GET VICTORY OVER FEAR

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect  in love.

This verse is talking about God's perfect love for us not our love for Him, but I doubt if any of us have been perfected yet in knowing how much God loves us. We only have to listen to the media for five minutes and it seems the enemy is using them to plant seeds of fear into anyone who's listening, so it's no wonder God tells us not to be afraid literally hundreds of times throughout scripture because He knows how destructive fear can be.

The good news is, God doesn't want us to be afraid and He's provided the way of escape by giving us His love because the knowledge of how much He loves us brings us His security and His peace in every area of our lives.

When we learn just how much God loves us and how He only seeks our good, our health, our wholeness in every area of life, then the more we shall be freed from fears that hound us because He's right there with us. 

Let me ask you how fear comes to you. It starts with a fear thought doesn't it, in which case it can be counteracted by a God thought and replaced by His words and His promises. When we're anxious or frightened we can use God's words and thoughts in our minds to uproot the fears.

We know will power doesn't work, it has to be God power, and it's called faith in Jesus. He broke the back of fear, nailed it to His cross and rendered every demon powerless to harm us but we have to enforce His victory with His Word in our mouths and in our hearts and minds.

If we're fed up being afraid, let's get God's word out, look up His promises on how He loves us and how He's with us. Open the door to faith, and close the door to fear. Pin them up round the house, learn them, so we can declare them, and call on the Holy Spirit to help us. As soon as the fear thought comes, let's slam the door shut in the enemy's face and declare this instead:

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has NOT given us (me) a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Even if we have to do it every two minutes, let's keep declaring the victory in Jesus because we don't have to give in to fear anymore.

THE GOD OF HOPE

Zechariah 9:12 Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.

Godly hope is a certain expectation of good based on God's word and promises, it's not some airy fairy thing, so my question to myself and you is, are we walking in Godly hope or just worldly hope where it's down to chance? The Nkjv in that verse says 'Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope.'  I like the idea of being a prisoner of Godly hope, it wont let us go! 

Romans 15:13  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit wants you and me to abound, or overflow, with hope - with a certain expectation of  God's goodness to us. He wants us to be looking to the New Year, not with dread or fear, but with the knowledge that God has good plans and purposes for us, that He is going to repay us with double blessings for our troubles that we've had, whatever they may be. 

Paul encourages us in the Romans verse to know that God will fill us with all joy and peace as we keep believing, trusting and expecting good from Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When something is filled it means there's no room for anything else doesn't it and that's what God wants for us with no room for fears, or worries or anxious thoughts. As we said yesterday He wants that old wallpaper taking down!

Instead let's allow our God of Hope to fill us up with His great expectation of good and fill us up with His joy and peace in believing, and let's remember to be believing for those double blessings He's promised too.😊

LETTTING GOD TRANSFORM US

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Have you ever done any renovating in your home where you got rid of the old because you realised you needed a change to something new and fresh? The meaning of that word 'renewing' also means renovation and complete change for the better. Would you like some of that, to renovate your mind? I know I would! 

First of all though we have to look at what we are believing and thinking as to whether it has been taught us by the world's system or past experiences and are we willing to allow God to renew and renovate our thinking by His Word to come in line with His Kingdom and His thinking?

If we love God we will want to obey what He says and the lovely thing is, God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us from the inside out. As we read His word and agree with it, we shall find we are being steadily renovated and we shall know His good, acceptable and perfect will.

So if you find you're thinking isn't all it could be and you recognise there are some old negative thought patterns that need a 'new look' may I encourage us all to allow God to pull the old wallpaper off our minds with His word and give us His thought patterns which will be a complete change for the better as we approach the coming new year.😊

PLANT GOD'S WORD

Luke 8:11+15...The seed is the word of God. 15. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Before Christmas I planted some cress seeds which the packet said to plant on kitchen paper. After a few days some of the tiny brown hard seeds started to germinate and we've been fascinated to see them grow at different rates of growth. Some are only germinating now after many days while others are 1.5" tall already. But yesterday I came downstairs to discover they had all fallen over and looked dead as a dodo. I had forgotten to water them and they couldn't survive without it and I was so upset!  It was like they were my pet cress seeds!  I immediately watered them and they are now all standing merrily once again and I don't think I can cut them down to eat them after just saving their lives!😊

The reason I'm telling you all that is because Jesus called the Word of God seed and when we plant it by speaking it over our lives and believing it in our hearts, it will grow tall and strong and bear fruit, but just like my tiny cress seeds it has to be watered and not neglected.

