Day 245 – In the face of evil keep on walking with God.

Today’s Reading: Hosea 10 – 12

Hosea 11:12 “Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One.”

All I can say is, the choice you make will be difficult, but the consequence of the decision to walk with God will be worth it. When you find yourself surrounded by evil and attacked on every side, your physical body will become weak, your mental state exhausted and quite possibly your overall presence will be defeated. But if you can keep your eyes focused on God, continuing to seek the light within the darkness and walking along the paths of righteousness, you will be surrounded by His Presence and find yourself at Peace in the present danger.

God is always with us, but we aren’t always with Him. It takes intentionality to realize we are walking alongside Him and fully protected by Him daily.

For instance, have you ever been so intrenched by what’s going on around you that you didn’t even realize who was around you? And then as you come to and shake off the day dream you realize there was a ton of people around you that you know! When evil and darkness are surrounding us it feels the same way. We are in such fear that we feel all alone, but if we would just shake off the evil and look towards the light we will realize we are walking with God. The longer we recognize who we are walking with, the why of the walk will be visible as continued faithfulness on the path of Peace.

Day 244 – Watch where you’re going.

Today’s Reading: Hosea 7 – 9

Hosea 7:16 “They return, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.”

You’ve taken this road before, many times actually, but for some reason it’s not leading you to the same place. When you left where you were there were 2 roads, the quicker one with the tiny bumps along the way to try and slow you down and the longer one that will take some extra time but will lead you home. You were in a hurry and knew the little bumps weren’t that bad so you decided to take the quick path. However, you get going on the path and halt! There is something in the way. This hadn’t been there before. You can’t make it around, you should’ve taken the longer more safe road, but you wanted it to be quick. There is no way to get home from here unless you turn around and go the other way.

God knows we have this challenge before us on a daily basis. There are always at least 2 roads, but only one-way will get us home. Yet we still leave the place we’ve wandered to and decide the shorter route looked easiest. No matter how short or easy, the Lord has already told us there is only one way to the Father, and that is through His Son. We can only get to God through Jesus but for some reason we try other routes. The other ways will only lead us to a dead end. If you are tired of wandering this earth, lost and out of control, go back to the road less traveled, follow Jesus, and He will lead you Home.

Day 243 – God desires our hearts.

Today’s Reading: Hosea 4 – 6

Hosea 6:6 “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

God doesn’t care what we can do for Him or what we can give Him, all He cares about is our complete and total heart.

God desires our heart and to be able to deliver this to Him we must first love Him with all of it. By loving The Lord we will love others, we will be willing to give up all for Him, we will do the unnecessary to prove the necessary…our steadfast love.

6 years ago, Brett and I adopted a sweet puppy, Toodles, into our home. Well, that sweet puppy has become a massive sweet dog. We feed her, bathe her, walk her, give her treats, and let her have rule over most of the house. She gets every thing she needs but still not always what she desires because the one thing Toodles desires over everything else is our love. Hugs, rubbing, petting, and attention are all her favorite parts of the day. Our sweet puppy would rather Brett or I give her a big hug than eat her food, she just wants to be loved. Like dogs and humans, we are all created in the same way, we are made from His love in His likeness.

Once you take off all of our layers of need and greed, you will see we love most. We tend to think we must do, give, say certain things, but in all actuality all we need to do is love and then we will receive love in return. That’s when the Lord will receive all of our heart.

Day 242 – No matter how far we stray, when we return, we are accepted with open arms and steadfast love.

Today’s Reading: Hosea 1 – 3

Hosea 2:19, 23, and 3:4-5 “For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”

Many stray, not all, but many. I wish I could fall into the “not all” group but the world had my attention for a little to long. I tried to do good but I lost my focus, and I strayed in my younger age. God allowed me to experience the consequences of my sins, but then He pursued me. He had plans for me, He loved me and He wanted me back.

God pursues all those who stray from Him because He loves us with an unconditional and steadfast love. He wants to have mercy on us because we are His. No matter how far we go, in the end He still wants us back. We can wander to and fro, and He will still call to us and long for our return. So if you’ve strayed, if you think there’s no turning back from where you’ve gone, you are wrong. Turn around, make a u-turn, go back to the Lord no matter where you went. Seek your shepherd, like lost sheep in the wilderness, and He will bring you Home.

Day 241 – Shine like the brightness of the “Son” to the very end of the days!

Today’s Reading: Daniel 8 – 12

Daniel 12:3 “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

You have the opportunity to Shine.

Not just like a well polished floor or a well waxed car, but like the Sun or The Son above, that reflects light to the entire world.

Daniel shined light throughout His entire journey on earth. He stuck to His beliefs, he kept his faith through the trials, and he lead wayward kings and queens to belief in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And We can do this too.

