Even in The Valley, the Lord's glory can be revealed

The valleys
The mountaintops
both necessary
for growth
but one is
preferred
over the other.

"(Yea, though) I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,"  - Psalm 23:4

compassion, understanding sought
encouragement desired
not to be torn down
with words that fill us
with fear and anger
for what we are not
or are not any longer
or at best, not today

"Why can't you be the way you were?"

"Why can't you love me for where I am (now or at this moment)?"

Why is our focus
on your problems
my problems
everyone else's problems

That is where Satan wants us -
focusing on anything and everything
except the Lord Jesus

Our focus belongs
totally on Him
His goodness
His truth
His way
His wisdom
His peace
His forgiveness
His vision, purpose
His witness
His love
His will

Our focus does not belong
on what we resent
nor on bitterness
nor depression
nor anxiety
nor fear
nor being defensive
nor negative comments spoken or thought

Satan grabs a foothold and never lets loose
Deception is his game
He deceives and infiltrates our minds
so we believe lie upon lie

The Lord tells us not to stray

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." - James 4:8, 10

Stay away from mindless thinking connected to our old nature. Focus on the Lord and His goodness.

"And do not be conformed (molded) to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2

Yet we do ... stray.

Who makes you better
Did God
Are perceptions
of your troubles
less than mine
Does that make you
less imperfect

Are you too in a
valley
unaware

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." - Isaiah 26:3

"Yea, though I (you, we) walk through the valley of the shadow of death" 

The valley
The shadows speak
Is the noise booming louder
Is that why
we struggle
we can't hear
and when we can hear
the words are jumbled
out of order
senseless words
running together
We don't understand
the question
or the answer
Our brain fails to comprehend
Too much! Too much!
Too much noise
surrounding

"We cannot hear the still small voice of our Savior whispering to us because we are overcome with unbearable noise." - CMOL

If God is for us,
WHAT can stand against?!
reminds us
since God is for us
there is no one thing
that can be against us.

But we forget

We do not rise up,
rise above worldly thinking
and focus our entire being
on the Lord Jesus.

We do not trust Him
in every step taken.
Instead,
we respond naturally;
we drift downward
and negativity
becomes our answer
every time in the face
of every difficulty
real and perceived.

The Valley
Every burdensome stone
strikes
and is thrown
again and again

The light
is with us

We follow
the light

yet

The Valley
a place
placed

Have we forgotten
His Presence
shields us
enfolds us
"I have lifted you out of darkness into My marvelous light." - 1 Peter 2:9
We are sinners
saved by grace
yet
again
we go our own way
following a path
not His desire

His displeasure
brings us
to
The Valley,
where
His Voice,
however faint and far away,
is heard.
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone ... first." - John 8:7b

"Whatever God asks you to be, He enables you to be!" - Anne Ortlund

The Lord Jesus asks us to follow Him - to show His Way, His Truth, His Life. He does not ask us to be less - to follow those who love the world and the things in it.

He does not ask us to destroy another's ideas and hopes and dreams, to speak evil, to be selfish, to complain, to be defensive, to be bitter, to lie or tell half truths, to be deceitful, to be proud, to be discontented, to put another down, to pity ourselves.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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 2:15-16

The Lord asks us to be loving and to pursue love
to be patient and pursue patience
to be kind and pursue kindness
to be good and pursue goodness
to be faithful and pursue faithfulness
to be gentle and pursue gentleness
to be trusting and pursue trust
to be an encourager and pursue encouragement
to be compassionate and pursue tenderness
to be hopeful and pursue hope

Even in the valley
we can be raised up
The crooked places can be made straight
The rough places smooth
Even in the valley
The glory of the Lord
seen on the mountaintop
can be revealed.

"Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low
The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth;
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed ..." - Isaiah 40:4-5a

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

Sept. 28 - Oct. 3, 2016

Satan does not tempt us to sin

Satan does not tempt us to sin.

Wow! Quite an eye-opener, is it not?

Satan tempts us to think differently -- to think that what God has given us with our rebirth / regeneration, we will lose.