May I encourage us all to keep planting God's Word everyday in our lives because it will grow, take root and change us from the inside out. If you've planted a promise in your heart keep watering the Word of God by attending to it, keep believing it. Don't listen to negative lies about it and don't neglect it. Promises of God can take time to come to fruition but a promise is a promise and it will manifest and bear much fruit with patience.😊

SO GRATEFUL

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving...

Sometimes we take things so much for granted and it isn't till we can't do something any more that we start to appreciate what we had. 

It was like that for us this year as we looked back on last Christmas. I was reminded by my daughter that last year we weren't even allowed to meet indoors together but had to meet up on a bitterly cold Christmas Eve for a walk instead, and exchanged presents from the boot of our car into the boot of  her car, and we couldn't hug each other because of all the restrictions. So at least this year we were allowed to open our gifts and have fun together in the comfort of our home on the day! Thank You Lord I was so grateful and I wont take that for granted any more!

Part of Christmas is the giving and receiving of gifts which is all about showing our love for one another. One of the lovely presents I received was a beautiful patchwork bag my sister made for me which is all the more special because she took the time to make it herself. 

God is like that. He took the time to plan and make it possible to give us the greatest gift we'll ever receive - the gift of His very own Son. He had planned His gift of Jesus since before the world was made and our part is to not take His gift for granted, it cost Him so much.

It's a great opportunity for us to take the time and just be so thankful and grateful for all the gifts and blessings God has poured out on us, but especially for Jesus.

RECAPTURE OUR EXCITEMENT

Luke 3:20 Then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

It's not everyday you have a load of shepherds knock on your front door asking to see your new baby is it and I expect Mary must have been exhausted after the birth? They had no family nearby to share their good news with, but suddenly there's a load of strangers standing on the doorstep! 

Not only that but they were saying angels had appeared in the night sky to let these ordinary men be the first to know that God had sent a Saviour into the world and their baby was Him!

God had given them someone to share their baby news with after all, and the men were so thrilled and excited that they went out and told the people in town all about it too. Those shepherds just wanted to tell everybody!

It might be easy to lose the wonder and joy of Christmas, but not when we remember Christmas is still all about Jesus, about Peace and Goodwill from God to men through Him. 

So whatever else is happening in your world, let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us recapture something of those shepherds' excitement this Christmas and give great praise and glory to God for all He's done for us in sending us our wonderful Saviour Jesus, because He really is worth celebrating. All glory to Him.

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Have a very Blessed and Happy Christmas everyone from my home to yours, wherever in the world you are reading my blog. Have a lovely time.xx 😊

FOLLOW THE SHEPHERDS

Luke 2:9 Now there were...shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

There will be lots of children this Christmas Eve who will be trying to stay awake and watching to see Santa when he arrives. 😊

How about you and me?  What are we watching for? Are we like the shepherds, so busy watching over our responsibilities (their sheep), watching over the arrangements for Christmas, possibly all watching TV at some point, that we maybe forget to watch for Jesus to join us in our festivities. I know it's happened to me before. 

We're told that the shepherds had quite a fright when their heavenly visitors lit up the night sky. The angels made such an impact on them that they believed their message and left everything to rush into town to find the newborn King. (Luke 3:16) And they made haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.) 

At some point in all the celebrations let's try to follow the shepherds' example, leave everything to one side for a few minutes, and go and spend some time with Jesus. He still wants to be Emmanuel, God with us, as we eat our Christmas dinner or play our games or whatever we all plan to do, He's there with us. Let's find Jesus in it all.😊

WHY A STONE MANGER?

