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.
We could all sit around some days and have a little pity party about all of the bad things that are happening in our lives and in the world around us. We could lament the fact that we prayed, but we haven’t gotten an answer yet. (At least, not the one we expected or wanted).
How about instead of a pity party, we have a praise celebration? Instead of thinking about all the negatives, start thinking about what God has already done for you (and for this sinful world). Satan certainly doesn’t want us to remember so I think he tries to block our memory of the good things and puts the bad things at the forefront of our minds. We need to purposely choose to think of the good things, as Philippians says:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/php.4.8.NIV
It is when we start remembering what God has already done that we have a testimony to share and a faith that cannot be quenched! So, let’s get out of the pits of despair and stand on that mountain of faith that God created for us to stand on.
This is my prayer for you and for myself and it is a memory verse that I have been working on this week.
Do you enjoy Crowder songs? This is one of my favorites because it reminds me not to “get amnesia” but to focus on what God has already done!
If you read my blog last week, you know that the week was a hard one for me. Two friends passed away and I was devastated and faced with my own mortality and the certainty that death comes to everyone. I got through that week, only to be faced with another challenge.
My husband and I have one vehicle. For many years, when both of us were working, we had two, but once I had my stroke and my husband retired, he started doing most of the driving, so we just have one car now. We drove that car for thousands of miles last month to get to graduations and then at the beginning of June to go to the beach to meet my brother from Colorado. All of those trips were definitely worth the exhaustion I felt when we got home. Unfortunately, the car is feeling the effects of that long, arduous trip, also. On the way to the visitation for my dear friend, I noticed the engine was grinding so I told my husband that it needs to be checked again. Just before our trip, I paid almost $1000 for repairs because it needed a new valve cover gasket. So, I am not looking forward to new repair fees. When my husband checked the oil on Saturday morning, it was low, so he added oil. Now I have an appointment tomorrow to take the car in to have it checked for oil leaks and to have the oil changed again. That sound you hear is a big sigh from me.
My scripture verse this morning is one that I am now working on memorizing because I really need it.
That word “as” is very important in this verse. Joy and peace come at the same time that we trust in Him. That’s where we find our hope. So, even as I am frustrated about the car, anxious about the finances to pay for it again, and disappointed that this is happening now, God is telling me to trust and He will give me joy, peace and hope. That is quite a promise and one I really needed today.
We need to start looking for another car, but we are in total disagreement about what to look for. My husband wants a car for $5000 or less, so he is looking for what I call a “junker clunker.” I don’t want to put more money into repairing a car while we are paying for it, so I want to look at a mid-priced car with lower mileage, thinking it would last longer. We are not at a total impasse, so I am praying what to do. I love my husband, but his decisions are not always the wisest although they may be the thriftiest. I hope you will join me in praying that God will show us what to do in this situation and that we can reach an agreement by following Him.
Meantime, I will continue to focus on this verse and pray fervently that I can trust even as the anxious thoughts attack incessantly. I hope that you will join me in my prayers and that you, too, will find the joy, peace and hope you need for whatever you are facing.
The writer of Psalm 27 is intentionally focusing on one of the most important aspects of our spiritual life. Throughout Scripture, we learn about the importance of the presence of God.
It is in the presence of God that we find strength and hope (Psalm 27:1). It’s also in God’s presence that our enemies lose their power over us (Psalm 27:2-3).
In Psalm 27:4 the writer of the Psalm expresses his desire to dwell within the house of the Lord, to gaze upon God’s beauty and be in His presence in the temple. In the Old Testament, the presence of God was primarily within the temple. But through spending time with God, the Psalmist found hope and restoration for his soul.
Thanks to Jesus, God’s presence is no longer confined to the temple. His presence is now available to us through the Holy Spirit who dwells within believers. We now have access to God’s presence at any time.
