Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Instruction, Teaching, and Counseling

8/31/2016

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." -Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

As new school years begin, student and teacher thoughts turn to lessons - instruction, teaching, learning, and counseling. Teachers prepare to educate, guide, and counsel students with the aims of improving knowledge and impacting future choices and directions. Teachers prepare to keep their eyes on their students with the intentions of preparing and providing education to improve student outlooks for the future. While the teacher can offer assistance and provide opportunities, students also have a responsibility in the teaching and learning process.

In our lives there are also opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. God is the master teacher and counselor. He knows what we need to become closer to Him and to spread His love. God prepares lessons. Sometimes the lessons may be obvious to us. At other times the point of the lesson may be less clear to us at first. We may have to wait for God's timing to reveal the value to us. As the "students" of life, we also have a responsibility to learn. We have the responsibility to engage with God's Word and His teachings. We have the responsibility to listen to and apply the lessons that He teaches us in our lives. As we listen to and learn from God, we can know His direction and follow His guidance in our lives!

God is teaching you, be sure to listen to and apply His lessons!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being my teacher. Help me to learn and apply Your lessons in my life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Give Thanks Because...

8/30/2016

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." -I Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)

Although we may not take the time to realize it, we are all blessed. Our blessings may come in many different forms. They may be easily described as our joys and celebrations, but even in the less obvious times in our lives, God is working. His work produces blessings even during the lowest points in our lives. When we think of praising and thanking God, we may think about the blessings, joys, and celebrations in our lives, but are those the only reasons to praise and thank God?

God blesses us and should be praised always. We should also be thankful for His work in our lives. However, we shouldn't praise and thank Him based solely on what we perceive we get from Him. We should praise and worship God because He is good! God is pure. His goodness and love know no end, they last forever. We don't have to worry about God abandoning us or running out of love. God's goodness and love endure forever and so should our praises and thanksgiving!

Praise and thank God for His blessings, but also praise Him and thank Him for His goodness and love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being good, pure, and loving. Please help me to show others Your true, good nature, so that they, too, can praise and thank You for Your goodness and love. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Helping Hand

8/28/2016

"I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me. I am Yours, save me; for I have sought Your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Your testimonies." -Psalms 119:93-95 (NASB)

It's good to have a helping hand. In preparing for a new school year in a new school, I have benefited from the help of may individuals, including my daughter that helped to carry and unpack boxes and set up my classroom. When we consider eternity and our place in this world and beyond, we also need a helping hand!

God can revive us and give us life. We can commit ourselves to seeking Him, to understanding His commandments, His expectations, and His will for our lives. We can listen to the direction that He gives us and we can accept salvation offered through Jesus. When we seek God and His will, we can experience revival and new life through Him. We can also rely on God and on His helping hand that will sustain and protect us through all that we face!

Seek God and hold tight to His testimonies and His helping hand!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being there for me and for the helping hands that You provide in my life. Help me to both accept help and to be Your helping hands for others. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Gladness and Safety

8/28/2016

"You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety." -Psalms 4:7-8 (NASB)

We never know what we will be face in our lives. Sometimes we have to let go and move out of our comfort zone to experience all that is waiting for us. When we make a move, there is a chance that it will not turn out as we had hoped. No matter what outcomes we experience, we can trust that God will help us learn and grow as He provides gladness, safety, and direction in our lives.

When we face situations that are not what we expected or are unpleasant, it doesn't mean we have to release all gladness and joy from our lives. God can give us gladness and peace in our lives, no matter what is happening to us or around us. We can learn from our situations and when we experience gladness, we should give credit and praise to God. Through God, we can become content with what we have and what we are facing in our lives. We can be assured of our eternal safety in His grace and power, now and forever!