Satan tempts us to change our point of view.

When we are saved, we believe we are a child of God. We are valued by Him.

But Satan seeks to control our mind, our every thought. He makes us doubt our value, our worth before God.

Because we feel worthless, it must be so. Afterall, Satan said so.

But we have forgotten. We are children of God, not of Satan.

We must repent, turn back to our First Love -- The Lord Jesus Christ. He is where our true allegiance lies.

We must turn away from mindless thinking, groping in the dark, and reach for the Light -- the Light of Jesus, who cleanses us from all unrighteousness, all wrongdoings, all sin.

"...I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works..." - Revelation 2:4-5

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders
9.19.2016

Taking control of our every thought

Thoughts --

Where do they take you?

Is it down back alleyways of despair and discouragement, fear and anger?

Or

Is it through avenues of encouragement and hope, always a brighter tomorrow?

I'm betting on a combination. We want good thoughts, but sometimes in the midst of whatever is going on in our lives, our good thoughts seem to run away and our bad thoughts take over.

God tells us to Trust Him for everything every time, to Thank Him for whatever comes our way, good and bad, so we can become a better person through Him. God says to reject the negative or sinful thoughts and confess them to Him.

By controlling our thoughts this way, negative turns to positive. Our minds are kept on the Lord Jesus, we are abiding in His Presence and He will guide us along the path best for each of us.

I John 1:5b-10 ...
"...God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have no sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." 

Luke 1:79 ...
"To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. To guide our feet into the way of peace."

God wants us to stay connected to Him

God tells us not to fear our limitations - whatever they may be, and not to measure what we have to get done for the day against our own strength.

God wants us to stay connected to Him - through prayer, through His word - to trust Him for everything, to depend on Him for His limitless resources.

We cannot handle every difficulty that comes our way. We think we can.

Without God, there is nothing. We are nothing. We can do nothing. We think we have untold strength, but we do not. We are powerless alone.

It is only God that equips us to handle the difficulty we travel through. He is STRONG. It is His STRENGTH that we must rely on to accomplish all of our difficulties in every part of life.

"For with God nothing will be impossible."  

 Luke 1:37

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."    

 II Corinthians 12:9

"Be a glimmer"

I was writing in my journal, "The Race," this morning. Generally when I write there, it makes it way to the blog of the same name. "The Race" was begun in 2015 when my husband, Jim, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. But this morning, as I kept writing, I realized this wasn't so much for "The Race" as it was for the "Journeys" blog. 

The Scripture for "The Race" was taken from Hebrews 12:1-2a, which says, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." 

I was thinking about The Race To Run With Endurance. 

It's not just about health, but also our whole life is a race. Keep going. Persevere. Push past every pain, every struggle.

God set us apart to be different, to show the world His Way, His Truth, His Life. 

If we're not showing His Way and delivering His Truth, then we most certainly are not living as He. 

We have succumbed to a lower power to whom we have bestowed more greatness than the God of the universe and The Son who died to set us all free. We have given Satan free reign over our lives and he will never bring us to gloryland. He will control us. We will hear and believe every negative. We will live and die in bondage. We will forget to whom we truly belong. We will think the lust of the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of our thoughts and wants and desires are what is important; are all that matters. 

Satan is the destroyer - one person at a time. He has destroyed many. 

Will he, is he destroying you too? 

God allows events to unfold. God gives us each free will. The choices we make now will determine the outcome of future events. 

Remember His love
Turn Back - Turn Around
Before the hour gets later
Before there is no time

Don't be a statistic ... 

Be a glimmer
a glimmer of light amidst the darkness

"To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet unto the way of peace." ~ Luke 1:79 NKJV 

Thoughts to Think About

• Have you stepped away from God
  
• Have you stopped believing in Him and His Word?
  
• Does the life path you follow lead to fulfillment or destruction?
  
• Have you placed the Lord on a back burner instead of at the center of your life?
  
• Where is your love placed - is it upon your wants or God's desires?

He delivers, He commands, ... but we?

