Be of Good Courage: He Will Strengthen Your Heart

My grandson Gabriel

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and

heard my cry.  Psalm 40:1

A friend asked for prayer for her elderly father, who had undergone exploratory surgery.  She was awaiting the diagnosis.  My heart goes out to her.  I know it is hard to wait, especially under those circumstances.  But waiting is part and parcel with living. 

Wait on the cake to bake, and the soup to cool; wait on the paint to dry and the crops to grow.  Wait on a diagnosis.   Wait on the baby to be born.  We’re all in God’s waiting room.  We trust we will see His goodness because we trust in God's love and infinite wisdom.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Psalm 27: 13 (KJV)

Our human frailty gets the best of us too often, and we wait impatiently, worrying over the outcome, with doubts and fears, practically having a tug of war of wills with God.  His timing seldom matches up with our own.   His ways are not our ways.  But we know it’s a waste of time and strength to run ahead of God or try to force His hand.  In our heart of hearts, we desire His will for our lives.

Don’t lose heart or hope.  Be encouraged.  Submit to God’s will and His perfect timing.  Paul told believers “having done all stand”.  (See Ephesians 6:13)  God’s promises are true and we can trust in His perfect love. 

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the

LORD. Psalm 27: 14 (KJV)

 

 Baby Gabriel this July at the beach

 

Thank you so much for visiting Write Moments with God today.  Whatever you are waiting on today, I pray that His grace and peace will be with you.   

 You are welcome to leave your comments below.  I always love to hear from you.

Compassions New Every Morning and Mercies Never Failing

Photo courtesy of Eileen DeCamp

During my walk this morning, my thoughts were marching right along with my steps.  I’d prayed about many things, and now different concerns were coming to mind.  Not unlike the day before, and the day before that.

Life is a moment by moment on-going process, and the Christian’s walk is a moment by moment choice to take God at His Word. 

Whether today’s struggle is with laundry, or paying the bills, or my waistline, or something much more serious--no matter what today’s struggles--chances are tomorrow will have more concerns and struggles, and maybe many of the same.  There’s nothing new about that.  But, praise God, His compassions are new every morning.

As a Christian, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and a child of God, I can trust God.  He is faithful.  I can count on Him for never failing mercy.   I need to reach out to Him and take advantage of all that He has provided.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22-23 (KJV)

His compassions are new every morning because we need a fresh supply every day.  Like the manna in the desert, God knows it’s a daily necessity for His children.  He understands our hearts, and our minds, and all our concerns and our needs, great and small.

Moment by moment, step by step, He is faithful.  Walk with Him.

Great is thy Faithfulness by William M. Runyan is a beautiful hymn made popular in years past by the Billy Graham crusades.   I hope you’ll enjoy reading this faith-filled affirmation of God’s faithfulness. 

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“

  Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

  “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! 

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/19#ixzz2blKtUiAU

Photo courtesy of Eva Marie Everson

 

Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.  Praise God for His faithfulness as you walk with Him through this day.  You are welcome to leave a comment below.  I always love to hear from you. 

Be Rich in Good Deeds, Generous and Willing to Share

Beautiful photography courtesy of Eileen DeCamp

 

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  1Timothy 6:18 (NIV)

Thinking back now, it seems a bit ironic.  I was sitting in the drive-through at the bank when a shiny luxury sedan caught my eye on the street which runs perpendicular to where I sat. It was followed close behind by another equally beautiful top of the line vehicle, then another, and another.  Just at the moment I surmised there must be a spectacular car show up the road, a motorcycle cop sped along side and another followed at the rear.  I realized then I was watching a funeral procession of someone who had been very rich. 

You’ll have to excuse my irreverence, but I thought “well, you can’t take it with you.”

There won’t be any luxury cars in heaven.  But the fact that the cars caught my eye in the first place probably says something about a preoccupation with appearances and material possessions.  I suppose I like luxury items as much as the next person.  It’s good to remember that ultimately our soul’s estate is all that counts. 

We should let nothing in our lives or our livelihoods put a hold on our relationship with God.  Our relationship with Him is our most important asset.  What’s done for the Lord and His glory will endure, and our treasure will be laid up in Heaven.

