Weekly Spiritual Meditations - October 6

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"If you feel like you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on! Because God's a God of miracles, and He's holding the other end." - Pat Hicks

Our willingness to help meet the needs of others and to respond in faith pleases God.

Our steps may be uncertain; but as we steadily turn our hearts and eyes to God, giving our best, we come to know and love God.

Following God can help us avoid a lot of wrong turns.

God truly loves us and can be trusted to teach us and to guide us.

Come to God daily for fresh faith to share with others.

Our purpose is to live close to God. And when we put off whatever blocks that, God’s purpose will ignite in us.

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He Is Shaping Us Author Unknown
During the Great Depression, there was a man who lost his job, his wife, his home and his fortune. He hung on tightly to the one thing he still had left . . . his faith in God.
One day, he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a church. One of the workers was chiseling a triangular piece of stone. He asked the worker, "What are you going to do with that?"
"See that little opening way up there near the spire?" the worker asked. "Well, I'm shaping this piece of stone down here . . . so it will fit up in there."
As he walked away, tears filled his eyes, for it seemed God had spoken through that worker to explain the ordeal he currently was experiencing: "I'm shaping you down here, so you will fit in up here."
I pray that we will remember to thank the Lord for all the "shaping" He does in our lives, which brings us closer to Him.
"But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father, we are the clay, and Thou our potter; And all of us are the work of Thy hand." (Isaiah 64:8 NASB)

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Praying For Others by Peter Kennedy
"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." - Ephesians 1:15
The Reverend Stuart Holden was the vicar of St. Paul's Church, Portman Square, London. He is best remembered as one of the people who was scheduled to sail on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but missed the trip when his wife became suddenly ill. Reverend Holden was the author of the book "Prevailing Intercessory Prayer", and relates that when he was in Egypt, he met a sergeant in a Highland regiment. "How were you brought to Christ?" the Reverend asked the soldier. The sergeant responded: "There was a private in the same company as myself who had been converted in Malta , and I gave him a terrible time. I remember one night in particular when it was very rainy and he came in wet and weary from sentry duty. Yet, as usual, he still got down on his knees before going to bed. My boots were covered in mud and I threw them both at him and hit him twice on the head. He kept kneeling and praying. The next morning when I woke up I found my boots beautifully cleaned and polished at my bedside. This was his reply to me and it broke my heart. That day I was brought to repentance."
Prayer makes a difference because our Heavenly Father answers prayer. Today in prayer, thank Jesus for the privilege of prayer and pray for the needs of others.
“Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons; but they are helpless against our prayers.” – J. Sidlow Baxter
God's Word: "After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before." - Job 42:10

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Encourage Someone Today by Alan Smith
I heard of a young student, attending a preaching school, who went home for Christmas break. A horrible snowstorm stranded the regular minister in another town where he had been visiting a member in the hospital. The leaders of the congregation asked the young man to substitute for the regular minister.
The young preacher started his sermon by explaining the meaning of a substitute. "If you break a window," he said, "and then place a piece of plywood over the hole -- that's a substitute."
After the sermon, a well-intentioned woman wished to compliment the young man. As she enthusiastically shook his hand, she said: "You were no substitute. You were a real pane!"
Ever gotten a compliment like that, where you went away scratching your head wondering how to take it?
It's easy to assume the worst. We live in a world where people are more often inclined to put you down than to lift you up, where they would rather ridicule you than encourage you.
Be different! Make it a point to say something encouraging to someone today, and do it in such a way that there will be no doubt as to your intention.
"Exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today'..." (Hebrews 3:13a).

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND REAL HEALING - Daily Living For Seniors
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his lovefor those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so farhas he removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:11-12
A drunken husband snuck up the stairs quietly one evening as hiswife was sleeping. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandagedthe bumps and bruises he’d received in a fight earlier that night. He doctored himself up, then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he’d pulled one over on his wife.
When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. “You were drunk last night weren’t you!” “No, honey. I wasn’t.” “Well, if you weren’t, then who put all the Band-Aids on the bathroom mirror?”
Many people today are much like that husband. They look into the mirror of their lives, see their scars, and do the best they can to bandage themselves up, replacing “bad behavior” with “good behavior.” But the reality is when they do that, they’re simply putting bandages on a mirror and doing nothing to really heal the sin in their lives.
But in Christ, you have a whole hospital of spiritual healing at your disposal that takes the sin in your lives and doesn’t just hide it, but separates it from you as far as the east is from the west. So instead of just trying to be a “good person” trust fully in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and experience healing in His name!
Prayer Challenge - Ask God to help you get beyond just being a “good person” to fully trusting in the forgiveness Christ offers from sin.
Questions for Thought - What are some sins in your life you’ve tried to cover up just by being a “good person”?
How does it make you feel to know that your forgiveness isn’t based on your performance, but on Christ’s finished work on the cross?