Based on Psalm 116 

What do you give to the Lord?
He delivers your soul from death
He hears your voice
You find trouble and sorrow
You cry out to the Lord, "I beg You, deliver my soul!"
The Lord - He is gracious and righteous and merciful
He has delivered your soul from death,
your eyes from tears
your feet from falling
You say, "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."
You say, "I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving."
You say, "I will pay my vows to the Lord." 

But do you walk (live) with the Lord?
Are you thankful for the Lord's blessings?
Have you obeyed the Lord's commandments?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Based on Genesis 2-4

In the beginning
God made man
and from him, woman
and they joined together,
united as one

In the midst of the Garden of Eden -
a place of continuous delight,
fellowship with God
and human companionship -
sin called

Sin gave rise to the thought
that if something was desirable and pleasant,
what was wrong with possessing it? 

The ways of the serpent,
who represents Satan / Sin,
are cunning.
Did God really say no?
Will you really die?

That which you don't have
you see as good and pleasant and desirable
and you must have it

So what is not yours to have, you take.

God has said, "Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat it you shall surely die." (Gen. 2:17)

And so you disobey. You die - spiritually. You no longer have fellowship with the one who created you. You are separated from Him. He who gave you life, love, fellowship, companionship, wasn't enough. You wanted what He said was forbidden. 

You want more and more, all of everything. Your mindset is not on the good, you are not satisfied with what you have. You are focused on what you don't have ... you give in to temptation. You see only what is wrong with life and life situations. You are outside the boundaries laid by God.  You care only about yourself. 

Just as Cain, son of Adam and Eve, said to the Lord about his brother, Abel (whom he had killed), "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9b)

You are filled with shame and guilt. You want to hide - yourself and what you have done. But in your sin responsibility for it rolls off your back and onto another. All that is wrong is of no consequence. You will do what you want and blame your faults on another.

You live in a darkened world not of God's making.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend." (John 1:5)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

G O D ' S  W I L L 

G God is for us
O Obedience His desire
D Daily coming into His presence
S Salvation His eternal gift

W Walking (living) in faith with the Lord
I Iniquity brings pain
L Longsuffering (patience) perseveres
L Love overcomes

Questions asked ... March 7

MARCH 7 

Why do I insist on doing things my way? 

Why do I say one thing the night before and do something totally different the next morning?

Why do I think I can handle whatever comes along?

Why do I not pray and when I do, why aren't my prayers consistent? 

Am I ever thankful? 

Do I appreciate what the Lord has given? 

Why when the choice is before me do I say I should but then I don't?

Why when others offer reasonable advice do I let it go in one ear and right out the other without much thinking about it? 

Why am I angry? 

Why do I do things to please myself only? 

Why do I say things I don't mean, whether good or bad? 

When will I do what I say I'm going to do? 

When will I include the Lord in everything I do and say and everywhere I go? 

When will I see the trials of life as gifts from God so I will see my need for Him in every aspect of my life? 

When will I trust Him? 

When will I believe the answers I need are in Him? 

When will I reach out to Him?

"When I remember You on my bed, I meditate of You on the night watches. Because You have been my help. Therefore in the shadow of Your wings, I will rejoice." ~ Psalm 63:6-7

"Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." ~ James 1:2-3 

Questions asked ... Feb. 25

FEBRUARY 25

Am I resting in His Presence?

Am I allowing the Lord to take charge of my day?

Do I let the Lord direct my steps?

Do I go my own way?

Am I thankful for all the Lord gives?

Do I regularly thank Him?

Am I grateful for His many blessings?

Am I aware of all He does for me?

Do I see it in the words and actions of others?

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." ~ Colossians 4:2-3

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ~ I Thessalonians 5:16

Questions asked ... Feb. 22

FEBRUARY 22 - Need 

Oh I need thee. Every hour I need thee. 

I thought of the song, " I Need Thee Every Hour" and looked it up in the 1991 Baptist Hymnal.  Here are the words:

v 1:
I need Thee ev-ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

v 2:
I need Thee ev-ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow'r
When Thou art nigh.

v 3:
I need Thee ev-ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

v 4:
I need Thee ev-ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
Thy promises so rich
In me fulfill.

v 5:
I need Thee ev-ry hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son. 