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger... . 

Have you ever noticed stones play an important part in God's story? God wrote the laws He required His people to live by on stone tablets.Then as a baby, Jesus was wrapped in linen cloths by His mum and laid in a manger, which Bible scholars tell us would certainly have been a stone feeding trough at that time.  God wanted us to have that detail, that picture because He is the Bread of Life to us. 

Fast forward thirty three years from there and you find Jesus being wrapped once again, this time in linen burial cloths and being laid in a stone tomb. His manger had been a picture of what was to come.  God had already planned the stone tomb before Jesus ever came to the stone manger. Then God tells us a large stone was rolled in front of His tomb and sealed. 

Only God could have brought Jesus into the manger and only God could get Him out of the tomb.

But praise God the story wasn't over! Go forward another three days and the stone has been rolled away!

Jesus came to free us from the grave and punishment for our sins. He was born into our world, died on the cross and rose again in order to fulfil all the requirements of the law for us, so God could forgive our sin and give us His righteousness in exchange.

The next time you see a picture of Jesus in a manger, let Him remind you He came to take your place, to be the Bread of Life to you, to free you from the law of sin and death and give you His righteousness, and to give you resurrection life in Him. What a Saviour! 

Just in case you don't know Jesus as your Saviour, let me invite you to ask Him to come into your heart this Christmas and pray the prayer at the side of this Blog. He loves you so.😊

GOD'S DRAMATIC ENTRY INTO OUR WORLD

Isaiah 9:6 ... Unto us a Son is given...

Have you ever searched for that 'perfect' gift for your loved ones? It's a gift that makes their faces break open in a big smile, in a 'Wow! Thank You! moment. It doesn't happen too often but sometimes we get it just right and there is a lot of joy around and it makes you feel happy too.😊

God has done exactly that for us. His heart loves us so much He wanted to give the very best present to mankind He could give so He gave us His very own Son. 

When the angels announced His arrival it was a huge celebration as a multitude of angels appeared in the sky and praised God saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14)  It was a  dramatic moment both on earth and in Heaven. God had entered our world!

I hope we all make time to receive God's wonderful gift of His Son into our everyday lives this Christmas season, to draw aside each day and allow the "Wow! Thank You for Jesus" moment rise up in our hearts. 

In a sense God's angels are still announcing to us Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards you and me right here, right now. 

We are actually part of an ongoing dramatic moment with God everyday we walk and talk with Jesus. His gift of His Son is still with us and I hope still 'Wowing' us with the knowledge that He has forgiven us and reconciled us to Himself. 

Let's join the angels in their celebrations as the days unfold with our heartfelt praise of 'Glory to God and Thank You Lord.' Let the  'Wow' of the moment come to us afresh.  Amen. 

GOD'S WONDERFUL KINDNESS TO US

Titus 3:4-6 But-"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Nlt).

I woke up today with the word kindness running through my mind and how hugely kind and merciful God is to all of us so I looked up some verses to see what the Word says about it. 

When God sent Jesus to us that first Christmas He was revealing to us His kindness and His mercy because He was giving us the Saviour. 

He's the only One who could rescue us from our sins. He was giving us the One who could heal all our diseases, the only One who could overcome the world and defeat the devil. He is the Source of our life, the Light for our path, the Way to heaven.

Apart from those immensely wonderful things God's nature is kindness itself. Scripture tells us He is full of mercy and loving kindness, that every morning we wake up, we wake up to His kindness, love and mercy. (Lamentations 3:23) I don't know about you but that blesses my heart so much. Psalm 103:4 goes on to tell us He crowns us with loving kindness.

So today as we begin Christmas week countdown, wherever we go and whatever we have to do, we can go out knowing we're wearing a crown given to us by God Himself and that He is pouring out His loving kindness on us.  What a wonderful thought! Thank You Jesus.

