Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 7/25

[bluidkiti]

In whatever I do for others, I will seek to be motivated by Christ's love.

Faithfulness is doing what we can and trusting God to do the rest.

Faith is believing in reality beyond what our human eyes can see.

When we face our faults, we open the door to God's grace.

Sometimes God quiets the storm when it rages and sometimes God quiets His child in the midst of a raging storm, Stand still and know God is in control.

God will guard you from the evil one.

Be the one to create a Christ like atmosphere ....
BEND, you won’t break.
You will discover ...YOU'RE THE WINNER!

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How Strong Are You? by Sally I. Kennedy
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
The small squirrel, scurrying like crazy to get out of our way on the walkway, holding onto a good-sized pinecone; he wasn’t about to lose his treasure! Amazing that he could grasp and drag something almost as large as he was. And how many times have you seen an ant, picking up a crumb larger than itself?
We can work out, have great biceps and abs. We can exercise our brains and have great info and knowledge. But supernatural strength comes from the Lord, above and beyond our own abilities.
You are stronger than you think with God’s help and power behind you. It is good to know where our inner strength comes from and who gives us that gift.
So how strong are you? Very, in Christ. And that is good news.
You have the mind of Christ: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Phil 2:15 for, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor 2:16
The Lord gives you wisdom: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
The Lord gives you strength: It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. Psalm 18:32 Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. Is 41:10 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Is 40:29
God gives you His direction: Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Prov 3:6 The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Prov 16:9
In fact ‘greater things you will do’: Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being Ephesians 3:16
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11


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A Sermon Walking Author Unknown
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22).
In 1953, reporters gathered at a Chicago railway station waiting to meet the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner. He was a big man, well over six feet tall, with bushy hair and a large mustache.
Reporters were excited to see him and expressed what an honor it was to meet him. Cameras were flashing, compliments were being expressed when, looking beyond the adulation, the visitor saw an elderly black woman struggling to carry her two large suitcases.
"Excuse me," he said as he went to the aid of this woman. Picking up her cases, he escorted her to a bus and then apologized to the reporters for keeping them waiting.
The man was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary-doctor who had invested his life helping poor and sick people in Africa.
A member of the reception committee remarked to one of the reporters, "That's the first time I ever saw a sermon walking."
The measure of any man or woman is not their name, nor their fame, nor what they say, but what they do. Today, make it your prayer that someone would see you as a "sermon walking".
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!" (James 1:22)

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Don't Look Back by Chad Janey
Genesis 19:26 – But Lot's wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (RSV)
If you are a Christian, then all the sins that you had in your life before your salvation experience have been forgiven and forgotten by God. Unfortunately, as humans, we are not able to forget those sins and remove them from our own minds. We often hold onto the sins of our past, and this often causes us much grief and turmoil in the present. I know that there are past sins in my life that I have been unable to erase from my thoughts and memory. Recalling these sins can often have a very negative impact on my life.
When we look back at the sins in our past we are in danger of having the desire to re-live or re-commit those same sins. After all, we commit sin not because it makes us feel bad, but because it makes us feel good. Sin appeals to and pleases our fleshly and worldly desires. Recalling past sins may also bring back feelings of guilt and shame.
In the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's wife was reduced to a pillar of salt because she looked back. She cast a backwards glance toward the cities of sin, a glance that showed a still-present desire for that sinful place from which she was departing. God was providing freedom and a new life for her, but part of her heart still remained in her sinful past. She was unwilling to completely give up and abandon that past, and thus God brought the same destruction upon her.
While looking back upon our past sins will not likely reduce us to a pillar of salt, it can bring punishment and negative consequences into our lives. Rather than ever looking back, we need always to look upwards toward God. We need to rest in the assurance that God has both forgiven and forgotten our sins, and to remember that we are promised a more abundant life in Him.
Jesus told us that He came into this world that we might have life and have it more abundantly. We can receive much more abundance and joy in our lives by trusting and relying on God than we will ever receive from the sins we commit.
Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for your gifts of abundant grace and forgiveness of our sins. We pray that you will give us the mental and spiritual strength to capture any thoughts or remembrances of past sin and instead focus our thoughts upon you. Amen.