Chorus:
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Ev-ry hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After reading today's devotional, so many questions came to my mind today. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who do I need? 

Is it You Lord as some have indicated so to me? 

Why? 

What can You do? 

Why do I believe I can do just fine on my own? 

Why do I come to church and say I need to return, yet I have not returned? 

Who am I kidding? 

Do I think God doesn't see my twisted thinking? 

Do I believe God doesn't really know me? 

Why do I refuse instruction? 

Why don't I come regularly to worship ore Sunday School/Bible Study? 

Why do I always find an excuse? 

Why don't I want to watch Christian movies? 

Why isn't my strength enough? 

Why must I spent time with my spouse and my children? 

Why isn't my own time more important? 

What is wrong with coming to church only when I feel like it? 

Why am I angry with my spouse? 

Where is my happiness? 

Where is my joy? 

Where is my love for You and for those around me? 

Why when I was a child Jesus was most important to me, but now that I am older, He is not? 

Why do I not open up with those closest to me, to those who care for my well-being? 

Why do I believe this is who and what and how I am and I cannot change? 

Why do I not ask for help from The One who can truly help me? 

Do I not like the answers He may give? 

Why doesn't my spouse understand my needs? 

Why do I believe my needs, my wants, my desires are all more important that those of my spouse or my children or any other person? 

Why do I act disinterested in doing things as a family? 

Why am I unhappy? 

Why do I think different scenery would be better? 

Why do I not pray for forgiveness? 

Why do I not ask for guidance? 

Why do I not follow through? 

Why do I not teach my children how to pray? 

Why do I not teach my children about God? 

Why am I not calm? 

Why can't I have fun with my family without getting frustrated? 

Why is there no laughter? 

Why is my child angry? 

Why does my child yell? 

Why does my child use words not beneficial?

Is this my fault?

Why should I read the Bible? 

Why should I pray? 

Why should I be thankful? 

What should I be thankful for? 

Do I not care about God's will? 

Do I not care about God? 

Why do I need a relationship with Jesus? 

I accepted His gift of salvation. I don't need anything else, do I? 

Questions asked ... Feb. 14 - 17

FEBRUARY 14

What adventure awaits today? 

Every day can be an adventure. If we leave the day in God's capable hands instead of my own, which can jumble things up rather badly, it will be a joyous walk along the way. It may not be necessarily happy, but joy is not a component of happiness. Joy comes from the Lord. Happiness from our circumstances. 

How boldly will I walk? 

Will I remember the Lord, who is with me always, all along the path? 

Will I stumble and fail to return to the Lord's side, seeking His mercy and forgiveness? 

Why do I react more boldly than I ponder and then respond? 

Why do I become so distraught over comments made, believing they are made maliciously? 

Why do I struggle to forgive another? 

Do I feel I have not been forgiven? 

Abundant living is living on the positive side of life -- that no matter what may come, the Lord Jesus remains with me. I do not have to fall into traps of fear and worry, disheartened, dissatisfied, dismayed, disillusioned. God will lift me up, higher than the highest mountain. 

Trust. 
Help me Lord to trust You throughout my day, to face problems that come instead of anticipating and dreading them. 

Why have I forgotten the reminder? 

"... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." ~ Hebrews 12:2-3

" For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.' " ~ Isaiah 41:13

FEBRUARY 16

How can my limitations, my weaknesses be liberating?

How does it strengthen me? 

"Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord." ~ Zechariah 2:13a 

"In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." ~ Isaiah 30:13 

FEBRUARY 17 - Worship

Who do I worship? 

Is it the Living God who reigns above the heavens and in my heart? 

Is it some other deity I've devised for myself? 

Do I believe a relationship with the Lord Jesus is paramount or do other things take precedence? 

Do I fear change? 

Do I want things the way they are even if they are not the best for me? 

What specifically does it mean - "old things passing away?"

What is the old?

Could it be relatively recent and still be old? Or is it more my distant past? 