 Have a blessed week and let's show someone else God's kindness.😊

AT THE RIGHT TIME IT WILL HAPPEN

Galations 4:4-5 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

Some versions read 'at the appointed time'.  God has an 'appointed time'. a 'right time' for doing things in our lives so don't be discouraged if what you are waiting for hasn't happened yet. God waited several hundred years to bring Jesus to us at the right time because He has a perfect plan and we are part of it.

All through the Old Testament God had his prophets speak His Word into the earth declaring the arrival of His Son who would be conceived through a virgin by His Holy Spirit. In the same way God requires us to speak His Word over our lives in faith and as we do that His Word, which is incorruptible seed, will bear fruit and conceive in us whatever God has already appointed for us, again by His Holy Spirit.

The more we speak God's Word over our lives, the more our faith will grow, and we will see the manifestation of what we're believing for. The virgin birth was miraculous and God's Word brought it about. 

Maybe you're believing for loved ones to come to know Jesus this coming year then use God's Word like the seed it is and pray over it, declaring it by faith as you pray,  that you and your household will be saved. 

Maybe you're believing for healing then pray God's Word over that sickness or disease and declare by faith that 'by Jesus wounds you are healed'. 

Whatever it is you're believing and waiting for, God's Word will not return to Him empty but it will accomplish it's assignment - at the right time. Keep believing, be encouraged today.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Malachi 3:6 I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The times we are living in seem to be very uncertain with circumstances changing from day to day. What we have taken for granted in the past can no longer be counted on for the future. Our unsaved friends are very anxious and worried with good cause as they don't have God as their foundation and their security.

But God does not want us to be worried, anxious or afraid. Our verse tells us that God, who is Love, does not change. He still loves us and always will. God is still on the throne of Heaven and all authority has been given to our Lord Jesus Christ. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus our lives will be held steady because He is our Deliverer and our firm foundation not our jobs, our pensions, our governments or even our traditions. 

Regardless of what changes in the world around us we can know for sure that God remains the same in His care of us, His children. God has told us there will be a shaking in our world so we shouldn't be surprised and if we're wise we'll keep our eyes on Him and His Word and not just on the News!

On Jesus' last night on earth, just hours before His crucifixion, He gave His disciples an instruction, knowing they would see their world rocked to the core within 24 hours and what was it?  I believe He wants to remind us today ...

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Remember even though everything else changes, God will not, and He says there is no need for us to be afraid so let's trust what He says.  I hope that helps us today.

TOTALLY SECURE IN GOD

Hebrews 13:5(b)... For He himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." The Amplified Bible says God will never abandon us or leave us without support nor leave us helpless. Three times He says 'He will Not!'

If ever we're tempted to think God has gone off somewhere and left us to our own devices it's good then to stop and ask ourselves is there any part of 'never' we're not understanding? When God says never He really means never and if  we have any sense of insecurity it will be washed away by that truth. God wants us to be secure in Him and we can be if we'll believe what He says.

God is  never taken by surprise by what's happening, or by what we've done or not done.  He's never stressed out by any situation because He's the One who holds all of time and space in place. He's never at a loss to know what to do because He already has the answers to our problems before we even get them!

The bottom line of all that is we're not 'Home Alone', not even for a second! We have the Great 'I AM' on our side, the Prince of Peace living in us, equipping us and empowering us by His Holy Spirit wherever we are and wherever we go.

So let's relax and remind ourselves 'God is never going to leave me, so I'm going to be more than OK'. 

God really wants us to get a hold of this truth. He's never going to leave us, not ever, not for all eternity because of Jesus. We can be totally secure in Him and it's such a wonderful thing to celebrate this Christmas season don't you think? Thank You Lord.

HEALING IN OUR THOUGHTS

Philippians 4:8 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. (Nlt).

 'It takes a thought to heal a thought'  is a quote from his book  'The Power of Right Believing' by Joseph Prince.

