scripture

  • Fix These Words

    “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”
    Deuteronomy 11:18 NIV

    When I was a kid in school my mom hated when my sister and I wrote on our hands. It was a messy thing, but nothing helped me to remember my homework more than a note on my hand! I remember kids trying to write mathematical formulas or historical dates on their hands to “help out” during a test. Putting information on your hands seems to have been a memory method for centuries!

    Deuteronomy records a time when Moses was teaching the people God’s laws, His ways, His Words of blessing and warning to them. Moses encourages the people that if they love God and don’t forget His ways; if they live by God’s words, there will be blessings for them. Moses was so concerned that the people would forget what he taught them about God that he told the people to fix these words in their “hearts and minds”. Moses wanted the people’s thoughts to be forever focused on God’s Words. To help them remember, Moses suggested two things: One, “tie them as symbols on your hands”. This sounds like wearing bracelets to me! At a glance, the people could look down and be reminded of God’s promises. Second; “bind them on your foreheads.” Having scripture on headbands wouldn’t help you remember God’s Words, but they would help your friends, and even your enemies come face to face with God’s Word!

    Don’t let scriptural amnesia leave you defeated. Do what it takes to remind yourself of God’s Words. Make sure to fix these words in strategically positioned places where you’ll see them regularly and be encouraged to live them out!

    Prayer

    Father…I thank you for the power in Your Word! It brings me all the hope, encouragement, direction, peace, discipline, love, teaching…everything that I need! Everything I need is written in Your Word. Help me fix these words in my heart and mind so I can bring you glory! In Jesus Name…Amen  

    Dare to share some creative ways you keep scripture in view?

    Record it in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!

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  • Curse To Blessing

    curse to blessing“…the LORD your God would not listen…but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”
                                                                    Deuteronomy 23:5

    This weekend I flew to NYC for a retreat in Connecticut.  I left the house excited for a new adventure, until I got pulled in and held up at the border for no reason.  Finally free, I rushed to the airport, running to the gate where my first flight was cancelled and my second flight delayed. What seemed like a curse was about to turn into a blessing!
    While waiting in line to see if I could get another flight I met a really nice girl.  We hit it off and talked through the whole “delay”.  It was sad when they called us to board the plane and we had to end our time together!
    Before the retreat my hubby and daughter sent me messages with scripture and encouragement, expressing their confidence in my ability to accomplish what God had called me there to do.  Oh how my life has changed!  Where I once encountered resistance and cursing for stepping out into God’s calling, I now receive blessings!  I see this verse being fulfilled as the enemy still tries to speak out curses, but God just doesn’t listen to the noise!  The key is in learning to do the same, training our ears to ‘tune out’ the negativity!  Then we can trust God to turn things from a curse to blessing because as the verse says, “God loves YOU”!
    Prayer:
    Father…I thank-you for your power!  Only you can take a curse spoken and turn it into a blessing!  Please break every curse spoken over me and let my life bring you praise for the blessing! In Jesus name…Amen.

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  • Uncertainty

    “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:”
    1 Corinthians 9:26 (KJV)
    Yesterday, we celebrated Father’s Day and 5 kids in the family graduating from high school, College and University. So much of the conversation was answers to “What are you going to do…”. uncertainty-person direction arrows all waysSome had clear set paths that were ideally matched to their giftings, while others didn’t know and shared the concerns of their uncertainties.UNCERTAINTY-Many roadsigns
    Sometimes we feel like we’re just “shadowboxing” or fighting as one that “beateth the air” as they say in Shakespearean English! ☺ Seemingly, running this race of life aimlessly. It can be frustrating when we are uncertain of what the future holds and others around us have such clarity.
    The uncertainties of life can be draining, until you recognize as Christians that our future is certain. Paul encourages the Ephesian believers that he was praying God would give them the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” so they would know “the hope” to which he had called them (Ephesians 1:17-18 NIV). Jeremiah 29:11 assures us that God has hope and a good plan for our lives. So, if we put these two verses together with our faith, we can know that there are truly no uncertainties. We can let the frustration and stress leave, as we relax in the knowing that He has it all figured out and, we’re not just aimlessly running the race. Our Father who is all knowing, has a good plan for our life and, He will reveal it to us!
    Prayer
    Father…I thank-you for your plan for my life. I ask that you would continue to bring revelation to the details, as I need to know them. Help me to trust you in this journey of faith. In Jesus Name…Amen.

