Jesus is the One thing we all need. Be desperate for a relationship with Him. The triune God: the Creator God, Jesus, His Son and the Holy Spirit, knows how to bring hope and you will be found in Him.
Do you feel lost? Is the busyness of life causing waves of anxiety? The Creator God who placed the heavens and earth, the sun in place and the stars in space, who created the waters and land ( Genesis 1) said “it is good”!
The Lord made you and said “He/ She is my child created in my Image”. He placed the spark of life at conception and our life was formed. He said “you are good” and have a purpose, You are His Masterpiece!! Has anyone ever told you this!!!! ?
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Citipointe Worship released a powerful song “Breathe / Just Give Me Jesus”!! Listen to the lyrics. Bask in the knowledge of His breath in your lungs, His unconditional love for you and for your destiny . You are seen and known by the One who made you.
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:4-6, 8-9 NLT
Just as Jesus knows you, He hears you when you call to Him. Amazing love!
I have heard Jeremiah 33:3, a scripture verse described as an emergency call for wisdom. Since the Lord formed all things He is the place for healing and wisdom.
““This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Jeremiah 33:2-3 NLT
If you’re feeling lost, don’t look for wisdom in social media or on the web, or in any other person on this planet, instead seek wisdom from the Lord. Ask Him any question and He will reveal the answers to you.
Growing up you may have been told, God doesn’t care about you! Whoever said this to you is a liar! Believe in the One who made you!
Taking time to be still, unplug from media, music, television, social media. Distractions and noise must cease so you can hear the voice of your Creator God.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:6-9 NLT
Changing your mindset may take practice but God is patient! Renew your mind in Christ and find peace!
Today’s post is going to include scriptures that will encourage and remind all of us the importance of trusting God‘s Word.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:1-5 NLT
Despite what we see in the natural, the Creator God of the heavens and earth has been with His people since the beginning of time. And His Word is alive like a two-edged sword.
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 NLT
The Word of God is truth and cannot be denied. All of God’s creation, the children of God will come and worship the King of Kings. We cannot understand what’s going on in the world, perhaps what’s going on in our families, perhaps what’s going on in culture, however, we have to trust God. We have to believe in Him above all things.
Distractions abound, and that is the plan of the enemy, the devil. To keep our eyes bouncing from side to side, kind of like a squirrel looking for a nut. But God wants us to fix our eyes on Jesus, and put our eyes on the Word of God, spending time learning the wisdom that comes from above. We can worship Jesus in music that honors Him.
One of my favorite musicians, The Project of Love has many song-lists on Spotify that combine scripture and melody. “Deuteronomy 32, How Glorious is our God” is one of my favorites.
The purpose of being in God‘s Word is so that we are preparing ourselves to stand against the spiritual warfare for the devil will toss it at each one of us.
When Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days, He was the example of how to use Gods’ Word in the battle, Jesus spoke the Word of God to the devil’s requests. Jesus died as the intercessor for each of His children to be the bridge with our Creator God.
Mediation Scriptures:
“Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:1-2 NLT
“O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” Psalms 5:1-3 NLT
“But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.” Psalms 42:8 NLT
“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” Psalms 116:1-2 NLT
It’s important to repent of any sins against God; pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, shame, lies…. Everyone needs to bend your knees and seek Jesus first, repent (turn from sin) and ask Him to guide your steps.
“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. Godly people find life; evil people find death. The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity.” Proverbs 11:2-4, 19-20 NLT
“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” Psalms 51:1-2, 10 NLT
We must realize God loves us, He sent His Son, Jesus because of His love for His children. He is our Good Father, our God disciplines those He loves because He believes in our purpose and our destiny.
“To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.” Proverbs 12:1, 14-16 NLT
He sanctifies; Jesus washes us clean as snow when we come to Him with pure intentions, and we can get a new start.
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NLT
He is the Lord God Almighty, His ways are just and true. He is Holy! He is life. Choose the best life of abundance with Him. Put on the Spiritual Armor found in Ephesians 6.
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT
Our God is marvelous and holy! We must worship Him alone.
“And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”” Revelation 15:3-4 NLT
Worship the One true King, Jesus! No other idols will satisfy. Spend time in His Word ( use a Bible app like Youversion) or a hard copy Bible. Start in the book of John if you are new to this journey. It shares meaningful steps of Jesus and His chosen broken disciples who loved Him. Go with God! You will not regret the time spent preparing for His return.
We all have a journey, every step we take can lead us to good things or every impulsive choice can lead to consequences.
However, every choice can remind us that we don’t have to walk alone. When we fall short of the best steps, we still have a Creator God to seek for wisdom. The Lord wants to help not shame us.
“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.” Isaiah 50:7 NLT
One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6! Trusting in God as a child, teen, young adult, newly married couple, senior adult is the only answer to all lives questions.
