Tag: love

God’s Will Be Done

On By vickleaIn Admonition, God’s blessings, Scripture, YouVersion App4 Comments

The Ultimate Guide (Daily Refresh, 11-05-25)

Have you ever faced something unexpected? Maybe it was a good surprise that brought you joy, or a heartbreaking tragedy that deeply affected your life. All of us experience moments in life that we don’t anticipate.

Even though unexpected things will happen, we still make plans and dreams for our lives. We make plans for our future—education, family, community, career, or specific relationships. But we can never fully plan for the unexpected, since we cannot know the future. We don’t even know what might happen in the next few minutes.

We learn in Scripture that God is all-knowing, which means He knows everything that will happen everywhere in the world. He has complete knowledge of every event and action that happens. More than that, He is also sovereign, which means He has ultimate authority and control in this world.

That means that even though we make our own plans, God is ultimately the one who directs our steps. He has the power to change the direction of our lives, to orchestrate details we can’t even fathom, and to guide us into what is best for us.

Take some time to think about the dreams and plans that you have for your life. Have you ever submitted those plans to God in prayer? This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make plans for your life, but rather, whatever you plan should not come before God’s plans for your life.

Take a moment to ask God to direct your steps. Ask Him to reveal any desires or plans that aren’t from Him. Submit your plans to God so that you’ll be open to following Him wherever He leads.

My Thoughts

One of the things that I used to say frequently was to not get too wrapped up in your plans because “we make plans and God laughs.” I have since changed my mind and decided that God doesn’t laugh at our plans. Rather, He gently rebukes us if we are headed in the wrong direction and then He turns us around. Sometimes, it feels as though all is going the wrong way, the way we did not plan for at all, but we have to remember that God is always, always in control.

The results of the election are a case in point. Why would God not allow a Christian woman who served honorably in the Marine Corps to be elected governor of Virginia? Why did we end up with someone who claims to be moderate but is actually so far left she is a proponent of making our state California East, with mandates about electric cars, gun control, transgenders and murder (also called abortion)? Why? The simple answer is “I don’t know.” To expound on that answer, I would add, “But God does.” He knows the future and if this election is a way to get our attention back on Him and to call attention to how ungodly we have become, how self-sufficient we are and how independent we want to be from God, then He has my attention, and I hope He has the attention of all of the God-fearing people in our nation. What other state elected to the office of attorney general a man who said he would murder someone and his children? New York City elected a socialist, someone who openly admits he is socialist and, in my opinion, lies about his respect for the Jewish people. So, all of that just points to God’s sovereignty. I never thought that Winsome Sears would be an easy winner. I voted, I prayed and then I left things up to God. Some say that God isn’t involved in politics. I am of the opinion that God is involved in everything in our lives and that includes who leads us.

The best advice in the devotional today was to go ahead and make plans, but then submit them to God. That requires a pause. We can’t make plans and then rush headlong into them, hoping that as we go God will bless them. First, we pause. That means wait for God to tell us is it’s a “go” or a “full stop” or a “not yet.” If we make plans without consulting the Lord, then we are destined for disappointment and/or failure. Yes, God in His love and mercy, allows us to carry out some of our half-baked ideas, but if they are not what is best for us, in that same love and mercy, He allows them to fail so we can turn around and go in the right direction. Our loving Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, but He also knows what is best for others and how our choices will affect them. We are not the only one in the Universe with whom God is concerned, much to our own consternation sometimes. We need to accept the fact that God sees everything, knows everything and our plans are better with His blessing beforehand rather than His reluctant permission afterwards. We may be able to steamroll past human obstacles to our plans, but God is not movable. We can’t steamroll Him or talk Him into things that aren’t good for us or even just choose to ignore Him. One way or another, He will get our attention when He wants it and we may not like the way that happens, especially if we are rebelling against His will for us.

That being said, just remember that God is not waiting to zap you and your plans so that they never come about. He just wants you to submit them to Him. Let Him add to your blueprints and see how much better the end product will be.

Speaking and Listening

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture1 Comment

As those of you who follow my blog regularly know, my word for this year is “listen.” God has been working on my active listening skills so that I really hear with empathy and compassion what the other person is saying. That way I hope to respond with more of Christ’s love instead of my own emotions.