Am I resisting the Lord's work within me? 

Am I clinging to old ways and sameness? 

What are the old ways I cling to? 

Where do I go for my security? 

Is it focused on the Almighty God or is it my paycheck or my spouse or my physical or emotional well-being? 

Questions asked ... of God, of us - Feb. 13

FEBRUARY 13 ~ Peace

The Lord's Presence gives us peace, yet when our focus on Him is absent, our peace diminishes. 

Why do I allow that to happen? 

Why do I allow comments made by another or my own thoughts bring me down? 

Why do I react instead of just letting the moment go by? 

Why do I let perceived thinking become my reality? 

How can i sit quietly one minute and burst out with frustrated irritation the next? 

How can the Lord forgive me over and over for my every mistake? 

The peace of God is so fine a treasure. Always with me. Yet, sometimes, it seems we bury it, fail to utilize it. 

What good is this treasure if I don't give my all to the giver? 

"Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." ~John 14:27

Questions asked ... of God, of us - Feb. 11

FEBRUARY 11

Do I feel the light of His Presence upon me? 

Do I see opportunities in the darkness? 

Are the opportunities to show others the way of Jesus only available when it is light? 

Am I afraid? 

Do I remain focused on the Lord in sunny days and dull, dark days? 

Would I rather stay in bed on days that look like evening stayed overnight? 

Am I at peace no matter what is going on about me? 

Do I get caught up in the difficulties of others? 

Do I forget that prayer is the key to the answers I seek from my heavenly Father? 

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." ~ John 1:4-5

Questions asked ... of God, of us -- Feb. 10

FEBRUARY 10

Do I spend ample time with the Lord each morning? 

How much is enough time? 

Do I feel refreshed about the amount of time I spend with the Lord - in prayer, Bible study, meditation and even jouraling? 

Do I feel quilty when I feel the tug of the Lord on my heart but fail to respond? 

Do I care about what is pleasing to the Lord or only to me? 

Do I really accomplish more in less time after my time with the Lord? 

How come I sometimes feel I haven't accomplished as much as I'd like? 

Is it perhaps possible some item was unnecessary?

Is it perhaps possible what was on my plate to do was more than enough and with the Lord's help, it would be accomplished? 

Do I look at what I have to do or think I need to get done from His perspective insted of my own? 

Do I pray His will, not my own? 

Do I think I always need to be on the go, whether I accomplish anything or not? 

Do I do meaningless tasks?

What does God consider meaningless? 

God says if I stay in continual communication with Him, I will avoid meaningless works.

When Jesus was at the home of Mary and Martha, Martha was busy serving and Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening and learning. Martha says to Jesus in Luke 10:40b, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."  
Jesus' response in verse 41: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." 

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." ~ Psalm 32:8

Questions asked... of God, of us -- Feb. 7-9

FEBRUARY 7

Am I rested? 

Am I refreshed? 

Am I exhausted, even after a night of sleep? 

Am I excited for the opportunities ahead? 

Do I look for ways to share the Lord's blessings to others? 

Am I attentive to God? 

Am I constantly aware of Him?

Do I stay connected to God?

Have I given up? 

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God. For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." ~Psalm 42:11


FEBRUARY 8 

Jesus says He is above all things. Do I believe that He is? 

Do I think I am on top of everything ... Do I think if I work harder, sleep longer, everything will turn out alright? 

Am I fooling myself?

Do I not believe what the Bible says? 

Do I even know what the Bible says or do I only know what it doesn't say?
Where do I go when problems overwhelm me? 

Do I sit and watch TV or play games?

Why do I not have time to get my Bible out and open its pages and read and study God's words of wisdom? 

Why do I choose the darkness of misery over the Light of the Lord's presence? 

Why am I discouraged? 

Why don't I call to the one highest, the one above all, for help?

Am I afraid?
Why am I afraid?

Where is my faith? 

Why is my fear of what may happen stronger than my belief or my desire to believe God will take care of me? 

