Scriptures for Today

On March 19, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Since I start every day with devotionals and Bible reading, praise and prayer, I generally have God speak to me through His word. But I know for a fact that His word doesn’t only speak to my heart. It is for all of his children. So, I pray that these verses will speak to you as well.

No matter what I go through, God is always my refuge and strength. Sometimes I selfishly believe that I’m the only one going through such hard times, but God reassures me that everyone passes through the waters and he is with all of us. My current battle is with macular degeneration, the dry kind. I have a referral for a retina eye specialist in May, so I will know more then. For now, I’m content that my regular ophthalmologist says my numbers are “very good” and to continue to use eye drops regularly. What he doesn’t know is that I also pray regularly and know that will benefit me more than the eye drops.

God keeps telling me that the way of life is to give up this life and all its pleasures and to just focus on Him. I’m trying and some days are better than others. I desire to go to be with the Lord, but I also don’t want to leave loved ones behind. Nevertheless, God has clearly spoken to me that one day I will leave the earth behind and I will have no regrets when that time comes. I don’t want to be double-minded, so I’m praying to be more focused on Him and less on myself and my own selfish desires. When I woke up yesterday, one of my first thoughts was how grateful I am to have seen all of my grandchildren born and some of them becoming adults now. God is good, all the time!

May you be blessed as you read His Word today and focus on Him and His love for you. Have a great day with the Lord as your focus!

Still Here and Still Praising God

On November 19, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

I sincerely appreciate my blog followers who are still following me even after long days (weeks, at times) of my absence. I am staying really busy in Maryland taking care of little ones and have very little spare time. So, I’m blessed that I do still have time for my devotionals and my Bible reading and an occasional post. Today’s post is from my devotionals today and Scriptures that are speaking to my heart.

I must admit that I haven’t been feeling very strong lately, either physically or spiritually. I’m still coughing a lot and using my inhaler, but I am feeling some better. I guess I got discouraged when the other family members got over this cold thing more quickly. But the Lord is my strength and will continue to hold me up through this test. The big problem for me is getting enough rest. At home, when I don’t feel well, I lie down and take a nap. That isn’t a possibility with a five month old to care for, so I would appreciate prayers for good rest at night.

Good thing that I know from whom my help comes. God, who made the whole earth, can certainly help me get through the next six or so weeks and be able to fulfill the commitment here in MD.

I hope you’re seeing the theme in my devotional today. I felt particularly weak and down-hearted today, so the Lord in His grace and mercy led me to Scriptures to encourage me in His strength.

Finally, although my time is not my own these days, I rejoice in the fact that God’s Spirit lives in me and in Him I have freedom. Freedom to worship and praise and pray, even as I hold a sleeping baby.

I hope this post finds you well and blessed and counting your blessings. I’m particularly blessed that my husband drove up from VA to be with me for his birthday tomorrow. I’m excited to see him again even for only a few days. Then he will return home and continue his responsibilities to family in VA. Which brings me to another prayer request, this one for our son. He is having hernia surgery on Tuesday and my husband is staying at their home to minister to him while he recovers. Please pray that the surgery and recovery period go well.

Thank you again for following, praying and befriending me. May God richly bless you from His great storehouse of blessings!

God Is Our Help

On April 14, 2021April 14, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

Every day, there is more bad news. Another criminal shot and more riots. A President who is seemingly unaware of the chaos he is allowing at our border. A pandemic still raging and vaccines with heavy prices to pay if you take them and if you don’t. It’s all bad news. But the good news is the promise that God is always our refuge, always our strength, always the one to whom we turn. Nothing that is happening has caught God by surprise. He’s still there, caring for His people.

I look at everything happening and I say, “But God…” I guess I’m really questioning my own faith at times. Where is God when all this is happening? Still there, still quietly waiting for all of us to acknowledge Him and ask for His wisdom and guidance and protection.

Andrew Murray: “Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what he can do.”