Have you ever heard the phrase “speak off the cuff”? It means, according to http://theidioms.com, to speak without preparation or to speak without thinking about it. Isn’t that what most of us do most of the time? We want to get our voice out there, thinking that our opinion is the most important one. When we take time to think about what we will say, we tend to give a more coherent answer that actually addresses the issue and hopefully shows people that we are in tune with God’s Spirit.

There are some real characters on the political platform these days, those who say anything to get into the spotlight and then end up looking foolish in the eyes of many Americans. One particular politician comes to my mind immediately for her vitriol against the President and her support of all things racist. I was even more appalled at the woman from Texas who blamed the floods on those who voted for Trump and hoped that the people who didn’t vote for him were safe and that the MAGA voters got what they deserved. That doesn’t sound like any kind of Christian perspective to me. No one gets what we deserve thanks to God’s grace and mercy! But to attack grieving parents and family members and friends in such a vile manner…she doesn’t know the scriptures about listening before speaking, does she? Now ask yourself, do you listen before speaking? And do you think before you speak? We don’t want to talk to others “off the cuff.” We want to say the words that will help, not hurt more.

We need to be the ones who spread peace and love and hope, not hatred or division. If we are actively listening to what others are saying, we can respond with an answer that does not add fuel to already burning fires. Some people will set fires just to watch them burn. We are called to use our words to put the fires out and to soothe those who have already been burned by the flames.

We are the only example of Jesus that some people will see because they never go to church. If we are entering into the same kind of debates that those around us seem to think is expected, then how are we different? Did Jesus debate or did He simply speak the truth and pray? God’s Word and His truth is not open to debate. If we speak the truth in love, we are presenting a message of hope, not one of condemnation and judgment.

Promises of God

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture6 Comments

The Bible is filled with promises from God, things He promises to His dear children, which is all of us who love Him.

Do you remember your parents making promises to you? I don’t remember the exact wording, but I remember things like “I’ll take you to the pool later” or “If you take care of your brother, I will take you to get ice cream later.” Unfortunately, some (perhaps many) of those promises didn’t happen. But I didn’t wallow in bitterness and self-pity because I knew that life interrupted those plans, so the plans (and the promises) had to change. I am certain that I told my own children many things that I planned to do and promised them we would do them…but then, life happened and those things didn’t.

The great thing about God’s promises is that He is actually able to keep all of them because He is in charge on the plan. Life doesn’t get in His way, circumstances don’t thwart His plan. He says it and He then fulfills it.

Do you see how these verses go together? God doesn’t lie. He fulfills what He says He will do. One of His promises is to watch over us, always. That doesn’t mean that we don’t get hurt sometimes. I have fallen more times than I can count and from my position on the floor, it didn’t look a lot like God was watching over me. But I know that He was. A few broken bones, but no serious damage or lasting harm. And each time I fell, I learned a lesson about how not to fall, like moving more slowly, not rising quickly and using my cane or Walker consistently. God watches over us, but He does expect us to use the tools that He has already given us to try to keep us safe.

Sometimes, the fulfillment of God’s promises don’t look like we imagine and then we start thinking that He didn’t keep His promise. Yes, He did and He does, just not always the way we expected. In the long run, what God does to keep His promise will be better than we expected and more than we needed. God does keep His promises in His Word, but sometimes we have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit to see God working in our lives as He fulfills His Word to us. If we are depending on our natural eyes to see God’s hand at work, we won’t see it. God is Spirit, and as hard as it is for us to understand, we cannot put Him in a box and say that He promised thus and so and it has to be exactly what we expect. Allowing God free rein (also reign) to work in our lives is the best way I can think of to release Him to fulfill His promises in our lives.

I am a person who loves to check off lists. So, here is one that I think you can use, too.

God saved me. ✅

God shows His love for me. ✅

God fulfilled His promise to sacrifice His Son for me. ✅

God sent the promised Holy Spirit to lead me. ✅

God desires a relationship with me. ✅

What can you add to this checklist that shows more promises that God has fulfilled in your life? As I said at the beginning, the Bible is full of His promises, and so are our lives.

