has touched your heart and that you will have a desire to love and encourage others! You have been praying
for a member of our Church, David Hill. Last night at church he gave a praise report ... He is cancer free and the doctors
said he looks like a person that never had cancer. Wow! That is an earthly answer to prayer! Please
pray for others each day that are touched by cancer. If you don't know anyone - bless you! Please pray for
Shirley Robinson - stomach cancer. Pray for healing and strength. I hope you all have a great Thursday.
Love, Tracy
link
Listening to the Voice of God "Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. My God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let
not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without
cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of
my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses ; for they
have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for
thy goodness' sake, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The
meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto
such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What
man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and
his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine
eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look
upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me
with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity
and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles." (Psalm 25 NIV)
What a beautiful prayer to start out each day with. Anytime you are overwhelmed
and the troubles of your heart have burdened your soul -- open God's word and read this Psalm. It says everything.
The Lord hears the cries of HIS people. Cry out to Him today. Don't refuse His love anymore. I don't
think we are listening for His voice anymore. I think so much that we get caught up in our circumstances and we forget
to listen to His voice and follow His way. He is the only way to the Father. Trust in Him. Do not be troubled
anymore. Let Jesus take away the stronghold that life has over you. Trust in Him. Give your life to Him.
He loves YOU!
I pray that His Word touches your heart today. I hope that if you have not completely trusted Him
with your life that today will be your day - TODAY is the day of Salvation for you. Jesus loves you!
Have a great weekend everyone, invite someone to Sunday worship with you. If you are not going to church, seek God and
ask Him to lead you to where you need to be. Count your blessings! Love, Tracy
Because He Loves YOU!
"Because he
loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will
answer him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
(Psalm 91:14-16 NIV)
Are you searching each morning
for what the Lord has planned for your life? Are you willing to seek Him and change your way of thinking to the plan
He has for you and not pursue the plan you have for yourself? God created us to be unique - not to be just like someone else.
Are we leaders for Him or just followers of someone else? Our prayer life
and spiritual walk with Him should be unique, just like the Lord created us - because it is a personal
walk with Him. Dare to be different than others! Each day we should desire a closer walk with Jesus. To
desire to do things different, to become better and closer to Him. Yesterday was yesterday - today is a new day.
When we wake up each day and open our eyes that is the first gift of the day. Thank you Lord for the gift of sight.
Then we place our feet on the floor and stand up. Thank you Lord for a body that can move our feet to the floor and
stand up. Then we get up and start our day. Thank you Lord for allowing me to see another day. Already we
have so many things to be thankful for and we are only 2 minutes into this new day! But most mornings don't we start
off grumbling? I'm tired. I don't want to do this or that today. I know I do. Read the words of this verse - He will rescue us from trouble,
He will protect us, He will answer our prayers,
He will deliver us, He will satisfy all
our needs and He will give us the greatest gift.......Salvation! WOW. Can you feel the love that Christ is sending to you right now as you read those
words? Give Him your all today and watch him restore and reform your life. Watch as your life transforms and you become
more like Christ and less like yourself. Seek the plan that the Lord has for you today. Encourage someone else
in Jesus name. Thank you Lord for my life, thank you for going to the Cross for
my sins. Please forgive me of my sins Lord and please forgive me where I fail you each day Lord.
Thank you for making the sacrifice of Your life so I may have eternal life in peace with You. I pray that each day my
life reflects that of a person that is serving You Lord and not serving the world. Growing closer to You Lord each step
of the way. May we always try to please You Father and not disappoint You. I ask that you be with each person
reading this devotion each morning, touch their lives and place a desire in their hearts to have a closer walk with You.
I pray that if they are not attending church, that a desire to find a church that teaches straight from your Word
will be heavy on their hearts today. I pray if we are not teaching our children things that are Holy and pure from
Your Word that a conviction is placed on our hearts today. How do we expect things to change in this world if we aren't
willing to change our ways to please our Heavenly Father! In Jesus name I pray and ask these things - Amen.
I hope you all have a blessed day today. Love,
Tracy
link
Seeking The Lord, In Times of Trouble
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your
minds."
(Hebrews 12:2-3 NIV)
"These things
I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world." (John 16:33 NIV)Yesterday I came across an old devotion I heard by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, it was really interesting to me so I thought I'd share it below. Nancy is talking about life and how we won't always understand the "why's." I am sure we've all faced them. Some of us more than others.