When Jesus is walking on the water, Peter says to him from the boat, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. So He said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus, but when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he could not, saying, Lord, save me! And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" ~ Matthew 14:28-31 

FEBRUARY 9

Why is my life so hard? 

Why can't it be more user-friendly? 

Treasure hunts can be fun. I remember as a teenager and part of a church youth group, we would go place to place asking for various things until we received the treasure we were looking for. It seems we don't do that much as adults, but couldn't we?

The Lord Jesus is my treasure -- is He yours too? 

The first step can be easy or extremely difficult.

His Presence is all around, yet do I sense it ... in the flowers that bloom, the winds that blow, the sun that rises and sets? He is everywhere, even in my heart -- is He in yours too? 

His Presence glistens like the eary morning dew on the ground and shimmers like a snake winding its way through the tall grass. 

His Presence beckons to me to come into His holiness and journey with Him through prayer and Bible study and meditation, my path being led by His guiding light.

When I follow His light, being obedient and seeking His Presence every day for every moment, every circumstance, I will find His long-awaited Peace. 

So do I follow His light?

Am I being obedient?

Do I seek Him all the day. 

Am I at peace?

Do I trust Him? 

Do I believe He will lead me along the paths of truth and righteousness? 

Do I stumble and fall, struggling to get myself up? 

Is He my strength, my refuge, my comforter, my friend? 

"Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Haver mercy also upon me, and answer me." ~ Psalm 27: 7

"Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path." ~ Psalm 27:13

"I will trust and not be afraid." ~Isaiah 12:2 

Questions asked ... of God, of us -- Feb. 6

FEBRUARY 6 

Did I get a restful sleep? 

Am I still tired? 

Before I got out of bed, did I thank the Lord for His many blessings? 

Do I thank Him forbeing with me the day before, the current day? 

Do I see how things go before I decide to thank the Lord for anything? 

Do I just move -- go, without thought as to whether it is right, whether God is in my midst? 

What do I learn during the tough times? 

Have I grown -- matured -- or have I fallen down, away? 

Do I see the gifts God gives to me? 

Am I aware of His Presence? 

Does His light shine upon me? 

Do I have fullness of life -- His Life living in me? 

Am I joyful, at peace? 

Have I turned away from Him to other things? 

Has the glow disappeared? 

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." ~ Matthew 11:28-29

"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." ~ I Timothy 2:8

Questions asked ... of God, of us -- Jan. 23 - 25

JANUARY 23

Have I accomplished anything worthwhile? 

Is the Lord unhappy with me? 

Where is my contentment? 

Why have I allowed circumstance to make me feel worthless? 

Where is my quiet and gentle spirit?  

Why do I feel I have fallen away? 

Where is my closeness to Jesus? 

What blessings can I give to another? 

If blessings are dependant upon our closeness to the Lord, its no wonder so many blessings are absent. 

If His strength and His power are mostly readily seen in my weakness, goodness should prevail. 

He says He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Why do I feel all is gone? 

Circumstances, activities of others bring me down. But God is still in control. God is still master of the universe. 

"Be strong and of good courage,do not fear nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

"Let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." ~ I Peter 3:4

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." ~ II Corinthians 12:9 

JANUARY 24

What treasure do I seek? 

What map do I follow to find the chest of hidden treasure? 

What do I hope to find? 

Do I follow the path of doing things my way, in my time, working toward a life of riches and luxury? 

Do I follow the path Jesus walked, going where He leads,being at peace no matter what the circumstances because I am close to Him all the time? 

Am  I willing to lose what God has given me to get what the world offers? 

Why do I act like I have it all together? 

Do I really believe I do? 

Have I found the treasure?

Is it under my nose? 

Do I fail to see it? 

Is my treasure peace in God or tribulation in the world? 

"... in Me you may have peace.In the world you will have tribulation." ~John 16:33

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ,and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fraqrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." ~ II Corinthians 2:14-15

JANUARY 25

Do I  give God enough of my time? 

Who determines how much enough is? 

Do I come to Himfirst thing in the morning or does the Lord only get leftovers? 

Do I ever find time, make time? 