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GOD IS WORKING IN YOUR SITUATION by Bob & Debby Gass
'...Who works out everything in agreement with...His...will.' Ephesians 1:11 AMP
WA Criswell noted that before a stone was laid in St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren saw it in his mind. Before he struck a chisel against marble, Michelangelo saw the mighty Moses and purposed it in his heart.
Why should it surprise us then that the designer and architect of the universe should have a plan and purpose for His creation? The
Psalmist said, '...you wove me [together] in my mother's womb' (Psalm 139:13 NAS). Before you were even conceived God considered everything that could affect your life, including '...the course of world events...' Daniel 2:21 NLT), decisions of political leaders (Proverbs 21:1), and how much hair you'd have (Luke 12:7). Think about that when you're having a bad hair day!
Dr. Robert Jeffress says: 'God's design not only includes circumstances beyond your control, but those you assume are under your control. You may think you're in charge of your time, the route you drive to work, the items you purchase at the supermarket but 'the Lord decides what a person will do' (Proverbs 20:24 NCV). All your choices, not just the good ones. Somehow God was able to use the moral failure of others to accomplish His plan. And if He can use other people's mistakes for good, why are we surprised that He can use our mistakes to achieve His purpose? It's a mind-boggling thought and one that offers hope to anyone who has failed.'

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Old Water by Brad Reeves
My daughter scowled. “Is this old water?” she asked. Before carrying bottled water was common, we kept plastic water canteens in our car as we traveled the long distances between towns in West Texas and eastern New Mexico. However, when we did not replace the water for a while, what had once been refreshing began to taste like stale plastic. My daughter, wanting refreshment, refused to drink old water.
As with the old water in our canteens, many times we offer to our friends, fellow Christians, and even ourselves the old work of God in our lives. Our relationship with God was fresh — once, but it has become stale. Yes, there might be enough power still there to save someone who is about to die of spiritual thirst. But our faith is not vibrant, refreshing Living Water.
When my relationship with God goes stale, it first shows inside me. I begin to refer to my experience with God in the past tense, and I feel discontent. Then the staleness shows in the way I interact with my family, friends, and acquaintances. I am less at peace, less patient, and more irritable. At these times I need to pray, read the Bible, and ask the Holy Spirit to examine me for sin. My connection with God can become fresh again as I read a devotional book, serve others in Jesus’ name, and worship.

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YOU ARE NOT ALONE Author Unknown
"God will never leave you or forsake you"
The last words that Jesus shared with his disciples before he ascended into heaven are recorded in Matthew 28:20, “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”
In Hebrews 13:5, God promises "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!" Other translations say, “I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.”
I want to break this verse apart for you and look at three main words in this verse from the original Greek.
1) First, what does God mean when he says “Never”?
He means forever never.
In the original language "never" is really a compounding of five negatives. Five negatives. In the Greek, each negative is multiplied by the other negatives. In other words, the original Greek reads like this - "I will never, no, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you!"
It's a forever never which has no exceptions! "I will never, no, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you!" Wow! What a promise!!!
But that’s just part of this verse...
2) The second major word is “leave”.
What does the word “leave” mean? In the original Greek, it means "to leave behind, to abandon, to give up on, to send back." So then, so far our verse reads like this: "I will never, no not ever, no never leave you behind, abandon you, give up on you, or send you back!"
3) The third major word is the word, “Forsake”
What does “forsake”mean? It means, "to leave one in a helpless state, to disregard ." It also means "not relaxing my watchfulness over you."
So, to fully understand this verse and the three major words in this verse, here is the way it would read when fully expanded from the original Greek..
"I will never, no not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, leave you helpless, nor will I ever relax in my faithfulness in keeping watch over you!
What a verse. What a promise. What a powerful reminder of God’s promise to us.

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God's Deliverance Author Unknown
"He delivered us...
He will deliver us...
He will continue to deliver us..." (2 Corinthians 1:10)
I quit!
I've tried my best to live
as God expects me to,
as my family expects me to...
I want to do the best, but I always fail.
I give up!
There's no use trying!
I just fail...
I?
Rely not on yourselves, but on God...
"He delivered us,
He will deliver us,
He will continue to deliver us..."
Again and again and again,
like food,
like sleep
so God will give us strength every day.

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Release your worries and concerns to Me, says the Lord. I speak of the things that nag at you and drag you down into carnal thinking. I would have you soar in the Spirit, to find freedom and joy from that which is a constant annoyance to your well-being. Make a deliberate choice to let go and trust Me, for I am assuredly with you to help you overcome every setback. Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

You have been in a transitional phase for some time, but I tell you now that today marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. You have had trials and tribulations, victories and defeat. You have learned great lessons through your circumstances that will serve you well. You've been shaken by change, dismayed at the results of poor decisions, and at times have felt at a loss for direction. It is time to leave the past behind and step into a new day in which I will pour out wisdom. I will direct your steps. I will strengthen you and give you new hope, says the Lord.
Hebrews 12:27 Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

