Communion with God

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” II Chronicles 7:13-15 (NIV)

 

Communing requires us to focus on God, to talk with him, often with concentrated effort, creating a bond, sharing our heart and mind with Him.  How is this done?  In prayer! Prayer is the way we communicate with God who created us and saved us because he desires to be in a relationship with us.

 

Scripture tells us that without prayer we are deprived of communion with God and that can be compared to a dry and barren tree, which is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt. 7:19) 

 

When we commune with God it allows us to develop a relationship that is like a relationship with anyone else in our life.  It cultivates fellowship, love, and trust between one another.  Communing with God positions our hearts to commune with man, He said in his word that we can’t love Him and hate our brothers. We have to take the time for both.

 

PRAYER:  Father God, early we seek you because when we do it positions us to connect with you on a personal level, not basing our relationship on what others have told us about you.  When we commune with you we learn to commune well with others.  This is an important aspect of our life here on earth.  Thank you for desiring us to be in a relationship with you and your creation.  In Jesus’ name, we pray!  Amen!!

Benefits of Freedom

  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

II Corinthians 3:17

What Does It Mean to Be Free? Freedom looks different for everyone, it may come down to your own beliefs in life, or your focus to achieve those beliefs.   Some believe their freedom means:
  • Being themselves – continuing to challenge themself, growing as a person, loving the person that they are becoming, and following their beliefs.
 
  • Being able to wake up every morning and loving the body that they are in
 
  • Helping others to live their best life, by first helping them to accept their struggles.
  In Galatians 5:13-26, Paul talked about true freedom. It’s not about living any way you want to but living within Christ’s laws and enjoying the benefits of doing so. When we repent of our sin and receive Jesus as our Savior, the benefits that come along with that is:  
  • We are given eternal life
 
  • We have fellowship with God
 
  • We are set free to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh.
  To wrap it all up, Freedom isn’t just doing whatever you want, it is doing what you were made to do! Freedom in Christ, which is a great benefit, does not free us from rules.  No matter how large or small, we are called to obey the laws of the land and those of Christ. We shouldn’t call it legalism; we should call it obedience!   Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!   PRAYER:  Dear Lord, I accept the truth through grace that our freedom cannot be earned but comes through You.  No matter what others think about freedom, I understand that true freedom happens when we believe we are who you say we are, rejecting the lie that the enemy has spoken to us and over us.  I’m thankful for freedom, and the benefits that come along with it. I claim that freedom in the name of Jesus!  Amen!

The God Who Heals

JEHOVAH ROPHE – THE GOD WHO HEALS

“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.'”

Exodus 15:26 NIV

 

Another name of God is Jehovah Rophe or Rapha, meaning “the God Who Heals,” The Hebrew word “rapha” translates to “to completely make whole, to thoroughly mend and repair.”

We’ve all needed healing at different times in our lives, whether it was physical, emotional, moral, or relational healing.  It didn’t always come easy when we tried to do it on our own.  The good news is God has been and still is here to help us; the Old Testament tells of many instances of God’s provision for healing and complete restoration.

  • Abraham prayed for Abimelech, his wife, and maids, and they were “healed” – Genesis 20:17
  • The psalmists prayed in their trouble and the Lord “healed them” – Psalms 107:20
  • My words bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body – Proverbs 4:22

New Testament also portrays the healing of Jesus

  • Jesus heals a Centurion’s Servant – Matthew 8:5-13
  • Peter’s Mother-in-law was healed– Matthew 8:14-17
  • The Woman with the issue of Blood was healed– Matthew 9:20-22

Jehovah God is the Great Physician; all creation relies on Him for existence. He has no need for anything from us to do what he does. His healing power at work leads us to discover that we are because He is.

 

PRAYER:

Dear Jehovah God, we pray that you will comfort us in our time of suffering, guide the hands of those who help us in our physical healing, and bless the means used for our cure. Give us confidence in the power of Your grace, that even when we are afraid, we trust You fully for healing in our body and in our mind.  It’s through Your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!

Read The Manual

How many of us actually read manuals? We buy products, appliances, and even modes of transportation and fail to read the manuals that accompany them. At least I do. Then when something goes wrong I struggle trying to figure it out.

Our two-year-old refrigerator has been acting up. Just past the warranty of course. The ice maker stopped making ice. Living in the middle of the desert no ice is a problem. I tried to figure out the problem for days then discovered that it had frozen up. I only had two options right? Unplug it and let it defrost, ruining all the other items in the refrigerator, or I could squirt hot water in there and try to defrost it that way. Which did I choose? Squirting hot water, EVERYWHERE.

It worked, or so I thought, we had ice for about a week and then the same thing happened. We gave up, no ice for us. It was cold out anyway so who needed it. Well, it warmed up and we found ourselves in need of a cold glass of ice water. Back to squirting hot water. Then it dawned on me. There must be something on YouTube, my electronic all-purpose manual, that could help. Sure enough, I found it.

Step-by-step instructions on how to defrost a modern-day ice maker. Hold two buttons on the front panel door for 8 seconds. Select mode for defrosting ice maker and within 5 minutes we had ice.

