“You’ve Been Given So Much”
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”
“God doesn’t look at how much we do,
Mother Teresa
“Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”
“We Can Endure”
What a blessing it is to know that we have all that we need for anything that we face. Let us look at this verse and as you read it emphasize the first two words, “I can.” Many times when we are faced with adversity or we are feeling weak, the first words that we may be tempted to entertain in our minds are “I can’t do this.” Today I want to encourage you to seek daily to find your strength in God.
“The thief comes only in order to steal and killand destroy. I came that they may have and enjoylife, and have it in abundance
(to the full, till it overflows).”
In this life we have an enemy, and it is the devil. He seeks to rob and destroy from us. He will try to convince us that we cannot stand strong in the midst of a storm. He will try to kill our dreams, weaken our faith, and more than anything try to convince us that “we can’t” be an overcomer. He seems to sometimes have the mysterious ability to make the smallest of things look bigger than what they really are, yet we serve the one that can bring all problems down to size if only we keep our eyes on Him. Praise God that we can stand as overcomers for Jesus made it possible that in Him we can overcome!
“Keep Your Eyes On His Footsteps”
Psalm 37:23 (AMP)
[and He busies Himself with his every step].”
Psalm 84:5
“Happy are those who are strong in the Lord,
who want above all else to follow your steps.”
“Jesus Never Changes”
One thing is for sure, and that is our Lord Jesus never changes. He remains the same. His Word does not change nor weaken in the midst of our storms. He said He will never leave us, and He will never forsake us. I am so thankful that Jesus never changes. My heart is so grateful that His love never changes for me. No matter how bad I mess up, He still loves me. I am glad that He never changes where He is at. He is always by my side. I am so glad that I can count on
that. His ear is always towards me when I pray. I am glad that He did not change on this matter because it would be upsetting to know that He decided not to listen to my heart today. On and on I could go but it’s just that simple… Jesus never changes.
The world may change and we all well know that it is. There may be things that are changing around you and it is beyond your control but take comfort in this scripture…
Hebrews 13:8 (VOICE)
“Jesus the Anointed One is always the same: yesterday, today, and forever.”
“The Streams of His Mercy”
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
“The Lord’s acts of mercy are not exhausted,
his compassion is not spent;
They are renewed each morning—
great is your faithfulness!”
Psalm 90:17
“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
and direct thou the work of our hands upon us…”
“Our Sweet Portion”
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ERV)
“…So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. 2 We must never stop looking to Jesus.”
“Craving the Lord For All That He Is”
His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation);
seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.”
Jeremiah 33:3 (CJB)
“Call out to me,
and I will answer you —
I will tell you great things,
hidden things of which you are unaware.”
“Expressing His Kindness”
David wrote in the Psalms about the power of hate and contempt in words. David understood the conspiracy and plots against him, and the power of hateful, negative words.
Psalm 64
“Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from the plots of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.”
When I stepped up for her to take care of me I asked her how she was and she said, “Okay…I am just taking one day at a time.” I said, “Honey, that is all we can do. I do hope your day is much better.” She looked into my eyes and smiled real big. She said, “Thank you! Have a good day too!” I wished so badly that there would not have been so many customers behind me so I could have engaged a deeper conversation with her. I walked away and lifted her up in prayer. You see, sometimes people working in public like this can quickly aggravate us, but we must remember that they are human, and their whole life may be upside down. I remind myself as well that there are many walking through things, and they have no one to turn to. You know, God wants us to put our lamp on the lamp stand to shine into the darkest and loneliest of hearts!
You just never know what a kind word and simple prayer can do for someone. Let us be ready to share a kind word that brings healing to a hurting heart.
Proverbs 16:24 “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
“He Directs the Humble Heart”
Proverbs 11:3 ERV says,,
The devil is so sly and crafty that he understands how to deceive people into thinking that it is okay to go against the Word of God. God desires that we walk in the totality of His Word and there is no deception in the realm of His truth. If one thinks they are getting away with living a lie, they will surely find out that pay day will come. There will always be consequences for going against the voice of your heart. I will never forget the profound truth Roberts Liardon spoke, “Truth ALWAYS outlives a lie.” God wants our hearts to be pure, right and of utmost integrity. His hand will not bless that which is of an impure motive or thought.
Proverbs 25:9 (The Voice)
“With justice, He directs the humble in ALL that is right and He shows them His
way.”
1 Peter 5:5 (Amplified)
“For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the
disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)—[and He opposes, frustrates, and
defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble.”
May I emphasize that because our Lord is desiring to lead every believer that there are times our sin inhibits Him to do so. Pride causes one to be deaf to the voice of the Lord. I can only imagine how grieved the heart of God is when He sees one of His children proudly choosing their own way, and along that way their heart becomes hardened to truth.
“God- The Strength of Our Heart”
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
secret. Being content is a beautiful way to live. The dictionary defines secret being used in this context as a method, formula, plan, etc., known only to the initiated or the few: the secret of happiness; a trade secret.
If you are a believer you are one of “the few”, and within us we embrace a precious secret to strength. We can say that by the strength of the Lord we can be content no matter what is going on around us. Paul understood this, and he spoke with the authority as well. He said, “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry.whether living in plenty or in want…I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
I think it is important to note that Paul said two times here that he had learned contentment. Contentment does not just fall on your lap like a ripe apple from a tree. Contentment is developed through decision making in times of crisis or problems you face. It is when you learn the secret of contentment that you can look to the Lord and proclaim “I CAN DO everything through Him who strengthens me. Sometimes when we face needs in this life and we decide to be content until the manifestation, God can work in us and also on our behalf. It is those times that we realize after we get through the trial that the situation gave us new insights and we became stronger because of it.
Let us not call upon His strength to just escape and run away from our needs but rather to be strengthened to walk through them. Let us bare the testimony that Paul wrote ” I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me.” It is as we do this that we can truly say that we can do all through Him who strengthens us! May we rejoice in God for He is the strength of our hearts!
This is a good way of teaching the kids to forgive each other(Matt. 5:7). I like the power of this gentle scripture and lesson… Thanks!!
thank you Lisa for sharing. I am blessed that this was a blessing to you!
Ralph &I are really enjoying your devotional together.
So glad this is blessing you both!
Oh, what a wonderful reminder! I want to break the magnifing glass of worry and trust God for each step I take.
It is interesting Selena how the more we worry the bigger and more magnified things get in our minds. Oh how important it is to trust our God for the smallest of things! Thank you for sharing!