THROW THEM OUT THE WINDOW

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Do you sometimes have days when you’re watching the ‘Worst Case Scenario’ Channel in your mind? Those times when wrong imaginations bombard our thinking? God tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and that we have to tear down imaginations and anything that’s trying to exalt itself over what He has said in His word. 

They’re the thoughts where all we can think about makes us miserable, when we ignore what God’s words has said and choose to believe the enemy’s lies instead. 

When we’re diagnosed with some illness and a voice says, “Oh that’s bad, there’s nothing you can do about it!” But God’s word says, “I’m an overcomer through Jesus and by His wounds I’m healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) We have to remember God’s report can change the doctor’s report if we believe!😊

If we lose our jobs or unexpected bills come in, we ‘imagine’ not having enough money. We have to cast down those negative thoughts because God has promised to provide all our needs according to His riches in heaven by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)

Maybe we’re anxious about our children. Instead we grab hold of God’s promise that great will be the peace of your children, (Isaiah 54:13) and you and all your household will be saved. (Acts 16:31).

Have you been having some miserable imaginations about anything lately? Well, be encouraged, God’s word will not return to Him void, it is powerful to bring down strongholds, but we have to believe it and use it to tear down those strongholds!😊

So let’s decide to reject the wrong imaginings that try to destroy our peace, that feed our insecurities. It’s time to open our windows and throw them out, cast them down, and declare what God has said, “All will be well for the godly.” (Isaiah 3:10)

And remember the windows of heaven are also open, pouring down God’s blessings on our lives instead.(Malachi 3:10)  Why not let your imagination run riot on that wonderful thought and carry it with you today!😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE

2 Kings 6:16-17 NLT Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

There are times when we seem to be surrounded by the enemy and we feel like Elisha’s servant, as though we’re on our own fighting our battles. But nothing could be further from the truth because Jesus said, “I will never leave you.” Which just goes to show how our feelings are very deceiving!😊

So what do we do? We go to the scriptures and see God has provided us with His mighty angels who He describes as flames of fire, who can appear in chariots of fire when they’re needed! One angel can also open prison doors and wipe out 185,00 soldiers in one night when necessary!

Hebrews 1:7 NLT Regarding the angels, he says, “He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire.” V.14 Therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.

God’s angels are sent to help us, wherever we are, and God uses the imagery of flames of fire because it let’s us see how powerful they are! They’re not little pink cherubs!😊

Psalm 104:4 NLT The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants.

2 Kings 2:11 NLT As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.

God wants us to see that no matter what enemy we face, He is sending in the angelic beings to either sweep us up to safety or destroy them as we speak out His word in faith. Psalm103:20 tells us his angels listen for God’s words and as we speak God’s words out, so our angels make them happen! 

Lord thank You for our angels and open our eyes to see how powerful Your words are in our own mouths, that we’re giving our angels something to do to carry out Your plans in our lives! Amen.

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UNPLUGGED

Exodus 33:14 NLT The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." 

That quote resonated with me because I’ve learned when my machines don’t work, it’s often because they need turning off and on again! We can be a bit like that- we need turning off and on again! It’s called rest.😊

We can be so busy doing things for the family, our friends, the workplace, the church, that by the time we come home at the end of a busy day’s schedule we’re spent out. But God never intended us to go from one day to the next, or one week to the next without a rest, without a bit of recharging time for ourselves, and we shouldn’t feel guilty when we do. God rested on the seventh day for a reason!

He wants us to unplug for a while from those things that press in on us, so we can plug into Him for a download of His love and care. It’s called fellowship.😊 He wants to give us His fresh insights, fresh vision, fresh energy and strength, fresh perspective, fresh attitude. I wonder which one you need, or maybe you need all of them?😊 

So this is a gentle nudge to take a few minutes here and there and take some time off for yourself, not to do the chores, but to enter His rest. God promises to restore our souls, to lead us beside still waters but we have to turn off the phones and screens and follow His lead and not go off on another busy track, no matter how much it distracts or calls to us!

If things are not working too well for you at the minute, or you’re struggling, maybe it’s time to unplug from some things and plug into God. Allow Him to give you His perspective, His peace, His rest, even if it’s only for a short while. He says He will reward you if you do.😊 Amen.

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A TRUE FRIEND

Proverbs 17:17 NIV A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Attached to one of my gifts this past week was a lovely tag which said, “A true Friend encourages you to be your best and loves you just the way you are.” We all want friends like that, but we also need to be that friend to others too!😊

As I thought about it I remembered that we all have a True Friend in Jesus. He encourages us always to be the best we can be, but He loves us just the way we are. Then He goes further, and loves us so much He doesn't leave us the way we are, but helps us to become the way His Father wants us to be, more like Jesus Himself, day by day, with the Holy Spirit’s help.