I kept hearing the word breakout in my spirit, and the Lord said: This is an opportune time to break free from bondages that have kept you from the liberty, both spiritually and physically, that I have intended. I have released a special anointing for this purpose, but you must choose to take advantage of this time to be done with things that have held you in captivity. John 8:36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Be aware that the devil has sent his marauding band to not only plunder but to create confusion among you, My people. You must set a watch and not allow the thief to steal your goods, your health, or your peace. Refuse the temptation to get distracted or to be diverted from your purposes in Me, says the Lord. I have given you power to resist and bind the power of the enemy and every attempt to take you off course. Rise up and take back what has been stolen. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Beloved, do not overreact to negative circumstances that come up before your face. You will be tested in ways that will reveal the things in your nature that need to be overcome. This is a good thing, for I am fine tuning you so that you will become stronger spiritually. Your transformation into My image will be by the renewing of your mind, or changing your mind about your responses to difficulty, says the Lord. Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
I’m calling to you today. This is a moment in time when the depth of My Spirit calls to the depth of your spirit. It is a time of preparation, a time of expectation. Indeed, it is a new era. I am bringing forth the power of My church and it shall be seen and it shall be witnessed in the whole of the earth. For, many do not think I have a people, but I say to you that I have always had a people. I’ve had a few hidden away here in small places, a few hidden away there in small places. But, My voice is now calling to those who belong to Me, calling you out of the world, calling you out of the power of your own self destruction, calling you into the kingdom of light and life. I am calling you to walk with angels and to see beyond the natural. For, I have opened wide the double doors on the valley of vision and I am sending My people forth that you may see, hear and understand Me and My purposes for each one in this time frame. Let the hallelujah’s rise up within your spirit in the night vision. Let the amen’s come forth as I come to bear witness to your spirit. Do not deny Me for you belong to Me. You have been bought with a price, the price of the blood of Christ. You do not belong to the world. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. You are those who have been saved for this, the end of the age, so that I can demonstrate through you the power of My kingdom, says the Holy Lord God Almighty.

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O To Be Nothing by G. M. Taylor
O to be nothing—nothing!
Only to lie at His feet
A broken and emptied vessel,
For the Master’s use meet!
Emptied that He may fill me,
As forth to His service I go;
Broken that so, unhindered,
Through me His life may flow.
O to be nothing—nothing!
An arrow, His, in His hand,
Or a messenger at His gateway,
Waiting for His command;
Only an instrument, ready
For Him to use at His will,
And willing, should He not require me,
In patience to wait on Him still.

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Patterns Author Unknown
The pattern is plain in a spider’s web,
In a poplar’s balanced grace,
In the gold and brown of a butterfly’s wing,
And a fern of fragile lace.
The moon must follow an ordained course,
And the rhythmic tides that roll;
Would the Master Designer overlook
A plan for a human soul?

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You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

In all your ways submit to [the Lord], and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. 20 The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. 21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. Isaiah 43:18-21

25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25

"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. Mark 11:23

Do not let us grow tired of doing good; we shall reap a splendid harvest at the proper time if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

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Simple Rest by Julene Uganecz
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Magazine headlines often talk about simplicity and rest. The ideal is there inside the beautiful pages – to carve out more time for what is most important – but in reality, this goal is so hard to reach. Why is it that measurable tasks (such as receiving a university degree, raising seven children, or running a marathon) can seem more attainable than simplicity and rest?
One humid rainy morning while out on a run on our Indonesian street, I saw a beautiful sight. Since it was wet outside, the road was clearer than normal because in Indonesian culture they do not like rain. Many of those who were out traveling to work or school by motorbike were decked out in large ponchos.
A certain motorbike caught my eye: a father was taking his child to school. But I could not see the child. All I saw was the father, wearing a poncho, and the child’s legs were poking out behind him from underneath the poncho. The child had hopped onto the motorbike behind her father, and the father had draped the back of his poncho over his child. This is how the father took his child to school. The child could not see where she was going, but she rested in the dark shadow of her father’s poncho … because the father knew where he was going.
Don’t we desire this sort of rest, this child-like life of simply trusting? Are you tired of madly driving through life, failing to rest? Are you weary from stress and missing out on what is truly important? Carve out time today and sit on your Father’s lap. He has something to tell you. Turn off the radio, TV, and phone. Sit in silence. Open His word. Pray. Tell Him about the burdens you’re carrying.
Jesus invites us to come and find rest for our weary souls in Him. Unlike the burdens of this world, Jesus’ yoke is simple. Jesus provides rest. Like the child sheltered by her father’s rain poncho, we too can rest under the Heavenly Father’s wings … for He knows where He is going.
Father, Thank you for your promise to take care of my burdens. Forgive me for being filled with stress and anxiety. Help me to trust you with my worries and cares. Amen.
Question: What burdens do you need to give to the Lord today?

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Dear God, help us live so that others can see your spirit at work in us. Help us to always be willing to share what you give us with others. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
Psalm 107
1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. 7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. 10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; 11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. 13 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. 15 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 16 For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. 17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. 18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. 19 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. 20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. 23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. 28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 33 He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. 36 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; 37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. 38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. 39 Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. 40 He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. 41 Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. 42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. 43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

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Dear God, we thank you for being near to us. May we seek you and, throughout our lives, submit ourselves to you and love you. Show us how to keep our relationship with you fresh. Amen.

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.