Day 195 – Being a good person doesn’t save you, but being Saved will transform you into a good person.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 16 – 18

Isaiah 17:10-11 “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain.”

Growing up it was so hard to tell if someone was a Christian. If they were nice and worked hard, I would’ve said yes, but the more I grew in my Faith the more I realized I was wrong.

My husband likes to call me naive, but I like to think Of myself as someone who is always looking for the good in everyone. However, there’s only one way to be Saved, and that is by believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He was crucified for our sins and on the 3rd Day He rose again to give us Eternal Life, and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior.

Once you believe this, Christ places the Holy Spirit in your Soul and He begins to work in you by transformation and the renewal of your mind.

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

When you are truly saved the Good will come. You will walk through Fire and not be burnt, you will live through the fiercest storms and not be scratched, the waters may rise but you will never be drowned. When you are saved your deepest trials will be filled with peace. And I’ve lived through many, I promise.

No matter what happens my hope is in Him, the one who gives me Eternal Life and Loves me deeply. I mess up, but my heart always wants to do good. Whenever I wander, He leads me back to High ground.

Before you focus on the good you do, make sure you’ve got your heart in the right place, then the good you do will be for His Glory!

Day 194 – We may not understand the outcome, but we can trust it’s God’s purpose that prevailed.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 13 – 15

Isaiah 14:26-27 “This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”

Open a newspaper, turn on a tv, look through Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channels, and you are going to gasp. You may have tears, you may be confused, you may even be angry. There are so many questions right now of things we just don’t understand. Chaos seems to be running ramped….good people are dying, hate is spreading across a nation that should be “United”, we no longer honor authority, and people are trying to change who God physically made them to be.

But God, He has a plan and behind His plan is a very wise purpose. We might not understand it, but it’s just beyond our understanding. He is Sovereign and we are not, He created Heaven and Earth in 7 days, and by golly, we did not.

No matter how much we wish and pray that some outcomes would be different, We must Trust His plan. When we understand that the Lord’s Will is going to prevail, His peace that transcends all understanding will fill our hearts.

We will pull on our boots of peace and walk along this journey of life with Hope for what is yet to come, not fear of what is unknown. But if we consume ourselves with deciphering the reason or holding onto the fear we will lose our footing and fall into Satan’s trap. So, go pull on your boots of peace and follow the plan marked out for you, trusting not in what you know, but in who you know because His purpose is Good and it will prevail.

Day 193 – Never fear the storm.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9 – 12

Isaiah 10:24 “Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says: “My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.”

Being a Florida girl, Ive watched the storm clouds roll in every Summer afternoon all my life. At first, I was afraid of them, their darkness and fury instilling fear in my heart. But after years and many countless storms, they’ve now become a comforting part of nature.

With every storm, no matter how fierce, it still brings the rain. And rain is God’s way of watering the earth, bringing new growth and Hope. This applies to the storms of life as well.

It’s as though we can see them coming and we try to get fully prepared, but theirs a power outage and we can only see by the flashes of light from God’s Word.

God will provide the foundation, restoration, and justice once the storm passes.

Isaiah 12:2 “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

We have no reason to fear the storm because He rides in with the storm and revives the land until it’s thriving again. Are you in the middle of a storm right now or do you see one rolling in? Be prepared, but also be filled with peace. The storms arent here to harm you, instead, in the end, it will grow you to greater lengths and strength.

Day 192 – How will you answer the Call?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 4 – 8

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.””Isaiah 6:8.

Everyone has a call on their life, but not everyone accepts it. However, as soon as you make Christ your LORD and Savior, you are saying “yes” to whatever the Call is.

The first step in fulfilling the call is salvation; then afterwards comes sanctification where Christ begins to work out the calling on your life until it is completed.

There are parts to everyone’s calling that are the same. First, we must love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Once we have completely committed our love to Him we can then love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Our neighbors aren’t just the people next door, but they also include anyone we come in contact with and with social media our area of reach is expanded world wide.

In loving well we will choose to lay down our own selfish desires and ambitions and follow Christ daily. This means focusing on what He wants from us, not what we want for ourselves. At this point, He will call us further into uncomfortable places that are filled with His presence. We will know where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do by the desires He places in our hearts. These desires will match the Words God has written in His Book and spoken through His Holy Spirit. Christ will use the wisdom of others to affirm our call, and signs and messages to encourage us onward. When we feel the call, and He speaks to our heart, “Who will I send,” claim with your heart and speak with your mouth, “Send me.”