Just like the writer of the Psalm desired to dwell within God’s presence, we also should desire to be with God as much as possible. It is in God’s presence that we find hope, joy, beauty, and the restoration of our weary souls.
It is important that we spend time with God each and every day. We can do this through regularly reading Scripture and reflecting on what we read. We can also spend time in prayer, talking to God about what is happening in our life. Another way to spend time in God’s presence is to simply be aware that He is with you through your daily tasks each day.
My Thoughts
To be honest, I used to go through my days vaguely aware that God was walking with me throughout the day. These days, as my health concerns increase and my days and night are all mixed up from lack of sleep, I am constantly aware that God is with me. He is with me when I awaken in the morning and my first thought is to thank Him for giving me some rest. He is with me as I count out the meds, use my nebulizer and cough my way through another day. I keep thanking God for each breath He has given me.
Last night I got to do an online chat with our daughter and grandchildren. What a blessing to see their smiling faces and to hear their voices! I could see God working in each of their lives and I felt so peaceful as I listened and participated in the celebration of Tyler’s birthday.
There are so many things that I have to be thankful for, but the one that stands out is that God is right there beside me. He knows my frustration at not being able to attend church in person since I have to stay near meds that help me breathe. He has been wrapping me in warm hugs of encouragement and love. I don’t like not being able to go out but I do like feeling God’s presence so close to me that I whisper His name and can almost audibly hear Him say, “I am right here.”
God is good, all the time. He is present, all the time. Sometimes we are more aware of His nearness, just when we need to feel His closeness to us, He shows us. I don’t know how to explain it other than the peace and calm that comes when it is totally unexpected, like a wonderful surprise that you knew was coming but you didn’t know when it would arrive. The expectation of God’s presence is awe-inspiring, but the awareness of His being there all along is nothing short of glorious!
From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional, “Daily Power by Craig Groeschel, Day 3”
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. My mind spins with thoughts of appointments, responsibilities, and obligations for the following day. I worry about my kids, my friends, and members of our church. When everyone seems to be doing okay, I worry that I can’t think of anything to worry about! The best thing I do, though, is simply pray about all that’s weighing on me.
Sometimes people say, “All we can do now is pray.” It’s tempting to treat prayer like it’s a last line of defense. In actuality, though, prayer is our first line of offense.
We all have so many people depending on us that it can be hard to feel strong enough to do all that needs doing. We want to keep standing firm in our faith, but we become weary and feel so exhausted. That’s when we have to cry out for help, just like the psalmist says in today’s verse. We have to put our hope in the promises of God’s Word.
When you wake early because your mind and heart are troubled, you can rest in remembering what your Father has promised. He is with you and will never abandon you. He is in control and devoted to your growth for his good purposes. You don’t have to do everything that’s spinning around in your mind.
Today you can rest easy knowing that your hope is in God and not in your own efforts.
Power Lift: Today I cast my burdens before you, Lord, and trust that you can handle all that weighs on me and more. My hope is in you and I trust your timing to meet my needs as you show me my next step.
My Thoughts
I come from a family of hand-wringers and worriers. So, you might say that I have been perfecting this art of worrying for decades. I have also been learning (for fewer decades) how to let go and trust in God. I am not there yet because I still awaken in the middle of the night with my mind spinning. But I have learned to take deep breaths, release the troubles to God and go back to sleep. For me, that is good progress. I also recite scriptures that I have memorized to myself and sing praise songs in my mind. Sometimes it takes longer to go back to sleep, depending on what the issue is. But my belief is that I am awakened to pray, so I do and fall back to sleep when I feel comforted and the reassurance that God is taking care of things for me.
From the YouVersion Bible App Devotional, “Advent, Day 25”
It’s a Merry Christmas
Two thousand years ago, the world was waiting for a Savior. He would be their hope for the future, peace in the present, joy in all moments, and love for all people. Little did they know that God was working out His grand plan through a small, lowly family in Bethlehem.
Today, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who brought all those things, and more.
