“Be careful for nothing;

but in every thing by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known

unto God.”  

(Philippians 4:6 KJV)

When we go “boldy” to the throne of our Father, which we can do thanks to our Savior whom through His death and resurrection defeated death and offered eternal salvation for the sins of the world, and hence the veil being “ripped in two” from top to bottom, we can in fact, go “boldly” before the throne of the One and only living GOD, our Father.

And, when we go there we should go with confidence and without complaints or murmurings, instead filled with trust, love and surrender of our spirit to His will as we make our requests known.

From our heart, from our inner depths, in thanksgiving, and praise, we approach His throne as we speak to our Father who will listen and turn His ears toward His children when we do so. And in all things according to His will.

God is a powerful force of recognition and His Sovereignty, and omnipotence is ours for the asking–as we approach Him with a humble and contrite heart– in terms of prayer and protection,  and every aspect of what we go through in our life. He will sustain and uphold us according to His timing and according to His will.

But, we must surrender before Him and trust Him. We must love Him and place Him before anything or anyone in our life.  We must do our due diligence in prayer, meditation and living according to His commandments and walking the narrow path of righteousness.

Our Father loves us and wants us to prosper. He wants all good things for us and wants to bless us abundantly in the interim while on this earth as we fulfill His will and plans.

Honor, obey and approach Him boldly. Give thanks and prostrate yourself before Him in humble praise and adoration.

With God in our corner who can be against us?

To our Father be the glory, honor , praise and victory forever and ever. Amen.

Have you visited Him today and shared your heart and requests?

He is  waiting to hear from you.

And, that’s where I’m heading right after this post…

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Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  ( Matthew 7:7 )

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For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:8)

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Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

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“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12

This devotional is going to be  a little personal today, I thought I’d share some thoughts from my heart about my “late Mom.”

This is the first Mother’s Day without my Mom…and to tell you the truth, it’s kind of “yucky!”  I knew that this day would arrive one day, but that doesn’t lessen the sting or ache when it does come.

In Exodus 20:12, the LORD clearly outlines to His children that we “must honor” our Mother and Father, and to do so will reap rewards of a long life, or as long as the LORD deems we stay on earth according to His purpose.

When we honor our parents on earth we are walking in favor with God and giving the Father honor and open reverence by complying with His wishes.  So, when we love our parents, openly, and respectfully, we are not only honoring and loving “them”  we are honoring and loving the LORD our GOD.

I was quite fortunate to have had loving, kind and happy go lucky parents.  They were responsible, caring, devoted to each other and their family, and provided and met our needs on a daily basis.

My parents led by example in terms of morals, scruples and having strong faith while rearing their “three” children.   When I look back at my childhood it’s filled with memories of fun, summer time vacations to the beach, amusement parks, BBQ’s in the backyard, swimming pools, and winter wonderful fun days of building snowmen and drinking hot cocoa.

When I would come in from frolicking in the snow, my feet and nose frigid, my Mom would dry and rub my feet with lotion, and put heavy socks on my feet, and give me hot cocoa with marshmallows and cookies!  Oh, what wonderful times!

I concentrate on my “mom’s part” right now because it’s Mother’s Day.  She was my companion for all things, from my first breath. Up until two days before she died, she was concerned I didn’t receive a birthday card from her and worried where it might have been.  “I mailed it a week ago, I hope you get it”  She was in pain and two days from dying, and she was worried about me and my card!

I was blessed, blessed, blessed beyond explanation, and I had loving parents, thanks be to God, of whom I embrace memories of joy, and collective wisdom in which I was taught.

My beautiful Mom and my Handsome Dad…together again, in Paradise, forever.  I miss them both and will love them forever.  I will respect them all the days of my life, and I embrace their values and their lessons of life they taught me.  They live here on earth in my siblings, my nieces, my nephew, and my heart.  They live on in eternity where I’ll see them again.

Ma, I love you. Thank you for your unconditional love and devotion to all of us,  thanks for the endless games of  Candy Land and Mille Bourne, and for watching those screwball comedies with me.  Thanks for providing everything I needed, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  You were the best Mother any child could hope for, and I was the fortunate one to be your “baby” and your little girl forever more.

Happy Mother’s Day in heaven.  I will love you, always~

Thank you LORD for your grace and love and placing me with the best parents any child could want.

 I LOVE YOU LORD –

All glory and honor to You and You alone.

“The following is a poem dedicated to my beautiful Mom and all of the beautiful Mother’s out there, those living, and to those who have been called home…”

A Mother’s Love~  

A Mother is a life long friend

She’ll love you to the very end.

A Mother is always there

She truly will always care.

A Mother will protect and hold you

Her love is honest open and true.

A Mother’s love is gentle and strong

She will love you even when you’re wrong.

