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.
This theme has been recurring in my mind this week, that Jesus doesn’t start something and then walk away and forget about it. The Bible says he finishes what he starts.
This morning in my email I got Grant Fishbook’s devotional from Jesus.net and here is the link:
I like what he says about replacing the old patterns with something new. That reverberated with my spirit and also reminded me that God wants to make all things new.
I hope that you are having a great weekend and taking time to replace old patterns with something new and God-glorifying. God bless you and your family and loved ones!
Many of us have raised children and we well remember the days of making sure that special stuffed animal is with us when we travelled and planned to stay overnight. Not too long ago, one of our beloved granddaughters lost her stuffed tiger. She looked everywhere, even at school before she returned home disconsolate because Tigey was nowhere to be found. That night, her mom was looking through recent photos and saw one of Evie holding Tigey at the play place in the mall. That was the last place they saw him, so the next day she went to the mall, checked the Lost and Found desk and there was Tigey. Evie’s face when she got her tiger back was precious.
Some of us as adults have items similar to Evie’s tiger that we turn to for comfort. Maybe a ring, a bracelet, a necklace or something that we can hold on to when we face difficult situations. I have a wooden cross, not on a necklace, just solo and made out of olive wood. A friend who visited Israel brought it back for me and it stays in my purse where I can just touch it if I think I need to. It’s not magical or anything like that, but to me it reminds me that my faith is in Jesus, not the doctors or the other drivers on the highway or even in myself and my own abilities.
Tomorrow, I go to have a lumbar MRI, a test that requires that I lie on my back (ouch!) for up to an hour. (I actually hope it’s faster, but that remains to be seen.) Am I concerned? Yes, but I am resting in the One who is always with me and comforts me. My faith is in the One who hung on the cross for me and who walks with me daily through the hard things. I cannot take anything with me into the MRI thumping machine, but I know who will be with me the entire time. I just had an MRI on my shoulder less than two months ago and I sang praises to myself, recited scriptures and just talked to God. So, I have an appointment with God tomorrow at 6 p.m. It will take place at the hospital in the radiology department, but I am happy to have the time set aside to be with my Father who loves me and cares about all the stuff I have been going through.
Here is a devotional that I got today from Grant Fishbook. Check it out as it is the basis for my own meanderings today on this page.
Where you go when you fall determines how you rise again.
I really wanted to start with that today. ☺️
Because I’m always impressed by how honest the Bible is when it tells stories about heroes of faith. It doesn’t pretend these people were superhumanly strong or emotionless. Instead, it shows us where they brought their very human feelings.
Daniel was no exception. He wasn’t unshakable, but he was deeply anchored.
When Daniel 10 describes how he mourned for three weeks, ate no rich food, and collapsed in exhaustion, we see a man who was overwhelmed. BUT, look closely:
He didn’t complain horizontally—he cried out vertically! He didn’t throw himself at the feet of his friends—he threw himself before God!
And because of that, something incredible happens: God Himself strengthens him.
An angel tells him, “Daniel, you are very precious to God…” (Daniel 10:11, NLT)
Wouldn’t you want to experience that too?
Deeply challenging seasons are often moments when people may not be able to reach your heart… But God can! ❤️ Daniel shows us a spiritual principle we often forget:
People can walk beside you on the outside, but only God can restore you on the inside.
Yes, we need friends. Don’t get me wrong. But we also need a place where we are truly allowed to fall while already knowing with certainty: here, I won’t just fall… here, I will rise again!
Maybe you’re thinking right now, “I can’t—and I don’t want to—always be strong.” Then please hear this: you don’t have to be. You only need to know where you’re bringing your weakness today.
Because one thing is certain: where you go when you fall determines how you rise again.
You can be sure of this: God loves you too.
And, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29, NIV)
You are a miracle!
Here’s the link to the original devotional and information about the author:
As someone who has fallen a great deal (physically), I can tell you that I think this is a wonderful analogy. No matter who is walking beside me, I can still fall, and not gracefully either. How I get up again takes a lot of maneuvering with chairs, canes and even my walker.
The spiritual analogy is spot-on accurate. No matter how far away you turn from God, you always have to turn back. He will help you get up again and face whatever the future brings if you just take things to Him to help you handle them. God brings complete restoration, not a band-aid to our problems. He understands that we are human and make dumb choices at times, but He also has a plan for that. It’s called kneeling at the cross, repenting and asking Him to help you get up again.
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