The more we pour scripture and Biblical Truth into our minds the more the Holy Spirit will transform us into a new creation and Christ’s likeness. As we pray to Our Father in Heaven, in full faith of His Will being done, God is transforming our prayers into rays of light for the Truth to be seen. Then as we go about our days into the darkness of this world, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit, molded by the hand of God, reflecting His One and Only Son. We will be shining brightly, full of wisdom to all who we come in contact with.

We can’t afford to become dull, we must always seek to become brighter because as this earth gets closer to the end of days the darkness will become darker and we may be the only light of Christ that some people will ever see. So Shine Bright like the Sun and for the Son so His Light will fill the world.

Day 240 – Be the Few!

Today’s Reading: Daniel 3 – 7

Daniel 3:6, 12 “Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

We are all going to come against opposition at some point in our life, especially if we are following Christ. Satan and his evil minions are the ones coming against us, not people, that’s why it is so extremely important to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and our heart fully trusting in His Sovereignty.

More often than not it is easier to deny our beliefs and move forward with the views of this world than stay determined to do exactly as God would want. However, the world is watching our every move, Christians are watching as well, everyone is watching to see how we react and what we do. Due to the watching it is even more important to claim your Faith in the Lord when you are thrown into the fire.

Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

It is by your Faith that you will make it into the fire and out of the fire without any sign of being in the fire at all. There will be no scent of smoke, no burnt skin, no sizzled hair, only the essence and Presence of the Lord will be with you. So, be the Few. Trust fully in the Lord and Fully experience the Joy of the Lord.

Day 239 – You were created with a special purpose in mind.

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 48 – Daniel 2

Daniel 1:17, 19 “To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.”

Daniel and his BFF’s were still super young when God physically and mentally began preparing them for their purpose in life. They focused on what God wanted and He in turn continued to fill them with every piece of Wisdom, Dreams, and Knowledge. Along the way others would be brought into their path to try and trip them up, discourage them, and even humiliate them, but they stayed focused on the plan and never veered from the way. When they went up before the King there was no one that could compare with them because they were perfectly made for that specific time.

Daniel 2:21 “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”

You too are created perfectly and specifically for a purpose. And this uniqueness is a gift that will eventually be used to Glorify the Lord. So what qualities did God gift you with? How is He wanting you to use them? You have been claimed and you have been called.

Day 238 – There is a river that flows straight from Love that will give Life to all it touches.

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 45 – 47

Ezekiel 47:12 “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

We have direct access to the river of life.

Did you know that your cup can be overflowing with the Grace of God because you are connected to this river? You can continually be fed by this river and grow fruitful by just touching it, just letting it brush your side?

Do you know where to find it? Do you know how to access its power? Just plant yourself in the fertile ground that touches the river bank, even if it’s just the edge, and that water will continue to flow to you and feed your roots exactly what you need.

This river originates in Heaven, directly below God, but it also has the ability to run through you now. You don’t have to wait, the river and water is open to you now. But only through the blood of Jesus Christ. Once in you it will continue to consume you where you don’t even have to reach for it, it flows to you. You will never grow weak or weary again. Let His love and life be guided by your word.

Day 237 – Come to the altar to pray.

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 42 – 44

Ezekiel 43:2-3 “and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.”

Why do you think those that would see the glory of the Lord in the Old Testament fell to their face?

I believe the glory was to much for them that they immediately humbled themselves before Him.

Why do you think they would come to the altar to pray?

I believe they would picture God sitting right there so they bowed before Him in the East at the altar where He said he’d be.

Many times in the Word of God this way of praying is shown. It’s not mandated, no one is forcing them, but as I pray, I think on these examples and I turn to the east, get down on my knees, close my eyes, and picture God sitting on a thrown right in front of me. I want the Lord to know I come humbly, completely surrendered to His will.

How do you pray? Do you struggle concentrating on the Lord? Try going before Him in the East, face down to His Glory and before His throne. And if you don’t know what to say, just lay with your face to the ground and let your soul speak to God.

Day 236 – What is God trying to show you?

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 39 – 41

Ezekiel 40:4 “The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.”

God is always trying to reveal something to us by the things He’s placed around us. Yet, often we are unable to see what exactly it is. It’s not that we are blind or that it’s too hard to grasp, but most often it’s because we aren’t able to focus in due to the distractions around us. We get lost in the fog of the mundane, the darkness of evil, and the heaviness of grief in the world causing the clarity of His Glory to be hidden from our sight.

For us to see all God has for us we must lean in close to Him, push off every hindrance, anything that doesn’t matter, and keep our eyes directly on what is right in front of our noses….After a long day of waking, reading, feeding, running, working, cooking, driving, cleaning, and laundry, my mind would like to turn into a big pile of MUSH, but I’ve found if I start my day with God and seek Him as I shut my eyes, clarity comes from a yearning to know Him more. So what is God trying to show you? He wants you to see this world we live in through His Eyes, unshaded, unhindered, absolutely clear, and filled with love.