Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

Hold on,
Which word?

Every word.

Not one, not some, but EVERY word.

That includes the ones that seem impossible, the ones you think aren't true, and event eh ones you've forgotten!

So just have a think for a moment on the promises and words God has spoken to You.
They are true.

They

are

true.

What are you still carrying with you?



Before God called him, Abram/Abraham worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:2). And why wouldn't he? It was part of the culture, and it was what he knew. But that changed when God called Abram and made a covenant with him. We can read the story in Genesis 12:1-4.

Some 480ish years later, Abrahams decendants were seeing the fulfilment of that covenant - God was giving them the land He had promised them. They'd seen God's power in the 10 plagues, the exodus and in the conquering of Canaan (the promised land). They knew that God's blessing would come with their obedience to He (just like the defeat of Jericho in Joshua 6), and they knew that if they disobeyed the Lord, things would go horribly wrong (one example is their defeat at Ai in Joshua 8).

They had promised to serve God (Joshua 24:16-22), yet they still had with them the gods/idols Abraham had originally worshiped! (Joshua commands them in Joshua 24:23 to get rid of them, which means they were still hanging on to them!)


What are you still carrying with you from before you knew God?
False gods? Guilt? Shame? Insecurities?
THROW THEM AWAY. Do not even "invoke their names" (Joshua 23:7), and "choose... this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15)

When you go to the beach or to a pool, it can be fun to watch how people enter the water.
Some just dip their toes in, some go maybe halfway before deciding it's too deep and they've gone far enough. Some gracefully dive in, while others jump right in without worry of temperature or gracefulness. Those that go all in have the most fun and the best experiences.

Knowing God and having a relationship with Him is like this. some people have a small, negative experience with Chritianit, and they get out. Some stay with God, but the thought of going deeper scares them, so they stop progressing. Others go all in. Whether they do it gracefully or with a huge splash - it doesn't matter. the point is that they are all in. This is what God calls us to be:

Proverbs 3:5-6 - emphasis mine
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.


If you're at the toe-dipping stage, know this: it may be scary or seem too cold or to intenseto go all in, but it is worth it. God will be with you!
Deuteronomy 3:16
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you

If you're in up to your wiast, keep pressing in! The depth of relationship that God is calling you to is not so deep that you cannot feel the ground beneath you. No - Christ will be the rock on which you stand:
Matthew 7:24
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And if you're all in - great! Play around, have fun with God, enjoy it! But make sure not to drift towards the shallows and become lukewarm:
Revelation 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

I spent some time looking up verses this morning that have to do with pride. I realized the other day that I have a horribly prideful heart and I was so surprised to see that I hadn't thought of it that way. I am constantly evaluating what others around me are doing, but in that I have become critical of others and see my methods as 'better'. I would love it if you all would pray for me in this, and since this is what has been on my heart, I thought I'd share some verses on it.

"When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble [is] wisdom." Proverbs 11:2

"The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate." Proverbs 8:13

"A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor." Proverbs 29:23

"Your fierceness has deceived you, The pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there," says the LORD." Jeremiah 49:16

"For all that [is] in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world." 1 John 2:16

Pride was the downfall of many of the countries that God cursed (Moab, Edom, etc.) and destroyed. Throughout my walk with God it has been a struggle not to be prideful, even when we "aren't" it is so easy to think of myself as being humble, but that is just as prideful. Often I have thought that it must be impossible to be humble as it just seems like a vicious circle. I want to be humble, to be a woman with a meek and quiet spirit, may God work that humble heart in all of us! Don't give up! (Sorry this is so scatterbrained!)

Gosh Brittany I feel the same way - learning the same lesson at the moment - thanks!

Here is an excerpt from a book by Major Ian Thomas:

How much then can Jesus Christ do through you and through me? Everything! He is limited only by the measure of our availability to all that He makes available to us, for "in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him" (Col. 2:9-10a). What then is the faith that releases divine action? How may you be saved by His life, as you have already claimed to be redeemed by His death? This is the critical question of Christian experience, and the answer is simple- "the just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17c).
Faith in all its sheer simplicity! Faith that takes God precisely at His Word! Faith that simply says "thank You."
If you are to know the fulness of life in Christ, you are to appropriate the efficacy of what He is as you have already appropriated the efficacy of what He has done. Relate everything, moment by moment as it arises, to the adequacy of what He is in you, and assume that His adequacy will be operative; and on this basis in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 you are exhorted to "rejoice evermore!" You are to be incorrigibly cheerful, for you have solid grounds upon which to rejoice!

Last night I was listening to Matthew West's "Only Grace." I love that song - it is such a beautiful picture of the forgiveness we find in Christ.

But last night, I was listening to it and I started making a little different application of the song - I started thinking about treating others the way God treats us.

