Romans 8:28
 
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Sometimes we may wonder if we’re doing all we can in order to serve our Father.   In fact, there may be times when we’ve come to a place where we’re basically searching…inwardly and outwardly…according to His will.

“Am I supposed to be doing this?  Am I supposed to be doing that?”  These and other questions might plague our minds in a constant struggle in terms of doing His will.

1 John 5:14

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Or, while speaking with family and friends, they’ll describe their “whirl-wind” day that was akin to a meteor out of control in the Universe, as they breathlessly exclaim: “Oh there are so many things to do in my day, it’s non-stop, I need more time to accomplish my Herculean tasks during the course of my average day!”  The mere description of their day might leave you tired, and in need for a nap.  Or their words perhaps make you feel inferior, or guilty, that you don’t have that much to do…or so you think.  STOP!

When your mind goes there, jump to our Father and His will for your life.

The LORD loves us and knows what we are capable of.

He is the Author of peace and Creator of all things big and small.

He orchestrates the tempo of the seas, and paints the skies.

He is the curator of wild flowers dancing in the wind.

He is the One who loves us so much, that He knows our very thoughts, and the desires of our heart, and what we CAN and CANNOT withstand.

With all of the above in mind…sometimes doing what we are doing is exactly what we SHOULD BE DOING.

Each one of us has different mechanisms ,and capabilities, and different needs in order to thrive…live…and survive. 

He takes all of these into account as He presents us with scenarios in which we can handle.

And in so doing, we are where we should be at any given time…and when we are in “tune” with His Spirit, and surrender to His will, we will be doing all that we should be doing, according to His will, and purpose in our lives.

So, maybe your sister is a whiz at multitasking, and cannot sit still long enough to read a book, or watch a movie…as her motto in life is…“I have so many things to do in a day, I have to keep moving, I have to keep doing, I have to keep at keeping at!”   

Or, your friend is running on empty as she says, “I have a meeting to get to, and I have to call my daughter, and my grandchildren are coming for the holiday, so I have to go shopping, and cook a ten course meal…” while you don’t know how to cook, or have any children at all, and are moving in “slow motion” in comparison to your friends, family and the rest of the world.  Don’t second guess yourself or your life.  Instead, keep the most important Being in mind…our loving Father.

He knows what we can handle.

He knows what is coming into our life and He knows what is happening within seconds of you reading this devotional.

The realization is this:

We each have different qualities and unique aspects to our character that only the Father in Heaven in aware of.  He brings about scenarios in which we can thrive, with HIS HELP, and guidance, and His love we can do it.

We shouldn’t feel condemnation, if we appear to do “less” than a sister, or a friend.

We shouldn’t feel inferior to someone who has a household of children,and grandchildren, when there isn’t any child in your household.

Instead, grasp the meaning behind it all–Appreciate everyone for their unique qualities, and embrace your own individual ways of doing things.  This all comes into and according to the “body of Christ”

We are all a part of His Body.  Some are the hands, others are the feet, some are the eyes, still others are the ears.  And, yet we are all one, each one unable to exist without the other.  All operating for His will and purpose and according to His plan for our lives.

Peace, love, light and life!  All fruits of the Spirit.  All a gift from above.

So, if your tasks today seem mundane, or slow comparatively speaking to others you may know, take this to heart.

God is guiding you to do exactly what you are supposed to be doing right this moment.

Listen to your inner spirit and be led by His very capable hands.

And the next time you listen to the “breathless voice” of a family member, friend, or co-worker go on and on about the agonizing tasks they undertake in any given day, smile and say: “Thank You Lord for giving me my deeds to be done, according to Your will, and purpose, and thank You Lord for giving me just what I can handle, and nothing more, and nothing less,  all glory,honor and praise to You my Father, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Ephesians 4:12 12

To equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

1 Corinthians 12:27 27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Troubles?  

What’s troubling you at this time?

Finances? Relationships? Illness? Stress?

Do you feel tempted by sin?

Are you disturbed and feel you’re being tossed about by a tempest on the high seas?

All of the above?  Perhaps more?

Or, maybe nothing at all during this period of time.

No matter, here’s the good news….He’s with you through it all.