Find gladness and safety in God, not matter what you are facing in your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for providing gladness and safety in my life. Help me to live my life so others can see the gladness and safety that You provide, no matter what. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Refreshed and Redeemed

8/27/2016

"As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God." -Psalms 42:1 (ESV)

The thought of a deer walking through a field or drinking from a stream can bring thoughts of peaceful images, but the need to drink is essential for life. Whether looking for flowing streams that are not stagnant during the hot, dry days of summer or searching for flowing water that isn't frozen over in the winter, the deer and other animals need to find sources of water to live. We need water, too, but we also need God in our spiritual lives!

To maintain our spiritual lives, we need to drink the living water that God provides. We can find God's living water through the life and promises of His Son, Jesus Christ. We can find it in God's Word. We can find it through fellowship with other believers and through prayer and conversations with God. Just as the animals long for water, our souls need to long for the love, grace, and mercy of God. As our souls long for God, we need to seek Him in order to be refreshed and redeemed!

Satisfy a longing soul by seeking the refreshment and redemption of a relationship with God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and being willing to refresh and redeem me. Help me to continue to seek You and to have a relationship with You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Wisdom and Understanding

8/26/2016

"Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom." -James 3:13 (NASB)

We always have more to learn. Whether from school or from life experience, we can grow, learn and adapt. As we learn things, we may want to share what we have learned with others. Some people think they need to share their wisdom, learning, and understanding in ways that put others down. If we are truly wise, our demonstration of wisdom and understanding shouldn't put people down!

To have true wisdom and understanding, we need to know God. After we know God and grow in our wisdom and understanding through Him, we can let our deeds and behaviors show God's wisdom and understanding. Showing our wisdom from and through God should show His love and compassion. It should show His righteousness, but not in a condescending way that puts others down. Showing wisdom and understanding from God should build others up and allow them to experience the greatness and glory of God!

Get wisdom and understanding from God and then show it in a way that allows others to see God's love, grace, mercy, and power!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Than You for loving me and for continuing to teach me and to grant me wisdom and understanding. Allow me to show wisdom and understanding through my words and actions so that others can see Your ultimate wisdom and understanding. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Workers, Not Chatterers

8/25/2016

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." -II Timothy 2:15-16 (NIV)

Over the past couple of years, I have volunteered at a local non-profit. It is interesting to see the interactions of different people. Some people quietly work behind the scenes improving the programs and services of the organization. Others talk about all they do for the organization, but in reality offer little work or support. When we consider our place in God's Kingdom, we should consider what God expects and how we want to respond!

We can choose to be workers or talkers. We can be workers that try our best to live as God directs us and that try to further His Kingdom. We can also choose to talk about how good we are and all that we accomplish, while not putting in any true effort or making any real change. When we are working, even if it is quietly, God knows that we are listening to and working for Him. Whenever we engage in idle talk, chatter, or gossip, we do not make progress for God and can actually become more ungodly in the process. As we consider our roles in life, we should choose to be workers for God, not bystanders engaged in chatter!

Choose to be a worker for God and not an idle chatterer!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the lessons that You teach and for the work that You have placed before me. Help me to be a worker for You and not an idle bystander. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Know Better, Do Better

8/24/2016

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." -Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

Poet Maya Angelou once said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." In order to improve, we have to be honest with ourselves about our shortcomings or weaknesses. Once we know where we need to improve, we can work to get better and do better!

One way that we can get better is to study and learn from God's Word. We can learn from the stories of those that came before us. We can learn from the life and teachings of Jesus. We need to do more than just listen to the accounts or read the words. We need to internalize them, make them part of our hearts and our lives. When we keep God's teachings in our hearts, then we know better. After we know better, we can do better to follow God's will for our lives and to show others God's love!

Learn from God to know better and then act on your learning to do better!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for teaching me. Help me to use what You have taught me so that I can do better for Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Making Impossible Possible

8/23/2016

"And looking at them Jesus said to them, 'With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" -Matthew 19:26 (NASB)

"I can't!" Those words are one of my pet peeves. Whether coming from my daughter or my students, these words usually indicate giving up without taking the time to apply a full effort or to problem-solve. While the problems faced by my daughter or my students may seem impossible from their current level of development or from their perspectives, there is usually a solution, even if it requires more effort than they are willing to put forth at first.