But what are we doing in those circumstances? Where are we turning? How do we want a problem fixed? Where
do we find our solutions? Do we turn to the Lord? Or do we turn from the sin or problem first and then ask
Jesus for the solution? That is what we have to do. Jesus is not going to even hear our cries if there is not repentance
on our hearts over the sin in our life.
How can He hear the cries of a sinner that is not willing to change?
Let your heart soften. He knows we will sin again. We are human, we can't not sin, we are born that way. But it is what we do with that sin, how we change from that sin is what keeps us close
to our Savior. And our love for Him grows. He does want to help us overcome obstacles in our lives. Decide
today. Change your ways. It doesn't matter if you are 20 or 90. It is never to late to change your set ways. You decide. I have
a quote in my Bible from 2002 that my preacher said, I am not sure if he made it up or got it from somewhere else, but it
is good and we all need to remember this -- "God has given us the freedom to choose, but He has not given us the freedom
from the consequences." That is good isn't it? We all need to remember when we are saying "why me"!!!!! We really need to put a different emphasis
on it ... "Why me Lord?" I should know better, I do know better. Forgive me Lord today and
help me this day to start living a life that is pleasing to YOU Jesus and not a life that pleases myself. Remember this
verse, John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Not all things are going to make sense -- but go with the flow and
surrender it all to Jesus and He will guide and direct your path. Ask Him for direction in all things, from huge financial
decisions to what to say in a conversation. Fully rely on Jesus. Have a great day today. I pray that through
this devotion your heart is touched by a desire to know the Lord is and what He can do in your life if you will just surrender
all to Him. Let go of your guilt and your shame -- because He loves you. Have a blessed day.
Love,
Tracy
A portion
of a devotion by Nancy Leigh DeMoss Yesterday I came across an old devotion I heard by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, it was really interesting to me so I thought I'd share it below. Nancy is talking about life and how we won't always understand the "why's." I am sure we've all faced them. Some of us more than others.
But what are we doing in those circumstances? Where are we turning? How do we want a problem fixed? Where
do we find our solutions? Do we turn to the Lord? Or do we turn from the sin or problem first and then ask
Jesus for the solution? That is what we have to do. Jesus is not going to even hear our cries if there is not repentance
on our hearts over the sin in our life.
How can He hear the cries of a sinner that is not willing to change?
Let your heart soften. He knows we will sin again. We are human, we can't not sin, we are born that way. But it is what we do with that sin, how we change from that sin is what keeps us close
to our Savior. And our love for Him grows. He does want to help us overcome obstacles in our lives. Decide
today. Change your ways. It doesn't matter if you are 20 or 90. It is never to late to change your set ways. You decide. I have
a quote in my Bible from 2002 that my preacher said, I am not sure if he made it up or got it from somewhere else, but it
is good and we all need to remember this -- "God has given us the freedom to choose, but He has not given us the freedom
from the consequences." That is good isn't it? We all need to remember when we are saying "why me"!!!!! We really need to put a different emphasis
on it ... "Why me Lord?" I should know better, I do know better. Forgive me Lord today and
help me this day to start living a life that is pleasing to YOU Jesus and not a life that pleases myself. Remember this
verse, John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Not all things are going to make sense -- but go with the flow and
surrender it all to Jesus and He will guide and direct your path. Ask Him for direction in all things, from huge financial
decisions to what to say in a conversation. Fully rely on Jesus. Have a great day today. I pray that through
this devotion your heart is touched by a desire to know the Lord is and what He can do in your life if you will just surrender
all to Him. Let go of your guilt and your shame -- because He loves you. Have a blessed day.
Love,
Tracy
A portion
of a devotion by Nancy Leigh DeMoss There are some things that are just
mysteries. I can't figure them out. I can't fathom them. Sometimes we spend a lot of needless emotional and mental energy and time and frustration trying to plumb the
depths of something we can never understand. It
may be in the area of our trying to have personal ambition, trying to concern ourselves with things that are too high for
us. Jeremiah in the Old Testament
said to Baruch, “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t seek them†(from Jeremiah 45:5).
