I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
Think about what it means to be created in God’s image. In my devotional this morning, a new idea that I had not considered before was presented to me and I now present it to you. When Satan appeared in the Garden of Eden, he appealed to Eve to eat the forbidden fruit so that she would be more like God. Think about that for a moment. Adam and Eve were already created in the image of God. How much more like God could they be? They forgot their beginnings already and succumbed to the temptation. And since then, man’s quest for more…more fame, more money, more of everything they can grasp, is just a quest to be like God. Discontent to be in God’s image, man strives to become a god unto himself and in that effort, he will always fail. There is only one God, and mankind is not Him.
May you be blessed to be a blessing and may each day bring you closer to God, your Creator.
Look all around you. There is evidence of God’s everywhere we look, so mankind is without excuse to believe in God. I have friends who say that they cannot possibly believe in a supernatural power whom they cannot see. Well, have they seen the wind? The recent blast of wintry air was a testament to God’s power and His presence. No one can see the wind, yet we know it exists because we dress in layers to protect ourselves from the cold that it brings. Some say that they cannot believe in God who doesn’t control all of the evil in the world. Hmm. Why does evil exist? Not because of God but because of man’s choices. We continue to laugh in the face of God and to refuse to acknowledge His sovereignty and then we claim that we are angry at God because of all of the evil that is taking over the world. Once again. If you want to know the source of evil, check out the choices that mankind is making. Building museums to honor unholy practices of matrimony, exhorting politicians who steal from the people they serve, and in general calling the things that God calls sin as okay. So, once again, there is no excuse. One day, we will all stand before God and give an accounting to Him for our lives. We cannot stand there and say that we had no idea that God actually existed because He shows us each day that the sun rises, the moon comes up, the tides roll, the rains pour down. God is showing us His sovereignty in nature and in all of the creatures around us.
Even the animals know that God exists. Mankind, in trying to establish his own control over his life, has denied the existence of God, much to their eternal detriment if they don’t repent and turn away from such foolishness. God is in control and there is no excuse not to know that and to give Him the glory due His Name.
May the Lord who does indeed exist bless you with the knowledge of His power, grace and mercy.
God first separated the light from the darkness, noting that the light was good.
Jesus is the light of the world who shed His loving light on all mankind.
As Christians, we are called to shine our lights, reflecting the light of Jesus to a dark and dying world. The end result is to give glory to the Father who created the light to begin with.
Darkness cannot conquer light but is dispelled by it. That is why it is so important for us to continue to shine in a world that is becoming increasingly dark.
Jesus came as a man and displayed God’s glory to all. Can we do any less if we say that we are but reflections of Him?
Hallelujah! I am a child of the light and so are all who know Jesus as Lord!
Praise God for the fourth Sunday of Advent because being a light gives each of us a purpose and a mission. Have a blessed day!
In this season of Thanksgiving, many people who do not regularly thank God take the opportunity to acknowledge that what they have in their lives is from a “higher power.” Others continue on with their lives and call Thanksgiving Day “turkey day” or some other name that means that they are all about themselves and their own ego trip, refusing to acknowledge the Creator and the Savior. I call it Thanksgiving, it’s one of my favorite holidays and I am thankful for all of God’s gifts.
Of course, the first gift that comes to mind is His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, without whom I would not have a relationship with the Father. I am also thankful for the Holy Spirit, the One who guides me and helps me to stay close to the Lord and to understand His Word. Ultimately, I am thankful for all of God’s creation: the beauty in the changes of season (we saw snow yesterday!), the rare beauty that is all around us if we just look for it (like the cardinal hopping in the snow) and the beauty of the children and grandchildren that I am blessed with. God is so good to His children. It seems to me that we need more than one day to be grateful for His gifts, for all He has done and continues to do for us. The season is one of Thanksgiving and I am thankful to be counted among His children because of His grace and mercy.
May the Thanksgiving season be the start of thankfulness in your heart and life. Every gift is from God! Have a blessed day of counting your blessings.
Hurray! My favorite month of the year has arrived! It’s the month with beautiful colors outside, a little nip in the air but not too cold and the month when we are reminded to be thankful. My personal opinion is that thankfulness should be an every month, every day thing, but I am grateful that here in the United States, we at least still have a holiday to be thankful. I just wish more people were mindful of the fact that the One we should always be thankful to is God, not our bosses or our own selves. Anyway, my plan is to post things daily to make us think of thankfulness to God. Today, I am focusing on attributes of God from my devotional this morning.
God’s love is absolutely unfathomable to our finite minds. Just when I think that I have a small grasp on what it’s like, I find out that there is so much still there for me to discover.
Since all of creation was made by God, He has compassion on each of us and on each of the creatures and other living things He has made. Some in my family have the belief that God is just up in Heaven somewhere waiting to crush us. Not so! He is there but He is waiting to pour out compassion and love on us, since He knows our weaknesses and how hard we have to work to stay on the right path. He understands because Jesus lived the earthly life and went through trials and temptations just like we do. God didn’t say life wouldn’t present challenges, but He did say He would be with us through it all.
Nothing, not one thing on earth or anywhere else can separate us from God’s love. His love surrounds us daily if we just recognize it. Sometimes I have to pray especially to see the evidence of God’s love for me. It’s not a selfish prayer, just a realistic one for me that I need to pray sometimes. And the answer is practical and immediate. I see His love all around me in His creation: in the smile of the baby in the stroller, in the report from a friend that she is out of the hospital and doing well, in the sun shining through the branches of the colorful trees outside and in the blue sky laced with clouds. God loves me and you so much that He gave us the world to enjoy while we occupy the earth. Look around you and see God’s love, for yourself and for all of His creation.
May you enjoy this thankfulness journey with me and may each day bring new insight into all that each of us has to be thankful for. God bless you!
With easy to read rhymes and illustrations that are colorful and enticing for children, this book is a perfect gift for the little ones in your life. Touting God’s creation and His goodness on every page, this little reader encourages children to look around them at all that God has made and be thankful for everything. It even mentions the fact that God creates the child and made them for a special purpose. I loved the simplicity of the verses and the illustrations and plan to purchase my own copy for my grandchildren. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tommy Nelson Publishers via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
A children’s board book perfect for the little ones in your life!Photo from the author’s website on Amazon: Bonnie Rickner Jensen on AmazonBio from author’s website on Amazon: BRJ on Amazon
This lovely children’s book was published on September 14th and would be a welcome addition to your little one’s library. Purchase Links:
Just a reminder that man is without excuse for rejecting the knowledge about God’s existence. The skies above us declare His glory! Bless His Holy Name!
May you have a blessed weekend and remember to look around at all that God has created for us to enjoy.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 