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  • We need to change our Christian Expectations

    “Dear friends, DO NOT BE SURPRISED at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something STRANGE were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be OVERJOYED when his glory is revealed.”   
                            1 Peter 4:12-13

    We NEED to change our Christian Expectations.

    People tend to fall on either one side of the fence or the other; some expect too much yet some expect too little.  There are strange folk (and I mean that in the nicest way) who spend their lives jumping from one side of the fence to the other.
    Those are the type of people that this verse is talking about.
    I have to watch it or I can be one of these strange fence jumpers.  I’m sailing along believing God for great things, and then a problem hits and I’m tempted to fall into discouragement and give up hope.  In my life I have greatly struggled with getting-ready-for-the-carpet-to-be-pulled-out-from-under-me syndrome.  It’s an underlying fear of mine.  Until recently, t was an unspoken mindset that I functioned in, or should I say malfunctioned in!

    I believe a part of my problem has been my Christian Expectations.  

    I have expected that problems won’t get me because I do my best to live for God. It’s illogical that I could read the Bible and arrive at this mindset. Illogical yes, but a common Christian expectation!
    This verse talks about the danger of becoming like the seed that falls on the rock, which falls away when trouble or persecution comes.  We need to live our lives expecting the best yet not be shocked when trouble comes. Trust that God will somehow turn it around for our best, using it for His glory!

    [tweetthis]Expect trials and suffering will come as much as you expect God will bring joy afterward.[/tweetthis]

    Living with this healthy Christian expectation will allow you to walk in confidence no matter what your circumstances are!

    Prayer

     Father, today I ask you to help me to increase my Christian expectations to a level that lines up with your Word!  Help me not jump the fence when trouble comes, but to stand in faith believing that when hardship hits I can trust You to bring joy back into my life.  In Jesus name, Amen

    [tweetthis]Changing expectations changes things.[/tweetthis]

    Drawing From The Well - Wide

    1. 1 Peter 4:12-13
    2. Matthew 13:1-43 (the Parable of the Seeds)
    3. Psalm 30:5
    4. 2 Corinthians 4:17
    Soul H2O - Look InsideThis post was first published on November 18, 2013 and then included in my first Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.
    Devotion #2 – Christian Expectations

     
    #Dare2Share
    Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!
    blogger prayerYOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
    MONDAY     Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis,
    TUESDAY     Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie,
    WEDNESDAY     Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth, Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
    THURSDAY     Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms, Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
    FRIDAY     Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead, Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy, Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS– Ellen Graf-Martin

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  • Testing

    “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first…”
    Job 42:12

    I was going through the Devotional in my book called “TESTING…FOLLOWED BY BLESSING”.  God has set a precedence in his Word that when you have gone through a time of testing successfully it will be followed by a time of blessing.  It’s not just a catchy line I came up with—it’s a principle in scripture!  Whether it takes place here or in heaven—Testing is followed by Blessing!

    There are so many biblical examples of this: Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Esther…the list could go on.  The biggest example of this is in the life of Job.  In Chapter 1 of Job we read the record of God and the devil’s discussion over how good Job is.  God saw Job as faithful.  The devil, literally translated as “the accuser”, thought that Job was only faithful to God because God blessed him so much financially and in his family.  The devil asked if he could test Job in these areas and God agreed.  First the devil killed all of Job’s servants, next all his children and then all his livestock; which was equivalent to financial ruin in that day. After all these losses Job still kept his faith in God.
    The devil went to God again and asked if he could further test Job and God agreed.  The devil gave Job boils all over his body.  Still he remained faithful to God in all of his testing.  It wasn’t like he enjoyed it or was happy throughout it all.  Job is very human in his response, but he never turns his back on God.  Job cursed the day he was born, but still did not curse God. Even when he lost everything and couldn’t see any blessing, he still believed God was good.  What an incredible testimony! 
    At the end of Job we read how God blessed him with MORE than he had in the first part of his life.  He ended up with twice of all that he owned before, a VERY wealthy man.  God blessed Job again with 7 more sons and 3 more daughters, giving him a long life to see even his great-great-grandchildren live!  Testing is followed by…

    word bles sing!