Don’t try to be lifted up. Don’t try to be exalted yourself. Don’t strive. Don’t be ambitious for great position or prominence, for great accomplishments. “If only I could do something
really valuable for the Lord. If only I could really have a lot of wealth or possessions. If only I could have lots of human
approval or recognition.†Those
are things that are higher than what we should be grasping for. Charles Spurgeon, if I can quote him again, said, “Fill your sphere, Brother, and be content with it. If God shall move
you to another, be glad to be moved. If He moves you to a smaller, be as willing to go to a less prominent place as to one
that is more so. Have no will about it. Be a weaned child that has given up fretting, crying, worrying and leaves its mother
to do just what seems good in her sight. When we are thoroughly weaned it is well with us—pride is gone
and ambition is gone, too.†So
you say, “This company just doesn't value me the way they should. I have no place on this org. chart. There's a glass ceiling here, and they're not letting
me accomplish what I could in this organization.†Maybe you feel that way in your home. “I'm
just not being allowed to use my gifts.†Are
you seeking great things for yourself? You'll never have a quiet heart as long as you are. Don’t seek them. Let God be God. Let God place you where He wants to use you and have you serving in a way that's pleasing
to Him and doing what would be His will for your life. Here's
another area where we tend to try and figure out things that can't be figured out, and that's in relation to spiritual and theological truths. You don’t have to understand all the deep things of God or understand all about postmodern thought and philosophy in order to have
an effective ministry or be an effective servant of the Lord in this day.
Again, let me quote Charles Spurgeon, who has such a way with words and word pictures. He says it's like a little child who “expects to
understand a book on trigonometry and cries because it cannot,†or a child who frets and kicks “in
its nurse's arms because it cannot get the Atlantic [Ocean] into the hollow of its hand. . . . Yet a child might sooner
hold the Atlantic and Pacific in its two hands, without spilling a drop, than you and I will ever be able to hold all the
revealed Truth of God within the compass of our narrow minds!†God's truth is infinite. Our minds are these puny, tiny little things fabulously made by God.
But we can't begin to comprehend the vastness of God's truth, of theological thought, of the Scripture. That's why you keep searching.
You keep exploring, you keep digging, but you're also realizing, “I can never understand it all.â€
And then an area where sometimes I think
we're most prone to exercise ourselves in great matters or in things too high for us has to do with the providence and
the choices of God for our lives. “Okay,†we say, “I can't understand everything about theology, but it's the stuff that's going on in my life right now that doesn't make sense. I've got to understand it.†I’ll tell you what, if you feel that you have to understand and make sense of everything that's going on in your life, you
will drive yourself crazy trying. You cannot fathom the providence and the choices of God for your life. A woman wrote us not too long ago. She said, “I've
been widowed almost a year. My 45-year-old husband died very suddenly, leaving me with our 10 children, ages 3-22. It has
been a real trial and struggle to my faith. I do not understand God's will in taking my husband from us. We're very
faithful to church. We're very involved. It doesn't make sense to me.†I'm
sure that's true. And there are things that don’t make sense to you. Why did the Lord take my dad when he was 53 years of age, suddenly with a heart attack, leaving my 40-year-old
mother widowed with 7 children ages 8-21? It doesn't make sense. But you know what? It doesn't have to make sense to me. You have to come
to the place in your life where you are content to live with mystery. Now, that doesn't mean you don’t ask God what His purposes are, that you don’t ask God for light and understanding. If God shows you, great!
But He may not show you. You may never see and understand all the purposes. You will never see or understand
all the purposes that God has for what He does in your life.
Spurgeon again said it's foolish to try to know all the reasons of Divine Providence why this affliction was sent and why that?
. . . When we begin asking, Why? Why? Why?’ what an endless task we have before us! If we become like a
weaned child we shall not ask, ˜why?but just believe that in our heavenly Father's dispensations there is a wisdom
too deep for us to fathom.
That's what
the Scripture says in Deuteronomy 29:29. The secret things belong to the Lord. Let Him have them. Let there be some things
that God knows that you dont.
This
little booklet that I read on Psalm 131 said, Most of the noise in our souls is generated by our attempts to control the uncontrollable
(Stress by David Powlison). Isn't that true? We try to manage something. We try to fix somebody. We try to change somebody. We try to control somebody. And
we end up with this noise in our soul; not a quiet heart, but in turmoil.
When it comes down to it, we go back to Psalm 46:10-11. Be still [cease striving], and know that
I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!™ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God
of Jacob is our fortress.
Listen, if God is with
you, if He is around you, if He is your fortress, if you have His presence in your life, you dont have to understand everything. You can be still. You can have a quiet heart. You dont have to live in turmoil because He is God. He is with you, and He is your fortress.
Leslie
Basham: That's Nancy Leigh DeMoss with some refreshing news. We dont have to figure everything out, but we can spend time with the One who truly does know everything. A simple desire to know
Him will help us develop a quiet heart.