On the night Jesus was betrayed by His disciples He said this … John 15:13-15 NIV Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

As we walk through our week, we have this assurance that Jesus is our True Friend, even if we, or others, have let each other down. Jesus is steadfast and faithful and has promised to never abandon us or leave us alone. 

He has given us His own Holy Spirit to comfort us when we need it, to help us when we ask for it, to strengthen us because He never designed us to do life on our own. 

He’s the Friend we can always call on, who is never too busy to be there for us, night and day.

So let’s be very encouraged as we remember we have a true friend in Jesus, the best friend there is, and be His friend too by doing what He tells us to do - to love one another. 😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

STAY ON THE FAITH TRACK

1 Timothy 6:11 NLT But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

I don’t know if you’ve ever watched a toy train set being played with when the train comes off the track as it rounds a bend? The whole train is derailed and I kept hearing that word in my spirit this morning ‘derailed’.

We’re all travelling along the Faith Track, but sometimes we hit a bend in our journey and we can become derailed, either momentarily, or other times it takes a while to get back on track! But God is the engineer of all our lives and He promises He will work all things together for our good in the end. 

The thing is, we have to want to get back on track, want to seek to obey His word because of all Jesus went through to redeem us from the enemy. The Holy Spirit is saying we need to pursue some things, to persevere, in order to stay on track, or get back on track.

What are we pursuing? Have we become derailed by taking offence at someone’s attitude or comment? Derailed by the demands of life? Derailed by other interests? It doesn’t take much to become distracted and if we’re driving a car and become distracted we can hit a lamppost! Lord keep us from lampposts!😊

Paul is very serious though as he instructs us to pursue the right things - righteousness, a godly life, faith, perseverance and gentleness. If we’ll pursue those things we won’t be derailed, but if we have been knocked off our course we have an Advocate, an Intercessor in the Lord Jesus who pleads our case with our Father and reminds Him we have been declared not guilty so we can get back on track straight away.

So this is just to encourage us as we begin another week to keep on the Faith Track, avoid lampposts and pursue everything God tells us to, and we won’t be derailed. In Jesus name. Amen.😊

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BUT THEN….

Psalm 77:11-14 NLT 

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;

I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.

They are constantly in my thoughts.

I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

O God, your ways are holy.

Is there any god as mighty as you?

You are the God of great wonders!

You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.

But then… This psalm was written by Asaph who was having a really tough time, crying out to God, he became too distressed to even pray. Have you ever experienced times like that and wondered where God has gone? The Bible is so encouraging because it shows us real people with real problems and how they learned to overcome.🙂

We read on in the psalm how Asaph had a ‘But then’ moment and we can all have one of those as well. He suddenly changes tack and decides to stop moaning and instead he recalls all the Lord has done in the past. How God worked miracles where He controlled the weather to bring about His mighty deeds, how He showed them a path they didn’t even know was there to rescue His people!

Asaph stops his crying and shifts his thinking. He says now he can’t stop thinking about the great wonders of God. So often we can’t stop thinking about the problems we face! But Asaph learned that didn’t work for him any more than it does for us! So he changed his focus and remembered how mighty his God was, and is, how He had rescued them in the past and he knew God would come through for him again.😊

So, if you’ve had sleepless nights, crying out to God, it’s time for your ‘But then…’. It’s time to start remembering how God has delivered His people before, how He heals the brokenhearted, or healed you in the past, that He is for you and not against you. He has not forgotten you for one second.

God is still the holy, mighty God of great wonders, the God of miracles of healings and provision.

Let’s give Him all our praise today, and never stop thinking about how our God still loves us and rescues us every single day. In Jesus name. Amen.

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A LIFETIME OF SMILES

Proverbs 17:22 NCV A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.

I was reading about a man who is recovering well from a stroke. One of the comments from one lady was “You still have a lifetime of smiles to put on people’s faces.”

That phrase caught my attention because it’s a lovely thought and we could say that to each other, whether we have one day left or 50 years! Are we helping to make people smile, to lift their day, to help them count the blessings the Lord has poured out on us? If a dog can smile, so can we!😊

It’s not always easy to keep smiling though is it? The trouble is, we have a battle everyday to choose to live by God’s truth and not live by our emotions or our circumstances. The way we ‘feel’ can try to overwhelm what we know, and if we’re not careful, we can lose our smile!

We know we’re loved, approved and accepted by God through the Lord Jesus but our ‘feelings’ can tell us otherwise. God’s word says we are forgiven, healed and made whole by the blood of Jesus but our bodies will try to tell us the absolute opposite! 

The truth is, God has done marvellous things for us by giving us His righteousness, His healing, His restoration, His promises, His everything, but the enemy uses our feelings to try to make us forget all that. So I’m here to remind us He has chosen and called us His very own, if we know Jesus as our Saviour. Yes, there are difficulties, tests and trials, but Jesus Himself said, “Cheer Up! I have overcome the world”. 

Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits…

If we go on and read the rest of this Psalm it will help restore our smile if we’ve lost it, and as we think about all these good things God has done for us maybe we can go out and put a smile on someone else’s face by telling them God loves them too, that He has good plans for their lives, and there is always hope in Him. Amen.😊

Have a blessed weekend.x

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A LOT TO LEARN

3 John 2 NKJV Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

I’ve just had a birthday and when another year passes it always makes me stop and think! Did I learn anything new this last year and yes, I’ve learned how to use a new machine! I’ve learned not to put people in boxes because they’re full of surprises, I’ve been reminded to let offences go, to listen and not judge, the list is endless! I still have a lot to learn!😊 

Have I made any difference in the world I move in? I realised you and I are all making a difference to someone just by being here, by turning up, by caring about other’s needs, or praying for them.

What plans does God have for this upcoming year? Well, whether we’ve had a birthday or not, I know God wants to prosper us and for us to be in health, that He has plans to surround us with His favour wherever we go.😊

Something else which is encouraging, is that God is going ahead of each one of us, and has promised to make our crooked paths straight. He’s never taken by surprise by anything that happens and already has plans to turn any setbacks into setups to be a blessing for us in the long run. 

Not only that but God promises to reward us if we diligently seek Him, and Psalm 37:4 tells us if we delight ourselves in Him He will give us the desires of our hearts. So we don’t need to wait, we can all answer the call to seek Him, knowing He’s for us and not against us.

No doubt there will be some giants to slay, some mountains to remove but when we know we have the One who does the impossible living inside us, we can’t lose can we?!😊 It’s just a case of remembering how powerful our God is and that He’s our Heavenly Dad, pursuing us with His goodness and mercy every single day (Psalm 23:6). 

Thank You Lord for bringing us this far and that You’ll never leave us or forsake us. In Jesus name. Amen.

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A GIFT FOR GOD

1 Corinthians 6:20 AMP You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.

When we want to buy someone a gift, the dilemma of what to buy them crops up. You may have to travel to another town to find what you’re looking for and then choose a colour they’d like, decide which one would please them most, etc.😊

If you wanted to buy a gift for God what would you give Him? Jesus had the answer. He travelled to earth especially to redeem mankind, to buy us back from Satan.  He came and bought you and me and then He gave us to His Father to be in His family to spend eternity with Him.

It’s mind boggling that Jesus would come and be crucified, made sin for us, separated from God Himself, so that He could buy us. Why would He do that? Because His Father loves us with an everlasting love and wanted us for His own! It’s astounding! 

Oh that we could grasp the enormity of what Jesus did for us, the vastness of His love, and what it really means to be bought by Jesus and to belong to God. We are His temple, made for His glory, able to communicate with the Divine through His Holy Spirit He has given each one of us.😊

Next time you go to find someone a present, just remember Jesus has bought you and given you as a gift to His Father and you are now so precious in His sight because of how much it cost Jesus to buy us - His very life blood. What a Saviour! 

1 Timothy 2:6 NLT He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

Thank You Jesus! Glory to God! Amen.

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BEING CONVINCED

Romans 8:38 NLT And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

Have you ever gone in a shop and the sales person showed you their product and did everything they could to convince you, you really needed one? If we were convinced then we probably bought it, if we were not, we didn’t!😊

Paul is writing to us all in these verses letting us know he’s utterly convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love. And why is that so important? It’s because when tragedy strikes, or when prayers are taking a while to be answered, we’ve maybe asked that question, ‘Does God still love me?’

The Holy Spirit wants us to be totally convinced of God’s love for us because it’s the bedrock for our lives, no matter what comes. Jesus told us we would have tribulations, trials and frustrations in this life (John 16:33 AMPC) but then He goes on and says ‘but I have overcome the world’, and He did it because of the great love the Father has for us.

No matter how we feel, God loves us. No matter whether we’re aware of His presence or not, He is with us, He is Emmanuel. Even when we’re all messed up or we’ve failed in some way, He loves us because His love is from everlasting to everlasting.

It’s not a one day wonder, it’s an eternity wonder and it’s available to us to have right now as a free gift, because Jesus bought and paid for it to be given to us personally.

When life presses in on us, or things don’t go the way we wanted them to, we may forget how much God loves us, so why not sit and let Him minister His love to you afresh today and just soak in it, and allow it to flow over you and in you, and know the security, the peace and joy His love brings.😊

Romans 8:39 NLT No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME

John 1:14 NLT So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

There’s no place like home and I expect we all have a place in our hearts which we call home whether we’re physically there or not. Hopefully it’s where you feel loved and comfortable and at peace. 