There are times in all of our lives when we might feel we face something impossible. When approaching the impossible, we have a choice to make. Like the rich man that did not want to follow the advice of Jesus, we sometimes try to find our own ways to overcome the impossible. Once we realize our efforts alone are not enough, we can talk to God and choose to follow His plan. When we choose to follow God, we can be assured that He can make the impossible possible! Instead of stopping to say, "I can't!", each of us can say, "All things are possible through God!"

When things seem impossible, call on God and know that all things are possible through Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for making the impossible possible. Help me to turn everything over to You and to trust You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

No Boundaries, Just Love!

8/22/2016

"For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." -I John 3:11 (NIV)

The world is full of darkness and tragedy, but it is also full of love and caring. Reflecting on the past couple of weeks, the news was filled with stories of tragedy of flooding, but in this tragedy we could also witness the love and caring of family, friends, and strangers. Volunteers pitched in to donate supplies, money, and time. Crews were organized to help with tasks ranging from laundry to cleaning to demolition and preparing to dry out and rebuild homes and businesses. The geographic, ideological, racial, and socioeconomic boundaries or differences didn't matter as everyone pulled together to love and assist those affected by the circumstances.

When Jesus spoke of God's love, He spoke of a perfect love. Jesus demonstrated this love as He loved everyone, even those that disagreed with Him and sought to harm Him. Jesus didn't die only for those that loved Him, He died for everyone, all those that were and would be sinners. The message of love given to us by God and demonstrated by Jesus wasn't a directive to love those that are like us, but a directive to love everyone. We shouldn't wait on a tragedy to pull us together, we should read and follow God's Word to come together and share His love, kindness, and compassion!

Don't let man-made boundaries keep you from sharing God's love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for showing me Your perfect love. Help me to share Your love with others all the time. Through Jesus, Who demonstrated Your perfect love on the cross, I pray, amen.

Have Faith!

8/21/2016

"And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," it will happen.'" -Matthew 21:21 (NASB)

This year I will be transitioning from teaching middle school to teaching high school. Since I made the decision and especially now as the beginning of the school year draws near, I have gotten many questions about what I expect, whether or not I'm excited, and how I think I will like teaching "older" students. I am excited, but I do not know what the transition holds in store. I have to have faith and ask that God will equip me with the tools I need to best serve my students.

Whether it is in our jobs, family lives, or living in general, we don't know what the future will hold, but we can be hopeful because of we have power in our faith! Jesus reminds us that even a little bit of faith can move mountains or change the environment in which we live or work. We may not need to move a mountain into the sea, but we may need to change other circumstances in our lives. We can get to know God and His power, but we can also approach God through prayer. With faith and prayerful requests, we can be sure that God hears us and that in our faithfulness we will experience His power in our lives!

Whether moving mountains or improving circumstances in your life, have faith in God and ask for His assistance!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being a part of my life. When I begin to be overwhelmed, help me to remember to have faith and to ask for Your help in "moving mountains!" Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Mountains & Everlasting God

8/20/2016

"Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God." -Psalm 90:2 (NIV)

Sometimes we take things for granted. We can look at the trees, the grass, the plants, the birds, and many other parts of God's creation without stopping to think twice. We can even drive or fly over mountains without thinking too much about them. However, if we have the opportunities to stand at the base of a mountain and look up or at the top of the mountain looking out, we may have a different perspective of the greatness and power needed to create the mountains and the rest of creation!

When we look out over God's creation, we can see God in the complexity and intricate relationships around us. No matter our surroundings, God's creation can allow us different glimpses of God, but the story of God is much larger than just His creation. God existed before there was creation. God chose to create the universe and everything in it and even though we may debate the processes He uses to create, we can know that God cares for His creation. He even sent His Son to redeem creation and save it from sin! As we stop to marvel at the tallest mountains or recapture a sense of wonder from exploring the smaller parts of creation, we can be reminded that all has come from God, who has always and will always be the one and only true God!