Like My Cat

On By vickleaIn Scripture, testimony1 Comment

I spend a lot of time in solitude as my husband enjoys running errands and working in the garden, not to mention sleeping very late every day. In my quiet times, I have a lot of time to reflect and this morning, I was thinking about the life of our cat Daisy.

This, my friends, is Daisy. She loves to sit in boxes and will figure out a way to fit into a box even if it is actually too small to accommodate her. Her persistence is admirable and so I want to make Daisy’s attributes the topic of today’s post.

We got Daisy when she was a very tiny four month old kitten. She used to sit in my lap most of the time, snuggled up close to me, kneading, purring and settling. She knew instinctively that I was her person and so began to learn things from me. I taught her to sit and beg for her treats. Although she will be nine years old next month, when I shake the treat bag, she comes running and when I say “Sit” she does so obediently and instantly. Sometimes, I just have to point to the floor and she sits. If I want her to beg, I don’t give her the treat until she is sitting, I hold the treat higher and she gets up on her back legs and begs for it. So cute! And so trainable. In fact, Daisy also walks beside me as I go from room to room in the house, never taking her eyes off my feet and watching exactly where I am going. It is only when I sit down that she pauses, looks at me to make sure I am no longer active and either settles in my lap or on the back of my chair. Finally, Daisy loves unconditionally. If I get preoccupied and forget to feed her on time, she still wants to be with me and show me affection. If I don’t turn on the bathroom sink so she can drink from the faucet, she taps my hand to remind me, but she doesn’t scratch or bite me. She just gives me loving reminders of what her expectations are.

My person that I depend on, lean on and want to be always around is Jesus. I could learn a lot from Daisy about being obedient and following closely as well as being persistent. I want to follow Jesus so closely that all of His actions and movements are exactly what I do. I want to listen so carefully that when he says to do something, I obey right away, with hesitation and knowing that what He has in store for me will be good. I want to be persistent in prayer and in my time with the Lord daily, knowing that is the most important time of my day. Snuggling up with God and His Word in my comfy recliner is like being in a nice, well-fitting box. God doesn’t hold me there; I get in voluntarily and enjoy my stay in the place that is best for me. God give me loving reminders of His expectations for me all the time, but He is never impatient or demanding, just loving and gentle.

Just as God says we can learn a lot from the birds who have no worries but know that He will take care of them, I can also learn a lot from watching Daisy. She is loyal and trusts me to take care of her every day. I want to be totally loyal to God and trust Him wholeheartedly to meet my needs daily.

I can have the same peace that Daisy has as she sleeps in my lap if only I keep my mind focused on God, trusting Him completely to take care of everything while I rest.

I want to listen as carefully as Daisy listens. She hears me pick up her treat bag and comes running from the back bedroom or wherever she was. She learned to obey my commands and to come when I summon her. Most people tell me that cats don’t come when they are called. Well, Daisy does. If I say, “Daisy, come” she does. She knows that I am ready to feed her or give her a treat or just sit and cuddle with her. How often does the Lord tell me to come and I am so busy with other things that I do not hear His voice? How many times have I missed out on something from the Lord because I have not listened carefully for His voice? That’s why being like Daisy and carefully listening all the time is a good thing. I want to always be ready to hear and obey the voice of the Lord.

I think of Daisy as a gift from the Lord nine years ago. She has taught me a lot about focus and persistence and even obedience and love. Have you learned anything from the animals around you? Have they taught you anything about God’s love for you?

Meant for Relationships

On By vickleaIn Family and Friends, Scripture1 Comment

From the very beginning, God knew that mankind needed companionship, relationship.

Thus, God established marriage. One man and one woman for life, the way God meant for it to be.

But marriage is not the only relationship we have. We also have a relationship with our Heavenly Father, with an open invitation to worship and pray and come into His presence. And we have friends, those God has placed in our lives for us to ask for help or for us to give them help. We are generally doing one or the other with our friends. We can be honest with them and admit that we are not sufficient to do all the things alone. So, God gave us friends to stand alongside us and hold us up when we are falling.

We were not meant to go through life lonely and trying to do a solo act all the time. There are many times when we just need to talk to someone and there are other times when we need assistance with something. I have a good friend from church who contacts me several times a week just to make sure that Harry and I are okay. She offers to bring us food when we are sick and when we had to move to the auxiliary room at church because of the noise of the bass, she moved with us. She told us that church is for fellowship and she will be our fellowship. Do you have someone that you can call on at any time and they will respond? That is a true friend and that is what Bonnie is.

