Friday Devotional...I Don’t Know Why...

                                                  ....but I know I’ll find out by and by

To me there is nothing more touching than a heartfelt Soul Gospel Song. The words to this song, "I Don’t Know Why", touches me to the core, and I believe any one that will listen to this song will surrender all their cares to the Lord. Some of the lyrics are:

•  I don’t know why I have to cry some times
•  I don’t know why I have to sigh sometimes
•  I don’t know why, but I’ll find out when I die.
•  I don’t know why I stand in need some times
•   I don’t know why Lord my poor heart bleeds some times
•  But I know there’s gonna be a perfect day that troubles will get outa my way
•  I don’t know why, but I’ll find out when I die 
•  You know the Lord …he moves in mysterious ways
•  I don’t know why some things happen to me
•  But I know I’ll find out by and by

I think I’m gonna shout!

Please click on this link!
             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2MbtOeoWaM&feature=related

Written and shared by: Glenna Williamson

9/6/12...Thursday Devotional...My Fine Whine

I had a sudden realization the other day while I was driving and whining to God at the same time. I realized that I whine a lot! I’ve always considered it good manners to keep whining to a minimum. But I had been on a huge roll of feeling so sorry for myself and whining to God about how sad, lonely, and difficult my life felt like at that moment. I will also admit I was asking God to please change the people in my life and make them better. By better, of course, I meant better to me. I am such a selfish creature. It is never more obvious to me than when God stops me in mid prayer, and says “It is not my purpose to make everything comfortable for you.”

Ouch! That was direct and to the point! Now don’t feel too sorry or mortified for me. I would rather be corrected by the One who loves me better than I love myself than be allowed to stay in my personal place of pity. It has been like getting a new pair of glasses and looking about me wondering how I could have been so easily distracted.

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

 New Living Translation (NLT)

Accept the way God does things,

for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

Enjoy prosperity while you can,

but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.

Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

James 3:16-18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion)

and all sorts of evil and vile practices.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is

peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield

to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted

and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts,

wavering, and insincerity).

And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for

and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace

which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals,

with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears

and agitating passions and moral conflicts].

Dear Lord, I thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You for gently drawing my attention off of myself. I love You and desire to live with my heart and mind focused on You. I desire to let go of figuring out why and just taking things as they come and trusting You to handle and sift all things according to Your plans. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Wednesday Devpotional...As a Deer Pants for the Water...

                                                                               ... "My Soul Pants For You God"

Have you ever experienced such incredible thirst for water to the point of possibly even panting after it? That is exactly how it describes the deers panting after the water brooks and how our Lord wants us to express an urgency to be with Him. Let me share it out of ...

Psalm 42:1-2...

 "As the deer pants

for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God.

When shall I come and
appear before God?"

As the deer pants for the water brooks,  our God desires our soul to pant after Him as well. God wants to be our everything and he wants us to long to be with Him our every waking hour, thirsting and hungering after Him with abundant exuberance!

As we pant and thirst with extreme zealousness after Him, we will truly experience an overflow of His love and presence and rich satisfaction just being with our Abba Daddy!

In His Outrageous Love,
Sandy Billingham

Tuesday Devotional...JESUS CALLING...

                                         ...IMPACTFUL WORDS TO READ EVERY DAY   

Last May at a retreat ror writers that I had organized I received a wonderful gift from one of the atendees, my friend Paula. She gave me a book that I want to tell you about this morning. It is JESUS CALLING by Sarah Young. It has changed how I thought throughout my days. I have always prayed and read the Bible. Still this wonderful book helps you tweak your thinking. You will probably say that God speaks to you on a daily basis. I agree. It comes in the words of others, songs we hear and sing, ideas we get, heartfelt feelings, and countless other ways. So what is different about JESUS CALLING?

Here is why this is different. This book is written as if Jesus wrote it. He speaks to you daily reminding you things like whispering His name frequently throughout the day, knowing that He is constantly present, trusting that He has our welfare in His mind even if we do not always get what we hope for and pray for. You may say I know all these things. I, too, have faith and know these things. However, somehow it is different when you start your day reading devotionals that are written as if Jesus is talking...talking to you personally and almost audibly. It is a different and powerful tweak on hearing from Jesus. Also, every day there are three scriptures to look up that support what Jesus has been saying.

