Weekly Spiritual Meditations - January 21

[bluidkiti]

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:4-5

************************************************** *********

Life can be busy and noisy. Take this opportunity to sit still for a moment. Focus your mind on God, and enjoy being in his presence with no agenda.

Sit comfortably with your palms facing downward and clenched in your lap. Unclench your fists as you release to God all that’s on your mind (1 Peter 5:7). Turn your open palms upward when you’re ready to hear from God. Repeat the exercise if you need to!

God can shape us through adversity. As we remain faithful and persevere through difficult circumstances, God is faithful to cultivate in us the character of Christ. By God’s grace, we can emerge from our trials stronger and more conformed to the image of Christ.

As God’s servants we too are called to respond with mercy and to put God’s love into action.

Criticism well offered and received can glorify God. Gracious criticism can help us grow in our work and faith.

I’m never alone; and even if another person does not remind me to breathe, God is always with me assuring me that I can rest. Knowing this, I can relax and breathe in God’s presence.

God is our constant companion and helper.

We receive eternal life because we are God’s children through faith in Christ. We do good works because we appreciate all God has given to us and want others to be blessed as we are.

In difficult times, we can take refuge in God.

The Bible promises us that we have the Lord’s comforting presence with us wherever we go. God delights to hold our hand in the dark places of life, where we feel alone, forgotten, and afraid. Remembering this, we can find the help and comfort we need to return to the light.

Today be a doer of God’s word.

The busier we are the more important it is to put aside time to be with God. We can find strength, protection, guidance, and peace in Bible study and prayer.

************************************************** *********

UNDOING THE DECEIVER by Anabel Gillham
I could do that, too . . . it wouldn’t hurt anything . . .
No, I shouldn’t. But why not?
It’s wrong. Who says it’s wrong?
I would hate myself afterwards. But I’d have such a good time . . .
It wouldn’t hurt to lie just a tad . . I’d get caught.
Lots of people juggle the totals, though . . . That doesn’t make it right.
Who says? Well . . . I don’t think anyone would ever find out . . .
Both of these voices sound very familiar . . . wait a minute. They sound like–why–both of them sound just like me! What’s going on? Are there two “me’s”?
Voices. Two voices.
One voice urges me to do the right thing. The Christ-like thing. The good thing. The thing of integrity.
The other one urges me to do just the opposite. It makes light of being truthful or good or pure, and it certainly doesn’t want to be labeled a “religious, Bible-totin’ fanatic.” Integrity isn’t even in its vocabulary.
And the lights get a little brighter. I begin–just begin–to see what Paul was talking about in Romans 7:21-23: “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.”
To Paul it is a foregone conclusion–without a doubt–that as a Christian I am a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). A new creation! Me, “the one who wishes to do good,” who “joyfully concur[s] with the law of God in the inner man”! I am a person who wishes to do the right thing not only because I think God’s laws are good and just and right, but because those very laws are written on my heart and in my mind (Hebrews 10:16).
But Paul also says there is something in my body–“in the members of my body”–that “wages battle” against my mind, my mind that wants to do good, my mind that is “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). It’s a power called “sin,” he says, and because of it I often “practice the very evil that I do not wish.”
But how can I do hurtful, mean, thoughtless, selfish things and yet be a new creature in Christ at the same time? What’s wrong here? Something unusual is going on. . . Why do I wind up doing the very thing I don’t want to do–sinning?
Because I am deceived.
John called Satan the one “who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Satan is the Deceiver, and he deceives us, the new creations in Christ, the ones who want to do good. Now read this carefully: The power of sin is the messenger boy who carries out the Deceiver’s battle strategy in this war being waged against the law of our minds. And here is how he does it. . . .