Marvel at the mountains, but be reminded that they are the handiwork of the everlasting God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for creating me and for loving Your creation. Help me to always remember You as the Creator and help me to have the right perspective of You and Your creation. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Someone to Listen!

8/19/2016

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

Sometimes we just need someone to talk to or someone who will listen. Even when we have someone to talk to, they don't always give us their full attention. At the end of a conversation we may have more questions than answers. There is one listening ear that is always ready to listen!

God is always with us and always ready to listen. We can approach God in prayer anytime and anywhere. We can call on God in good times or trying times and we can be assured that God will truly listen to us and will respond to us in His great wisdom and power. We don't have to search for someone to listen to us, we just need to turn to God in prayer!

When you are looking for someone to listen, turn to God in prayer and know that He will listen.

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being there for me and for being ready to listen. Help me to remember to always take things to You in prayer. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Make them Known!

8/18/2016

"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done." -Psalm 105:1 (NIV)

I recently heard a report that 1 in 5 families in the United States do not have an employed family member. The report also stated that home ownership in the United States is at a low level. Whether we fall into one of these situations or not, we can find blessings in our lives and we should recognize them!

God blesses each of us, but sometimes our wants or expectations keep us from realizing the many blessings that we have in our lives. We should take time to reflect on our lives and acknowledge how blessed we truly are in our lives. Once we recognize how we are blessed, we can praise God for all that he does in our lives. We should willingly and excitedly share with others the amazing things God has done and is doing in our lives!

Acknowledge God's blessings in your life and share your blessings with others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the blessings and Your work in my life. Help me to share Your power and glory with others. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

The Good Old Days!

8/17/2016

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." -Hebrews 13:8 (NASB)

Sometimes we like to think or talk about the "good old days". We talk about how things have changed in the world, sometimes for the better, but often we reminisce about simpler and better time. It is true that the world and our lives change over time. Our place in the world may also change, but we can be reassured that some things don't change. God and our Savior Jesus Christ are always the same!

God is constant. We don't have to guess whether God loves us or not, whether He approves of certain actions or not, or whether He is present or not. God always loves us. God has established right and wrong. God is always with us. God's commitment to us is visible in the life, death, and redeeming resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Jesus' actions, teachings, and life, we can know more about God. We can recognize that even when everything around us seems to be moving away from the "good old days", our Lord and Savior remains, unchanged, offering us salvation!

Don't think of God as part of the "good old days", He is alive, active, and unchanged yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being a constant in my life and for salvation and redemption through Your Son. Help me to show others that You are always here and ready to pick us up when we fall short of Your glory. Through Jesus Christ, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Tearing Down Walls! (part 2)

8/16/2016

"The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent." -Joshua 6:17 (NASB)

"So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city." -Joshua 6:20 (NASB)

Sometimes we like to isolate ourselves to try to avoid problems or situations. Whether we are trying to avoid the conditions of the world in general or the conditions in our lives, we build walls to protect ourselves. While we may have good intentions when we put up our walls, God may not want us to be separated from the world!

When approaching Jericho, God helped His followers by tearing down the walls around Jericho. In our lives, God sometimes tears down the walls we try to build around ourselves. Even though we may be trying to protect or preserve ourselves by building walls to keep us separate from the world, God may be using circumstances to help us grow or to grow His Kingdom. God may need us to be part of the world in order for us to learn or for us to be positive influences in what is happening around us. Whenever we are tempted to build walls, we need to seek God's guidance to see if we should be building or tearing down walls!