Since I have started reading this book daily, I wake up and immediately think, "Jesus is calling me." My response is to think, "Good morning, Jesus." The reading takes less than five minutes but the benefit of reading and the continuing thought that is inspired lasts all day.

I never thought I would be writing a "book report" for this site, but this is a really impactful writing to read on a daily basis. Hope you decide to add this to your quiet time!

God bless from
Corinne Mustafa

Monday Food for Prayer...David's Tent

There will be forty days of prayer and worship

taking place before the national election.

You can join in person or from afar.

http://fromourwritingteam.blogspot.com/2012/09/praise-brings-blessing.html


Please click on the link above to read the rest of this information
in a writing on one of our other pages written by Cathy Friberg.



It is with great joy that I write today. I love the United States of America. I love its people, its spectacular terrain, rivers, lakes and seas, and I love the Divinely inspired form of government established by our founding fathers. I am excited and hopeful with the good news of a powerful event taking place... September 25 through November 6 in Washington D.C. It is a 24/7 prayer and worship event to be held on the Elipse behind the White House.

TEARS

Sunday devotional for 9/2/12

Things happen.  No matter how strong a Christian we are, there will be times when the tears flow.  Even Jesus shed tears when Lazarus died, and Lazarus' sister, Mary, and other Jews with her were crying over his death:

Jesus wept.  John 11:35 NIV.

God is moved when we are hurting.  He weeps with us when we mourn.  But our crying is of this world.  While we are being used as tools by God in this life, we will encounter hardships and strife.  But believers are promised that even though we may be sad and hurt deeply on this earth, we can look forward to being filled with great joy when we join God in heaven.

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.  He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.  Psalm 126:5-6 NIV

But we must also remember that while we are being used by God to do his will on earth, He is the one who sends the rain, makes the crops grow, and produces the harvest. And when we leave this planet, the joy and happiness we will experience in heaven is not because of anything we, ourselves, have done or said on our own.  Our eternal gladness in heaven is "bought and paid for" by Jesus, himself, through his death and resurrection. That is how God wipes away our tears - by giving us eternal blissful life in heaven with him!

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4 NIV

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for being with us in our difficulties in this world.  Even when we do not understand why we must suffer and struggle on earth, you are there for us, holding us up when we want to collapse.  You have carried us in our sinful state on your shoulders, all the way to the cross, and laid us at your feet as you were crucified in our place.  And in the greatest act ever performed, you died for us and rose again in order that we might live with you forever in heaven, with every tear wiped away, never to moisten our cheeks again.  Only you had the power to take on the punishment of death for our sins and still rise again to life eternal.  Forever in gratitude and thankfulness we pray in your name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

Saturday Devoional...No need for fear...

     ...because inside we are spiritual body builders  

My grandson started Kindergarten this week. I was sent a picture of him sitting on his large mailbox on the front porch in his uniform. His uniform consists of navy blue pants…actually shorts at this time of the year…and a light blue collared t-shirt. He is following in his grammy’s footsteps. I also wore a uniform which consisted of a navy blue jumper and a powder blue blouse with a Peter Pan collar. When Sam saw my kindergarten picture he said, “I am wearing a uniform just like my grammy did." This has nothing to do with the point I want to make. I just wanted to share this event that touched my heart. Grandchildren are such a blessing!

Another picture was messaged to me of my Sam by his mother. I had told her how healthy and strong he looked sitting on the mailbox. The new one was a picture of Sam posing as a body builder for his father. This picture is so cute and amazing as he is only five years old.

It came to my mind that this is how we are created. On the outside we are all in our human body uniform. Our prowess given to us by God is not always visible on the outside. Still we have to remember that we have been given strength and power by God to live this life He has put us in. We also have the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling and need not fear.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ

himself and God our Father,

who loved us and by his grace

gave us eternal comfort

and a wonderful hope, 

comfort you and strengthen you

in every good thing you do and say.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
NLT

Heavenly Father, please keep us mindful of your presence in our lives and teach us that you give us spiritual muscles beyond  comprehension. Thank you Lord that we can partner with you to life life that is fearless because you have given us everything we need. Amen

Written by

Corinne Mustafa