Bible Break

When we start the day and any little breaks in the day and before we go to sleep, Bible reading with prayer is the best thing ever you can do. It helps you, it brings God close to you, it makes your life richer, it encourages you, it empowers you to help yourself and others, it reminds you of your hope in heaven, it checks your heart and corrects, and so many good things. Here are some brief examples:

Psalm 10:14 “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”

Habakkuk 3:17 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.”

Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”

Remember to read your Bible and pray. It is good and imperitive for your eternal soul and well-being now and later.😃❤️

How We “Know” Anyone

How do we “know” someone? Their words, their silence, their actions? Can we really “know” anyone at all? There are spies and actors whose sole job is to convincingly deceive. There are evil people who stay in a disguise for years and are really the enemy’s pawn. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. So it is in the spiritual realm. The enemy disguises himself as an angel of light. Very convincing but very deceptive, lies are their bread and water and what they exhale. How do you know truth from lie?

Only God knows a person. Only He knows if someone is genuine. And we can know by a few key ways. We can know our Bible. That is the best way; it is black and white what the Scripture says. Also, we ask questions and study for discrepancies or cringes of spirit. We also can ask if Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be born a man to die and rise from the dead and ask if Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. We pray and ask for wisdom and discernment.

I, like most of you, have been hurt a lot. I really only trust God and a very few godly women I have known most of my life. I do not believe God ever comma ds us to trust other people but He does command us to trust Him and love and serve Himself and others. I have found that when I trust God, I can easily serve in love. And the closer I am to Jesus Christ, the more I trust Him and know if someone is His or not.😃❤️

Lining Up Under God’s Will

I still love this billboard that says “God’s Word is His Will”. Nothing could be more true. We can know what God wants us to do by reading His Word and applying it to our life. And this requires some humility, some desire to please and know God better, a relationship growing closer to Christ and salvation through Him. So, lining ourselves under God’s will is first and foremost intentional, an act of the heart and decision of the mind. It does not grow unless you nourish it. You have to want what He wants more than you want what you want. You have to trust that He loves us better and more than we love ourselves and accept His better way. That is the crux of the matter.😃❤️

The Healing Power of Pain

I have written on pain before, sharing from a book I read about a physician who worked with leprous patients overseas. [Leprosy is a degenerative skin disease (easily treated with antibiotics, but they did not know that in Jesus’ ministry days or still don’t in many poor countries today).] The damage comes from a lack of all feeling, including pain, in the extremities. The patient feels no pain.

Oh, that would be wonderful, says many people. In fact, addictions exist originally (most often) to numb pain or perceived pain, to not feel hurt, to escape reality instead of have pain- not knowing that Jesus Christ is the answer and hope/ help is available to heal us to recovery, but I digress.

Yes, feeling no pain would be lovely to non-patients’ eyes. However, would it surprise you to hear that what these patients mournfully complain about is not being disfigured or cast away from society but that they cannot feel pain. It is their biggest cause for mental anguish. They want to feel physical pain! Why? Because pain is good for us. It tells us we are alive. It allows us to quickly move if too close to a fire or pull our hand away if being bit by an insect or starting to be shut in a door. They cannot feel so cannot respond and degradation happens they cannot even feel it. How do you know you are alive if you don’t feel pain? Pain tells us to stop or move or acknowledges your presence. Pain is shared by humanity. It is something we all experience. Lepers miss this aspect of humanity. A lack of pain feels even more isolating and lonely.

I come back to this topic because pain is valuable as a tool for growth in relationship with Jesus Christ and otber people also. Pain allows us to share each others’ burdens and to lift our burdens to Christ for help. This is a bonding experience. When I gave birth to my children, it was painful. I bonded with my children through that pain. Pain bonds us. It is not a fun bonding but it is deep.

Pain also tells you not to do it again. We need these reminders. Pain also can pinpoint where somethi g needs to be done, it is a call to action. This is priceless to protect ourselves and get help from God or a professional or both.

So, don’t be so quick to run away from pain, is what my point is. Bring it to Jesua Christ and seek out healing or remedy, explore where it comes from, get help when and where needed, grow closer to Jesus. The answer is in the truth and healing and relationship with Jesus, not in a temporary bandaid or false promise the lying world has to offer. Look to Jesus. Read the Bible. Pray. Reach out if you want me to pray for you.😃❤️