Does finding time for prayer and Bible study seem nearly impossible? Nancy has written a book that will help you understand
why a devotional life is so valuable, and it will give you practical advice on how to study the Bible and connect with God
in prayer
Fill My Cup Lord - Make Me Whole
Matthew 10:39 "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life
for my sake shall find it. " The Message simplifies it this way ... "If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself.
But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me." I love how the
Message puts that verse of scripture! When we are reading God's Word, we can find ourselves in a verse that we have
read many times before, yet it will speak to us a different way every time! I have a devotion by Pastor Greg Laurie
{he Pastors a Church in California},
in my computer that I read this morning. He titled this devotion God's Trade In Plan. I don't like
the title - because God does not make deals. But I loved the essence of the message. I often look back at my life.
I look at myself before I went back to work full time. I had so much more time to spend in God's Word. I desire
that closeness again. I was thinking about the past few years, losing my Mother, May 6, 2004 and then my
Father, June 7, 2005. So much changed for me. I have changed. And even though I know in my heart that
they are completely healed and I know that they are completely filled with joy, I am still sad without them here.
When someone dies you lose a part of yourself. There is emptiness. Only when we turn to Jesus can
that spot be filled. Fill my cup Lord. I love that Hymn, Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord! Come and quench
this thirsting of my soul; Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!
Is that is our prayer? Jesus will heal that broken heart, the hole may still be there, but now it is filled with peace
and we may not ever understand, but we just to have Faith in Jesus. Know that Jesus loves us and
He knows the future and only He knows how long our time on earth is.
I have a question -
that I am also asking of myself, what are you and I doing or how are you showing people the love of Jesus? Testimony
is key to the Christian walk. Below is the devotion by Greg Laurie, I hope it touches your heart as it did mine.
Have a great Tuesday. Please pray for Shirley Robinson, she had surgery yesterday for Cancer and continue to pray for
the Hefner family. Have a great day! Love,
Tracy
Message by Pastor Greg Laurie
I am amazed when people say, "I'm trying to find myself," usually followed
by the statement that they are abandoning their marriage or making a significant change in their lives. But Jesus said that
if you want to find yourself, then you must lose yourself.
This means taking advantage of God's trade-in plan.
It's a really good deal. You come with what you have and trade it in. You say, "Lord, here is my life. I give it
to You. I dedicate it to You. I give You my plans, my future, and my resources. I want Your will more than my own."
It is not a depressing thing to dedicate our lives to God; it is a liberating thing. In exchange, He gives us His
life. In exchange, He gives us His grace. In exchange, He gives us His power to be the people we want to be.
So
we come to the Lord and recognize the problem is with ourselves. We recognize the answer is taking up the cross daily and
following Him. The things so many people chase after endlessly in life—pleasure, happiness, fulfillment,
and meaning in life—do not come so much from seeking them. Rather, they are the beautiful end products
of knowing and walking with God.
In a nutshell, the Christ-centered life must take the place of the self-centered
life. God and others must come before our own desires. It seems simple, but it is profound. And if we will practice it, it
will change our lives. Ultimately, we will find the pleasure, the fulfillment, and the happiness we have been seeking—not
from seeking these things, but from seeking Him.
Listening to the Voice of God "Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. My God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let
not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without
cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of
my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses ; for they
have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for
thy goodness' sake, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The
meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto
such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What
man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and
his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine
eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look
upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me
with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity
and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles." (Psalm 25 NIV)
What a beautiful prayer to start out each day with. Anytime you are overwhelmed
and the troubles of your heart have burdened your soul -- open God's word and read this Psalm. It says everything.
The Lord hears the cries of HIS people. Cry out to Him today. Don't refuse His love anymore. I don't
think we are listening for His voice anymore. I think so much that we get caught up in our circumstances and we forget
to listen to His voice and follow His way. He is the only way to the Father. Trust in Him. Do not be troubled
anymore. Let Jesus take away the stronghold that life has over you. Trust in Him. Give your life to Him.
He loves YOU!
I pray that His Word touches your heart today. I hope that if you
have not completely trusted Him with your life that today will be your day - TODAY is the day of Salvation for you.
Jesus loves you! Have a great weekend everyone, invite someone to Sunday worship with you. If you are not going
to church, seek God and ask Him to lead you to where you need to be. Count your blessings! Love, Tracy
Prayer of the Day "I
Will Lift My Eyes"
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which
made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he
that keepeth Israel shall neither
slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee
by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD
shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."