Trust Him
When we ask for His wisdom first and step in His ways, life can be a more peaceful existence. However, even when we choose to obey His commands, we will have trials. He promises to never leave or forsake us.
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NLT
There is a comfort in knowing we grow in our faith with Him each time we reach for His answers.
Our willingness to trust in Him before we see the end result is hard for our human need to control. But we can feel Him in the wind, we can see His hand in nature, we can take a breath and His life flows into ours.
Just like Elijah when we take a moment in stillness, God will reveal Himself in a gentle whisper.
““Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12 NLT
Fearing the Lord isn’t about terror it’s about fear and reverent awe that our Creator God is near.
As my husband and I were returning home from our nieces wedding in Salt Lake City, I was pondering a situation that required my trust in God. We were traveling on a two lane highway, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bald eagle perched on a fence in the prairie field. He was facing the highway. It reminded me that God is with me. The Lord knows an eagle is my favorite.
“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.” Isaiah 50:10 NLT
Trust in the Lord! Be still and He will remind you in a personal way that He is with you!
1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
Webster’s definition of work: to exert one’s self for a purpose; to put forth effort for the attainment of an object; to labor; to be engagaed in a performance or task.
We cannot be rewarded without working toward a goal. We need to pay bills to eat, pay rent, enjoy life these are gifts of our labor.
Exodus 5:18 Go, therefore now and work for there will be no straw given you.
Another definition of work: to be effective; to have influence. We can be an influencer using our words and actions for good things or in impulse for poor examples.
Romans 8:28 We know all things work together for good to them that love God.
When I think of work, I think of energy spent for a cause. It can be physical; use of muscles, emotional; as when someone does the work of recovery such as in grief, addiction or mental health, or it can be spiritual; as in working through our faith as a child of God, gaining perspective of Jesus.
All types of work require determination, energy drain and a desire for new perspective. We all are born with purpose. Each of us are created uniquely to use our lives for good things in our sphere of influence.
Life may try to chip away our purpose by things done to us, by our own choices, or just plain circumstances beyond our control. We must stand up, push away the garbage of lies, step away from people who block our purpose and believe that the Lord has better connections (if we are patient) on the horizon.
We must work to discover our purpose, however, we can ask Jesus to show us His plan and then together we can carry the load. We must ask Jesus into our lives. We do not have to go it alone.
The Lord has given us a path to take that isn’t about work, it is about accepting the free gift of Jesus. It is our free choice to take the gift of love, grace, mercy, and eternal connection with Him. Jesus died on the cross for all His children to provide a way for our forever connection to God. It is not a forced relationship, it is our choice.
Open your hand, open your heart and let your soul connect to Him ( Jesus) today. Accept the free gift and let Him guide the labor and connections of your life. He wants to help you carry the burdens. All you have to do is ask Him. Jesus said in the book of Matthew to people who were seeking answers:
Matthew 11: 28 – 30 ” Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
I did a eulogy at my Grandmothers funeral and this is the scripture I shared with my Irish family. I said, “Grandma is no longer struggling to breathe or with Dementia confusion, she is dancing through the Pearly Gates to Jesus.” My family needed to be reminded of the free gift, we all need to be reminded. 🙂
Do you want to decrease your burdens and heavy life load? Do you want the free gift? He promises to be with you if you ask. It takes action, a step of faith. It is between you and Jesus, it is a call to a relationship of love. If you are ready to open your heart it is amazing!!
Repeat after me: Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I want a new life with You. Please forgive my sins of __________________________________. I know You created me for a purpose. I repent ( turn away from the sins that blocked me from you). I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died for my sins. I want You to guide my life my life. Thank you for the free gift of love, grace, and mercy. I am a child of God. Amen.
Be in expectancy for a new sunrise; a new day is dawning. If you have prayed this prayer and honestly seek Jesus He is in your heart. Welcome to the family of God, I rejoice with you.
Letting Jesus guide your life is a daily action step. As humans, we can tend to want to take back control. I am grateful for Jesus. He understands our human conditions. Turn to Him and seek His wisdom. He can be trusted.
Next steps: Take time to discover, by opening the Bible, seek the wisdom of your Creator God. It takes forming a habit to make time daily to read and be instructed. Our ( sin patterns) habits can be hard to break but it will be worth the labor.
Expect there to be interruptions when you try to make new habits seeking God. This isn’t about guilt if you miss a day. It is about restarting again. Jesus does not shame He wants a relationship of love. I have heard it said “habits can take 28 days”. You can be transformed to new beginnings or renewed commitments, new life.
The Book of John, found in the New Testament, of the Bible is a great place to start. As you learn about Jesus and his time with the disciples on earth, you will be moved by his love.
Inspiring Light Through the Cracks 