Where is my focus?  Is it on me, my perceptions of circumstances and events around me, my desires, my needs, my wants, my job, my friends and family? Me My Mine! 

Or is it on The Lord , His Way, His Truth, His Life?

Who do I follow?

Who do I obey? 

Who do I trust? 

Do I resist His leadership? 

Do I ry to help Him along? 

Or do I let Him set the pace? 

Do I think I can do everything better? 

How is my life filled --faith filled or failure filled? 

Have I learned anything from my time with Christ? 

AmI eager to returnto His side again? 

Do I hear Him throughout the day? 

Do I thank Him?

Do I hold His hand -- not literally, but in my mind? 

Are my steps light in childlike trust, as my day unfolds with Jesus guiding my way? 

"... Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." ~Hebrews 13:15 

Questions asked ... of God, of us -- Feb. 5

FEBRUARY 5

Who or what do I grasp for when things go srewy? 

Do I reach out for my spouse or a friend? 

Do I go to God in prayer or search the Scriptures? 

Why do I wake up in the morning with thoughts of what could go wrong? 

Why do I think about why this isn't that or that isn't something else? 

Why do I watch a movie and remember former times with my loved one and wish it were still so? 

Where has romance gone? 

We can help another, but who is there to help us? 

Where is our encouragement ... where is mine? 

A memory is good, but why can't the memory be current? 

Where is the excitement? 

What hoies will I make this day? 

Who will I trust? 

Who can I trust? 

There is always one. If not your spouse, then your Father in heaven -- God. Jesus. 

Do I trust the Lord? 

Do I believe He will do what is best for me, for us, for all time? 

If the hand I want to hold is not available, can I say - Lord, will You take my hand and walk with me, and guide me? 

If the answers I want to know are not forthcoming, can I not be angry and ask the Lord to provide me with the answers I seek? 

If the choices I have made in the past haunt me and remind others of my mistakes, will You Lord still love me?  Will You be with me even then? 

If my loved one's face I no longer see, can I still see Yours Lord? 

Lord, make today go however is Your will, Your desire. It if be Lord, bring the closeness back between us. 

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." 
~ Romans 8:6 

 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear." ~ Psalm 46:1-2a

Seek My Face
Find My Presence
Know My Peace

Be open with Me
Trust Me
Be Still and Know.

Do I seek the Lord?

Do I open my heart to Him?

Do I trust Him?

Am I surrounded by His Presence?

Do I have the Peace He promises? 

Questions asked ... of God, of us -- Feb. 4

FEBRUARY 4

"Bring Me your weakness, and receive My Peace."

My weakness. 
His Peace. 

Am I weak today? 

Am I emotionally weak ... emotionally weak ... physically weak ... mentally weak ... spiritually weak? 

Am I not strong? 

How do I accept myself?

How do I / how can I accept my circumstances? 

"The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace." ~ Psalm 29:11 

"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." 
~Numbers 6:24-26

a promise. a blessing.  

We all are weak. Sometimes we don't realize it; we think we have it together all the time. 

When I am filled / we are filled with rage, we proclaiming strength of will, but our strength does not come from God, and without His Power we are as weak as a newborn babe.

We need others, but more than any other, we need the Lord Jesus, who will accomplish in us all He desires and all that will bring us what we need and where we need.

Am I weak?  Yes! 

Am I thankful for all the Lord does throughout the day? 

Do I trust His guiding light? 

When a computer program causes problems and I am frustrated, am I showing my weakness?  Yes. 

How do I gain or regain strength? 

How do I get out from under a pile of mess? 

Apologize -- to the Lord, to another. Even if you see nothing you did wrong, your strength has caused another to be weak, and that weakness does not bring peace. 

Think about what you plan on saying before it is said.

How can I be more aware of the Lord's Presence within me? 

"But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your Salvation." ~ Psalm 13:5

Focus. Remember. Study. Worship. Praise. Pray. Meditate. 

FOCUS

Focus On Christ (the) Understanding Shepherd

Questions asked ... of God, of us -- Jan. 19 - 22

JANUARY 19 

Where do / where did your thoughts take you today? 