We all have thoughts running through our minds and sometimes they're not so helpful. We may tend to see the worse case scenario for a situation. We go with the 'what if it all goes wrong' rather than the 'what if it all goes right' thinking. So what do we do with all those negative thoughts? 

The way to counteract and overcome them is to replace them with God thoughts and what He tells us in scripture. God's promises are true and if we'll choose to believe them and see them make a picture in our minds they will heal our negative thoughts.

It's a bit like our minds are full of different TV channels and if we watch the wrong ones we'll be depressed and discouraged. When that happens we need to switch channels in our minds and watch what God sees. He sees us fearfully and wonderfully made not 'I'm a mess and don't feel good about myself'. God sees us being fully provided for with more than enough and we need to watch that channel when we're tempted to think 'I don't know how we'll manage with the cost of everything going up'. We need to watch 'The Lord is protecting me wherever I go' channel if we're afraid to go out because of the virus.

What pictures are you running through your mind? I know I have to pull myself up short and run the 'I'm healthy and strong and well able in Jesus' programme. Maybe you need to tune into that channel too! We get to choose what we dwell on and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can choose to think God's thoughts even when circumstances say different.

So as we go about our day or lying in bed at night let's run God's promises through our minds and let Him heal our thoughts with His thoughts, and see them playing out in our minds and I believe we'll begin to make real progress. Amen.😊

GOD IS TURNING IT ROUND

1 Peter 5: Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

On the 9th December I wrote in 'Angels on Assignment' about my parcel which hadn't arrived. I was really upset about it and we prayed for angels to intervene so the courier would deliver it. Days went by and I was so tempted to give it up as lost or stolen but each day I kept thanking the Lord for His care and concern over what concerns me and that angels were on the job bringing it to someone's attention.

Well the wonderful news is, 13 days later, my parcel was delivered but it arrived back at my house, all safe and sound!! So that was such a big Thank You Jesus! moment for me because at least it was no longer missing! It is now on it's way once again and we commissioned angels to see it's delivered safely to the right place this time! 

I know in the big scheme of things that is such a small thing, especially in view of all the traumas so many people are going through right now and our hearts and prayers are for them, but I'm telling you about it to encourage you in your faith.

Nothing is too small or too big to God because if it concerns us it concerns our loving Heavenly Father too. Standing in faith for something can be a fight but it's a fight in our thinking. Who will I listen to - the enemy's lies and doubts or the truth that God cares about me?

Can I encourage you to keep standing in your faith, keep believing that no matter what things look like or what people have said God can turn things around that look impossible. If God cares about my insignificant little parcel He most certainly cares about everything happening in your life right now too. 

We thank You Lord in faith, in advance, for the turn around for our good. Amen.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. (Amplified Bible)

EMMANUEL - GOD IS WITH YOU WHERE YOU ARE

Matthew 1:23  Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us.'

Where are you at this moment because wherever you are God is right there with you.

Do you ever scratch your head and wonder why we allow ourselves to get upset and bothered when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is for us and with us. Why do we allow ourselves to be worried when we know Almighty God, the most powerful Being in the universe, the wonder making, miracle working God, is not just with us but in us?

God gave us Emmanuel, He gave us Jesus so we could spend eternity with Him and be saved from doing life on our own in our own strength. God made us for Himself because He wanted us in His family. What an honour that is. 

We were designed to contain God. We all have a God shaped hole inside us and thank God He sent Jesus to fill it, but we have to allow Him to fill us. 

Just in case the worries or anxieties of life have filled you up instead, may I give you a nudge to draw aside with your Saviour and let Him fill you afresh with His peace and joy and love. Give Him all those things that oppress you and pull you down, the things that keep you awake in the night and let Him be God to you, the One who knows you so intimately He even knows how many hairs are on your head.

As we begin a new week let's keep reminding ourselves all through each day that God really is with us, He hasn't gone on holiday, He's not too busy, He's not mad at us but loves us deeply, and He's waiting and wanting to be 'God with us'.  Have a great week.😊

HOW AMAZING JESUS IS TO US!