This quotation, along with the Scripture, spoke to my heart this morning. We don’t want to limit God by thinking that we know what He can and is doing. We cannot see all of His work, but we do know that He is still working on our behalf. We cannot imagine all that God can do, even if we tried. It is in our limited scope of mind that we try to think about solutions. It is our Infinite God who has the solution.

I listened to a song during my devotional this morning. It is by Steven Curtis Chapman, the last artist that I went to see before my stroke. Now, I cannot go to concerts because somehow loud noises reverberate in my brain and I have to wear noise-cancelling headphones frequently in loud settings. Anyway, that being said, SCC is still one of my favorite Christian musicians and one of his latest songs spoke to my heart, especially today. Everything is God’s. Everyone is God’s. With that in mind, it is easier to pray for our nation, its people, its unrest and its sinfulness. God is aware and is working, maybe openly or behind the scenes, but He is always working.

Yours by Steven Curtis Chapman

“When you feel lonely and wonder where God is, know that He is about you, above you, after you, amidst you, around you, among you, before you, behind you, beneath you, beside you, beyond you, by you, for you, inside you, near you, and over you. He is everywhere, all the time. Always and forever, He is near us.” From Devotional: “Good News: Encouragement for a World in Crisis.”

“When fear knocks on your door, let faith answer.” -Joyce Meyer

Blessings today and every day for a faith that faces fear, knowing that God is always there for you.

Promises of Strength and Peace

On February 22, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/psa.29.11.mev

This Scripture verse is made to order for me this morning, and I hope that the promises it contains bless you, too. Just when I was thinking that I could not take one more bit of bad news about the current presidency in the USA and the pandemic and the scary attitudes toward Christians, God gave me this verse to read, to remind me of His promises that never end. He continues to strengthen us and give us peace during some challenging times. I’m convinced that the times will become more challenging and dangerous for those who believe in Jesus as Lord. But I’m also convinced that the strength and peace that God promises will still be there for us. Good news! His promises aren’t just for the good times; they are for every day, no matter what we face. Daniel faced the lion’s den and knew these promises firsthand. Jesus went to the cross and knew the peace and strength of being the Son of God, resolute in His determination to carry out the will of His Father. I’m not saying that I want to go into a lion’s den or even that I’m there now. But I know that I am called to carry my cross daily and sometimes that means being kind to the people who are not kind to me. I’m saying that God will meet each of us wherever we are in our walks with Him and give us the strength and peace we need to continue our faith journey.

God bless you today with His peace and strength. May you feel Him near and hear Him whisper of His great love for you.

Standing Strong

On November 18, 2020 By vickleaIn Uncategorized6 Comments

With one setback after another recently, including a broken foot that kept us from visiting our son and his family in Maryland, I was whining and crying last night to my husband. What brought on this discouragement? An announcement from Maryland’s governor that one cannot enter his state without a negative Covid test. What?!? I have been looking forward to a visit to my family for months now. We were supposed to go at the beginning of the month, but then I broke my foot and ended up in a boot and can’t manage stairs. So, we postponed it only to have Governor Hogan throw a wrench into the works. Well, I am calmed down now, prayerful and hopeful that God will work things out. I have no idea how, especially since I don’t even know where to go to get a Covid test unless I have symptoms. And praise God that neither my husband nor I have experienced those! So, what will we do? We don’t know yet. It’s in the not knowing that the stress comes in.

Then there is the election that has been called by the MSM and Fox News but not certified by the states. So, in this election cycle, I am still holding fast to my faith that God will work things out. If President Trump in still in the White House, then praise God that He has saved us once more from socialism and leaders who may claim to know God but who perform ungodly acts. Nevertheless, if there is a President Biden, that doesn’t mean that God has lost His power. He is still our firm foundation and will see us through whatever happens in our beloved nation. My prayer is that, no matter what, we will continue to have freedom of religion and speech and will not fear what man can do to us.

Dr. Denison’s forum today was encouraging for me, so here it is for you to read.

Dr . Denison November 18, 2020

And here are the Scripture verses that really stood out to me and touched my heart and mind.

Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner

Tag: strength