In His House Forever

 By: Joanne Viola

“I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6b, NLT)

 

“Here is a sheep so utterly satisfied with its lot in life, so fully contented with the care it receives, so much “at home: with the shepherd that there is not a shred of desire for a change.”

(from A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller, page 136)

As we live our days in the care of our Shepherd, a relationship develops that brings both us (the sheep) and the Shepherd such joy neither would desire to leave the company of the other.

Fully content and at peace, we can look back over the years in His care and recognize how perfect His care, provision, and protection has been over our lives.

On the subject of a successful Christian walk, Phillip Keller sums it up in one sentence so beautifully:

“Live ever aware of God’s presence.”

As we live ever aware of God’s presence with us, we will come to the place much like Paul and confidently declare:

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, NLT)

We've come to the end of Psalm 23. A wonderful summary of the psalm is offered by Warren Wiersbe:

A Vest-Pocket Edition of Psalm 23

Beneath me: green pastures;
Beside me: still waters;
With me: my Shepherd;
Before me: a table;
Around me: mine enemies;
After me: goodness and mercy;
Beyond me: the house of the Lord.

May we live every aware of God’s presence with us, and “remain in the house of the Lord forever”.

 

Photo by Sam Barber on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

Have a Light Filled Christmas!

by Elizabeth Stewart

Thanksgiving has come and gone and today is the first Sunday of Advent. We are nearing the end of a year marked by a world-wide pandemic, civil unrest, a contentious election and any number of personal challenges that all of the above have exacerbated. Regardless of this year's tests and trials, Christmas is still coming and we still have something to celebrate! Christ the Savior was born for you and for me!

There's been a lot of talk about a coming "dark winter." Look at what happened to God's people, the children of Israel, in the book of Exodus when darkness covered the land where they dwelled.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Exodus 10:21-23 

God's Word tells us that the things that are written in the Old Testament, are written as examples for us New Testament believers. I don't believe that the things that have happened this year have to rob us of the light and joy of the Christmas season. We may not be able to gather in groups as usual. Our favorite events may be canceled, our favorite restaurants may be closed. But, let's all think back to when our calendars were overflowing with holiday activities and we had to-do lists as long as our arm. Remember all of the times we longed for a more simple, more peaceful holiday? And now, we all have every reason to have one. Whether we enjoy it or not is up to us. Even if this Christmas doesn't look the same as Christmases past, even if the news is full of gloomy predictions of a "dark winter," our hearts and homes can be full of light and joy and love and peace if Jesus, the Light of the World, dwells there. 

justfollowingjesus.com

Tamar’s Story: An Advent Study

By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy Of: Annie Spratt

“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,” ~Matthew 1:1-3a

There are only five women listed in the genealogy of Christ as found in Matthew 1, and the first

we see named is Tamar. The whole of Tamar’s story is contained in just one chapter - Genesis

38 - with verse six being the first time the Bible mentions her: "Judah got a wife for Er, his

firstborn, and her name was Tamar.”

Judah “got a wife” for his son. Enter patriarchy, one of the cultural mores where it is normative

for a father to go out and “get” a wife for his son, regardless of whether the two people know

each other, love each other, or even want to marry. But marry they must, for a male heir has to

be produced.

Following the announcement that Judah has procured a wife for his son, we read in the very

next verse that Er is struck down by the Lord for his wickedness. Tamar is now childless and

husbandless and, per the patriarchal norm, is sent back to her father’s house.

Tamar’s Faithfulness

The rest of the story reads like a tragic drama. According to the cultural norms of the day, Er’s

brother is required to marry Tamar and try to produce a son with her on Er’s behalf. Instead of

living up to his responsibility, he refuses to father a son on behalf of his brother and is

consequently struck down dead. Judah now has one remaining son, Shelah, whom Judah

promises to Tamar as a husband once he (Shelah) is of age (see verse 11).

As we continue to read, we next find that Judah’s own wife dies, and, after he recovers from

the worst of his grief, he goes on a journey to a place called Timnah. By now, much time has

passed, and Tamar has never been given to Shelah in marriage. Instead, she remains in her

father’s house, a rapidly aging widow.

When Tamar hears of Judah’s travels, she decides to meet him on the road to Timnah, wearing

the disguise of a prostitute.