But even if your home is not like that we need to remember, wherever our home is, it’s only temporary, because actually this world is not our home, but Heaven is. We’re just living here for a little while.😊

But Apostle John talks about Jesus being ‘The Word’ and that He made His home among us. He became flesh, like one of us, so we could ultimately become like Him, filled with the Spirit of God. It’s amazing that Jesus would leave His wonderful home in heaven, to make His home with us. It makes you realise how great His love is for us, to be willing to do that!

But then I had this question pop into my head, “How at home does Jesus feel in my home?” The Holy Spirit wants to be invited into every room, every area of our lives, to share and be a part of it all, not just invited into a time slot at the beginning or end of the day. 

John called Jesus ‘The Word’, so then I thought, how at home is God’s Word in my home? Is it made welcome? Do I honour it and let it speak into my life on a daily basis, guiding and instructing me what to do each day?

I just felt the Lord is asking each one of us to remember He’s here in our homes with us all the time, and make room for His Word to be part of our home life more and more. He brings His loving kindness and faithfulness, His grace and His truth into our lives. 

He brings His blessing, and after all, one day we will go and live in His home with our Heavenly Father for all eternity, which is a wonderful thought and a great privilege, but it’s all because of Jesus, who is The Word, who made His home among us.😊 Amen.

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WALKING FREE

1 Timothy 2:6 NLT He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

I read these words the other day. “Think truth. Speak life. Walk free” and I realised I need to stop and ask myself some questions. Maybe you do too?😊

What thoughts are we allowing to play over and over in our heads? What are we saying as we go about the day? Are we wanting to walk free, and willing to make the changes we might need to make, in order to do it? Jesus has already bought our freedom and the good news is, He shows us how to walk in it.😊

Romans 12:2 NLT Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The Lord is asking us to see where our attitude is taking us, and the way we process things that happen. Are we having an attitude of gratitude, or have we fallen for the enemy’s lies and we’re stuck in a groove of grumbling? 

Our thoughts produce our words and what we say will govern the way our life goes. That’s why God tells us to renew our minds by reading His Word and listening to His Holy Spirit.

When we feel less than, God says “we’re fearfully and wonderfully made”. When we feel not good enough, He says “we’re God’s own child, being transformed from one degree of glory to another, chosen, appointed and anointed by Him to bear fruit”.

When we feel condemned we can declare ‘I am the righteousness of God in Christ, cleansed by the blood of Jesus.” When we’re weak we say, “God’s grace is more than enough for me and He is strengthening me right now.” Those thoughts transform our minds and cancel the negative thoughts that try to bring us down.😊

So as we go into our week, be encouraged to know that if we want to walk free from anything that has us bound, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us let go of our wrong thoughts and think God’s thoughts instead.

Thank You Lord for Your Truth which transforms our thinking and speaking so we can walk free in Your perfect plan for our lives. In Jesus name. Amen.

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THE GLORY OF OUR GOD

Psalm 19:2-4 NLT 

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display his craftsmanship.

2 Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

3 They speak without a sound or word;

their voice is never heard.

4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

and their words to all the world…

Whether we’re in the northern or the southern hemisphere the stars draw us upwards and stretch our minds to imagine what their Creator is like. He’s the One who spoke and they came into existence, He’s the One who upholds them by the word of His power.

Hebrews 1:3 NLT The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command… How wonderful that when we look at Jesus we see God revealed in human form!

Can you imagine what went through the three disciples’ minds as they stood and witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration right in front of them? The stars couldn’t begin to compare! They saw the raw glory of God shining in and through Jesus and it must have marked them forever.

Next time we gaze in wonder at the beauty of the night sky let’s remember it’s nothing compared to the true glory of our God and one day we shall see Him face to face. Not only that but scripture says we shall one day be like Him and that He is already changing us from one degree of glory to another. Oh the wonder of it!😊

1 John 3:2 NLT Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Let’s praise and give Him all the glory today. In Jesus wonderful name. Amen.

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SUNFLOWERS AND SUNSET

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

A friend sent me this glorious photo of her sunflowers and a sunset from her garden in Devon a few weeks ago, but when we’re looking out on a dreary day it’s easy to forget the joys of the summer months and that we can look forward to them when they come round again.😊

But now we’re in Autumn and I was enjoying kicking through a big bundle of  leaves as I walked along the other day, because God wants us to enjoy and find the good in whatever season we’re in and that goes for our time of life as well.

God has good plans for us whether we’re just starting out or if we’re further down the road, so we can be sure He’s not finished with us yet. There is more love, joy, inner peace and purpose still to come when we have the Creator of all things living on the inside of us.

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of where we’re at right now, and we forget God is always leading us from glory to glory, not from doom to gloom. He reminds us in Romans 1:17 (NKJV) the righteous go from faith to faith and it’s so encouraging because that’s for you and me.😊

God is not stuck in a rut but always has interesting things in mind for us, no matter our age. Pablo Picasso was still creating art in his 90’s, Colonel Sanders didn’t start his fried chicken business till he was due to retire. We might be surprised by the possibilities in our own futures!