In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:19 (NIV)



Jeanne Henriques life on the farm @ collage of life





Good Morning and so glad you are visiting Write Moments with God.  May you take hold of the life that is truly life.  Feel free to leave your thoughts below in the comments section beside the tiny pencil icon.  Blessings to you.

 

Meet Kimberley Payne, this month's featured guest

Kimberley Payne -- motivational speaker and author

The first Monday of every month, I love to introduce to my readers a guest Christian writer.  Today, Kimberley Payne is our guest. Her writings relate to raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences focusing on building a relationship with God. Through her work, Kimberley hopes to inspire people to live their lives to glorify God. 

If you'd like to know more about Kimberley and her work, please visit her website at www.kimberleypayne.com.  Kimberley's books are available as e-books, so she will be giving away a kindle e-book download to one reader who leaves a comment and follows the directions at the bottom of the page.

"Those Closest to Us" is a devotion from her book, Where Life Meets Faith.  This collection of 52 devotional articles, which explore life challenges and building a relationship with God, is a tool for Christians seeking to develop a deeper faith walk.

 

Those Closest To Us 

I remember reading that you become most like the seven people you spend the greatest amount of time with each day. Ten years ago, I commuted to a job forty-five minutes away and spent eight hours with my co-workers. We had staff meetings together, enjoyed lunch together and even shared coffee breaks together. Outside of this, I lived with my husband and had a friend rooming with us in the basement. So these were the most influential people around me, and according to this study, these were the people I would become most like. 

This disturbed me somewhat because I did not respect some of these people. Some had values that I questioned and others had different lifestyles. Yet would I become like them? In the Bible it says, “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26 NIV). I can see the wisdom in this proverb. When I surround myself with Christian people who share my value system, they can urge me on to become a better person. If I esteem and respect those closest to me, I can aspire to be like them.  

I recently took that advice to heart and invited a woman I admire to be my mentor. She accepted and we have started a beautiful relationship. I respect her work as a writer, her values as a Christian, and her skills as a mother. There is much that I can learn from this woman. 

However, there is someone else that I can learn from. Someone who not only understands my sorrows and pains, but who overcame them.  Someone who walked the talk. Someone who was perfect. Jesus.

If I want to be more like Jesus every day, He must be one of the seven people around me daily. Of those seven, He really should be the one I spend the most time with. That’s not too difficult considering that I can call upon Him at any hour, anywhere, for anything. I can talk with Him in the wee hours of the morning or during coffee break or before I close my eyes for sleep. I can read about Him and write to Him. I can join others and study what He has to say in His Book. 

Consider with whom you spend the most time day in and day out. Now consider that these seven people will have the most influence on you. Have you chosen wisely? 

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7NIV).



                                                  Jeanne Henriques ~ Collage of Life

Thank you Kimberley for sharing that devotion with us. It makes me more thoughtful about whom I want to spend my time. I hope readers will leave you a comment below.

In order to qualify for the random drawing of a kindle version of Where Life Meets Faith,  all you need to do is leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win.  If you could take an extra minute more, it would be great if you would share on Facebook or Twitter. You can easily do that by clicking at the bottom of this page where you see those words. 

May God's peace and grace be with you.  Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.

The Kingdom of God is at hand ~ How Will You Respond?

Sardis Methodist Church ~ the first church I attended as a child

Recently I read a chapter from a famous memoir—I won’t mention which one.  The author writes about his childhood experiences as a church-going.  Eventually, he stopped going completely because he never felt the excitement and peace that others exhibited.  He wrote that he never felt “saved”. 

This scenario has stayed on my mind. I’ve wanted to write something for you about this, but struggled with how to write it without sounding “preachy” or superficial.  I know I’m not a preacher;  I just read and study my Bible.  But please bear with me because I will not have peace until I write about this.

This story saddened and disturbed me because apparently intellectually this person believed in God and the Lord Jesus Christ.  He was a silent observer.  Our churches are full of silent observers.  I dare say, countless people sit silently observing in church services and never feel “saved”, never quite get what all the excitement is about. 

I want to make two crucial points which I think of as first steps toward God.