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Peace In Storm by The Vine
He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled. - Mark 6:51
When Jesus comes to us our trouble ceases. At His command the wildest storm instantly becomes calm. The trouble itself may not leave us but it is no longer troublesome when He is with us. The wind may not stop blowing and beat upon our lives but He makes peace within us. It is far better to have so much grace that our hearts can be calm and quiet in the fiercest storm, than to have the storm itself quieted while our hearts remain restless. Peace within is far better than calm without.
In a gallery in Italy there are two pictures side by side by different artists. One represents a sea tossed by storms. Dark clouds hang over it and the lightning-bolts pierce the sky. The angry waves roll in anger. In the turbulent water a dead human face is seen. The other represents a sea similarly storm tossed; but in the middle of the angry waters is a rock. In the rock a gap, or cleft with green plants and flowers and in the middle of these is a dove quietly sitting on her nest.
These two pictures tell the whole story of human life in this world. The first is the story of life without Christ, unblessed by His presence and peace. There is storm everywhere with no shelter. The other picture paints the peace which Christ gives. Life is just as stormy. The waves roll just as high but now there is peace. The rock represents Christ; it is in the cleft of the rock that the peace is found. It is just like the old hymn states:
“Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.”
It is in the redemption of Christ alone that we can have peace. If we take Christ into our boats on the stormy sea, we will ride on in safety through earth's difficulties to heaven's shore.

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Temporary Troubles by Harvest Ministries
"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." — 2 Corinthians 4:18
Adversity prepares us for what God has ahead. God's people will be better off eternally because they suffered temporarily. The tradeoff in eternity will bear this out.
Our troubles won't last forever. As 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, "For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!"
The argument for the greater good may be the strongest biblical case for the whys of human suffering. But it requires great trust on our part. This means that we need to look at our suffering and say, "It will all make sense in eternity, and it will produce something that would not have been there otherwise. So in faith, I am going to accept this truth and wait to see the outcome."
Despite the worst tragedy, God can bring good out of bad. That doesn't mean He makes bad things good. But it does mean that despite bad things, He can bring good. This is an important distinction, because often people are looking for cause and effect. They try to connect the dots: This bad thing happened so this good thing would happen. . . . And this even better thing happened. Now I get it.
Sometimes life works that way. It did for Joseph. After being betrayed by his brothers, he was able to tell them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50:20).
But sometimes we can't see the outcome. Still, "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28).
Ultimately, all things work together for good.

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BLIND TO OUR SIN by Alan Smoth
The following is a true story (though there are some questions about a few of the details). Back in 1893, there was a group of four sisters in Iowa. They called themselves the Cherry Sisters and made their stage debut in Cedar Rapids in a skit they wrote themselves. It was terrible. But, for three years, the Cherry Sisters performed to packed theaters throughout the Midwest. People came to see them to find out if they were as bad as they had heard! Their unbelievably atrocious acting enraged critics and provoked the audience to throw vegetables at the would-be actresses. Wisely, the sisters thought it best to travel with an iron screen which they would erect in front of the stage in self-defense.
Amazingly, in 1896 the girls were offered a thousand dollars a week to perform on Broadway -- not because they were so good, but because they were so unbelievably bad. Seven years later, after the Cherry Sisters had earned what in that day was a respectable fortune of $200,000, they retired from the stage for the peaceful life back on the farm. Oddly enough, these successful Broadway "stars" remained convinced to the end that they were truly the most talented actresses ever to grace the American stage. They never had a clue as to how bad they truly were! They naively believed that the tossed vegetables were either unrestrained tributes to their talent or acts of jealousy by less talented people.
How could they be so blind? I find it all too easy to understand. The truth is, like everyone else, I am blind to many of my shortcomings. I fail to recognize that I have a problem with impatience or lack of compassion or pride. Don't get me wrong -- I have no trouble seeing those faults (and many more as well!) in the lives of people around me. I can readily see how sinful everyone else is. But even when people "toss vegetables" at me, I still insist there's no problem with me.
Jesus had something to say about this to the Pharisees (and of course it's easy for me to see how sinful THEY were!):
"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:3-4)
God, please open my eyes to those things in my life which displease You and keep me from being close to You and others around me. In my times of blindness, help me to see. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
When you push through into new territory, both spiritual and natural, you will have extraordinary experiences and opportunities along with unexpected challenges. These challenges will either be your impetus for growth or will cause frustration and discouragement. Your response to your circumstances will determine whether you will be victorious or victimized. Be strong and courageous, says the Lord. Let Me lead you to victory. 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Get in the river. Let the flow of My Spirit carry you into My purposes for you. You can only do this when you trust Me completely, says the Lord, and when you have established a personal and strong relationship with Me. Don't be afraid of where I might take you because I am for and not against you. You are My dwelling place. Psalms 46:4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.\

You can see a path of expansion before you. Don't obsess about expanding; rather, let Me use My word in and through you to establish a pathway that you will see and follow. Refuse to be in stress or try to control the progression or outcome. Watch and be amazed at how I will direct this great drama that will unfold before you. It will be a production that will be unforgettable. Be My instrument of divine purpose, says the Lord. Isaiah 54:2-3 "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.