There is a sad lack of love in the Church. When we should be loving and building up our brothers and sisters, instead we are kicking them when they are down. We should be giving them grace, love, and mercy. When they fall down, we need to tell them "Reach out and take my hand, get back up, get back up."

Col. 3:12-15

Quote:

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Romans 13:10

Quote:

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

God, help me to get understanding and apply that!

_________________


Forum Family
*BurntIre* ~ Sister
prissyprincess ~ Sister
PinkQT ~ Sister
songoftherose ~ Aunt (ant)
Russ ~ Uncle
Jessica ~ Aunt
Brittany ~ Mom
butterflychicka ~ Sister
Sparkling4Him ~ Sister
liberatedcaptive ~ Sister

Well since it is Good Friday, I've chosen an except from Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" which relates to the crucifixion. It's a bit long though.

If God never did anything else for you, he would still deserve your continual praise for the rest of your life because of what Jesus did for you on the cross. God's Son died for you. This is the greatest reason for worship.

Unfortunately, we forget the cruel details of the agoniing sacrifice God made on our behalf. Familiarity breeds complacency. Even before his crucufixion, the Son of God was stripped naked, mocked, crownened with thorns, and spit on contemptously. Abused and ridiculed by heartless men, he was treated worse than an animal.

Then, nearly unconscious from blood loss, he was forced to drag a cumbersome cross up a hill, was nailed to it, and was left to die a slow, excruciating torture of a death by crucifixion. While his lifeblood drained out, hecklers stood by and shouted insults, making fun of his pain and challenging his claim to be God.

Next, as Jesus took all of mankind's sin and guilt on himself, God looked away from that ugly sight, and Jesus cried out in total desperation, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus could have saved himself- but then he could not have saved you.

Words cannot describe the darkness of that momnt. Why did God allow and endure such ghastly, evil mistreatment? Why? So you could be spared from eternity in hell, and so yu could share in his glory forever! The Bible says, "Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him w might share the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:21)

Jesus gave up everything so you could have everything. He died so you could live forever. That alone is worthy of your continual thanks and praise.

You learn from a young age that things have opposites: hot & cold, boy & girl, tall &short.

And if you've ever done physics, you'll know that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Emotions have opposites too: happy & sad, love & hate.

But did you realise that worry and encouragement are opposites?

Proverbs 12:25 says that worry weighs a person down.

So what can we do to help bear one another's burdens? ENCOURAGE THEM!

Proverbs 12:25 also says that a kind word cheers him up


Whether it is something as simple as a short HappyGram, or a longer PM, don't hesitate to encourage one another, especially those who are worried. Your words might just be the words that lift them up.

And if you're the one who is worried, why not get some encouragement fromt he word of God? Stories of Jesus' ministry and miracles and the Psalms (particularly Psalm 139) might be a good place to start.

May you all be encouraged by the LORD today

Proverbs 15:11
Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the Lord.
How much more does he know the human heart!

Death can be a bit of a mystery to people, yet it holds no secrets from God. He knows all the things about it that we don't. That's quite a few things, yet He knows the human heart in more detail! YIKES!

What state is your heart in? Are you ashamed to think that God knows it all? If the answer is yes, know this:

Him knowing our hearts completely doesn't change how He feels about us. Nothing can separate us from His love. NOTHING (see Romans 8:38-39).

Proverbs 13:3

Those who control their tongue will have a long life;
opening your mouth can ruin everything.


This one is pretty straight forward: watch what you say!

Something you mean as a joke, or sarcasm, can easily be misinterpreted and "everything" could be ruined.

So be careful, and be sure to "control your tongue"

Some thoughts from Genesis 41 - the story of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dreams


v9
Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.

Joseph had asked the cupbearer to mention him to Pharaoh, so that Pharaoh might release him (see Genesis 40:14). Yet the cupbearer hadn't. He admitted it was a failure of his. But now, two years (see 41:1), after the event he mentions it:

v10-13
"Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged."



But did Joseph give up during the two years between events? Did he lose faith in the God who had given him the interpretations? No! In fact, Joseph still defered Pharaoh's expectations, and gave glory to God!

v15-16
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."



And God didn't fail Joseph this time either. He gave Joseph more than just the interpretation - He gave him the solution! Have a read of the following passage :

v28-30; 33-36
"It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 9 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them
...
"And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine."

How amazing is it? God will always provide for you, even if you only know the first step. The second will come, you just have to take the first one


Two final things:
1) God's call might come unexpectedly - Joseph had to do his hair and get changed!
(v9 - So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.)

2) Joseph was only 30 when he began working for Pharaoh (v46 - Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt). Seems pretty young to be the second in command of a nation, but God knew what He was doing.


God has a plan for your life, and prison, the failings of others, preperation time or age will not stop it. Just listen to Him, and obey Him!