Tamar’s Hope

This is the point in the account where many people wrongly begin to judge Tamar. She has not

been working as a prostitute, but has been in her father’s house the whole time. However, out

of a sense of duty and responsibility to preserve Judah’s family line (now that two of his sons

are dead, the remaining one has not married, and he has no grandsons), she disguises herself

as a prostitute and positions herself in such a way that Judah will certainly stumble upon her

while on his journey.

Tamar’s desire is to provide an heir for Judah. Though horrifying to our Western minds, what

Tamar does is actually a very selfless move on her part. To be sure, the judgment does not

belong on the head of Tamar, but rather on the head of Judah. We find him traveling on a

journey when he stumbles upon one he thinks is simply a prostitute by trade and decides to

hire her for sex. It’s pretty easy to see who the sinful one is in this story.

In a culture where Tamar is viewed as worthless unless she furthers her father-in-law’s family

line, Tamar has hope and sees this as her grand opportunity to hold up what she considers her

side of the bargain. Judah, however, just wants to have his physical needs and desires met.

In fact, we see Judah admit this himself later in verse 26 when he says, “She is more righteous

than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah. Verse 26 ends with these words: “And he did not sleep with her again.”

Hope for Women Today

Maybe you don’t live in a patriarchal society wrongly being told that your worth is found in

whether or not you are a mother. However, you may very well be facing something in your life

right now during this very Advent season that has left you feeling rathe hopeless - perhaps a

job loss, unmet desire, unreached goal, unfulfilled dream, loss of a loved one, abandonment,

financial stress, or health crisis. Whatever it may be that has left you feeling as if there is no

hope to be found for you, look up!

Don’t fix your eyes on your problems and your (perhaps many!) reasons to be lacking in hope

this season. Instead, fix your eyes on Christ, the Author and Finisher of your faith (Hebrews

12:2) - the One who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and brings good out of it

all (Romans 8:28).

Tamar’s story was one of hopelessness, trial, disappointment, loss, broken promises, and

betrayal. In the midst of it all, however, God was still at work. A baby was born to Tamar - a

baby who would be in the very lineage of Christ, the coming Messiah, just as Tamar herself

would be.

So, no matter what you are facing today, remember that today is not the end of your story. God

has a purpose and a plan. Just think what He could accomplish through you and the portion of

your story in which you currently find yourself. There is always reason to hope when we have

Christ!

Your Goodness & Unfailing Love

 By: Joanne Viola

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life …”
(Psalm 23:6, NLT)

 As we look all around, we see hard times hitting so many – illness, unemployment, bills falling behind, isolation, and loneliness. Yet the psalmist reminds us, beckons us to say boldly of the Lord, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life!”

How can we say this with confidence?

When we know our Shepherd intimately, we know with assurance His heart towards us, His sheep. We know He is the One who holds our future and nothing can touch us apart from His permission.

We recall and declare: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28, NLT)

As we look back over other times of difficulties, we remember there has not been a problem, nor any circumstance, where He did not cause eventual good to come out of the pain. Hindsight always reveals His hand at work and in complete control.

It simply comes down to one simple statement most of us learned as children: “Jesus loves me, this I know.”

I love the picture the psalmist has portrayed through the use of his words. God’s goodness and unfailing love pursues us all the days of our lives. This should impress upon us that He pursues or follows us with intention, and that intent is to overtake us. In Jesus’ own words: 

“My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
(John 10:10b, NLT)

As we walk in and experience the goodness and unfailing love of our Shepherd, may we also share His goodness, His unfailing love, and His many blessings with those around us.

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
(Proverbs 11:25, NLT)

And may we ever give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and unfailing love towards us!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."
(Psalm 136:1, NLT)

 

Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash

 

 

 

Developing A Thanksgiving Lifestyle

by Elizabeth Stewart                  

Thanksgiving Day is this week! I believe that thanksgiving should be more than something we focus on for one day a year. For that reason, I have made a "tradition" of repeating this post about a simple way to make thanksgiving more than just a holiday. I believe it should be the lifestyle of the believer.

 It was really eye opening to me the day I stumbled upon Deuteronomy 28:47, (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition), in my Bible reading. In this verse we find out that one of the reasons that God's people were living a less than life was "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of mind and heart in gratitude for the abundance of all with which He had blessed you." Gratitude is important to God and it's life changing for us.  Ann Voskamp, author of the book One Thousand Gifts, writes, "Give thanks if you are joyful is, in reality, to be joyful give thanks." Did you notice in that verse in Deuteronomy how, to God, both our joyfulness and our gratitude are not only important, but connected? 