I am shining a light on things in you and around you, which have been cloaked in darkness. These are things that you will need to take into consideration before making any significant changes. You desire wisdom, but this goes beyond what you could have imagined, says the Lord. Be willing and open so that you can receive all that is available to you. Psalms 51:6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Rise above the clamor and turmoil in the world around you and see that I have put a fresh hunger in you. This is not a natural hunger but one that can only be satisfied by My word and the revelation that comes from seeking My face, says the Lord. It is as soft as a light breeze and as refreshing as a rain shower, so you will have to be quiet enough to discern this work and yield to it. Come to Me and be renewed. Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
If you can submit yourself to Me in all things, I will be with you in your endeavors. I will go with you until this thing is worked out. I will be one with you and cause those things that you cannot change to come under My order and control so that the outcome will be a benefit to you and not a detriment. Simply believe in that which I am speaking to you. Come into divine order and establish the way of stability by your faith. Watch and be surprised at the outcome of those things that effect you. I will cause them to work for you, says the Lord.

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Keeping in the Now by Rebecca A.
Attitude of gratitude, keeping in the now.
Finding peace in all that be, This I've found is how.
If we can just be grateful, with each breath that He gives.
Then things will just get better, each day He lets us live.
If we complain and we forget that God is in control,
Darkness starts to fill us, deep within our soul.
Projection into future things, that are not yet to be,
Only causes turmoil, of things that we cannot see.
So let us just be grateful in this present, that's a gift.
Our soul will be delighted, our spirits He will lift.
Then others all about us, will see the joy we feel,
and know our Higher Power, is someone very real.

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Simple
by Virginia Santoro
"Simple is really easy to do.
Eliminate what's unnecessary for you.
Keep the things that bring you joy.
Transform the rest as you can best employ.
Pare your life down every day.
Filter out troubles in constructive ways.
Tend to your garden regularly.
Pick out the weeds attentively.
Your wonderful life will be so grand...
Just keep it in check using God's simple plan."

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He's There by Joe Medrek
In the wilderness, and in the desert,
In the valley, or rough places… He’s there.
So speak to the Lord as you walk through each place,
for it’s in each trial that you experience His embrace.

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God Is There by Dorothy C. Deitz
Hours turn into days,
Days turn into years.
Many roads we travel on,
Some with doubts and fears.
Though problems overwhelm us
And tensions fill our day,
There is someone to turn to,
Who will guide us on our way.
He's there in time of trouble,
He's there in deep duress.
You will find that God is near
And is always there to bless.
He's our light in the darkness,
A lamp unto our feet -
Our Lord is always there
To make our day complete.

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Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mark 11:22-25

"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Romans 10:8-13

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions." James 2:18

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17

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All Point's Bulletin by Wayne Rice
Thousands of cars are stolen every year in California, but in 1981, there was one car theft that made all the local papers and was the lead story on the evening news. The police had issued an all-points bulletin to find the missing car and to make contact with the person who stole it.
Why was this car theft getting so much attention? The owner of the stolen car had informed the police that on the front seat of the car was a box of crackers laced with a deadly poison. The car owner had planned to use the crackers as rat bait. So the police were desperately trying to find the thief not to punish him, but to save his life. They were afraid he would eat one of the crackers and die.
In the same way, our Heavenly Father pursues us - not because he wants to punish us but because he wants to save us. You may be running away from God
because - like the car thief - you are a sinner. You have broken God's law.
But what you may not realize is that God is trying to rescue you, not condemn you. The penalty for your sin has been paid by Jesus Christ on the cross, and God wants to give you your freedom. So stop running and turn yourself in. Your life is at stake!
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

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Your Will Author Unknown
During the late 50’s and early 60’s, a man by the name of Bobby Richardson played second base for the NY Yankees. Bobby Richardson was nominated as MVP of the American League nine times. He played in seven All-star Games. He won five Gold Glove Awards. And he was the only man in baseball history to ever win the World Series MVP Award while playing for the losing team.
In the later years of Bobby Richardson’s career, he coached the baseball team at Liberty University. The reason such a great player was willing to coach at a Christian university was because Bobby Richardson was himself a committed follower of Jesus Christ.
During a speech at a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson was called upon to pray and here is his prayer - "Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."
May that be your prayer today. "Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."

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Dear God, God of hope and joy, help us to see that you alone can meet our deepest needs. Help us to see you in all things and to praise you each day, regardless of what the day brings. Keep us from putting off acts of service that will help others and glorify you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
2 Chronicles 32
1 After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem, 3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 5 And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. 6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying, 7 “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 9 After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with him laid siege against Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: ‘In what do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem? 11 Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, “The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, “You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on it”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? 15 Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’” 16 Furthermore, his servants spoke against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters to revile the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.” 18 Then they called out with a loud voice in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take the city. 19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth—the work of men’s hands.
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
20 Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. 21 Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there. 22 Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
Hezekiah Humbles Himself
24 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah’s Wealth and Honor
27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items; 28 storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks. 29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. 30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works. 31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
Death of Hezekiah
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, indeed they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 So Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

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"Dear God, I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.