#1

Our emotions have no effect on the reality of God.

Our feelings have no effect on His sovereignty.

Whether I have the faith to move mountains, or I’m as weak as a newborn,

Whether I’m full of joy, or in the throes of sorrow,

God is God; He is still the Great I Am.

#2

We cannot let our emotions (our temperaments, our history/baggage) be a barrier to coming to Christ and accepting Him as our personal Lord and Savior.

God’s sovereignty requires a personal response from each of us.

It is our individual responsibility to actively respond to God’s word and His offer of salvation. 

So, I say, grab hold to Christ’s offer of salvation.  If you believe it, confess it with your mouth.  Ask God to soften your heart and enlighten your mind.  He will and you will be on the way with Him by your side and in your heart.   Please follow the link and read what the Apostle Paul had to say in Romans 10: 8-10.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Romans 10:13

I leave you with Jesus’ words as recorded by Mark:

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.  Mark 1:15

Google image of a Florida sunrise

My sincere thanks to you for visiting Write Moments with God.  Please feel free to leave your comments and add to the discussion.  If you think I have erred in my comments, please let me know.  I appreciate what you have to say.  May God's grace and peace be with you.

Where is My Treasure, My Heart?

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity ~ Augusta, Georgia

A story caught my eye on the internet today regarding a new study which found that “the majority of millionaires don’t consider themselves rich.”  Research also shows that “wealth is relative, especially in a world that is trying to keep up with the Jones’s.”  If you'd like to read more, you can find the article here: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/study-28-percent-millionaires-rich/story?id=19787629

Well, while there is certainly nothing wrong with having wealth and lots of it, the harm lies in becoming consumed in seeking the things of this world rather than the things of God--in pursuing self-serving and selfish gains rather than God’s will for our lives.  I believe it’s good to ask ourselves a few questions.

When is enough, enough?

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  Matthew 6:21 (See Matt.6:19-24)

To shine the spotlight on our “treasure”, we might ask ourselves--

 Where do I spend most of my time, money, and energy? 

What is most on my mind and in my conversations? 

There you will find your treasure.

The following is an excerpt from my devotional, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea, which seems suitable for this mediation.

Jesus’ parable of the rich man is a parable for our times.  This man had so many possessions that he built bigger barns to hold them all—just like we buy bigger homes and put the extra in storage.  Self-satisfied, he said to himself,  Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry (Luke12:19).  The parable continues.  But God said to him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  God calls the man a fool.  This is a warning to us not to lose sight of the condition of our souls while we seek the things of this world. 

Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain (1 Tim. 6:10).  How do we guard ourselves and resist the temptation to become preoccupied with things?  Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is—what is proper, pleasing, and perfect (Rom.12:2).

My Prayer:  Dear Father God, renew my mind so that I may understand Your will and purpose for my work and my possessions.  Help me to lay up treasures in heaven and to concern myself with my soul’s estate. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Backyard garden ~ Collage of Life

 

Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.  I hope you will excuse me for failing to put up as many devotions as usual.  The summer season has been full of family related activities and out of town trips.  Thanks for your continued support.  I appreciate you so much.

Saying Grace ~ Come Boldly before the Throne of Grace



My grandchildren Cammie and Marcus bringing a birthday cake.

 

My grandson Marcus loves to say “Grace” before a meal.  Whether he’s at home, or at my house with a crowd of fifteen, he’s ready to lead.  We all hold  hands and bow our heads.

“God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him for our food, By His hands we are fed; Give us Lord our daily bread.” Amen.

He takes this very seriously—his attitude one of reverence.  We all take note.

And what is grace?  Surely more than a little prayer before a meal. 

The grace of God is a free gift, unmerited favor, and it comes to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  John 1:14

And the greatest act of God’s grace is salvation.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

Abraham Lincoln said, “Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”

I know I'm not self-sufficient.  God forbid that I ever be too proud to pray, even a little child's prayer.  It is by His all sufficient grace that we live.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4: 16



Gardenias from my garden.

 

 

Thank you so much for visiting Write Moments with God.  May His grace and peace be upon you.  Please feel free to write your comments below.  I love to hear from you.