So, how do we become a more grateful, thankful person?  How do we make thanksgiving a lifestyle? I've found that one simple habit has been life changing for me in making me a more thankful person. Before Ann Voskamp wrote her book she blogged about her habit of gratitude journaling, of writing down at least three things that she was grateful for each day.  She encouraged her blog readers to do the same, and then once a week we would write blog posts filled with our weekly gratitudes and link it up on her website.  I began gratitude journaling due to her encouragement in 2009 and have been writing down at least three things I am grateful for every day since.  I've now journaled almost fourteen thousand things that I am grateful for in the subsequent years.  This simple practice has helped me to see, in the hardest of times and in the best of times, that God is always faithful and there is always something to be thankful for.  Thanksgiving has become a habit! It really is that simple. If you want to develop a more thanks filled lifestyle, why not give it a try?  All you need is some sort of simple notebook or journal, a pen and a willing heart!

justfollowingjesus.com

5 Meditation Verses for a Thankful Heart

 

By: Sarah Geringer 

Do you have a thankful heart? Meditating on verses of thanksgiving can help you develop thankfulness, no matter your circumstance. Use these NLT verses during your meditation time to learn the benefits of having a thankful heart. They are ideal for preparing your heart for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. 

And each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to Him. 

1 Chronicles 23:30

Develop a habit of thanking God at the beginning and end of each day. This practice will give you greater peace and joy!

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. 

Psalm 28:7

Reciting God's names are a great way to cultivate thankfulness. Recounting his good and faithful acts in your life will inspire your praise.

 

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 

Psalm 50:14

Thankfulness can feel like a sacrifice when you are tempted to worry, fret, fear or complain instead. But by intentionally choosing to thank God in those moments, your thanksgiving is a sweet-smelling, precious sacrifice to your Lord.

I trust God’s love forever and ever. God, I will thank You forever for what You have done. With those who worship you, I will trust You because You are good. 

Psalm 52:8–9

Thanking God on a regular basis increases your trust in him. As you trust him more, your faith will grow stronger. Thankfulness is a key to spiritual growth.

Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. 

Colossians 3:17

Thanksgiving is an act of obedience to God. It honors him and reminds us that he is first in our lives, that he is good, and that he keeps his promises. Your regular acts of obedience in thanking God will draw you closer to him.

I encourage you to write out these verses on sticky notes or 3 x 5 cards to meditate on them throughout the week. Want a free printable of these verses? Download it HERE!

If you enjoyed this post, please share on your favorite social media site using the buttons below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

Photo from Canva.com

Thanks to BibleGateway.com for easy scripture navigation!

Spiritual Starvation

 By: Shari A. Miller

I don’t know about you, but I am not a morning person. As I walk in the footsteps of someone who is terminally ill, it can be very painful to get out of bed in the morning. My whole body aches, my feet at times are wrecked with neuropathy. When my feet hit the floor it feels like 1000 little needles are jabbing into my feet, as if they are waking me up to a new day.  This morning my son said I looked like a penguin walking around the house. I kind of chuckled when he said it, but he was right. Until I’m able to get woken up and have taken my proper medications, things just don’t go that well. 

My brain also doesn’t function at 100% when I first wake up. Sometimes my brain feels a little bit like scrambled eggs until I’m able to get my morning started.  Once I've sat and had my breakfast, and had some time to get acclimated to the day, things go so much better.

  

The same thing happens with the spiritual side of our day. We need to wake up, spend time with our Savior in prayer and reading His Word. When we do, our day goes so much better and we are ready to face the day. However, my days sometimes get started later then normal and I miss this important part of my day. After all these years I'm ashamed to admit it but yes, sometimes it happens. What about you? Does this ever happen to you too?

"But he answered, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." - Matthew 4:4

At the time I find it easy to make excuses like, "Oh, I'll do it tomorrow" or "God won't mind, He understands what I'm going through." Well, the truth is God does not condone being put last. He wants every part of us, nothing less than 100%. When we fall into the trap of not spending time with Him we are heading towards....spiritual starvation.