Did you wake early and ponder all you had to do?

Did you take a moment to consider God and what He might have planned for you? 

Did you think about the headache and/or other ailments that take your focus off Jesus and onto yourself? 

Who / what is more important? 

Is it I? 

Is it all about me, about what I feel like doing or not doing? 

God created the clouds. Do I ever look up and think about them? 

Do I see God there? 

Do I see God wherever I am? 

I know He is with me. It says so in the Bible, but do I see Him? 

Do I feel His loving embrace? 

Am I aware of His discipline? 

Do I hear Him speak to me? -- through His word,through His Spirit?

Do I see Jesus in the rain that falls? 

"The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts, and minds through Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:7 

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." ~ Jeremiah 29:13

JANUARY 20

Who is boss today? 

Are you or is there a higher authority in your life? 

Are you aware of who the boss is? 

When are you aware of God -- only when circumstances are tough going? 

The Lord says to us in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." 

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you -- thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." ~Jeremiah 29:11

JANUARY 21

"I want you to be all mine" is the beginning line in today's devotional. Reminds me of phrases in Valentine's Day cards passed out to others -- "Will you be mine?" 

Jesus asks the same things of me.

Have I accepted His gift of salvation?

Have I given my all to Him or do I give Him myself, my life bit by bit?

I’m more in the latter category. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, at that time I said I was giving my all, but I was wrong. I didn’t do it all at once. I wasn’t willing. I thought I could do things myself. I thought I could take care of the little things and let God handle the big ones. It took me years before I realized I needed God to handle everything. He deserves my praise and thanksgiving. He deserves my attention. Without Him I was defeated. Defeated by anything and anyone. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross. Jesus is my Savior. Therefore, I did not need to be defeated. I too could defeat the pull of the darkness, of evil, through the Power of Christ living in me.

It is a miracle to have Jesus walking with you.

I began traveling the relationship road with Jesus when I accepted the free gift of salvation offered me. The gift had been offered for years, but it was not until a summer August day in 1982 that I received the gift and became His child. And it wasn’t until the early 2000s, when Jim and I embarked upon the “Forty Days of Purpose” at Immanuel, that I saw more of His Light and more of His Purpose for my life.

In 2006, I began writing devotional poetry. In 2008, I began a stone study. In 2012, I published a book of poetry. In 2014, the Lord instructed me to write a book, based on the stone study.

Up and down, in health and not, having money and not, the Lord Jesus stayed nearby.
I am glad for that day in 1982. I am gladder still He has not and does not forsake me. He continues to show me The Way, The Truth, The Life – that is His, and mine to follow.

Who do I depend on?

Where is my security – is it in my job?

Where is my strength?

Do I believe my strength comes from myself – my muscles, my brain power, do I ask the Lord for His strength to accomplish things I otherwise could not?

Do I trust in His power – do I believe He will do all He says and then personally take that step of faith, or do I trust only in myself, believe only what I think?

Deuteronomy 33:27 says,
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, Destroy!”

Romans 8:35, 37-39 says, 
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

JANUARY 22

Do I trust Jesus more each day? 

When I am anxious about anything do I look to the Lord to help me through it? 

Do I run from challenges or do I see them as an opportunity to grow closer to God? 

Do I find excuses not to do something because I prefer to do things my way in my time? 

Do I give up on relationships because it's too much work to keep going? 

Do I stop praying because I see no answers? 

Do I stop believing in love? 

Do I stop loving another because I'm tired of always giving to the relationship and receiving nothing? 

Do I think I am better than you? 

Have I forgotten my life was not created to please me? 

Do I trust Jesus step by step? 

Do I look forward to the challenge of the day or am I fearful of what may lie ahead? 

Do I regret choices made and remind myself of them all the time? 

Do I think I can have better, I can do better, with someone else, in another place? 

Do I lean on Jesus for every trial and circumstance that comes my way? 

Do I search for Him all the time? 

Am I thankful for His blessings, many of which I have yet to see?

"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil." ~ Proverbs 3:5-7