The Deceiver’s game plan hinges on deception, and his goal is to keep us from experiencing the life that is ours in Christ, to prevent us at any cost from realizing true peace and victory. For example, I shared with you earlier some verses (facts) from God’s Word concerning your true identity and the power of Christ which lives within you. I have told you that these facts will literally revolutionize your life if you appropriate them.
The Deceiver doesn’t want you to appropriate them, to take them for your own use. He doesn’t want you to walk in these truths. They will bring peace and joy into your life. They will bring you victory. So he wars against the law of your mind, and he does this through your thought-life. His access to your thought-life? Why, through the power of sin “in the members of [your] body.” And he operates by giving you thoughts, almost always with first-person, singular pronouns–I, me, my, myself, and mine.
These thoughts will be disguised as the way you’ve always thought, and the Deceiver’s success comes when you, because the thoughts are so familiar, so “like you,” accept these thoughts as your own. Then and only then does he have you–and you wind up doing what you hate. Thinking what you hate. Believing what you hate.
Do you see that if you’re not aware of his game plan you’ll listen to him and he can convince you of anything? He can convince you that the old you wasn’t really crucified with Christ at all when you asked Him into your heart (Galatians 2:20), or that she has come back to life again: “I’m not a new person! I only have to look at all the garbage in my life to know that. New creation–ha! I don’t even read the Bible that much. I’m not good at my job and I’m not a good wife–I’m more of an embarrassment to my family than anything else. Everyone would be better off without me. . . .”
Examine those statements carefully. Do you see the pronouns? I, my, me. My dear one, these are not your thoughts. A new creation, one with the very mind of Christ, does not–indeed cannot–generate such thoughts. You are not fighting a civil war–the good you against the bad you. No, it’s you–the “righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21)–against “the power of sin waging war against the law of [your] mind and making [you] a prisoner of the law of sin which is in [your] members”!
Now, if you are not responsible for generating these thoughts, where does your accountability come in? When are you responsible? “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body” (Romans 6:12). It’s all in the letting. If you choose with your free will to accept the thoughts submitted by the Deceiver through the power of sin, taking them in as though they were your own, then they become your thoughts and you are responsible for sinning.
My dear one, I know this can seem confusing. But seek Him. Study these pages and put these truths to the test. In these brief paragraphs we have exposed the Deceiver and how he works. We now have the information necessary to intercept his passes. Oh, please understand that you do not have to accept these thoughts any longer. You are a beautiful new creature in Christ, and He longs for you to allow Him to love you, to heal you, to enable you to overcome your past and face your todays and tomorrows–to live!
You see, if you accept this simple theology, you’ll know what to listen for and how to determine where the thoughts are coming from. And you can say, “No! I refuse to let that thought set up shop in my mind!” Obviously you can’t stop the thoughts from coming, but you certainly can stop them from unpacking their suitcases and putting down their bedrolls. So you slam the door and turn up the music so you won’t hear him knock again, and you start singing. (The power of sin doesn’t like to sing praise songs.) You set your mind on the things God tells you to think about–Him, mainly.
You know what will happen? The thought will begin to subside. It will begin to go away. Oh sure, it will probably come back later on, but you will actually have won a battle! You’ll know how it feels to win instead of always losing. In this there is great hope.
After all, that is why He came to us in the first place:
“I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” -- Jeremiah 29:11
Which voice is really yours?