I know that we've probably heard what I'm going to say a million times before, but that doesn't make it any less important. Plus, it's always good to be reminded of it. As Christians, it is of the utmost importance that we spend time in God's Word. It's important to let the other things go that we think are so important and make Him the most important thing in our lives.

My favorite time of day to spend time with God is in the morning. Not only am I getting physically fed in the morning but I'm also getting spiritual fed. If I forget to spend time with God I feel like I'm lost during the day. I haven't connected with God and asked Him to walk with me in all that I do. I haven't hid His Word in my heart so I'm lost when trials arise and I don't have Scripture to look back on and to glean from. Just like we need to be physical feed, we also need to be spiritual feed everyday. That way we can face the day with Jesus by our side.

"With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." - Psalm 119:10-

I want to challenge you friends to rise every morning with Jesus first and foremost in your lives. Make a commitment to God. Draw near to Him and I promise you that He will draw near to you as well.

Serving Two Masters

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy Of: Jude Beck

 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” ~Matthew‬ ‭6:24

We’re all probably pretty familiar with Jesus’ words in this verse.

But what if we expanded our application of this verse to go far beyond our relationship with money, to also include anything that would seek to master us other than the Lord?

Platform-building and seeking followers.

Popularity and esteem.

Comparison and competition.

Striving to be the best mom only in order to impress all the other moms out there.

Hustling to make sure your business gets to the next level immediately.

Endeavoring to grow in your theological knowledge not to know God more, but in order to make other people admire you.

Idolizing the perfect house, job, husband, or family.

Bowing down to the god of prestige and self-help.

We could go on and on. The principle behind Jesus’ words extends far beyond how you view money to anything that would seek to overthrow God’s rightful place in your life.

Let’s ask ourselves today:

What master are we bowing down to?

And what are we going to do about it?

You Anoint My Head With Oil

 By: Joanne Viola

“You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” (Psalm 23:5b, NLT)

Here where I live, the spring season brings not only beautiful weather but a short time when green flies will annoy and bite you to pieces. The bites are more itchy than mosquito bites, and can drive you insane as you scratch to find relief.

Shepherds knew fly season well by the behavior of their sheep. Driven crazy by flies looking to settle into their fur and nasal passages, the sheep would run themselves ragged, bang their heads against trees, and exhaust themselves.

A good shepherd knew at the very first sign of flies, it was time to anoint each sheep’s head with an ointment of oil to protect them from their tormentors.

What is the ointment we are to apply to our lives?

 It is the very Word of God, read each day and applied to our lives which will keep us free from the distractions and daily annoyances. We need to come to God’s Word on a daily basis as each day will present its own challenges.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, NLT)

It is our God who has complete knowledge and wisdom and directs our lives in the way He knows is best and for our good. This is why our “cup overflows with blessings”. We can be content in whatever our days hold knowing He is ever with us, for us, and working it all out.

It is as we remember His Presence with us that we can be content and offer thanks in all things. When troubles and disappointments come, we tend to think God has forgotten or forsaken us. But the truth we must remember is that He is ever-present and ever-attentive to our every care.

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV)

 

Photo by Carter Caroline on Unsplash 

 

 

 

One Way

 by Elizabeth Stewart

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:6

When I went away to college, Mama sold the tall, yellow house on Dartmouth Street that I had lived in since birth, and she and my little brother moved into a small one level home that was easier for her to take care of. This was before the days of cell phones that give us instant directions to anyplace we want to go, so the first time I went back home to visit Mama she had to give me directions to get there. Can you imagine if she had said, "If you are sincere, you will find your way home." Or how about, "If you just follow your heart you will find your way home." Or, "If you are a good enough person, you will find your way home." That would make no sense! Mama had moved to a specific house with a specific address in a specific location and I needed specific directions to get there.

When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve's disobedience, mankind lost the way to their true Home. The place that we have always belonged is in the presence of our Father God. Thank God that He already had a plan in place for us to be able to get back to His home and heart where we belong. He sent His perfect and sinless Son to earth as a human baby born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless life. He died on the cross in our place, the once and for all spotless lamb sacrifice, foretold through the atonement sacrifices of the Old Testament. God's Word says that Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave and He rose again. He appeared to his disciples and hundreds of other people after His resurrection-a fact that many of them refused to deny and renounce in spite of facing the consequences of martyrdom. Before Jesus ascended back to heaven, where He is at His Father's right hand until He returns to planet earth, He told His followers, "I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am there you may be also."