God is reminding us He still has things for us to discover and do, no matter how old or young we are. It’s all about staying open to His Holy Spirit’s promptings and not giving up. Where we’re at is always subject to change, and if we’re breathing, God has a plan and purpose for us to fulfil, to still believe for the impossible, no matter what time of life we’re at.

Romans 15:13 NIV May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So be encouraged today. God still has some sunflowers and glorious sunrises and sunsets for each one of us.😊 

Thank You Lord, we believe it and receive it. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x

GOD HEALS THE BROKENHEARTED

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

God’s word often shares with us the emotions of those who have gone before us and we may, or may not have experienced those same emotions, but if we have, then we know how devastating they can be at the time. It can feel like nothing will ever be the same again, that we may never recover, but if we keep our eyes on Jesus we can and we do.🙂

Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus is our High Priest who experienced everything we will ever have to deal with so He totally understands what things feel like, but He does more than empathise because He does something about it which is why it goes on … v.16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

He doesn’t expect us to cope on our own but He wants us to know He is so close to us when the bottom has been knocked out of our world, that He is right there beside us. He’s promised to rescue us when we’re so crushed in spirit we can’t seem to function. He wants us to know there is always hope, that He can turn things around for our good if we’ll hang in there and trust Him.

Scripture tells us over and over again God has promised to care for us and meet our needs, that there is no giant, no mountain that God’s grace can’t deal with - it is more than enough, He is more than enough. We all experience ‘Why?’ moments, but far better to go beyond the ‘Why’ and just say “I trust You Lord” and allow Him to bring us out the other side - not in defeat, but in victory.

So be encouraged today and come afresh to receive whatever grace and mercy you need. Know that He’s the God of all comfort and hope and He’s working behind the scenes working things out for your good. And don’t forget He has promised you a crown of beauty for the ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning (Isaiah 61:3), but not only that, He promises to heal the brokenhearted and heal their wounds.(Psalm 147:3) What a compassionate Father God we have.😊

Thank You Lord Jesus for Your promises and Your grace and mercy available to us today. Amen.

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‘BEE’ CONTENT

Philippians 4:11-13 NLT Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

The secret of contentment!  I would hazard a guess that some people go through life and never learn to be content with what they have, or where they are. It’s about being at peace with our now, not needing anything more or anything else until God releases us into the next stage, or next thing.😊

There are times though when God wants us to believe for what He has planned for us and not to limit Him through unbelief. It’s about being willing to do something different when God says to reach for the new. 

Paul says he learned to be content, which implies it didn’t come naturally! He did it by being connected to Christ or you could say by being connected to the Anointed One and His Anointing, because that’s what ‘Christ’ means. If he didn’t have enough he would tap into the anointing to endure, the patience that only Jesus could provide. If he had more than enough then he rejoiced and was thankful for what he had. 

Several years ago I wrote a whole series of whimsical poems about little bears so I thought I’d share one with you today to make you chuckle. It’s about ‘Bee-ing’ contented.😊 

You may have been feeling a bit discontented, but as we go about our day I hope we can learn to be like my little bear and bees, and draw on the contentment that’s deep inside. Yes, sometimes it does try to hide, but we know it comes through being connected to the Anointed One who wants the best for us, and doing everything through Christ, who gives us His strength.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:6 NLT Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

‘BEE’ STILL

Psalm 46:10-11 NLT “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honoured by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.

Here’s another bee with a message for us today.😊 This time it’s ‘Be still!’ 

Have you done much of that lately? Or has life been hectic, busy rushing here and there, trying to do everything? The trouble with that is we get caught up in the moment but can forget the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, with all His resources, is with us in the moment as well!

Why didn’t the Psalmist say “Be still for the Healer is here, or Be still for your Provider is here?” Why did he say, “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here …”? It’s because God knows we’re in a battle every day of our lives against the forces of darkness who try to pull us away from our loving Father. He knows we need to know how powerful our God is, and He is actually among us to defend and protect us.

So next time we might be rushing around like crazy, when things are pressuring us to be stressed, let’s make ourselves stop for a minute, be still, and know deep down in our spirit that God is still our God. He is still on the throne, He’s still with us and He is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies which are available to help us in whatever way we need it! 

You see he starts off this Psalm 46 with these words, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear…” Did you notice the ‘always’? 

When we take the time to be still we’ll remember we have God Himself to help us with everything that’s happening. He’ll remind us He is the One we can run to, that He is our source of strength, and always ready to help us in our time of trouble, our time of stress, whatever it is.

God didn’t say, “Be stressed, Be anxious, Be busy”, He said, “Be still”! Why not try it and see what happens? I think it’s worth taking the time throughout our day to let this ‘bee’ remind us, to ‘Be Still’, don’t you?😊 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is actually with us! Amen. 