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Yesterday we looked at receiving God's grace but have you ever asked yourself what am I receiving when I receive grace? It's good to remind ourselves so let's look at part of it...

We receive God's amazing gift of forgiveness for all our sins past, present and future because Jesus went to the cross for us and when we believe He rose from the dead we then receive His gift of righteousness and everlasting life in Him as well. That is all huge but that's not all...

We receive healing for all our diseases and infirmities whether of body, mind or our souls. (Isaiah 53, Psalm 103, 1 Peter 2:24). It's all included in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, not separate.

We receive His provision for us out of His riches in heaven by Christ Jesus so we have more than enough.  He became poor so we could become rich to also be a blessing to others. (Phil. 4:19,  2 Cor.8:9)

We receive His favour like a shield so we'll be at the right place at the right time to meet the right people. (Psalm 5:12 Nkjv) 

We receive His protection as He guards us and keeps us from all harm when we're trusting in the blood of Jesus. (Exodus 12:23,  Psalm 91, Psalm 121).

This is just part of the abundance of His grace so when we open ourselves up to receive His grace we're receiving all of the above and much more besides. It is amazing grace! We have an amazing, wonderful Saviour and can be so glad Jesus came into this world to save us.😊 Thank You Jesus.

TAKE A GRACE BREAK

Romans 5:17.....much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

We all enjoy taking a tea or coffee break and you may remember a while ago how the Lord encouraged us to take a 'Love Break' where we just draw aside for a few moments throughout our day and think about the fact God loves us so much and just receive His love and let it flow into us.

Recently I read the phrase "Take a Grace Break" and thought what a great concept that is as well. Our verse tells us to receive abundance of grace which implies that we have to do the receiving or not receiving! 

This is the time of year for giving and receiving gifts and here God is gifting us with His grace but we have to take it, receive it. 

Thankfully Grace is not a gift we have to earn or deserve, it's just the most wonderful gift God gives us. Jesus is Grace and we're reminded at Christmas that God has given us Jesus to receive, and I think we all probably would love to have all of God's grace and favour we can have. 

So in the coming days let's just take a Grace Break and stop for a minute throughout each day, open up our hands to the King of Kings, to the Prince of Peace, to the God Who Is With us - Emmanuel- to Jesus Himself, who is full of Grace and Truth and just receive all of the abundance of His grace and favour afresh whenever we need it.

Lord we reach out by faith and receive Your overflowing grace and the gift of your righteousness again today and thank You so much for them in Jesus' Name. Amen.

ANGELS ON ASSIGNMENT

Hebrews 1:14 Therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. (Nlt)

I posted a parcel by courier to a friend last week with her Christmas present and a basket for Advent to open each day. She should have had it by 1st December but as of writing this Blog many days later she still hasn't received it.  

God knows about that parcel and He knows where it is and why it hasn't reached her yet, but I keep thanking Him for angels to come to our aid, to go and  find it and help the Couriers to deliver it!  I've been tempted to give up on it but I know God wants her to have it so I have to keep casting the care of that parcel back on to Him.

Are there things in your life that you've given the care of to God, then been tempted to take those cares back and start worrying about them all over again? If so, let me encourage you to keep trusting, keep believing for a good outcome. 

God's angels are given to each of us to minister to us and for us in all the affairs of our lives. In 1 Kings 19:5-6 an angel brought bread and water to Elijah. They can be Messengers like the message given to Mary. They protect us from harm which we looked at the other day. Isaiah tells us they obey the Word of God coming out of our mouths so whenever we declare God's promises angels are commissioned to do as God's Word says for us.

Be uplifted today and keep casting your cares on to the Lord, He's well able to take care of them and you, and His angels are constantly ministering to you and for you. How wonderful and reassuring is that!?

LIFE IS FOR LIVING NOW

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Life does not start later! I heard that phrase while watching a film last night and was very struck by it. The character was putting off till 'later' all the things she was planning on doing or enjoying 'when she had the time'.