A Mother’s love is baking your favorite dinner

She will love you even if you’re the world’s biggest sinner.

A Mother’s love is timeless and pure

Her smile and charm part of the allure.

A Mother’s love knows nothing about age

Her wisdom and experience will fill many a page.

Most of all we’ll always feel a Mother’s love

even when she is living high above…

 C D Swanson (c)

2016

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God

Psalms 42:1 KJV

When we feel the intense yearning and burning within our souls for the “word’ and “His voice” — we should realize two things.  One, it is a gift from our Father, for it is He who places the desire in our hearts.  And, two—it is a  vital opportunity to be a part of a bigger and better “project” in our lives.

God calls us to do things for His purpose in this life…and then beyond. For now, while we’re here in the flesh, on earth…we have things to accomplish, things to do.   Those reasons for the things we do may not always be clear, but for our Father, there is always a reason of clarity, and purpose.  There is always a connection for something bigger than we see.  Our scope of vision is limited.  Whereas our Father’s vision is untrammeled, His vision goes beyond that which we see or understand.

When our soul pants for Him, keep in mind…it’s His hand of grace that gave the gift to us.  It is for Him that we pant…and it is for Him, we live.

Next time you don’t understand why the LORD is calling you to do something you don’t understand, do it!  Be obedient to His bidding as you serve Him with a willing and loving heart.

Just as one day so long ago I had a “urge” to give a certain amount of money to a church family member.  It was for a specific amount, for a specific individual.  When she was handed the card with the money inside, later on she cried to us, “It was exactly what I needed, the exact amount to pay for a doctor bill for my little girl.”

God knew what this individual needed.  Now, next time you feel the “prompting of the Holy Spirit” telling you to do something you can’t understand, and feel the “yearning in your soul” realize this, “God knows all and He does all for the good of His children, always.”

Thank Him, love Him, and obey Him.  I can say this, there truly is no bigger joy or sense of peace than to do so…

I have become all things to all men

that I might by all means save some.  

(Corinthians 9:22)

God’s glorious light is always shining down upon us. His warmth and capacity to love us is beyond our understanding.

Adversity is a benign enough word, but the true course of its meaning can be staggering to many.  Most individuals will face trials and adversity at some point in their lives.  And the Christian, whose roots are strong in the LORD, will find it easier to cope, than the one without a belief system.

God, His arms, and His love, along with His all-consuming fire, will sustain, and provide for what we need, at all times, no matter what.

In Jesus’ words, “Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” Mathew 7:7

During adversity, an individual’s true light, and character, will be exposed. It is at that point in which the rubber meets the road, and true signs of the “inner spirit will either emerge, or submerge.”

God will never disappoint, and He will never forsake us.  That, in and of itself, is enough to get us through anything, we have going on in our lives, or to be a help to those who need support during a trial.

How sweet, profound,  and comforting to have

the Holy Spirit living in us.

Let your inner spirit shine forth

as we allow the Spirit of God to live in us.

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Father, thank You for Your divine Presence and for being all things to all of us, regardless of our situation in life, You are there, and we thank You for Your love and mercy, always, in Jesus name, Amen.

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Be Still and Know that I am God...

(Psalms 46:10)

Be still.

 Trust in Him and know that He is doing all things for our purpose and our good.

Surrender to Him knowing His hands of grace are upon those who seek Him.

Meditate on His word and know He is the Sovereign God and provider of all our provisions.

Be Still.

Sit back and let God take over.

When we’re tired, forlorn, or in trouble. He will work for us.

He will go before us.

Be Still.

Our redeemer is our Rock and the solid foundation in which we stand.

Be Still.

Wait…wait upon the LORD.

Then, watch, and witness how your life will change.

To God be the glory power and dominion, now and always…Amen!

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The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.  

Psalms 46:11

The entire Bible is pretty powerful and a life source to those of faith.  However, we all have favorite passages from each book of the Bible, or favorite stories.

Isaiah is magnificent in its entirety and so significant to us even today.  The LORD’s promises and His blessings are there for us to grasp and absorb.

There are so many verses of reassurance in this book that it’s difficult to name just a few, but I’ll try by starting with the 41:13.

When I read the above verse I’m immediately filled with awe and peace.  To realize that our Father, our LORD is holding my hand no matter what, is balm for the soul, and makes my heart smile.

He wants us to put Him  in remembrance of His promises too.

Put me in remembrance:

let us plead together: declare thou,

that thou mayest be justified.

Isaiah 43:26 KJV

God wants to protect us with His mercy, His love and His promises.  He is anxious to please us.  But, when we disobey and ignore Him, although He’ll still love us, He will wait until we’re ready to approach Him.

Or, He may “shake us up” so that we fall to our knees to get our attention.

Either way…God loves us.  And the realization is, He’ll neither leave us, nor forsake us. He is the Great I AM I AM…and will be with us forever.

