God's Help

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

One night while at church, I was texting my friend Missy. She was in West Virginia with her dad who was in the hospital and not doing well. I walked into a children’s classroom and seen this verse. I immediately sent it to Missy as it fit what she was going through. She was walking through a difficult time. She needed to hear those words which encouraged her.

There have been many times in my life where I have experienced this verse. I desperately needed God to take hold of my hand and assure me that He is helping me, that I do not have anything to fear. This past year I have walked in new paths, experienced things I never thought I would. The unknown that lay before me was overwhelming. I would wonder if I would ever get through it. I would wonder why God was directing my steps in such a way. I thought I cannot do this. And I was right. I can’t do things in myself, only with the help of God.

There is a lady at church who lost her job at the end of June. She has her moments but she is doing so great with everything. Occasionally she will send me an email about what God is doing for her and in turn how she is able to help others. Right now, she is clinging to this verse. She needs God to take hold of her right hand, tell her not to fear, and help her. She is experiencing first hand the peace of God during this difficult time in her life.

How about you? Are you walking through a difficult time? Perhaps it is a new path. Perhaps you are facing the unknown. Perhaps it is a financial issue. Perhaps you have lost your job. Let the words of Isaiah 41:13 saturate your spirit today. Hear the Lord say to you For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Imagine Him taking your right hand and holding it as He assures you that He will help you through this time, that you have nothing to fear.

Father, we thank You for this promise that you have given us. We thank You for the times You have spoken to us, telling us not to fear. We thank You for Your help. We recognize that we cannot do anything in ourselves. We desperately need You. I pray for all who are going through a difficult time, no matter what it may be. I ask that this verse will saturate their spirits. That they will be comforted that You are helping them. That they will experience Your peace. We thank You Father for Your peace and for Your help. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Blessings,

Thankful for Christian Radio

On my way in to work, I was listening to Christian radio, as I always do. At one point the DJ was praying for something. As I was driving, I thought what a gift Christian radio is to us. It truly encourages and uplifts us.

I was reminded of a children’s song. I cannot remember the name of it, but one part goes like this: Be careful little ears what you hear. Be careful little ears what you hear. For the Father up above is looking down in love. Be careful little ears what you hear. This does not only apply to children. As teenagers and adults we must be careful what things we allow to come in through our ears (and eyes but that’s another story).

We are blessed to have Christian radio available for our listening pleasure. Christian radio is good music for our ears. It is encouraging, uplifting, fun and worshipful. So many times when we are going through a rough patch, a song on the radio is just what we need to hear. Not only is the music great, but the DJs are also uplifting and funny. They are just what we need on our drive to work! What a blessing it is to be able to hear prayers prayed over the radio. What a blessing it is to be able to call in to a station with a prayer request knowing that someone will be praying for your request. What a blessing it is to be able to get free music, if you are the right number caller.

If you do not currently listen to Christian radio, give it a try. There are so many different formats out there – southern gospel or contemporary to name two. And be careful what you allow to come in through your ears!

Father, I thank you for Christian radio and for the blessing it is to me and my family. I lift up all stations across the world and the workers. I ask that You will continue to meet their needs and continue to use them for Your glory to make a difference in the world. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Blessings,

Thankful for Peonies

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 35:18 (NIV)
I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.


I love flowers! If I could, I would have a large flower garden with a gardener to take care of it -- of course! Instead, I have four rose bushes, a rose tree and a hydrangea. All six flowers are very special to me. For instance, one rose bush, my first, was bought in remembrance of my dad who passed away. Several flowers were given to me for Mother’s Day. I treasure them all!

For several years, I have wanted a peony. My mother-in-law had several plants. When they moved to Florida she was going to give me some. I don’t remember what happened, but I didn’t get any. My husband has gone out at times to look for them but could never find any. I think peonies are beautiful and have such a wonderful fragrance.

A couple of months ago, I was talking to a lady at work. Somehow her having peonies came up. I shared with her how much I love peonies and have always wanted one. She told me she had several and would be dividing them up in the fall. I was to remind her about them. Immediately I put it on my task for late September. I was so excited!