I'm REALLY sorry I didn't post on Wednesday - or Thursday! Had visitors that basically outstayed their welcome and didn't take the hints to leave!

Ok here we go... another excerpt from the same book...

Quote:

Again, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17), and here the word "pray" does not mean to beg or to plead as if God were unwilling to give - but simply to expose by faith every situation as it arises, to the all-sufficiency of the One who indwells you by His life. Can any situation possibly arise, in any circumstances, for which He is not adequate? If He be truly God, there cannot be a single one! "And [He is] declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom 1:4) - and of this, His resurrection life, we are made partakers! This being so, applying His adequacy by faith to every situation as it arises, will leave you with no alternative but to obey the injunction of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "In everything give thanks!" In how many things? In everything- without exception, "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

The whole concept of 'exposing by faith every situation to God as it arises' is just awesome to be. Are we exposing every situation to God? Just the little things? Just the big things? He wants us to bring EVERYTHING to Him, big or small - so that we can give thanks in everything and give Him glory!

_________________

I've been reading about service recently in my devotions so I thought I'd post a little excerpt from what I read today. It's from Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life

You were saved to serve God.

The Bible says "It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work, not because we deserved it but because that was his plan" (2 Tim 1:9). God redeemed you so you could do his "holy work". You're not saved by service, but you are saved for service. In God's kingdom, you have a place, a purpose, a role, and a function to fulfill.

This question was at the end of the chapter and I thought I'd include it so you can have something to consider and think about.
What is holding me back from accepting God's call to serve him?

I was listening to Sons of Korah, a band who has put music to the Psalms and sing them. I began to think about the words of Psalm 15:

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

I long to dwell with God in His sanctuary, yet I don't meet the standards set in this Psalm.
-Is my walk blameless (v2)? No. Even if I like to think it is... it's not.
-Does slander ever come out of my mouth (v3)? Yes. Oh how I wish it didn't...
-Do I always speak the truth from my heart (v2)? Again, I must answer no.

People say the Psalms are encouraging, but I was feeling down, because I realised I cannot meet the standards.


I went on to listen to Psalm 103 - (see below)
This song (Psalm) didn't start so well either - reminding me that my days are like grass (v15).

But that's when I realised. The Psalms aren't about me. They aren't encouraging because they build up my ego. No! They are encouraging because they remind me of how great our God is!

He loves "those who fear Him" (v17), not those who meet the standards!
And that love is oh so great (v11)!!!
And all those sinnful failings? He has forgiven them (v12)!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!


Psalm 105
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

A study I wrote on Rebekah for women's group...

Do Life's Struggle's Stop You Trusting God?

Abraham wanted a wife from his own family for Isaac, not a Canaanite woman, and made his servant take an oath to find such a woman for Isaac. If was unable to, he was released from his oath.
The servant went back to Ur and asked God to direct his search for Abraham’s sake. God had already started to answer his prayer - “before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.” (Gen. 24:15) Rebekah is described as “very beautiful and a virgin” (Gen. 24:16).

What images come to mind when you think of Rebekah? What kind of woman do you see?

When her family heard the servant’s story, they had no doubt that it was God’s doing. Rebekah must have thought so too, as she said, “I will go.” (Gen 24:58.)
Rebekah returned home with the servant and married Isaac – “So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” (Gen 24:67)

What does this verse suggest about their marriage in the early days?

Yet Rebekah’s life was not always so smooth sailing. After 20 years of being barren, God answered Isaac’s prayers and Rebekah became pregnant. During her pregnancy, she asked God about her children: “Two nations are in your womb, and two people from within you will be separated; one will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (Gen 25:23) As the boys grew up, “Isaac… loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” As we read on, we can see that Rebekah took God’s promise into her own hands in an effort to see it fulfilled, at the cost of further division and separation in the family.

Has God ever clearly told you something about your future? How did it change you?

Rebekah’s character changes from when we first meet her to when she becomes a mother.

Quote:

Isn’t it amazing, how a heart so willing to obey the Lord and follow His leading, away from her family to marry a man she had never met - turns so bitter and manipulative after the struggles of life (she experienced infertility for 20 years and a hard pregnancy). It is so hard to keep our hearts tender and soft as we deal with life’s struggles - but what a difference it makes if we allow ourselves to keep trusting God to ultimately work our His plan in our lives His way. (http://sandrajo.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/lessons-learned-from-rebekah/)

Have you ever had to wait a long time to see a prayer answered, or God’s promises fulfilled? What did you do? How did it make you feel?

As I was writing this up, I had some music playing, and this song came on... It fitted in so perfectly, that I'll be playing it after we've done the study.

'God is God' by Steven Curtis Chapman

_________________
Happy mummy!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.