Live Boldly
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The Outcome
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. – Daniel 3:17-18 This year started off with a bang. My husband and I were sick from Christmas until a week after New Years. My mother was admitted to the hospital for chest pains the day after New Years and on the same day we received word that my brother’s mother-in-law had passed away from a…
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Have you considered my servant?
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. – Job 1:8 Job’s story gives us an incredible insight into a much bigger picture. He consistently obeyed and trusted God, yet God permitted Satan to attack him in an exceptionally harsh manner. If we look beyond the tragedy we can see that God knew Job. He saw his devotion and heart and knew that there was nothing Satan could do that would change it. He knew that incredible good would come from all that Job would experience. Just think of…
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Totally Devoted
Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. – Job 1:1 Job was a man who lost everything through no fault of his own, yet remained totally devoted to God. While laying in an ash heap, covered with sores he said to his wife, “We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?” While reading Job’s story I was convicted about my own whining when I experience tough days. It all seems so trivial in comparison to the overwhelming loss that he dealt with.…
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He Gave His Word
The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. – Psalm 145:13 As I continue to learn about praying scriptures I am finding a new passion for studying God’s Word. Now when I read the Bible it’s not just for the purpose of learning, but also to pray those same words with understanding, and when I do, it opens up more possibilities than I ever imagined. A quote I read today in the study said, “If we pray with faith, we must anchor our requests in God’s promises. If I am to have faith with I pray, I must find some promise in the Word of God on which…
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Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6 As the New Year was about to begin I took time to think of what it might bring. I thought of the adventures that await, what changes will take place and what challenges are around the corner that I will need to face. In that moment the Lord reminded me of how He created me. He created me to be a planner. Detail oriented. Forward-thinking. Organized. Goal-oriented and driven. All of which requires persistence, focus, and a strong will. All of these also…
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Does life without God look like freedom to you?
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. – Romans 1:24-25 Does life without God look like freedom to you? That was the question posed to me in my bible study today. The notes went on to say, “Defiant freedom from God will confine you forever. There is no worse slavery than slavery to sin.” People tend to believe lies that reinforce their own selfish, personal beliefs. Today, more than ever, we need to be careful…
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Answered prayers through the scenic route
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9 I have been studying about praying scripture over your loved ones for the last several weeks which led to a truth that made me stop and think. Many times our prayers are not answered on our time frame or in the ways that we might prefer. We need to remember that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. The apostle Paul had strongly desired to visit the believers in Rome, but many times the Lord prevented him from…
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Image Bearers
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27 The Lord layed it on my heart to purchase bibles for my granddaughters and read through it with them. The bibles He provided are age appropriate for them and include many interactive suggestions to help them understand and apply His Word. While reading today’s passage the activity was to look in a mirror and speak God’s Word saying, I am created in the image of God. A few weeks later I found some very bedazzeled compact mirrors that I gave the girls so that…
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You Are Who You Are
And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. – Romans 1:6 Doesn’t it feel amazing to belong? We strive to fit in and feel accepted in this world, but our true calling as believers is to know our worth, position and purpose in Christ. The Message translation for today’s verse reads, “You are who you are through the gift and call of Jesus Christ.” Your worth is summed up in the sacrifice that Christ made for you. You are worth dying for! Your position is now an heir of God and co-heir with Christ and your purpose is to be Christ’s ambassador; to witness…
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I Love talking to God about you
Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. – Nehemiah 4:14 We often forget that prayer is our first line of defence and that the battle is the Lords. We fight for our families on our knees and with His Word. Prayer is one of my favorite things. It’s the opportunity to talk with God about anything and everything. I remember before I became a believer, the prayers of two men over my family. I was amazed at the way they prayed as if talking to a dear friend, One with authority and power to bring change. Their…