Whatever your circumstances might be, the one constant is the LORD.

His promise, in Hebrews 13:5…. “I’ll never leave you, nor forsake you” are as real today, as they were when He first uttered them.

BE STILL & KNOW I AM GOD — This goes for each and everyone of us during trials, during highs, during all the in-betweens!

Of course, being still goes against our very grain of existence.  In this fast paced world with “so much to accomplish” within 24 hours, it’s often difficult to “Be still” — but to know He is “ordering us” to do so should in fact, be enough for us TO DO SO.

“Be Still”

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

The LORD of Hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our fortress!

The Lord is our source of peace and strength.

He is with us always.

He is whom we are ‘grafted’ onto.

He is the “water” for growth of our roots.

He is the King of the Universe and all things big and small.

Smile through the storm, giving Him glory no matter what.

BE STILL, and surrender to Him.

Trust Him.

Praise Him.

Love Him.

Sit back, and know that HE IS GOD.

And what a GOD we have!

AMEN.

 Isaiah 41:10 NLT

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. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 KJV

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

1 Peter 3:13  

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 

While it’s true that the apostles were put through numerous trials and tribulations, including death, by following His example; and it’s also true that good individuals have suffered persecution, while laboring to do good.  Let’s not lose sight of the meaning behind the verse.

Although we are subject to ridicule and harsh criticism at times, please embrace the reality of the end results of obedience to Him.

What is that?  Simply put…that a life of integrity, and benevolence, is conducive to safety, even in a very wicked world.

But, we can’t do it without HIM.

How?   By being in compliance to His message and Word and doing good, or trying to aspire to a higher realm of spirituality through His guidance, and commandments, we are essentially growing in depth and acceptance of Him through, and by our actions.

But, we can’t do it without HIM.

To take it further, individuals with a pure joy from within, and who live to do the right thing on a daily basis, and who are inherently benevolent by being imitators of God, usually are those who live their lives in a “rainbow perspective” which is to say, they are protected by His perfect peace, His covenant, Gospel, and His love, which is the highest kind of security we could possibly hope for.

But we can’t do it without HIM.

An individual who attempts to  live a holy and pure life every single day,  will invariably work their way through life on earth, safely, all within the confines of His “protective wings” which  ultimately will bring them to their rewards in Heaven.

But we can’t do it without HIM.

Eternal rewards.  How comforting life forever more!

 And it’s all because of HIM.

Thank you Father!

Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV)

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  

John 10:29 KJV

The Father’s love is overwhelmingly apparent in all that He has done since the beginning of time.

For those of you who have a “time line” on Facebook you might be able to take in His significance in this explanation.  No matter how outstanding your time line is in terms of where you’ve been, or what you’ve accomplished, or what you may have done, or what you’ve been through…all those events pales in comparison to our Father’s time line. Have you read the Bible lately?

His omnipotence encompasses the Universe, and blankets the world from the heights of heaven, to the depths of the soil.   His love circumvents, and engulfs  times of grief, and provides a shield to those in need of comfort.

His grace and  mercy offers solace, an umbrella of peace to those who seek His shelter and hands of love.

He is a continuous source of light and joy for all that we do now and always.

The passage from John 10:29,  “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” is a passage that time-and-time again, brings elation, upon realization of its content, and the message it brings forth.  

“No man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand”  Wow!  The Father has us in His hands, and no one, the enemy, evil, man, or otherwise can pluck us or snatch us away.

He loves us, all of us.  He is so pleased when we’re securely rooted in His love and doctrine, following His commandments, and truly love Him, with all of our heart, soul, mind and might, we are in His hands.

We aren’t holding on, instead…He is HOLDING US.   You see that?

He is holding us.  We are not holding Him.  Sure, we seek Him, and want Him in all that we purport to do on a daily basis…but the truth is, no matter who we are, He loves us, and He is holding us.

We have His Spirit encased inside our flesh, and flesh will sin, and can be annoying at times.  Let’s face it.  “I’m hungry.  I want this.  I want that.  I am tired. I am bored.  I’m tempted.”  So on and so forth.  But, through it all, He is holding us!

