“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:

because greater is He that is in you,

than he that is in the world.”

1 John 4:4 KJV

Christ and His Holy Spirit dwells in the believer.  The verse in 1 John 4:4 has always been such a powerful one for me.  It really brings such peace and joy to understand the full message in which it states.

We are children of the mighty Sovereign God!  

We are children of a King!

Sometimes it truly blows me away to think that I…a mere mortal who falls short, as most of us do…belongs to royalty!

But, then not only are we heirs to a King…we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, and this Great One is Greater than the one in the world today.

God sent us the comforter and through Christ we can harness the power to thwart any evil that comes our way.  It’s sort of like having “feathers” akin to a duckling.   The water seemingly rolls off its back and doesn’t stay on the feathers.  So too is the faithful followers who have the Holy Spirit in them, the “worldly” actions and darts will bounce and roll off of God’s children.

Our weapons of defense…(Gospel Armor) and the presence of the Holy Spirit will shield us, and lead us out of temptation and deliver us from evil.

Trust in Him.

Love Him.

Follow Him.

Let Him hold your hand and guide you.

Understand that by being a believer, and placing our entire heart in His hands, we are being cared for by Royalty of the Highest, and most purest form…and loved by a King.

Here’s my hand LORD!

“Father how thankful we are to be protected and guided by You and Your hands of grace, thank You for Your love, and for Your promises, in Jesus name, Amen.”

Whether therefore ye eat,

or drink,

or whatsoever ye do,

do all to the glory of God.”

(1 Corinthians 10:31 KJV)

Serving others is a blessing, in fact if we are followers of Christ, we are called to serve. As Jesus states in Matthew 20:28 “Just as the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve…and to give His life as a ransom to many.”  Giving of Himself, and helping others is a prime example and a role in which Jesus lived His ministry–to serve.  Of course, providing miracles and those witnessing His extraordinary life goes hand-in-hand with our magnificent Savior.

But, serving is truly a blessing that we’re all called to.  Helping others is honoring God, and to which we’re inherently a big part of, that is if we take on the duties of a Christian soldier.  Jesus is very clear in outlining His plan and expresses it beautifully in Matthew 25:35-40:

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

In all we do, whatever we go, we need to do it all for the Glory of God.  When we serve we are blessed. It has been said by experts that one of the biggest components of a failed relationship is “selfishness.”  Conversely, the opposite of failed relationships, is “successful” relationships…and that would be to “give of oneself” un-selfishly.  When we do so we reap rewards of “hearty” relationships.  In other words, the foundation for thriving relationships is giving of oneself in an unconditional way to promote the well being of others.  Which is what Jesus did in a much bigger and grandiose way.  But, the “lesson is  of giving and serving”  all to the Glory of God.

We’re servants and therefore ministers to God.  To serve is to minister…to minister…is to be a servant…and a servant of God is to honor Him and His doctrine while providing His will in which He purposes us to live.

God shaped us and wired us to serve.  He created us for a purpose and much of that is to serve others…as Jesus wants us to. Being Christlike is to bless others, and to bless others is to serve and to give of ourselves.  When we do, it is a blessing and God will bless us for it.  As a matter of fact our cup will run over, for we cannot out-give God…He will always top us in terms of blessings.

And serving is different for each of us.  We’re all called to serve through different gifts.  Some of us may have a ministry reaching out to others by writing, others offering an ear or godly counsel, still others by being missionaries or clergy.  Whatever it is that we’re called to do it is for God we do it.

When we do all of which we do…we must do so by giving God the victory and all the glory, always. When we do, we’ll see God on the move.  How do we know God is on the move?

When we see others serving…we know God is on the move.

When we see someone dropping to their knees…we know God is on the move.

When someone is moved and saved...we know God is on the move.

When someone is smiling at someone or encouraging someone...we know God is on the move.

God is on the move…have you moved Him lately?

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD,

that I will send a famine in the land,

not a famine of bread,

nor a thirst for water,

but of hearing the words of the LORD:”

 AMOS 8:11  (KJV)

It is written that in end tmes there will be a great famine.

As those who are deep in their faith already know, the “famine” referred to in the Bible is not for sustenance in terms of actual food, but for the Word of God.

By the strong statement from God in Amos 8:11 so depicts, it will be  a sign of the times.  As in most troubled times a famine of the very Word will be difficult and hard to bear for those who long for it.

Ostensibly, to the majority of His children, there won’t be anything felt from the lack of His Word.  But, to the those who have a heart for God, and follow diligently in all their days, they will feel the famine deeply.

Some of His children will travel far and search to hear a good sermon. They will long to hear the Word of the Lord being delivered.  It is this group of Children who will yearn for His Word always.  But for those who foolishly sin away, they more than likely won’t even feel the “lack of the Word” they will be oblivious to the “changing times.”

Those who write the commandments in their hearts, Psalms 119:11…will have it with them always.

Those who know the Word will be able to see, and recognize, “false prophets” as Jesus warned us…be  aware of false prophets.

Those who have the Word sealed in their minds, heart and soul,  will be able to readily “pull from the Word” anytime of the day.

Those who know His voice will be able to “hold it up” against any false message. They will be able to meditate upon it daily…anywhere, anytime.

Let those who know the Word be blessed, and value their blessings, and gifts from God, who opened eyes, and ears.  Let us pray for those who walk in “darkness” in terms of “ignorance” of the Word.  Let us pray for a restoration, and for the LORD to bring the gift of sight and hearing leading to  awareness, and pray for a healing of our land.

Drink the water of life, feast on the Word of the LORD.  

It is promised by God if you drink His water and eat His daily bread , you will Thirst and hunger no more…

Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

  Proverbs 8:10 -17 KJV

Wisdom and Prudence go hand-in-hand. They are synonymous with one another. Truly you can’t possess wisdom without prudence.  Throughout the Bible there are continuous references to both. Wisdom and prudence are like two peas in a pod…can’t have one without the other.

In Proverbs wisdom is referred to many times, and King Solomon, the wisest of all kings speaks about it fluently in this book of comparisons.  The doctrine of God is seen and contrasted in this book so wisely stated by King Solomon–whom God gifted and therefore enabled him to share these pearls of wisdom.

This book enlists us to make wise decisions in life, which again, is a gift of the LORD.  Wisdom hates evil, God hates evil.  When we seek wisdom…we’re seeking the LORD and all that encompasses.

The LORD says in Amos 5:4 –  “For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:”   This speaks of a “spiritual death”  When we seek the LORD we are going to LIVE, as in forever.  When we do not seek and find the LORD, we are going to perish…die…spiritually.  The second death…the finality.

Wisdom and prudence will get us through everyday issues in this life…and will provide greater rewards when we’re called “home” — To listen and apply the “fruits of the Spirit” by the indwelling spirit from within, we’re going to be successful and peace will be plentiful.

Read about wisdom and God’s doctrine in His Holy Bible…it will bring a whole new perspective to your outlook and roads in life.

“Thank you LORD for Your gifts and guidance, thank You for Your love and support for Your children who follow you so judiciously, and thank You for being You… in Jesus name…Amen”

“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.”