************************************************** *********

A Bigger Frying Pan Author Unknown
Two men went fishing. One man was an experienced fisherman, the other wasn't. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back. The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing this man waste good fish. "Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?" he asked.
The inexperienced fisherman replied, "I only have a small frying pan." Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big jobs, big opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small. We laugh at that fisherman who didn't figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan; yet how ready are we to increase the size of our faith?
Whether it's a problem or a possibility, God will never give you anything bigger than you can handle. That means we can confidently walk into anything God brings our way.
You can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13).
Nothing is too big for God. Stop telling God you've got big problems, but instead tell your problems to a big God!

************************************************** *********

God is Faithful! Author Unknown
In the country of Armenia, in 1988, Samuel and Danielle sent their young son, Armand, off to school. Samuel squatted before his son and looked him in the eye. "Have a good day at school, and remember, no matter what, I’ll always be there for you." They hugged and the boy ran off to school.
Hours later, a powerful earthquake rocked the area. In the midst of the pandemonium, Samuel and Danielle tried to discover what happened to their son but they couldn’t get any information. The radio announced that there were thousands of casualties. Samuel then grabbed his coat and headed for the schoolyard. When he reached the area, what he saw brought tears to his eyes. Armand’s school was a pile of debris. Other parents were standing around crying.
Samuel found the place where Armand’s classroom used to be and began pulling a broken beam off the pile of rubble. He then grabbed a rock and put it to the side, and then grabbed another one.
One of the parents looking on asked, "What are you doing?" "Digging for my son," Samuel answered. The man then said, "You’re just going to make things worse! The building is unstable," and tried to pull Samuel away from his work.
Samuel just kept working. As time wore on, one by one, the other parents left. Then a worker tried to pull Samuel away from the rubble. Samuel looked at him and said, "Won’t you help me?" The worker left and Samuel kept digging.
All through the night and into the next day, Samuel continued digging. Parents placed flowers and pictures of their children on the ruins. But, Samuel just kept working. He picked up a beam and pushed it out of the way when he heard a faint cry. "Help! Help!" Samuel listened but didn’t hear anything again. Then he heard a muffled voice, "Papa?"
Samuel began to dig furiously. Finally he could see his son. "Come on out, son!" he said with relief.
"No," Armand said. "Let the other kids come out first because I know you’ll get me." Child after child emerged until, finally, little Armand appeared. Samuel took him in his arms and Armand said, "I told the other kids not to worry because you told me that you’d always be there for me!"
Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful.
How much more faithful is our heavenly Father! Whether trapped by fallen debris or ensnared by life’s hardships and struggles, we are never cut off from God’s faithfulness. He is true to His character. He is reliable and trustworthy and can always be counted on.
Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations…"
1 Corinthians 1:9 - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Psalm 37:28, "For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever"

************************************************** *********

Good Days. Bad Days. God Is in All Days. by Max Lucado, from God Will Carry You Through
God is in all days
Be still, and know that I am God. — Psalm 46:10 reads the sign on God’s waiting room wall.
You can be glad because God is good.
You can be still because He is active.
You can rest because He is busy...
To wait, biblically speaking, is not to assume the worst, worry, fret, make demands, or take control. Nor is waiting inactivity. It is a sustained effort to stay focused on God through prayer and belief. To wait is to “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;... not fret” (Psalm 37:7).
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. — Isaiah 40:31
Fresh strength. Renewed vigor. Legs that don’t grow weary.
Delight yourself in God, and He will bring rest to your soul.
Glenda’s Story
I had been married for twenty-five years and was the mother of three children. Then, in 1996, life as I knew it in Little Rock, Arkansas, ceased. The divorce was mutual, but hurtful because of his infidelity. I felt a strange kind of freedom and peace when he moved to Tennessee with his new wife. Little did I know the sorrow and despair I would soon face. Our two older children were grown and well on their way in life. Our youngest daughter Heather was thirteen.
We shared court-ordered custody: she was to live with me and have visitations with her father.
In June 1998 Heather’s father picked her up for a three-week visit. She and I had decided to make a new and better life for ourselves by moving to Texas after she returned. But two days before her scheduled return Heather called me. I could tell she had been crying.
She told me she was staying with her father. He had convinced her that a better life was with his new family, not with me.
I couldn’t breathe as I slumped down to the floor.
Heather told me that she loved me and that she would be there in a couple of days to retrieve her things. The next morning at 7:00 my doorbell rang, and I was handed a summons to appear in court: her father and his new wife wanted full custody of my child. I knew they were doing this out of spite, and I also knew that I could not face him when he moved her out of my house. So I moved on to Texas without Heather. My pride and my hurt guided that decision.
Four years passed without much conversation because Heather felt I had abandoned her. She wouldn’t answer my phone calls, or she’d make some hateful remark before she hung up. The pain overwhelmed me, and I despised myself.
I had missed out on seeing my child go on her first date and learn to drive. I hadn’t been able to share all the wonderful “firsts” that we parents witness. And I could no longer hug her. I blamed myself for all of this.
Soon after she graduated from high school, Heather joined the Navy. I knew then that she was gone from me for good. I hadn’t turned to God up to this point, and I didn’t then either. And instead of turning to him, I went down a dark, sin-filled road in an effort to avoid him. But the pain of my sin became unbearable. I got on my knees and asked God to forgive me, and then I forgave myself. Then I felt the love of God fall upon me and enfold me. A new, whole life was now possible. My joy was back.
Then one afternoon the phone rang. I heard a familiar voice say,
“Mom, I want to come home.”
Heather was leaving the Navy. Two days later I hugged my daughter for the first time in four years. That was 2002. God heard my cries and sent Heather home to me. Now, ten years later, God has blessed me with a wonderful son-in-law and three beautiful grandbabies. My daughter gave her life to the Lord and was baptized. Heather and I hug each other a lot now. God carried both of us through a rough and painful four years.
Whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future God has planned for us. — Romans 8:18
What is coming will make sense of what is happening.
Let God finish His work. Let the composer complete His symphony. The forecast is simple.
Good days. Bad days. But God is in all days. He is the Lord of the famine and the feast, and He uses both to accomplish His will.
Your Turn: Do you have a heartbreaking circumstance in your history that you blame yourself for? Is there something awful going on in your life that you just cannot make sense of? Stop and pray for the grace to endure and wait patiently for God (because God is in all the days), to comfort your heart.