He loves us despite our impurities.            For He is the pure One.

He loves us despite our imperfections.          For He is the Perfect One.

He loves us despite our insecurities.    For He is Security.

He loves us despite our weakness.          For He is Strength.

He loves us, no matter what.               For He is LOVE.

As we go forward today, think of His hands holding us at this very moment. The force of His love is our everlasting protection.

Give Him honor in all that we do, and praise Him for all that we are, because we are who we are, because of who He is.

Love Him, fully, openly and rejoice as we do so.  There isn’t a better time to tell Him we love Him, then right this moment.

He has us in His hands.

Go on, tell Him how much “you”  love Him. 

He’s listening and will never let you go!

“Father, I thank You for Your love, Your grace, and Your light, and for Your promise of never letting me go,  All glory, and honor, and praise are Yours, my Father, I love You now, and always, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

John 17:10

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Psalm 1:2-3

Rooted in His Word…how glorious and blessed are we to be rooted in our magnificent Father for all the days of our life?

A tree cannot survive without water, nor plants, or farmer’s crops.  Those things…and other living things… need “water” and roots in which to grasp the nutrients in which to feed.  Ostensibly, neither can we…

We need “water” to survive, and nutrients in which to LIVE.

The LORD is our provider for such.

He is our “water” he is our “nurturer.”

He sustains and provides our growth.

When we walk in obedience and honor Him in all we do, and take the time to praise Him and welcome Him in every single aspect of our lives, we are “growing” and our roots are getting deeper and deeper within the rich soil of His love.

He is our everything.

He is our provider.

He is our redeemer.

He is our food.

He is our water.

HE IS…

the Great I AM I AM.  

“Father, I wish to praise Your name, and exalt You, I want to thank You for providing all that we need during our life here on earth, thank You for nourishing us with food and water as we seek Your face and Kingdom, and thank You for loving us by showing us the way, leading us, guiding us, and healing us…in Jesus name, Amen.”

Isaiah 12:3 3

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

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John 7:38-39 38

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

 

And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;

this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning,

so that you should walk in it.

2 John 1:6

The costs of disobedience are always higher than the benefits of pushing through a closed door.

If the Lord has sealed off an opportunity or path,  it’s for your protection. The right response is to wait patiently and be faithful in your current situation.  In time, He’ll either open the doors or windows,  or redirect you to the path that leads to His will for His purpose.

When we give ourselves fully to the LORD we are entrusting Him with our  decisions and therefore allowing full control in our lives.  When we yield to the Holy Spirit we are saying, “Lord I am Yours and I know that You only want what’s best for me. Insomuch, I turn my life over to You and know that You reign now and always.”

As we read the Bible and grow in His word and Spirit…we are becoming smaller as He is getting Bigger in us.  We are allowing the Spirit to be nourished and thereby substantially growth will happen each day in our practice of obedience and love towards our Father.

When we leave Him out of the equation of our circumstances and choices…we are not depending on Him to guide us, lead us, inform us…and touch us deeply with His capacity of Sovereign and Supernatural Power.  The ability to let Him take control of our lives is a submission of yielding to His will and being obedient in the Word.

Meditate, pray…talk to Him.

Seek His face daily.

Spend time with Him alone.

Download His word into your spirit.

Trust in Him fully.

Make all supplication to Him.

Praise Him daily.

And, most of all…love Him with all of your heart, mind, body and soul.  And, know that He alone is LORD!

Amen~

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs3:5-6 NKJV

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (KJV)

11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)

Jesus Christ breathes “LIFE” into us. 

He is the God of lights…and life.  He encourages us.  He doesn’t minister fear or anguish.  When we follow Him and embrace Him and engraft His word in all that we do…we are walking in His ways and therefore able to encourage and uplift one another in His word and love.

Follow God…not man.

We are to encourage each other and bring His light into lives where we can…in Jesus name.

When we encourage and uplift we are proclaiming His glory and being a witness to His Sovereign Power and grace.

As Christians…we are to always have the bread of life in your homes.

We are to put the Gospel Armor on in place.  What is the purpose of that armor?  To stand against the fiery darts of the enemy, who seeks to destroy us.