I wonder how many of us do that too? Have you ever caught yourself saying "I'm planning on doing that later." Or, "one day, I'll go to such and such a place." We're so busy with stuff that we keep putting off all our plans for one reason or another.  Life is for living now because we don't have a guarantee of 'later'. Proverbs 27:1 tells us not to boast about tomorrow for we don't know what a day may bring. Hebrews tells us 'now is the day of salvation.'  

Jesus encouraged us to live in the now and leave tomorrow till tomorrow. He gives us His grace and great favour for each day as each day dawns and He wants us to enjoy our 'now' and not keep putting off  our enjoyment of it till later. He says rejoice and be glad in it! 

Maybe the Lord has been nudging you to do something like inviting someone for coffee or given you a dream, like writing a book, or going on a missions trip or starting a course to learn something new. If so can I encourage you to not put it off? 

Life does not start later, it has already started, and for some of us it's well on the way!  

The Lord is encouraging us today to get on and just do those things you planned on doing later and enjoy them now! Join that class, meet new people, try that new packet of biscuits! Today is the day the Lord has made, let's enjoy it now not later.😊

THE LORD WATCHES OVER YOU

Psalm 121:5,7-8 The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. 

We live in a society which seems to be more 'watched' on surveillance cameras than ever before, but they're watching to see we're not breaking the law in some way.

God, however, is watching over us with a heart of love preserving us from all harm. He's sending angels on assignment, just for us, to protect us wherever we go. (Psalm 91:11) 

He says "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. (Psalm 91:14)

So whether we're sleeping (as we looked at yesterday) or whether we're out and about, God is looking out for us, blessing us and keeping us safe. I hope that speaks to your heart and gives you peace of mind today. God himself is keeping a watch over you. 

I have a friend who, when she goes out driving, she first reaches across to the passenger seat as though she's taking the Lord's hand to acknowledge His presence with her, keeping her safe. I thought that was a good idea, to be constantly reaching out to the Lord and acknowledging His protection and presence with us, reassuring us wherever we are and whatever we're doing.

So the next time you see a surveillance camera of any kind let it be a reminder that your loving Heavenly Father who loves you beyond measure is watching over you to keep you safe.😊

EVEN WHILE YOU SLEEP!

Psalm 127:   It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of (anxious) toil - for He gives (blessings) to His beloved in sleep. (Amplified Bible)

Before you go to sleep tonight, or any night, think about this verse for a moment and take the time to put your mind at ease knowing God has promised to bless you even while you sleep. I think that's wonderful.

The Psalmist is not saying we've not to get up early to go to work or do what we have to do but to remember we're to depend on our loving God for all we need, not to depend on our own efforts of rising early and slogging away late into the night! God is the One who provides all we need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus and it's good to remember we're not our providers - He is.  In fact He is the Source for everything in life.

God has a way of blessing us even when we go to bed because He wants us not to worry, but rest in Him, confident that He's sorting things out, going ahead of us into tomorrow and making a way for things to turn round for our good. Only He can do that and He wants us to remember it so we don't worry ourselves silly all night! Psalm 121:4 tells us God doesn't slumber or sleep  so we can sleep knowing He's in charge!

So as we start a new week let's remember to relax and enter into God's rest knowing that as we trust Him, He is the One helping us and providing us with the multiple blessings we're going to need for today and everyday, even while we sleep!  Glory to God. Thank You Lord.

GOD IS STILL WITH US!

Psalm 139:18 ...And when I wake up you are still with me!

I don't  know about you, but I find that statement is such a blessing because it gives us a rock solid foundation for our lives. No matter what happens in the world, whether good or bad, God is still with us when we wake up each day.

I know we all experience times when we think 'God where are you?' but the truth is He is right there with us whether we're aware of Him or not. He's in us, covering us, protecting our backs, going before us making crooked paths straight so things will be smoothed out for us and He has blessed us.