Isn’t that our walk with God sometimes. We find ourselves in difficult situations that seem impossible to figure out. We try fixing them on our own only to have a complete mess on our hands. When we become completely frustrated we turn to God for help. Only to discover the solution was as simple as holding down two buttons for 8 seconds.  The word of God is the manual to help us walk out our journey with God. The solution that we need to fix whatever we face is in there.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. Psalm 1:2 NLT

Don’t wait until things are broken to open the Bible. There are so many blessings that we have yet to discover. So much wisdom to guide us but we will never know unless we open up the front panel door.

The Light Shines in the Darkness

We may have all experienced one or two dreadful thunderstorms during our lifetime. This can cause power to go out leaving us in total darkness.  It is then that we find ourselves at the mercy of not just the thunderstorms, but the darkness which also creates the potential of us hurting ourselves.

Terrible and all kinds of hurtful things occur when the power is out, such as stepping on those lego pieces not put away, stubbing a toe, hitting ourselves against the drawer that was left open when we grabbed the flashlight, or stepping on our dog or cat; the list goes on and on as to how much harm we may be subjected to when the power is out. Have you ever experienced this? Total darkness, soul darkness.

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shinning ever brighter till the full light of day.  But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, they do not know what makes them stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19 (NIV)

Imagine how relieved we feel when the power comes back on. Now we see clearly, that which we couldn’t see in the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:5 (NIV)

Just as the thunderstorm that caused the power to go out and create all kind of chaos, Satan works the same way.  Trying to blind our mind, spirit, and soul with all that is evil. We begin to doubt, hurt others, be unforgiving to others and ourselves; the list goes on.  All these things take place when we don’t activate the light in our lives, that is Jesus.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

If we are so relieved when the power comes back on, how much more joy should we feel and experience when we invite Jesus to be the light in our lives. For it is then that we can plainly see who satan really is, “the big deceiver”.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12 (NIV)

Directionally Challenged

In life we do things or make decisions hastily. When we don’t take the time to review or research the decision we are going to make, it does not always turn out in our favor.  We used to tell our kid, when they wanted to buy something, to wait and save for one month.  At the end of this time, if you still want it, then buy it.  This worked very well.  Nine out of ten times they no longer wanted it.

It’s the impulse choices that normally gets us in trouble.  When you refresh your thoughts, clear out your mind, clarity will begin to set in.  This is what we need to do with the Lord. Go in with clarity of mind and ask for what we need.  We need to remember about the wait time, just as the kids did. Making spur of the moment decisions, choices on our own, with no spiritual guidance can be detrimental to our well being.  Have patience, refresh, reset, pray and wait.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

The Present

We have all received a gift or two throughout our lives. Right? Gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and worth. Whatever the gift, we don’t know the sacrifices that a person had to go through just to give that gift.  Every gift requires a sacrifice of some degree.  All we know is that they gave us gifts because they love us and they care for us. Love should be the motivation for every gift. Love cost. Giving gifts is an act of selflessness. Every gift has cost the giver something.

What we do with the present and how we go about appreciating the gift shows others how appreciative we are. So, next time you receive a present don’t put it in the corner and only take it out when the giver comes over. But if we are being honest, there are some gifts that we re-gift because we for whatever reason don’t like or appreciate the gift. Just maybe we could also sacrifice and use the gift as it was intended to be used. Enjoying the gift received and the joy it brings you and the giver.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

In the same respect, what are you doing with the gift of Jesus Christ? God gave the precious gift to you that brought so many benefits. This gift brought us salvation and the gift of the Spirit. We shouldn’t just leave the gift on the shelf as if it is to only be admired but never appreciated and experienced as it should. John 3 tells us that God gave us this gift not for judgment but for a gift that would be eternal. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, forever. We can never fully exhaust the gift but we can enjoy the fullness of its benefits on a daily basis. Demonstrating the appreciation of the gift and the giver.

Photo by Tetiana Shadrina on Unsplash

 

Situational Awareness

Situational Awareness. Just about all of us have situational awareness. We may have never knew that terminology or coined phrase before.

Examples of situational awareness: “Before you cross the road, look both ways.” Thus you have a highlighted awareness for the situation you are about to step into. “You better be home before the street lights or this porch light is on.” With this your awareness is heightened, because you know that whatever situation you are in, your going to walk away from it to get home before those lights come on.

This situational awareness applies directly to your relationship with God. Think about that, situational awareness can be thought of as physical or the flesh.  Awareness as spiritual, faith, Holy Spirit, you get the picture. How is my relationship with Jesus? Am I aware of what I am doing?

God tells us through Scripture that free will is never to be messed with, I’m paraphrasing of course. The point is whatever you are doing, pull back and think of your personal situation awareness with God and ask yourself. Is this the right thing to do? Does this honor Him, or is this my flesh? Keep a close eye on your situational awareness at all times and don’t let your guard down because the enemy is watching and waiting in the shadows!

 

Leap of Faith!

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I set you apart— I appointed you prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:5 TLV

fear not for I AM with you

Stepping into the unknown shouldn’t bind us to the fears from the new adventures and opportunities God has for our lives. For the unknown is unknown to us, but known to Him, who knew us before we were born.

He holds the keys to our everlasting life. For it is not about figuring life out but putting our trust and faith in Him whom we put our hope in, that is…

Jesus Christ!!