In our culture we are considered to be bigots if we say there is only One Way to God, One Way to eternal life. The truth is, either Jesus was/is Who He said He is and what He said is the truth or He was a raving lunatic. He claimed to be the Son of God AND He claimed to be the only way home to our Father. Either that is true, or He was deranged. If He truly is the Son of God, and I believe with all of my heart that He truly is, then we best listen to Him when He tells us there is only one way to God. Our good intentions won't get us there. Our efforts at self righteousness won't get us there. Following our heart won't get us there. There is only One Way home to our Father God, and that is through His Son Jesus, through receiving Him as both Savior and Lord. God isn't being cruel by being truthful with us about there being only One Way to Him, anymore than my mama was being cruel by giving me specific directions home. What would be cruel is if God left us on our own to find the way. He's a good Father, and He wants us with Him, so much so that He made sure to give us specific directions. That's good news for us and good news that we should not be ashamed to share with others. God reconciled us to Himself, made a way for us to get back home with Him where we belong, and the name of that way is Jesus. 

justfollowingjesus.com

A Powerful Intercessory Prayer

 

By: Sarah Geringer 

Do you want to pray for others in a powerful way? We have a great model to follow in Colossians 1:9-14 NIV.

Yesterday I had a phone call from a friend who needed a prayer of encouragement right then and there. I wanted to base this prayer on Scripture, so I said, "Let's see what the verse of the day is at biblegateway.com." A verse from Colossians 1 came up, and I looked at it in context. There I found this wonderful prayer, which I prayed over her via phone.

You can pray this powerful prayer for others too, speaking it over them live or in private. 

Let's look at these verses one at a time, and pull prayer prompts from each one:

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 

Pray as often as possible for your person. Ask God to give them wisdom, understanding and the knowledge of his will through the power of the Holy Spirit.

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 

Ask God to give your person the desire to please the Lord in the way they live, both in private and before others. Pray that they will have the desire to bear the fruits of the Spirit and gain knowledge of God through careful study of his Word.

11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 

We all need more endurance and patience in all of our daily trials, whether big or small. Ask God to give your person greater measures of these virtues. Also ask for them to have strength through his power, and that they will rely on him when they feel weak or inadequate.

12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 

Pray that your person will be filled with joy and thanksgiving, that they will develop a closer relationship with their heavenly Father, and that they will know their true identity in Christ, sealed in the heavenly realms.

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 

Ask God to protect your person from Satan's schemes, deceit and temptations. Pray that they will follow the Light of the World in all they do.

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Pray that your person will choose to rest in the grace that comes through forgiveness, and know that they are rescued from the power of sin and death through Jesus' resurrection.

Praying Scripture over others is a powerful way to bless them. I hope this meditation on Colossians 1:9-14 will inspire you to pray for someone today!

Want more encouragement in praying for others? Check out these related posts:

The Power of Intercessory Prayer

How to Engage in Spirit-Led Prayer for Others

Why Intercessory Prayer Matters

If you enjoyed this post, please share on your favorite social media site using the buttons below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

Photo from Canva.com

Thanks to BibleGateway.com for easy scripture navigation!

When Prayer is More than Just Words

    By: Shari A. Miller

There are times in my life when I have later questioned if I had made the right decision about something. Actually quite a few times to be honest. When I was reflecting back on one of these instances with one of my best friends, she asked me. "Well, did you pray about?" "Of course I did," was the first thing out of my mouth. 

Then I later went back and I thought about it.....did I? Did I truly pray about the situation that I had faced? I couldn't give myself an honest answer. I really didn't remember if I had prayed about it or not, to which I realized probably meant that I hadn't. 

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

 

It's been years since I had that conversation with my friend, as I have gotten older and deepened my relationship with Christ, God has been waking me up to the fact that prayer is more than just words. 

We need to have a deep and meaningful relationship with our Father. He needs to have our utmost attention. We need to give Him more attention than our phone, more attention than television and yes, even more attention than our families. When we approach God in this manner, our prayer life changes. It becomes more than just treating God like He's our personal genie in a bottle, He's so much more.  