************************************************** *********

A Life Worthy of the Calling by Roy Irwin
Have you paid much attention to the coins in your pocket change recently? You might want to take a second look. It is possible that someone reading this right now has a coin of incredible value without even knowing it...
An extremely rare 1943 copper penny, of which only about 40 were ever made, is back in circulation. Normally worth one cent, this particular penny might be worth as much as $500,000 dollars. And you might have it right now!
In 1998, a man from Idaho who had the rare penny in his collection for a number of years accidentally mixed it in with his regular change and spent it. The penny, known as a "wheatie" to coin collectors, has not yet been rediscovered by its new owner...
Almost everyone who hears this story says the same thing - they would NEVER have been so careless.
Never??? History might indicate otherwise...
Many people made a similar mistake when the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was issued a number of years ago. The coins were never well accepted because people were always mistaking them for quarters rather than dollars due to their sizes being the same. People couldn't tell the difference between the two.
Unfortunately, the same thing often happens with Christians and non-Christians. Often the world can't see a difference between the two...
If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, your life IS different! Your life was instantly transformed when you made the decision to follow Christ. Your sins were forgiven! You have eternal life! You became a part of the fellowship of believers - a member of the family of God! We should be the happiest people on the planet and our lives should show it!
The Bible describes it this way in 1 Peter 2:9-10: "But you are God's "chosen generation", his "royal priesthood", his "holy nation", his "peculiar people" - all the old titles of God's people now belong to you. It is for you now to demonstrate the goodness of him who has called you out of darkness into his amazing light. In the past you were not "a people" at all: now you are the people of God. In the past you had no experience of his mercy, but now it is intimately yours." (Phillips Translation)
As citizens of heaven and heirs having the hope of eternal life the Bible urges each of us to "...live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1 (NIV)
In a world filled with darkness, Matthew 5:14 and 16 reminds each of us that "You are the light of the world." "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (NIV)
How about you?
Can the world see a difference in your life? Can they see the change that is a result of having placed your hope in Jesus Christ?
Dear Lord Jesus, may our prayer today be the same as what Paul wrote for the church of Colosse:
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 (NIV) (Psalm 145:21-146:2 NIV)
May we "live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:10b-14 NIV)
Amen.

************************************************** *********

Going Alone by Sally I. Kennedy
God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." Hebrews 13:5
She wasn't much bigger than a pint of peanuts when she got a tricycle. Her dad taught her how to ride it. Next came a bicycle with training wheels. Her dad helped her learn to ride that, too. He stayed by her side, until she was steady and confident. Same thing when the training wheels came off; her dad would run along side the bike to hold it in case she lost her balance.
She did so well when he was right by her side, and was frightened to ride alone. After all, her dad wouldn't be there; she'd be going alone.
Sometimes we are like that young girl. We know our Father is with us; we feel secure and comforted by the fact that He is with us "always". Yet when we launch out, have a new venture, a different direction, we might get timid and fearful. Maybe we feel like we are going it alone.
Just as our Father is with us in smaller things, so is He with us in the bigger things of life. Thank you, Lord, for the promise, that You will never fail us and You will never abandon us. We aren't going alone.

************************************************** *********

Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
You are about to launch out on a brand new beginning, which will be filled with exploration and discovery. You can move ahead when you have sufficiently left the past behind. Refuse to allow anything to hold you back from this exciting and spiritual adventure. Fear is your enemy, and faith is your friend, says the Lord. Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

You have been presented with certain unexpected challenges, which have resulted in a setback. However, this too shall pass. You have not gotten off course, nor has your spiritual focus changed. You will soon fall into a rhythm with a comfortable stride, says the Lord. Just keep pressing through and refuse to get discouraged. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Your persistence in faith and your obedience in action will now begin to pay off. Nothing is impossible to Me, and all things will be possible for you as you walk and live in My Spirit, says the Lord. Be diligent to stay connected and to always seek My face. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The tests that you have endured in recent weeks have prepared you to be stronger than you thought you could be. In all that you have overcome you will find greater clarity that ever. This strength and clarity will serve you well in your spiritual progression. Rejoice in your victory, says the Lord. Habakkuk 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

I will show you things that you need to recognize from your past--things that will reveal a need for correction. But, you must not dwell on times of rejection and reproach, which could cause you to lose heart. Rather, review your life's difficulties objectively with an eye to make adjustments, says the Lord. This is an opportunity for freedom and greater spiritual strength. Revelation 3:19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."