Follow God when He tears down your walls and leads you away from your comfort zone!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for wanting me to grow and for using me to further Your Kingdom. Help me to understand Your will when you tear down walls and lead me away from my comfort zone. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Tearing Down Walls! (part 1)

8/15/2016

"So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city." -Joshua 6:20 (NASB)

Watching the Olympics provides a look at the lives of athletes committed to developing their skill and preparing to compete. There are some athletes that have overcome especially difficult circumstances in their journeys to compete and become national and international champions. These athletes could have looked at their obstacles as walls that couldn't be overcome, just as we may have obstacles seem unbreakable or immovable. What can help us overcome our obstacles?

God leads us each in our own directions. God has a plan for our lives and even if we think there are barriers too high to overcome, God can tear down walls. We can rely on God's guidance in order to accomplish more than we may have imagined or more than what seems possible. We can rely on God to move walls in order for us to be champions of His love and forgiveness. As God's champions, we can help others to see His grace, mercy, and power. We can help others understand God's plan for salvation and God's ability to remove their walls and obstacles, too!

God will tear down the walls in your life, just follow Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for removing the walls that are present in my life. Help me to use the opportunities You provide to show others Your love, forgiveness, and power. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Not Tired!

8/14/2016

"For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." -Hebrews 12:3 (NASB)

Sometimes our bodies are tired, but our minds are not. Other times our minds are tired, but our bodies are rested. In our spiritual journeys, we also experience times when our hearts are heavy and our souls seem tired, but we can find strength!

Jesus is an example and source of strength. We can see how Jesus responded to critics and temptations. We can see how His love from God and for others allowed Him to share His strength. Whenever we feel spiritually tired or worn out, we can look to the example of Jesus and call on Him for strength so we do not grow weary, tired, or faint!

When your heart is heavy or your soul is weary, look to Jesus for strength!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for providing Jesus as an example and source of strength. Help me to always look to You for strength, wisdom, and love. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Proof of Hearing

8/13/2016

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -James 1:22 (NIV)

Whether it is students in a classroom, employees at work, or family and friends communicating, it can be easy to say you are listening. However, we are often distracted or "multi-tasking" and may not be truly hearing and listening to everything. The proof of what we hear is revealed by our performance on a test, performance on a work project or assignment, or in our response to other communications.

When considering how well we are listening to God, we should consider what we are doing in response to what we are hearing and learning. If we say we are listening to God, but don't respond in our actions, are we truly hearing what He is telling us? We should respond to God's blessings and directions for our lives through actions that demonstrate His love for us and for all of His creation. It is through prayer and then action that we can know God's plan for our lives and show those around us God's amazing love and power!

Show you are learning from God through actions that reveal His love and transforming power!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for all that You do in my life. Help me to continue to learn and grow through listening to Your Word and Your will for my life and to act in ways that show Your love and power to those around me. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Greatness Beyond Comprehension

8/12/2016

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." -Psalm 145:3 (NIV)

While watching the summer Olympics, it can be amazing to see the physical skills of the athletes. After watching an individual or team performance, the commentators often try to compare athletes, looking for the greatest performances of the current games as well as the greatest in history. It can be fun and entertaining to discuss the greatest athletes, but their greatness is nothing compared to God!

God's greatness goes beyond anything that we can imagine or comprehend. Even though we may not understand God's full glory, He wants to share His greatness and glory with us. He offers us redemption and eternal life with Him in His glory, we just have to have faith in Him and accept the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. In the end, it is only God's greatness that matters. Praises to God for He is great and worthy of all we have to offer!

Praise God for His greatness that is beyond anything you can imagine!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being willing to share Your greatness with me. Praise be to You for everything. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

God's Work

8/11/2016

"Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.'" -John 6:29 (NIV)

When we hear people talking about doing God's work, we may think of missionaries in the field or mission trips. We may think of pastors leading congregations or even the evangelists, Christian speakers, and Christian artists that we see and hear on television and radio. We sometimes forget that the most important component of doing God's work is to believe in Jesus and in God!