    Prayer:
    Father, I thank-you that you see me as good even when the accuser says differently.  I thank-you that your plans for me are good and that you won’t let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. Help me to stand strong so that I can pass the tests of my life and walk in Your blessing!  In Jesus name,  Amen.
     (WATER IN THE DESERT; Section 3-WATER IN THE WANDERING: TESTING…FOLLOWED BY BLESSING, pgs.112-114). 

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  • Never

    “the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you, never nor forsake you”
    Deuteronomy 31:6

    Last Monday I was teaching a Bible Study about when the Israelites left Egypt and started heading towards The Promised Land armed for battle, thinking they could take on the world.  God knew that they weren’t that strong…how worn out they were from the 400 years of bondage.  As they headed out, they were sure they could handle everything, but the first sign of trouble set them into full on panic, ready to run back to Egypt. 
    Breaking free is always a difficult thing to do, whether it’s sin, a bad habit, an unhealthy relationship or a negative workplace.  Everything in our nature screams to keep things the way they are, to stay where we know what to expect.  The Israelites were no different than us.  They left Egypt with their feet, but not with their hearts.  For a time they waffled back and forth between wanting to move forward into The Promised Land and wanting to go back to Egypt.  Instead they got stuck in the desert.  Todd’s illustration of the 3 Signposts in my book is a great visual of this cycle.
    In order to help the people go the right way, God placed a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night.  It never left its place in front of the people.  It was a visual reminder that God was with them. The verse above tells us how God is with us, that he never leaves us and never forsakes, rejects or abandons us. How incredible is that! God wanted us to understand this so much that He “repeats” himself, with this same message, many times so we could be sure that it is true.  At least 10 times God sends this message to us in His Word!  Be encouraged today…God is with YOU! He won’t leave, reject or abandon YOU!  So don’t waffle back and forth.  Move forward today in all God has for you!
    Prayer:
    Father, help me to let Your Word sink deep in my spirit so I trust you when you say that you are with me.  Help me to be confident that You won’t leave me, You won’t reject me, You won’t abandon me.  Let me takes steps toward Your good plan for my life today!  Amen.
    Never will I leave you “Repeat” verses: Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Psalm 37:28, Psalm 94:14, Isaiah 41:17, Isaiah 42:16, Hebrews 13:5
    (WATER IN THE DESERT; Section 2-WATER PARTING-STARTING TO SWIM, pg.68)

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  • Repeats

    This was the first Soul H2O Devotion ever written.  It was first sent out in email and then posted on the blog when it was started in the fall of 2013, before I started adding #musicpic songs and Drawing From The Well verses to help you dive in a little deeper into the subject of the devotion to quench your spiritual thirst! Since then I’ve had the website rebranded a few times and sadly, lost the original graphics and comments but I hope it will still bring you the same encouragement it did at the beginning.

    DO NOT WORRY… DO NOT WORRY… DO NOT WORRY
    ~Matthew 6:25, 32, 34

    REPEATSLately, I keep going back to the Devotional in my Water In The Desert book called “DON’T BE AFRAID”.  The verses you lookup are so repetitive…and I mean that in a good way!  I am overwhelmed at how many times God encourages us in His Word to “not worry”, “don’t be afraid”, “do not fear”, “do not fret”. 

    In one short passage alone Jesus bluntly tells us “Do not worry” three times!

    Do Not Worry… On Repeat

    To paraphrase Joshua 23:3, God is saying,

    “You’ve seen what I’ve done for you and how I’ve been the one on your side!”

    Then, He starts to remind the people how He was there for them and what He did for them.  God is our father and all too often we act like little children who need to be reminded of what our dad does for us.  We need that spiritual “cold shower” to wake us up and remind us that God is with us, so…we don’t need to worry! 

    When I want to get my kids to understand something or not forget something, I repeat myself.  The more important, or the more bothered I am with them for not listening will determine how many times I repeat myself!  Do you get the spiritual similarities?  Our heavenly father does the same!  As you study The Word, listen to our father’s REPEATS.  Be encouraged to trust and not worry…He’s on the job!

    Prayer

    Father, Help me to be aware of who you are and all you’ve done for me.  May I not take it for granted or minimize all you do.  Please help me to focus on your greatness and your goodness so that I don’t worry, but live in confidence! In Jesus Name, Amen

    (Inspired by WATER IN THE DESERT; Section 2-WATER PARTING; Don’t Be Afraid Devotion).  
     

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