Surround yourself with good things--good people, good spiritual environment, truth, and faith. There are troubling situations around the world, and evil abounds, but you are not of the world. You belong to Me and My kingdom where you can thrive in spite of worldly conditions. Be strong in your convictions and dedication to all that is right and good, says the Lord. John 17:14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."

You are not alone. When you do not know where to go from here or what to do next, all you have to do is ask. Ask Me for wisdom and direction, says the Lord. I am not a God who cannot hear. I see where you are and I know all things about you. You cannot hide from Me. Allow My intervention into your circumstances, and you will have no regrets. James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

************************************************** *********

The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Many of My people are now entering the year of the full circle. You are being brought back to the point of your spiritual beginning. Your obedience and faithfulness has brought you back to the point of origin, the place of beginning and of being. Your spiritual journey has now brought you full circle and into a place of becoming one with Me. This process has qualified you to receive the rewards of your journey, and it will also allow you a new freedom from those things behind you. You may now begin a new spiritual journey into this season of light. Enjoy the journey.

************************************************** *********

THE CROSS IN MY POCKET
I carry a cross in my pocket,
A simple reminder to me
That I am a Christian,
No matter where I may be.
This little cross isn't magic,
Nor is it a good luck charm.
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm.
It's not for identification
For all the world to see.
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.
It reminds me too, to be thankful
For my blessings every day,
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do or say.
When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or a key,
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me.
It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care.
So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding none but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life,
If only I'll let Him be.

************************************************** *********

Simple trusting everyday
Trusting through a stormy way
Even when my faith is small
Trusting Jesus that is all.
Author Unknown

************************************************** *********

We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. - Romans 5:3-4

Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. - James 2:17

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works. Ephesians 2:8-9

Taste and see that the LORD is good. - Psalm 34:8

Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God. - Ephesians 6:10-1

************************************************** *********

When Christ lives within us, He gives us new eyes to see His truth.— Johnny Hunt in God Is Faithful
Eyes Wide Open by Johnny Hunt, from God Is Faithful
He gives us eyes to see His truth
He who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. — 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
You’ve probably seen a stereogram, one of those pictures that contains a second picture that appears if you stare long enough. At first the stereogram may look like some graphic design, and then suddenly a 3-D image jumps out at you. Maybe it’s an animal, a house, or a person’s face.
Spiritual truths can be like that. Plenty of people see without seeing, hear without hearing. After all, in our natural mind we simply can’t comprehend certain spiritual realities. But Jesus gives us new eyes to see. The person who has met Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells sees things differently; they now see what they never saw before.
Several years ago a friend of mine recognized his wickedness and accepted Jesus as his Lord. Early one morning a few days later, he called to his wife. “Quick! Come outside and look at the colors in the sky!” Of course he had seen the sun rise many times, but that day he saw it with new eyes. What a symbol of the work God was doing in his life!
On our own we can never understand the things of God, but when Christ lives within us, He gives us new eyes to see His truth.
Lord Jesus, I praise You for giving me new eyes to see Your truth and a new heart to receive it. May I now use those new eyes to see the people around me the way You see them, that I might reach out with Your love, compassion, and truth.
Your Turn: How has the Lord opened your eyes? Have you experienced suddenly seeing beauty, truth, and God at work when you never noticed it before?

************************************************** *********

Lord, help us to understand that your ways are not like ours. Help us to see that your answer to our prayers may be different from what we thought, but it will be better than we could imagine. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

************************************************** *********

Read Through The Bible
Jeremiah 7
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. 3 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these. 5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? 11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord. 12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. 16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. 17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. 19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. 21 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. 22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. 27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. 28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. 29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. 30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. 32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. 33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. 34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

************************************************** *********

THANK YOU FATHER
Dear God: I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards, I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better, I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me, I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears, I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves, I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet, I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job, I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief,
I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed. I am thanking you right now. I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better. I'm thanking you because Father, you haven't given up on me.

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: https://bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.