For me, Christ is my closest friend. When I learn and act upon making Him first in every moment of my day, His desires become my desires. As I stay in His Word, I learn what His will is and I pray accordingly, "Not, my will but Thine." 

"Oh, the love that dwells in the heart of the man who draws near to God in prayer! You cannot love God at a distance. You must draw nearer and nearer, or love will not rest. As when one comes into the sunshine, he feels the warmth, so when we come nearer to God we have more joy in Him. Keep near to God. Abound in prayer. Let your supplications be instant and constant, and you will be sure that the Father Himself hears your cries!"

- C.H. Spurgeon

Having a close and personal relationship with the Father does not guarantee that all of our prayers will be answered the way we want them to. Sometimes this is a very hard pill to swallow. There are times where I'd like to kick and scream because things weren't done my way. But, when it comes down to it, they will be answered according to God's ways and that's all that matters. 

Friends, if you long for a deeper prayer life with God, I want to challenge you to grow a deeper relationship with God. As I do this in my own life I feel such a sense of peace when I know the Father is in charge of all aspects of my life and He's leading me in prayer every step of the way.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. - Jeremiah 29:12

The Shaking Is Okay

   By: Jenifer Metzger

I love plants, however, I am not good with them. Over the past couple of years I have found a couple house plants I, the plant killer, can actually keep alive. One plant is the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree. This tree is beautiful! The fact that I can keep not just one but two alive in my home is a miracle! After getting my first Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, I looked on Facebook for a FLF group for tips. I found a great group with tips that have helped immensely.

One tip the group gave me was to shake the trunk of the tree often. Say what!? Shake the trunk of a tree? This seemingly absurd practice actually strengthens the tree. The shaking mimics the wind blowing and helps the tree to grow strong and withstand more. If the tree never faces any wind or shaking, it can become weak.

God allows life to give us these little shakes sometimes. We face a hardship or crisis -shaking- and we feel shaken. We face a bad day -wind blowing- and feel stressed. These shakes, this wind blowing, is not only okay,  but actually good for us. We need it to strengthen our faith and walk with the Lord.

If we were to never face any hardship or struggle, if life were always perfect, we would come to depend on ourselves. We would forget our need for a Savior. It's in these struggles and hard times that we learn how to lean on God. It's when our faith deepens. It's how we understand what others are facing.

The key is to lean into God. To remember that through the shaking and blowing wind, He is there. He is holding us up, strengthening us, and working out His plan.

He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.

Isaiah 40:29

Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them.

For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you;

He will not leave you or abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous?

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God

is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

The next time you feel the wind blowing or that shake down, lean in to God. Ask Him to strengthen you and grow your faith. And remember that the shaking is okay.

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.

Jesus' Compassion for the Multitudes

By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy Of: Patrick Schneider

 "When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.” ~Mark 6:34

This verse came to mind the other day, and something new stood out to me about it that I had never considered.

Jesus sees a multitude of people who were not already believers in Him for salvation - they were “as sheep without a shepherd”. Gather a huge group of those who don’t follow Christ (or even those who do!), and you can imagine all the kinds of sin that would be represented in a group that large! There would be violent people, racist people, selfish people, thieving people, people with different political viewpoints, hateful people, and more.

And what did He do in the face of all this?

He had compassion for them.

It’s not that He didn’t have a sense of right and wrong, absolute truth, or Biblical standards.

It’s that Jesus had a very specific way of doing things when it came to ministering to others. He didn’t beat them over the head with truth, show disgust for their sin struggles, or treat them from a place of anger and disappointment for their wrong beliefs.

In fact, He reserved all of that for the legalistic, arrogant Pharisees & for those doing business in the temple in a way that kept the poor and downtrodden from being able to worship. But for the others? For the sinners, rather than the self-righteous? Yes, He told them to go and sin no more. Of course! But He first forgave them. He first warned the hypocrites against judging them. He first spoke kindly & lovingly to them. He first told a parable about a father who welcomed back his son with love and exuberance before he even knew if his son was coming back in repentance or if he was just back to mooch off him some more.

We see this theme throughout the rest of the New Testament:

God’s *kindness* leads to our repentance.

Speak the truth *in love*.

There are faith, hope, & love, and the greatest of these is *love*.

Be *slow to speak* & *quick to listen*.

May we go & do just that in this divisive time. It’s time for us to be the hands & feet of Christ - and that includes in our online discussions!