One of the ways we show love is to just be available. God is always available to us, ready to hear our cry for help and to comfort, heal and answer. He showed us the example of a loving relationship so that we can show the world what marital love and what friendship look like. In a world where people are climbing over each other to get to the top, let’s be the ones to be noticed for helping, not hindering. Let’s be the ones to comfort, not compete. Let’s be the ones to give, not always take. The world may never see what we are doing or know why, but God sees and knows. He is our real BFF (best friend forever).

Why Read God’s Word

On By vickleaIn promises, Scripture4 Comments

If you want to have a relationship with our Creator, it is imperative that you spend time with Him. One of the best ways to do that is to spend time reading and studying His Word. That is where you find out about His love and His promises to each of us. It is hard for us finite beings to conceive of an infinite God, One who is not restrained by time and who set the whole world into motion. In reading His Word, we get a small understanding of who He is, more and more each day we spend time with Him. He shows us who He is, what His plan for the world is, and what His purpose for us is, all through His Word.

When you sign a contract, you think that it will all be carried out. But sometimes, that just doesn’t happen. Marriage comes to mind. Most of us enter into marriage with the idea that it is for life. Then, problems come up and one or both of you decide to “void the contract” and start a new life without that other person. I have never suffered that break in a contract, but I have had numerous friends and family members who have. Divorce is not an easy thing to go through because promises were made and then somehow broken. Sometimes our experiences in life keep us from wanting to have a close relationship with God because we don’t really trust someone we can’t see. After all, those we see are constantly disappointing us.

God is different in a way that is almost impossible to describe because each individual has to have a personal relationship with Him in order to get to know Him. And you cannot get to know Him without starting with faith and a belief that He will do just as He has said in His Word. The ironic thing is that you won’t know what is in His Word unless you read and study it. So, we have come full circle. Why read God’s Word? The short answer is to know Him. The real answer is to know who you are meant to be in relationship with Him. We were never meant to travel this world with unfurled sails and without a rudder or compass. God provides both in His Word, both the power and the direction we need to go. I hope that if you have not started already, you will begin a daily journey of getting to know the One who knows you best and loves you most. Just pick up a Bible and read God’s love story to you. I recommend that you start with the Book of John. Find a Bible plan online and stick to it. Get together with a friend or a group of friends to discuss what you have discovered about God each week. Establish a firm foundation with the One whose word never fails.

Advent: Day 1

On By vickleaIn Christmas, Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

From the You Version Bible App devotional, “Advent: 25 Days”

Find Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love This Season

How are you feeling this holiday season? Is life like a Christmas movie, full of wonder, happiness, and endless cups of hot cocoa? Or are you feeling stressed out, anxious, or maybe even grieving? The classic Christmas song says it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for many of us, it can be the most overwhelming time of the year.

We can’t guarantee that reading this Bible Plan will make it snow on Christmas or magically make all your holiday worries disappear, but it is designed to help you find hope, peace, joy, and love this season.

What Is Advent?

Advent is a Christian tradition of anticipating Jesus’ birth on Christmas. Each week of Advent focuses on one word that reveals how Jesus’ birth changes us. The four words which you’ve seen already are hope, peace, joy, and love.

Now, let’s pause because if you’ve been to church, read the Bible, or spent any time around Christians, then you’ve probably heard these words a lot. And maybe these words feel a bit vague. That’s why we’ve defined these words below.

  • Hope: A wholehearted, evidence-based conviction that God is making the future better than the past or present
  • Peace: A state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between us, God, and others
  • Joy: A resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God
  • Love: Following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of sacrificial care

Over the next few weeks, we will explore the Bible and see how God’s gift to us provides hope, peace, joy, and love. We’ll also see how these gifts impact how we live every day.

So whether you’ve practiced Advent for years or you’re just learning about this tradition, we can all find hope, peace, joy, and love this season. Tomorrow, we’ll begin our first week by taking a closer look at God’s plan for hope.