Photo: Kai Wendell on Unsplash

‘BEE’ STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Joshua 1:9 NLT This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Here we have another of our ‘bees’ that God wants us to be!😊 Be strong and courageous! Right from when we’re little we can be afraid for so many reasons because the world is a big scary place when you’re only four years old and have to start school! Then as we grow older our fears change and maybe we have a fear of failure, or fear of punishment for doing something wrong, or fear of what people think, but we all have to overcome fears of one kind or another.

We know fear comes from the kingdom of darkness, not from God’s kingdom and so to fight it we have to use God’s weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4). The weapons of our warfare are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds in our lives and we activate them by faith, which God has already put in us, so we know we can do it with His help. Some of our weapons are the armour of God, the Word of God, the Blood of Jesus and the Name of Jesus, but we have to use them.😊

Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord, which means it’s possible, so we can take comfort from that because we don’t have to be strong in ourselves.😊 We know the Lord is strong and mighty, and we need to remember He is on the inside of us and He is there for us to call on night and day when we’re attacked by fears of any kind.

Joshua was told to be strong and courageous which means he had a choice to make. He was told God would be with him wherever he would go and because of that fact alone he could choose to not be afraid but to trust God, and we’re the same today. God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us to be strong, to have courage, because He is backing us up, He has promised to provide and protect us, so we’re never alone. 

Next time we have to do something which makes us afraid, or we’re attacked by fear for any reason, let’s remember God is with us, the Lord strong and mighty. Let Him give us His strength and His courage to win the day, and remember Jesus has given us His victory over fear, He’s given us His weapons and His peace and that we are ‘more than conquerors’ because He is in us. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Ryan Cuerden on Unsplash

BEE ENCOURAGING!

Acts 11:23-24 NLT When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

I have some chair cushions with tiny bees on them and as I was looking at one I thought of some of the things we need to ‘bee’!😊

The first one I thought of was to ‘bee encouraging’. If there’s one thing in this life we all appreciate it’s encouragement, especially when people are going through hard times. But even in the day to day, it doesn’t cost anything to say an encouraging word, whether it’s to a friend, or to the sales assistant in a shop, but especially to our families. 

When someone has been put down or hurt, the way to counteract it is for someone else to encourage them to know they’re doing something right, that they’re accepted and loved. How important it is in the church family as well!

We read about Barnabus, whose name means Son of Encouragement. When Paul had given up on John Mark and rejected him, Barnabus saw the potential in him and encouraged him. Barnabus was also sent to Antioch to encourage the new believers there, and there is still a need for us all to be encouragers.

Acts 9:31 NLT The church then had peace … And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers. It’s great to know the Holy Spirit encourages us as well!

God’s word tells us we’re precious in His sight, that we’re the apple of His eye, that we’re His special treasure, His masterpiece. In other words, God is encouraging each of us to know how much we mean to Him, how highly He thinks of us. We’re His sons and daughters, so be encouraged today to know God is not picking fault with you but He accepts and approves you because of Jesus.😊

He’s telling us He loves us, we’re righteous in His sight, we’re doing well, that He believes in us and that we can achieve great things with His help, so we can encourage someone else with those thoughts this week and make them smile. Let’s ‘bee’ encouraging!😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

FROM HIM, THROUGH HIM, FOR HIM

1 Corinthians 8:6 NLT

But for us,

There is one God, the Father,

by whom all things were created,

and for whom we live.

And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,

through whom all things were created,

and through whom we live.

Romans 11:36 NIV 

36 For from him and through him 

and for him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Aren’t you glad there is only one God, the Father, and one Lord, the Lord Jesus? We don’t have any complications in having to serve lots of gods, only One all powerful, always present God who loves us with an everlasting love. How blessed we are!

Our verses remind us we live for Him to bring Him glory forever which we may forget sometimes! God created this world for mankind to enjoy and we’re not random cells that accidentally came together. No, we were fearfully and wonderfully made, breathed into by our Creator for His plan and purpose and we will ultimately bring Him glory.😊

It says we live through Him not through our own efforts, which takes the pressure off us. Jesus has done it all for us and our righteousness is in Him so He lives in us and we live through Him.

We need never feel less than, or inadequate, or put down by anybody when we remember whose we are and that He is changing us from one degree of glory to another. His word says we are accepted by God in His beloved Son, all our sins have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and we shall one day go to be with Him and be like Him. How wonderful!

So on those days when the enemy comes to undermine us or he tells us we’re not doing well, or that we’ve made too many mistakes, we can stand our ground and remind him he has no authority over us and he has no say in our lives anymore! 

Praise God, our future is safe because we came from God, we’re living through Jesus and we were made for Him.😊

Lord we give You all the glory and praise today for all You’ve done for us through Jesus. In Jesus Name. Amen.