He will protect us from the “enemy” — we’re the apple of His eye.

He will continue to hold us up….even when we’re down.

He’ll pick up us and carry us to safety in His arms and in His care.

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.

Isaiah 41:10

If you don’t know Him…you’re missing out of the greatest love you’ll ever know in this lifetime.  Take the time and read His Word.  Sit down and speak with Him. He is a loving Father whose mercy endures forever. His love is incomprehensible to the mere mortal, but supersedes all that we’ve ever known.

Open His book. Speak to Him and let Him into your heart.

Then let His promises embrace your life and guide your path.

“Father, thank You for holding me, loving me, and guiding me, as You do all of Your children, I love You…all the glory, honor, power, victory and dominion belong to You and You alone, always…in Jesus name,  Amen.”

Many, O LORD my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than they can be numbered. (Psalms 40:5 KJV)

If we were to sit and ponder or meditate each day upon the LORD’s wonderful works we could be enlightened and filled with His peace more and more.

All we have to do is truly “look around” and see His work in everything and anything around us.  Let’s think about the obvious examples like–the skies; the green grass; the beautiful flowers–and exquisite rainbows.

God surrounds us all day long, how about the furniture in your home?  Before it was fashioned into a couch, or coffee table, or a lamp, it was created by God…and then “man” put it together by hand.  But, the materials?  From God.

And, what about our souls?  God created them.  God created us.  His hands brought us into being.  He placed us in our mother’s wombs.  We are who we are because of God.  He, the Master and Creator of the Universe, who made all things, and all things were made by Him, our loving God. Yes, think about   His wonderful works…His wonderful ways…His wonderful love.

When we’re sitting alone sometime during this day, think about all that surrounds you.  The air that swirls about you each day, the aroma of tantalizing food, the birds in the sky…all of it.  Then, think about His love, and why He created us.  His purpose for us in all of this…His plans for us.

He wants us to reinforce His Word each day.  How? By meditating on all He is, by reading, and finally, in living through His Word.

He loves when His children “grow” and bear the fruits of their labor.  We’re able to do this by His grace, His love, and His wonderful works that live on through and in us. The Holy Spirit is within, and He is our supreme comforter for all things, and our guiding force every single day.

Sending us the “Comforter” — it doesn’t get any better than that, does it? That is considered to be one of the most “wonderful works” of all, at least I think so!

“So, Father, we thank You for all of Your wonderful works, and Your hands of grace, and most important, Your love.  We pray that those who know You begin an even deeper walk in their spirituality, and for those who are in the “dark” that they might come to know You and feel Your love and share in eternal rewards, in Jesus name, Amen.”

Psalms 107:21
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  (Luke 2:49 NKJV)

The first words we hear from Christ in the Gospel according to Luke in chapter two, verse forty-nine is  “did you  not know that  I must be about my Father’s business?”   

Jesus Christ was always about on His Father’s business, or to say, His Father’s will and doctrine.  He had a purpose coming to earth as the “Son of man” — and walking among the people.  The Word became flesh and walked among us with a plan of salvation and saving the world from sin. ” And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 KJV)

Jesus throughout His life as “Son of man” came to serve and save, and to obey His Father’s wishes and will.  His last words on the cross were, “It is finished.”  When he accomplished all that He set out to do for humanity, which is to say mankind… He  saved souls in the process.  Jesus finished that which was His Father’s plan and purpose. But up to the His last breath…He was following and doing His Father’s business/plans/purpose.

We too are part of our Father’s plan, and He has a purpose for us  as well.  We, being one with Christ, should adhere to His example by following the Father’s will, and doctrine.

We also should walk the narrow path of righteousness.  Everyday we should be “about our Father’s business” in all things.

The Father’s business could mean smiling at someone, encouraging someone going through a rough time, or comforting someone who’s grieving and lost a loved one, or a friend that needs to talk because they’re lonely, or just needs a caring ear.

It could be so many things, but most important, it means following God and His ways—which includes kindness and love.   We all should be on a path of building each other up in the Word, and His love for all of us.

Following our King of kings, and LORD of lords,  isn’t always easy.  Jesus said it Himself— many of His followers will suffer certain things along the way—however, with Him in our corner, providing His strength, and wisdom, and love, it’ll be easier to get through it all.  And from this, we will ultimately grow in Christianity, humility, and purpose of which He intended for each of us.

So, when our life, and all that we were supposed to accomplish here on earth is through, and we take our last breath going over into eternity…we’ll be able to say, “It is finished…” as the LORD opens up His loving arms to welcome us into Paradise saying, “Well done my child, well done…”

Amen.

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Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

¹⁸ Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

¹⁹ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

²⁰ For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

²¹ Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³ For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

²⁵ But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

James 1:17 – 25 (KJV)