Pause and Pray:

Lord, thank You for the great gift of Your Son. Please help me focus on You this Christmas season. Free my life from distractions and give me Your hope, peace, joy, and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

My Thoughts

I researched a little bit and found out that Advent comes from that Latin word “adventus” which means arrival. Arrival of what? At Christmas, we celebrate the arrival of Jesus on the earth, the only One who can reconcile us to the Father and who teaches us about what true hope, peace, joy and love are.

I just returned from a trip to Maryland and got to witness just a little. I shared with my young grandchildren about our tradition of baking a birthday cake for Jesus. We have been doing that since our children were very young. I told them that Christmas isn’t about the tree and presents but it’s all about Jesus. One of the kids was amazed while the toddler was bored and the oldest wandered away. But I least I got to share about the real meaning of Christmas and hope that it stays with them in some way for a long time. It breaks my heart that the only meaning some people have for Christmas is a wish list and a visit to Santa. The real meaning is lost in the commercialism of the season that the retailers have hyped so much that Jesus seems lost in the commercials for the newest gadgets, toys and must-haves before anyone else has things. I don’t think Jesus minds our enjoying giving, but I am fairly sure that He does not appreciate the greed associated with the “this is what I want for Christmas.” If we have Jesus, we actually have all that we need.

I hope that the first day of Advent is one that you can take time to reflect on the arrival of the One who changed your life forever. That’s my goal for today.

God Has You in the Palm of His Hand

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song, YouVersion App3 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/18910/day/3

We all know that life sometimes gets difficult, but God wants each of us to look to Him. We are not supposed to hold tightly to our possessions or the people we cherish. When we go before the Lord, our hands should be open, letting go of all that could hold us back from giving everything to God. He has each of us, holding us in the palm of His mighty hand, and we can rest assured of His love and that He will work to fulfill His purpose for us.

Shalom-Legacy Worship

He’s Got the WholWorld in His Hands

What Is Man?

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, VideoLeave a comment

We are the culmination of God’s creative work. When the Lord God created earth and everything on it, mankind was His last and ultimate creation. About man, God said, “It is very good.”

On Monday night at Bible study, as our group waited for the lesson to begin, this photo was the view from the picture window. Isn’t is amazing? God’s creation never ceases to amaze me with its stunning display of color and how everything flows together beautifully. When I see a sunset like this, I am reminded of how very much God loves each of us. We are all special to Him, uniquely created to fulfill a purpose in His plan. I don’t know about you, but my reaction is one of awe and gratitude that the God of the Universe, the One who made this gorgeous sky for us to enjoy, knows me by name and loves me. And He loves you the same way!

“Goodness of God” by Cece Winans

Show Humility and Grace to Others

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

Many go through life looking at others and comparing themselves. “Well, I have sinned, but at least, I didn’t…” The truth is that sin is sin and as this devotional states, we all have the same starting point. We all start as sinners saved by grace and we are all, prayerfully, moving closer to God in this life. So, showing grace to others is nothing less than what God would expect. If you listen to the video message that goes along with this study, you will hear the speaker say that we should not treat people the way people treat us; instead, we should treat others the way God treats us. Love, just love, and humility because we are all in this life together.

Learning to Live Humbly

Have you ever met an angry Christian?

You may have come across Christians who love to grumble, complain, or even speak harshly about other people. Maybe you’ve even been that person at times in your own life.

If we’re not careful, we can easily become self-righteous within Christianity. After all, we know the truth and others may not. You might see how tempting it can be to look down upon other people, demean them, or consider them as worse off than ourselves.

But this misses the point of the gospel of Jesus.

The gospel tell us that all of us begin at the same starting point. And it’s only through grace that we come to salvation and learn the truth about God’s love for us.

That doesn’t make us any better than other Christians! In fact, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:2, we should actually be humble and gentle with others, rather than harsh and critical. He says we are to be patient with one another, helping one another in every way that we can so that we all grow together.

These ideas aren’t original to Paul. They actually came from how Jesus lived his life. As followers of Jesus, we too should strive to be gentle, humble, and patient with everyone in our life. Regardless of whether they look or think a different way, every person deserves dignity, patience, and love.

Take some time today to think of a few ways that you can grow in patience, humility, and love with others. It could be slowing down long enough for people to know you care, saying something encouraging to someone, or admitting to someone that you’ve made a mistake.

What will you do today to show humility and grace to others?