PEACE OVER PANIC

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

We’ve probably all had those moments where something suddenly happens and we’re tempted to get in a panic about it. It comes out of the blue - maybe it was when the wheel came off your car in traffic and rolled off into the distance, or when your child was crying out in pain, blood pouring down their face because they’ve had an accident, or when burglars invaded your bedroom. I’ve actually had all of those happen to me in the past!

It could be anything, but in that moment, we have a choice to make. We can either go into panic mode or we can remember we have the Lord of peace himself present with us, to give us His peace to help us stay calm. I can testify that He does, but we have to press into His peace.

You see the Holy Spirit doesn’t make empty promises He can’t deliver, but we have to make a choice as to whether to believe them or not. He says the Lord of peace will give us His peace at ALL times, in EVERY situation. That leaves no room for us to misunderstand what He’s saying and it’s the most wonderful promise for us to hang on to.😊

Hebrews 4:2 says we have to mix the Word of God with faith for it to work and for it to be a benefit to us. God gives us His wonderful promise of peace and our part is to simply accept it by faith and say ‘Thank You Lord’, or we can refuse it and allow the enemy to wreak havoc in our minds because he wants us to panic.

John 14:27 AMP Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]

So next time something happens that has the potential to make us fearful, or upset and distress us, remember the Lord of Peace is with us, giving us His own peace right at that moment, whatever our situation. Let’s press into Him to allow Him to keep us calm and give us the peace we need while things are dealt with, no matter what happens. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

Photo: Bekky-Bekks on Unsplash

CARED FOR AND CARRIED

Isaiah 46:3-4 NLT “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.

Who cares! Have you ever heard that said? Scripture constantly gives us insight into some amazing truths and the truth is, God cares! 

It tells us that God chose us before the world was made (Ephesians 1:4), that He has been caring for us since we were born. Psalm 139 reminds us He knew us while we were still in our mother’s womb before even one day of our lives had taken place.

We may, or may not have been aware of His care but what He wants us to see is His promise to us to know that however far along life’s road we happen to be, He will be our God and He will care for us, He’ll carry us when our strength is weak, but we have to trust Him.

Psalm 91 talks about us declaring God is our refuge, our safe place which implies a closeness, sheltering under His loving arms where He can protect us. Maybe we’ve been wandering off into doubt and if so it’s time to come back to our safe place, our place of security. 

God starts off these verses in Isaiah with these words, “Listen to me...” Are we listening? Are we hearing His words of comfort to each one of us today because He wants us to receive His peace and know He cares about the details of our lives and He will work all things together for our good.

Whether you’re young or old, with white hair or no hair, God loves you and He has promised to care for you. How reassuring and comforting those words are. Let’s listen to them, take them on board today and trust Him to care for us, as only He knows how. Amen.😊

Photo by HAN Mengqi on Unsplash

LIGHT-BEINGS!

Hebrews 1:3 AMPC He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. …

Jesus is the Light-being! It sounds like something out of Star Wars but it just struck me when I read it.😊 We think of Jesus as walking along dusty roads  healing the sick, working miracles and sitting in boats, but it’s probably not every day we think of Him as the Light-being!

Jesus described Himself as The Light of the world because He knew who He was and how He saw Himself but He also called us the light of the world, so He wants us to see ourselves that way too and not to hide our light. Matthew 5:14-16 NIV “You are the light of the world….. . In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Colossians 1:13 tells us He has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of Light which means we can walk in the Light, work in the Light, relax in the Light, think in the Light and dispel any dark thoughts we may have been dealing with.

Ephesians tells us we are ‘in Christ’ and Christ is in us, so His Light must also be in us which means we are ‘Light-beings’ as well! Now there’s a thought!😊

Next time the enemy comes and tries to bring his darkness into our minds, his doom and gloom, his depressing sad thoughts, we can stand up tall and tell him to get out because he’s looking at a Light-being, filled with Jesus and His Light and His anointing, that we belong to God and we’re living in the Kingdom of Light now, so Satan has absolutely no authority in our lives anymore! 

Ephesians 5:8 NKJV For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! Just think of that! Everywhere you go you’re emanating Light and if the enemy is troubling you just keep reminding yourself, and him, of this verse, and tell him to flee in Jesus name. Amen. 

 Our declaration today:  I am a Light-being because Jesus is in me!😊

Photo by Javier García on Unsplash

WHAT GOD IS ‘INTO’

Isaiah 52:7 NLT How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!

I’ve just finished sewing this highland cow cushion and it makes me smile so I thought I’d share it with you. I don’t know who it’s for yet, but it will be ‘moo-ving’ out in due course, probably for someone’s Christmas.😊

Now highland cows may not float your boat, but perhaps you’re into sport or dogs or cars, or cute bunnies! But whatever it is, I know something that God is ‘into’ and it’s people. God loves people so much He sent Jesus to rescue us all.

