Good

Psalm 119:68

You are good and do good NASB

You are good and kind and do good  AMP

You are good and the source of good  MSG

You are good and do only good  NLT

You are good and what you do is good  NIV

You are good and do what is good  HCSB

Fundamental Truth to hang on to no matter how things appear...  God is Good and God does Good.. Always!

Persistant Prayer

"When we determine to pray with passionate persistence -- with a refusal to quit despite discouragement, despite how things look to us -- God will reward those prayers with His just and timely response." -- Janet Holm McHenry (from the book Prayer Walk)

In All Things... Always..

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:18 NIV

AMP:  Thank God in everything (no matter what the circumstances may be be thankful and give thanks) for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus (the Revealer and Mediator of that will).

Eph. 5:20  Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Eph. 5:4  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are our of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Heb. 13:15  Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise -- the fruit of lips that confess His name.

Pray Continually

Pray Continually 1 Thess. 5:17 NIV

NASB:  Pray without Ceasing

NLT:  Never Stop Praying

AMP:  Be unceasing in prayer - pray perseveringly

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told this parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up

Deut. 4:7b The Lord our God is near us whenever we pray for Him

"Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work."  -- Oswald Chambers

Be joyful....

Be joyful always.  1 Thess. 5:16 NIV

Amplified Version:  Be happy in your faith and rejoice and be gladhearted continually (always).

Phil. 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord Always

Ps. 97:12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous and praise His holy name.

Hab. 3:18 Yet (no matter what is happening) I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in my God my Savior.

Neh. 8:10b  The Joy of the Lord is your strength

Always.... Continually.... "Yet" .... do this and find Strength!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always

Prayer continually

Give thanks in all circumstances,

 for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thess 5:16-18

Wherever....

"Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray." -- Oswald Chambers

Rest of Faith

"Rest is uniting the Word with faith and living in it at that very moment. It's the action of faith for today -- for this monent, this situation."  -- Kay Arthur

Know Him.... Seek Him...

I was reading in the book The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers some things about Knowing God today that just really spoke to my heart...

"... to know God is not just to accumulate facts about Him, but also to experience who He is in our daily living."

"E.M.Bounds wrote that God does not reveal Himself to the 'hasty comer and goer.' If we settle for a casual relationship we won't experience His love deeply.  It's not that anything about His love changes when we neglect Him. His love is still just as full and flowing, just as wonderful and powerful.  But we're blocking it out when we don't pursue a deeper, more constant relationship with Him."

When I read this, I immediately thought of Jeremiah 29:13... I cannot tell you how many times this verse has come before my eyes in the last week and a half.. and from vastly different sources!  The NIV says:  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  

I recently saw it in the NLT and love how it is worded:  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

I love that word... WHOLEHEARTEDLY

Brought me to a couple more verses this morning..

Deut 4:29  But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.  

From there.. from where ever I am at that MOMENT... whatever my situation and circumstance.. I am to seek Him with ALL my heart!

And Ps. 86:11b... which is a wonderful verse to pray for yourself and those you love... Teach me your way, O LORD,  and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Finally --if you know me personally, then you have heard me say over and over say Be In The Word... it is a soapbox I proudly stand on and shout from and once again I am there urging anyone reading this to be in the Word. My family has had a huge upset this week.. great turmoil that will be with us for a while... I would never lie and say we have had total peace... no anger.. no hurt.. no worry... please, we are human!  BUT in the midst of it all God has used His Word.. either from others who text a verse or devotional emails that come in my inbox... or most importantly and most often through the Holy Spirit who reminds me what HE has shown me in His Word... John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  He teaches and He will remind us at just the right time.. but we MUST be in the Word learning to have something for Him to remind us!

We must seek to have a FULL relationship with the Lord.. not just a casual one. He should be you absolute most intimate friend.  Seek Him with ALL your heart today!

Exodus 33 reading...

Exodus 33:11 "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."

God still does that today. Maybe not physically face to face, but He communes with us -- is with us -- His Spirit in me!  All the time!

Moses said to God in verse 13.. "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you."  This is my prayer today.

Phil. 3:8 & 10 "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things .... I want to know Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection."

Know.... not just head knowledge... heart knowledge that brings change in my life and is walked out day by day.

"Then the Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.'"  (v. 14)

God's presence is always with me as the Holy Spirit resides in me.  So there is no reason for me not to have rest -- His rest -- peace.

And in verse 16 Moses replied at the thought of God not going with them... "what else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

Jesus in my life is what distinguishes me from the world... nothing else... He is the difference.

What if?

What is you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked the Lord for today?

Read that online... a stop and ponder thought for sure!

My Utmost....

One of my favorite devotionals is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Here are some things I have read over the past few weeks:

"God will never reveal more truth about Himself until you have obeyed what you know already."

"Sin is a fundamental relationship it is not wrong doing, it is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God."

"We slander God by our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him."

"The one who says 'Yes, Lord, but...' is the one who is fiercely ready, but never goes."