The first step of being able to do God's work is believing in God and in His plan. God sent His Son to die for our sin and to redeem us. By believing in and accepting Jesus as our Savior, we are taking the first actions and preparations for God's work. As we continue to grow in our relationship with God, we can continue to be prepared for and involved in God's work. We can all take part in God's work, beginning with our personal belief in and commitment to God!

Accept Jesus as your Savior and believe in God as the first steps for doing God's work!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and preparing me for Your work. Help me to follow Your plan and to work for You and Your Kingdom. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Not Neglecting Good

8/10/2016

"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." -Hebrews 13:15-16 (NASB)

Back to school time can bring both excitement and feelings of nervousness. Picking out new school supplies or a back to school outfit can be exciting, but there are students with families that struggle to provide even these basics. While it may not seem to be that important, a new outfit, a new set of crayons or other supplies, and a new backpack can mean a lot. The arrival of back to school time provides an opportunity to do good.

Praising God for all that He has blessed us with shows that we appreciate all He does in our lives. God also calls us to do good in order to share the blessings and love He has given us. There are many ways in which we can do good. We can begin doing good, even in small ways, in our neighborhoods or communities. Even something as simple as a package of pencils or a new shirt can make a difference in the lives of children and adults that live near. As God continues to bless us, we can continue to do good and in the process share His blessings!

Do not neglect doing good and sharing God's love and blessings!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and blessings. I praise You for all that You have provided me and I ask that You help me to successfully share Your blessings and love! Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Choose Wisely

8/9/2016

"Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence." -Proverbs 3:31-32 (NIV)

We all know that the world we live in can be a violent place. We have seen and heard about violent acts, but the responses of victims, families, and communities sometimes get lost or forgotten. Several years ago there was a violent attack on an Amish school house. Instead of responding in anger or retaliation, the Amish community came together and prayed for the attacker and for forgiveness.

However we learn about or experience violence, we have a choice in how to respond. We shouldn't glorify violence or choose violent ways. We may feel anger, sorrow, and grief, but these feelings to not mean we should respond in violent ways. By talking to God, we can better understand His love and His will for our lives. We can understand that we have a choice. We do not have to respond with violent words or violent ways. We can then act on His will for our lives in ways that show God's love!

You can choose how to respond...choose God's love, not earthly violence!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for showing me Your love. Help me to know Your will and to respond with love, not violence. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Ask for Directions & Listen!

8/8/2016

"This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’" -Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

There are times when we may not know exactly which way to go. We may even be lost! While we can stop and ask for directions, but we need to ask for directions from someone who knows the area. We also need to listen to the directions we are given.

When looking for directions for our lives, we can be sure that God will give us sound directions. We can read in the Bible and learn from those that came before us. We can talk to other believers about their experiences. We can pray to God. We can learn from God in different ways. When we ask for directions from God, we also need to listen and follow His answer. If we don't listen and follow Him, we'll stay lost!

If you are lost, then ask God for directions in life, listen, and follow the directions He provides!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being with me and for providing direction for my life. Help me to remember to stop and ask for directions and then to follow them. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Time!

8/7/2016

"A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." -Psalm 90:4 (NIV)

There always seems to be a lack of time. We may plan to fit everything in our schedule, then rush to be sure it fits like we have planned. Even with planning and rushing we may not fit everything into our day, so how do we plan to be sure that our days are truly meaningful and not a blur of rushed events?

Time to God is different than time to us as humans. The Psalmist says that a thousand years are like a day. Just imagine if we had a thousand years to fit everything into our day! We are also reminded by this that God's timing may be different than our own. Our view of needing something "right now" may not fit within God's long-term plan for our lives. Instead of rushing and pressuring God to fit within our timeline, we need to talk to God and consider His timeline and our willingness to have faith in His timing for our lives, then we can truly see how meaningful our lives and the days of our lives can be!

When feeling you need more time, talk to God and consider His time!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for taking the time to guide my life. Help me to always trust in Your time and plan for my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.