He asks us to love people too, to love them enough to tell them the Good News that He’s not mad at them anymore but He’s made it possible for us all to be reconciled to Him through Jesus. Now some people will reject the Good News, and some will embrace it, but our job is not to second guess who will and who won’t, but just to let them know so they can decide for themselves. But if we don’t tell them, how will they know?

When we do tell them, it could alter the course of their history down through the ages to come. So next time you think of any of the things that you are into, let’s remember what God is into, and how much we all mean to Him as we go about our day.😊

Lord wherever we are, help us to let someone know You love them so much Jesus was willing to go to the Cross for them. In Jesus name. Amen.

John 3:16 NLT For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

STAYING AFLOAT

Hebrews 12:2 NIV fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…

We were in a two man kayak in Australia a few years ago when we realised we were really struggling to fight the current to get back to shore. It was scary for a while and at one point I did wonder if we would make it home! Thankfully the Lord brought us safely through, but you suddenly realise how fragile life can be!

I read recently ‘You don’t drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there.’ but it’s not always possible to rescue oneself, is it? We either need to wear a life jacket, or have a lifeguard present. It made me think how much we need our spiritual life jackets on every day of our lives or we might drown in the circumstances that try to overwhelm us.

So what is our life jacket? It’s the armour of God and His promises.😊 Each day they keep us afloat when everything around us seems to shout it’s not working, or not this time! When we forget the promises of God we will sink into the problems, into the fear or the worries. 

All the promises of God are yes and amen in Jesus which is why God wants us to fix our eyes on Jesus who is our life guard. We will find everything we will need in Him, by being united with Him, because He has promised His grace will be more than enough for today’s challenges.

So let’s make sure we put our life jacket on each day before we get our kayak out! And make sure we have Jesus as the captain of our boat so He can keep us safe wherever we have to go.😊

And if you forgot to put it on, put it on now, in case the pull of the current of circumstances tries to overwhelm you or pull you away! And if you feel like you’re already beginning to drown, call out to Jesus and allow Him to rescue you. Romans 10:13 NLT For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  

Whatever is happening in your life, remember you do have a lifeguard, His name is Jesus, and He loves you deeply. Thank You Lord. Amen.

OUR DAILY WALK

1 John 1:17 NKJV But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

When we’re out for a walk we usually watch where we’re going (or I hope we do🤣). But do you ever stop and ask yourself what am I walking in? 

God wants us to walk in His grace and favour, to walk in His light knowing He’s walking with us, to walk in His faith and victory. But are we walking in fear of what is going on in the world, fear of what might happen in our personal circumstances and forgotten we can walk in God’s peace and inner joy instead of turmoil and anxiety?

As we enter this new week God wants us to settle something in our minds. He has us safely in the palm of His hand and He has already seen all of our futures but He’s already gone ahead to prepare whatever we will need for whatever we will have to deal with. His plans are for our good and not to harm us.😊

He reminds us He will never abandon us or leave us on our own, that if we’ll trust Him, and keep our eyes fixed on Him, and not on what is happening around us, that He will hold us steady and bring us out victorious.

Jesus already told us about the things that would be happening in the last days but He said to look up! We may well be the generation that sees the Lord return to catch us all away, but until then we have a job to do.

Our job is to stay close to our God, and allow His perfect love for us to cast out our fears, because He is our strong tower. He wants us to walk in His light, in His grace and His faith and to bring others to Him so they can know His love and forgiveness too. 

So let’s walk out into our new week knowing we’re never alone, that God’s love and favour are surrounding us like a shield and whatever happens, He will hold us steady and securely in His hands, and He will never let us go. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo: Jeffery-Grospe on Unsplash

THE GREATNESS AND VICTORY OF GOD

Psalm 48:1/9-10 NLT 

1 How great is the Lord,

How deserving of praise, …

9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love

as we worship in your Temple.

10 As your name deserves, O God,

you will be praised to the ends of the earth.

Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

Have you noticed how much the subject of victory pops up where our God is concerned?

Isaiah 41:10 reminds us it’s His victorious right hand that upholds us. God is never defeated and never will be, and He wants us to walk in faith and victory as well. He never intended us to walk in defeat or fear or despair because we have the Greater One on the inside of us to help and strengthen us.😊

Our verses today also talk about praising the Lord for His greatness, because He deserves all our praise. In Isaiah 61:3 we read how we can put on a garment of praise to get rid of a spirit of heaviness, because it’s our defence against the enemy, but it also defeats him at every turn because he can’t stand hearing us praise our God, so he leaves!

The Psalmist encourages us to meditate on God’s love for each one of us which means of course to really stop and spend a bit of time thinking about what it means to us personally, and when we do, our praise will just bubble up and pour out. A friend sent me a text yesterday reminding me that God’s love for all of us is Immeasurable, Unmistakable and Unending! What a lovely reminder.😊

So let’s do as the Psalmist says and give our Great and Victorious God, who loves us so much, all our praise today. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Nachristos on Unsplash