One day she came by my desk and told me she had a large trash bag of peonies to give me and later brought them to me. I didn't even have to remind her. I know I already said I was excited, but I really was! She gave me an abundance of peony flowers. I was able to give some to my mom and two other ladies plus kept several for myself.

I was overly abundantly blessed! I didn’t just get one peony flower, but I was given several. These peonies will always be special to me just like my other flowers.

I am thankful for my peony flowers and to Marianne who gave them to me.

This is an example of how much God loves us. Not only does He meet our needs, but He also gives us our desires as we delight in Him.

Thank you Father for my peonies and thank you for using Marianne to provide them!

Blessings,

Seek to Make a New Friend

Today's devotion was written by Mary Davis, a woman in my church. She is a friend to all!


"The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense." Proverbs 27:9

Friends are a gift from God. He knew we would need them on this journey from earth to heaven.
Our very best friend, Jesus, is a prime example of how to make new friends and how to treat them in order to keep their friendship.

Most of us have at least one friend we can turn to no matter what. Someone we can share our innermost secrets and desires with. Someone who let's us be who we are, loving us anyway.

Then there are the less intimate friends, but friends nontheless.

We all need friends to laugh with, make small talk with, shop with, enjoy a meal, a cup of tea or coffee with.

Potential friends are everywhere. God always knows where you and I are going to be at any given moment.

Where people are, a friend can be found.

Heavenly Father, friends are one of the many treasurers You have blessed us with. Give us wisdom to never take them for granted, always loving and appreciating the person You created them to be. And Father, teach us not to be so hurried in life, that we miss an opportunity to make new friends, whether it's long term, short term, or just a friend for a day. Thank you Father, amen.

Submitted by Mary Davis.

Choking Part 2

Recently we talked about “choking” when God asks us to do something. I shared about the book I have been reading titled “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God” by Lysa Terkeurst.

When we say yes to God completely, we choose not to choke.

What causes us to choke, to not say Yes to God. We have talked about fear and I used Peter walking on the water as an example of fear. I think we can all attest that fear hinders us in so many ways. The fear of failure. The fear of the unknown. The fear of getting out of my comfort zone.

Another cause of choking is cost. What will it cost me to say yes completely?

· If I say yes, I might miss my favorite show.
· If I say yes, I might miss my Sunday afternoon nap.
· If I say yes, I might miss my exercise class.
· If I say yes, my house might get messed up.

The list could go on. Let me ask a question. In the scheme of life and death, is all of this really important? Immediately our answer would be “no”. But how we live our life is the real answer to the question.

In order to say Yes to God and not choke, we need to hear the voice of God speaking to us. We need to be so in tuned to the voice of God that we hear Him speak to us in any kind of way. We learn to hear His voice more clearly by spending time in His presence. Mothers know the voice of their child in a room filled with other children. Mothers also learn the different cries of their baby. This is because they spend lots of time with their child. If we are in a room filled with people and distractions, we should be able to hear God when He calls out to us.

Not only do we need to hear the voice of God, but we also need to have quick obedience. Quick obedience combats choking. Often times we actually argue with God when He calls us to do something – God, you know I can’t do that or God, I don’t have time to do that, or are You sure You want me to do this and so on. This is the start of choking. When we learn or we have quick obedience, we move as soon as we hear the voice of God speaking to us. There is no room for fear, no room for doubt, no room to choke.

May we hear the voice of God speak to us and may we act upon His call with quick obedience!

Let’s pray. Father, I long to hear Your voice speaking to me and then act with quick obedience, doing away with fear or doubt, not worrying about what it will cost me to act on Your call. Help me to not worry about how I will look or what others may say. Help me to only be concerned with pleasing You. I ask that You also help others who are reading this today and yearn to hear Your voice and act with quick obedience. Thank You Father for using me, using us, to do Your bidding! In Jesus’ Name Amen.

Blessings,