When you have on the Gospel Armor you will be blessed and protected.

Partaking in encouragement of one another is one of the ways in which we show His glory while wearing the Gospel Armor.

Show your fruits by being in alignment with His will and doctrine.  When we shine His light it becomes an example and those who see it will wonder, “how do I feel that way?  How can I accomplish peace?”  Then the seeds and fruit will grow and those who seek His face will prosper and be blessed.

Today encourage someone along the way.  Give your heart as an example of His heart….a heart filled with love for all of His children.

Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and strength to do all according to His will while being a vessel of compliance for His purpose.

And, remember that “Faith comes by hearing the Word of the LORD” — so listen, hear and speak His word each and everyday of your life thereby assuring your ticket to Eternity and ripe rewards of the afterlife.

But, for now…here on earth, we still have work to do in His name.

Amen!

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Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

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 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 

do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 

Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 

For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 

Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness,[f] if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 

And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 

For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

11:16-24 Romans

3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God![a] Therefore the world does not know us,[b] because it did not know Him.

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1 John 3:1-3 (NKJV)

Father, Your love and magnificence amaze me.

Each day as the sun wakes and bathes the earth with its warmth comes yet another miracle in which You are whom You are.  You are in each and every moment of life and nature and love.

You hear our prayers.

You answer them according to Your will.

You are generous in applying provisions.

You are ever mindful of our needs and desires.

And, You know us best of all…and love us no matter what.

Our Father is worthy to be praised.

Shout and Praise Him!

Today I give thanks to the LORD for bringing my ninety-one year old cousin through a very serious surgery!

Thank You Lord!

Today I give thanks to the LORD for a diagnostic test that went exceedingly well!

Thank You LORD!

And I just want to give thanks to the LORD…because He is who He is!

There have been times where things didn’t turn out as I thought they would.  But, I gave Him glory and gave Him thanks.

Because…He knows things that we don’t and when things don’t turn out the way we thought or wanted, it’s for a reason.  A reason that we might not understand at that particular time…but one in which was according to His plan.

And, God’s plans are always the best plans…and there is always a “hidden rainbow” that will come out in time.  I know…because I’ve experienced it many times myself, or through friends, family and individuals.  And, from my past patients in the nursing home.  I’ve witnessed His glory over and over and over.

Look around and notice our Father in all that you do.  And then give Him thanks…no matter what…no matter the outcome…give Him thanks.

He gets all the glory, honor and praise.

And He gets the victory…always!  Amen!

 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 

1 John 3:24

Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.

Matthew 6:8 KJV

There are times while sitting quietly in my room just needing to be in the presence of the LORD without uttering a word or thought not realizing that I’m in need of anything other than His Spirit.

However, even in the quiet and still moments of my life, He is ever aware of my needs.  He as the scripture above brings to mind, knows what I am in need of before I am even aware of what it is.  Hence, when we pray…we may not have the answer we are expecting because it isn’t necessarily what we NEED, but it is what we “want.”  Our Father knows us so well…

When we contemplate things of past present and future, there is a fine line of repetition that will invariably scan across the landscape of our hearts…which is… “God’s hands of grace” and “His love” that enable us to be all that we are in His name.

As we honor Him and give Him glory and stay focused on HIM and all things above, we undoubtedly become soldiers of importance in His powerful and royal army.  We are able to sustain and uphold up things of which we encounter during the day, evening and wee hours of the morning, that is to say…each second of our lives.

Magnify His name as we go through out day…giving Him all the glory and honor always! 

Oh how sweet His love!

When we grasp the enormous meaning of the scripture above in Matthew 6:8…it should, and WILL bring a sudden and explicable feeling of JOY!

Serving Him.

Honoring Him.

Enjoying Him.

Going to Him for anything and everything.

Oh…Joy!

When we have finished our lives here on earth and enter into His Eternal Kingdom, what greater joy and reward than Our Father embracing us, welcoming us home, and saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant...”  Amen and Amen.   (Matthew 25:21)

He careth for you.  

1 Peter 5:7 

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The times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD. 

Acts 3:19

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For we unto God a sweeet savour of Christ  1

1 Corinthians 2:15 

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