(Psalm 121 King James)
Sheila Walsh wrote a devotion on Psalm 121, as I was rereading it today
I remembered a time that my Mother shared this chapter of Psalms with me. I can't help but think that this chapter
of Psalms meant a lot to her in her life as well. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt where her help came from.
No matter how hard she tried to get ahead, in all the valley's she faced in her life there was one thing that
remained constant -- it was her faith in Jesus. My Mother taught me many things in my life. I have many fond memories
of a happy childhood. But the most important lesson she ever taught me was that no matter
what, Jesus loved me. That no matter what I faced, do not waiver on my faith. That no matter what, serve Him.
That no matter what, love like Jesus loves. That no matter what rely on Jesus and turn to Him in all circumstances.
Sheila Walsh wrote a devotion on Psalm 121,
as I was rereading it today I remembered a time that my Mother shared this chapter of Psalms with me. I can't help
but think that this chapter of Psalms meant a lot to her in her life as well. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt where
her help came from. No matter how hard she tried to get ahead, in all the valley's she faced in her life there
was one thing that remained constant -- it was her faith in Jesus. My Mother taught me many things in my life.
I have many fond memories of a happy childhood. But the most important lesson she ever
taught me was that no matter what, Jesus loved me. That no matter what I faced, do not waiver on my faith. That
no matter what, serve Him. That no matter what, love like Jesus loves. That no matter what rely on Jesus and turn
to Him in all circumstances.
In this devotion by
Sheila Walsh, she talks about moving
to California and dealing with a change in weather. How when we weather a storm we need to turn to Jesus - because that
is where our help comes from! Not from a bottle -- not from food. Jesus. He is your strength! The
Message words it like this ... "So that is my prayer for you this week. Whether
you are facing turbulent weather in your town or in your heart, I pray that you will know the peace that comes from knowing
that God is in control, no matter how slippery life gets." (Psalm 121 The Message)
You are loved!! So no matter how "slippery" or how difficult
your circumstances are -- turn to the Lord. Post Psalm 121 on your refrigerator. So you can see it all the time.
He will not let you slip away if you only turn to Him. I will leave you with this verse - Acts 2:37-39 "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter
and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For
the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call."
(Acts 2:37-29 KJV)
Start this new year on a new note! Trust the promises the Lord has given us. Trust in the scriptures
and in Him! Have a great Thursday and count your many blessings!!! Love, Tracy
link
New Beginnings! "Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV)
The start of a new year
... new hopes, new dreams, new commitments. Everything can be new - starting today. It is never to late to change
-- until it is too late! Why is it that we give up so easily? We can get so down and feel so defeated. The
Lord is still calling us today. He is still leading and guiding us. We need to get back on to His track and His
plan for our lives. Stop trying to handle everything on our own.
Many of us make commitments
that we never keep. We plan to do things, our intentions are good -- but for one reason or one obstacle or another we
don't follow through. Let's take a look at 2007. Let's make a decision to do 1 thing and stick with
it -- no matter what. Maybe that is making a commitment to our Church, our neighbor or a friend. Maybe that is
to change our attitudes to become a more positive influence on those around us. Maybe we will commit to give more to
the Church financially. Maybe we will commit to grow ourselves spiritually by reading the Bible more. Maybe we
will commit to get up 15 or 20 minutes earlier so we can read a chapter of scripture and have a quiet moment alone with God.
Maybe we are going to commit to get organized, one room at a time -- maybe one corner of a room a month. Yes, our lives
are filled with "things" that keep us busy. But these are things that keep us from the Lord. So many
things we need to do, if we just pick one and not let it overwhelm us, we can then have time for one more and then more and
more.
I am praying for this devotion this year -- that the words of my heart will touch the lives of others
and encourage you to do the same. We've all heard the expression that "life is short." For those
of us who have lost someone -- that is reality to us ... life is SHORT and we can't even know how short. So What
are YOU doing with "your" time? Make a commitment to the Lord today to change and turn over a new leaf.
It is not too late. If you don't succeed today, wake up tomorrow and pray to the Lord for direction and for strength
not to give up and to keep on for His Glory.
I hope you all have a great week and I hope you had a great Christmas! Here's to new beginnings in 2008! And a fresh start.
Have a great Monday and Happy New Year! Thank you for all the prayers throughout the year and thank you for praying
for our church friend, Doug Hefner and family. Doug passed away last Friday. Please continue to pray for his family. Love, Tracy
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| Devotions |
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| by Tracy Beckham |
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