Underneath us are His everlasting arms supporting us through tough times, so no matter what's happened in our past or our present we can know He's still with us to help bring us into the good future He ordained before the world was even made. 

So take heart this morning, regardless of what you've heard on the media, the TV, the newspaper or from local gossip - God Himself is still with us so all will be well for the godly. He hasn't abandoned us and never will but has given us 'I Can Do This' power in Jesus.

Enjoy your day today because whatever happens and whatever you have to do, when you woke up this morning, God was still with you and He always will be.😊

MAKE A 'THANKFUL JAR'

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;...

You've probably seen or heard of a 'Thankful Jar' and I woke up for some reason with it on my mind so thought I'd pass it on. 

Just in case you're not familiar with the idea you find a suitable jam jar and if you feel like it you decorate up the lid by covering it with pretty paper or cloth, or cut out a picture you like or even paint a picture on top. Then every time you think of something you're thankful for you write it on a little slip of paper and pop it in the jar. When your jar is full or after a few weeks you empty it out and read all the lovely things you've been 'Thankful For' that you'd forgotten all about.

It's a great way to acknowledge the goodness of God and how He blesses us with not just the big things in life but all the little moments that go to make up our walk with Him. Then if your mind has gone a blank when you want to pray, you read some of your little slips of paper and share them with the Lord. I guarantee it will help.

You can make a large 'family' one where every dinner time you all write something down to be thankful for or you can do it for one and enjoy it just as much.  The important thing is it helps us to have a grateful heart and makes us stop at any time of day to remember anything at all that made us glad or thankful or made us smile, no matter how small it was. 

If you don't have a jar, use a tin or anything else, but I think it's a lovely idea and hope it blesses you too if you take the time to do it. You might just be  'thankful' that you did.😊

GOD'S HEART IS TO BLESS US

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us...

If there is one thing God wants us to get down in our spirit in the coming days it's this truth - God's heart is always to bless us. We in turn need to have the same heart in us so we can be a blessing to others too. God is in the business of changing peoples' lives for the good, encouraging us and building us up, healing bodies and hurting souls.

A lot of that He ministers by His Spirit from the inside out, speaking to our hearts, helping us to change the way we think about things, but some of it He actually does through each one of us to reach others with the Good News that He loves them. 

When we allow Him to use us then He can touch them by our kindness, by our tolerance, by the grace He gives us to show to them. Kindness softens people's hearts and opens them to the love of God and what better time of year than leading up to Christmas. 

Very often a listening ear is what people most need at the moment. It can be a tricky time of year for a lot of folk and having someone to listen can be such a blessing but more than anything to let them know you care about them.

So let's try and be on the lookout for those ones the Lord is putting across our path that He wants to bless and touch with His love knowing He has already blessed us.😊 

John 1:16  Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. (GNT)   Thank You Lord.

GOD LOVES TO SURPRISE US!

Ephesians 3:20 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message).

December has arrived and here we are at the beginning of Advent once more! I always enjoy the build up to Christmas, probably because we get a chance to be a blessing to others and spring some happy surprises along the way.

I think God loves to do that too because He sometimes gives us a lovely surprise when we least expect it.  Maybe Mary was the one who had the biggest surprise from God when an angel announced she'd been chosen to be the mother of God's son. That had to be a heart stopping surprise don't you think?!

Peter was surprised when Jesus told him to go and find his tax money in a fish's mouth and sure enough, there it was! Jesus surprised people every day, wherever He went but even Jesus was amazed and surprised when the centurion told him to just say the word and his servant would be healed. I think his faith really blessed Jesus' greatly.

How about you? Have you had any nice surprises lately or is God prompting you to be the one to make a happy surprise for someone else like popping a chocolate coin into your Christmas cards?! It doesn't have to be big just something to bring a smile. Either way it's God who gets the glory because He is the instigator of it all and scripture tells us that all good gifts come from Him.

So I pray you all have some lovely 'God' surprises in this Advent season that really put a smile on your face.  He wants and encourages us to expect the unexpected and maybe it will be a big surprise.😊