Where there was no hope, Jesus brought a new hope—hope founded on His life, death, resurrection, and the promise of His return.
Where there was no peace, Jesus brought a new kind of peace. A peace that isn’t dependent on the whims of humans, but on the unchanging nature of God who sustains us, makes us whole, and gives us a calmness the world can’t touch.
Where there was no joy, Jesus brought joy. To everyone under the oppression of sin, He offers freedom. And to the foreigners and outsiders, He offers a seat at His family’s table. Through Him, we can find joy in all things.
Where there was no love, Jesus brought love. During His life on earth, He spent time with people across varying social classes and ethnicities. He disregarded who culture told Him to associate with and instead offered His perfect love to everyone He met.
The Son of God made Himself low so that He might be raised above all. This Christmas, finish your Advent season by worshiping Him!
Pause, Read, and Reflect:
As you’re with family or friends, spend time reading today’s Scriptures aloud. Then, take a moment to read and reflect on this Christmas prayer together.
Lord, thank You for Your Son, who died to unite me with You. Today, I thank You specifically for Jesus’ birth, and the way this moment changed everything for the better. Help me to follow You with the same level of commitment that Christ had during His time on earth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
I created this using Canva, so feel free to share if you would like. It’s my online Christmas card.
My Thoughts
I was thinking that I would be sad today because it is just my husband and me here and no one is coming to celebrate with us until the 28th. But, I am not sad at all. I have shed a few tears but that’s because of the wonderful difference Christ has made in my life. I hope each of you have found the hope, joy and peace that only Jesus Christ can bring to you. Have the most wonderful Christmas ever! I am blessed to be a blessing and hope that you are, too.
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.
Peace comes from within, from knowing that no matter who or what is coming against you, God is for you. I just cannot understand people who hold grudges, seemingly forever. They don’t understand the harm that their grudge is doing to them, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Jesus was never bitter. He didn’t come back from the grave and tell His followers, “Now, let’s go show those Romans and Pharisees who’s boss!” No, He just peacefully showed Himself to those who believed in Him and left them last words of wisdom and encouragement and their marching orders to go. If anyone had the right to be bitter (no one does), then it was Jesus. If anyone had the ability to avenge Himself, the Lord certainly could have. But that was not His purpose. His goal had been reached and He continued to keep His eyes on His Father and follow His Word. If we put on the shoes of peace, then we are able to follow in His footsteps, closer to Him than we may ever realize.
In the days of waiting for test results, surgery, more results and appointments, I have to confess that the peace that I needed to feel just weren’t present. When I talked to Isaac last night, that peace finally burst forth…like I was holding my breath and I was finally able to exhale.
Isaac saw the oncologist yesterday and I think his final decision is to have testing every two months, although he has until mid-May to give the oncologist his decision about preventative chemotherapy. I am not feeling peace about his decision necessarily, but I am feeling peace that this chapter seems to be coming to a close and he is moving to the next one.
Prayers are appreciated for wisdom for him to make the decision best for his life and health and for him to have a closer relationship to God. This experience seems to have embittered him and that breaks my heart, but God knows his heart and I am at rest knowing that God will continue to work with Isaac and meet him right where he is.
When you get a raise or a promotion or a new baby arrives, you cannot wait to share the good news with everyone you know and even some strangers you may meet. The really good news that we should be sharing is the new life made possible because of the arrival of Jesus. On this Christmas Eve, take time to share the reason you are joyous and celebrating. Take time to tell others about your hope, your peace and your Savior!
Yesterday’s meeting was a true blessing for me! I got to meet a lot of new ladies and interact with them. So, that is my good report.
Today, in my devotional, I read the blessing that God told Moses and Aaron to speak over the people of Israel as they continued to travel to the Promised Land.
I am praying this promise over anyone who reads it today as well as over the people of Israel as they face a mighty and devious foe. Grace and peace from the Lord is a real blessing.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/36
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