One of my greatest privileges has been accepting the call Christ has on me. I never know where it will take me, but I am always willing to go. Don’t let the call of Christ pass you by. Let Him work in you and through you, and the peace that surpasses all understanding will be at work in your heart…..Here I am Lord; Send me!

Day 191 – No ONE person can be the change WE want to see.

Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 7 – Isaiah 3

“O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.” Isaiah 2:5.

Over the past 30 years, I believe our country has been slowly fading away from our values and foundations. We have gone from a Christian Nation to a sinful nation.

“Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.” Isaiah 1:4

This isn’t because of ONE man or ONE group, but because of MANY people becoming relaxed in their beliefs and boastful in their sins.

“For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence.For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.” Isaiah 3:8-9

But WE have HOPE!

“We the People” must kneel down in humility and rise up from our iniquity. We must become a nation in prayer and a people with love. If WE repent WE will be forgiven and experience the Greatness of this Land. If we choose to stop following the Slow Fade and turn toward the LIGHT everything will brighten. No ONE person can make this change possible. Church, WE must RISE up and WALK faithfully with our LORD. No more wishy washy Faith; no more Luke Warm Christianity; BE the change you want to SEE. Stand firm only on the Foundation that will never move.

Day 190 – Honor and Respect the one you Love.

Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 4 – 6

“What is your beloved more than another beloved. O most beautiful women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you just adjure us?” Song of Solomon 5:9.

The order of your adoration should be Christ and then your spouse. Your beloved is better than any other beloved because he is the one God created for you. When the Lord was knitting you together in your mothers womb and numbering your days He already had your spouse picked out.

As my husband and I were just getting adjusted to being married, everything wasn’t peaches and cream. We had to work at our marriage and keep Christ at the center. One of the greatest books I ever read was “Love and Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggericks. He taught that Men need Respect in able to show Love, and Women need Love in able to show Respect. We do this when we first meet our spouse because we are trying to keep them forever, but I think we forget this when we “Tie the Old Knot”. However, You should always treat your spouse the same as when you were trying to woo them, then they will feel respected and you will feel loved.

Ladies, your husband needs to feel like he hung the moon and you can’t do anything without him, and men, your wives need to feel like a Princess that is always wanted above anything else in your life. If we keep Christ at the center and get the rest in order there will be a ripple affect in the other relationships in our lives.

No matter where you are if you get your priorities in check, your LOVE will be a witness to the world and something to be adored. It’s going to take work, but you’ve got the time. For nothing God joined together should ever be separated.

Day 189 – Let LOVE awaken lust, not LUST awaken love.

Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 1 – 3

“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.” Song of Solomon 2:7.

LOVE is such a flippant word. It’s thrown around all the time. I love my dog. I love you. I love Mellow Mushroom pretzels. I Love I love I love…..However, true love between a man and a woman is meant for 2 people that God will place together until only He calls them apart.

Many young women, including myself, in the early years, were out looking for Love. A lot like the song, “Looking for love in all the wrong places.” It sometimes seems women will do anything to hear those 3 words, “I love you.”

Girls, we will do just about anything to feel loved, and most Guys are willing to give love for one thing. BUT We ALL need to WAIT. Wait on the ONE person God has for us. Or be content with our singleness, which reveals more of God’s love to us.

He made Eve for Adam, and He’s makes someone for each person that is to have a partner. Young lady, if a boy really loves you he will be willing to wait. Young man, if you really love a woman, then wait.

Because I know without a doubt that our God is Sovereign, there isn’t much in my life that I would ever want to change, He’s used it all for my testimony of His Goodness. Yet, there is one thing that I would go back and change in a minute if I could. God planned all along for me to have my specific husband. He protects me from myself, He comforts me when I stress, He listens to me when I speak, and We grow closer together through God. My husband awakens my love to this day.

God was gracious to me by bringing him into my life at just the right time. I can’t go back and change my past, but I sure wish I could. And instead of worrying about that now, I’ve been forgiven and I’m focusing on my Love now. I will share myself with him alone.

For all of you who are still pure, I beg you, WAIT for love. For those of you who have made a decision that you now regret, ask for forgiveness and make it right now, WAIT for LOVE. For those of you who are now married to the one God had for you, but you live in regret of your past, if you ask for forgiveness and focus on Your Beloved, God will forgive you and cleanse you of the past. LOVE will Wait…Don’t let lust become a mistake.

Day 188 – Do good work with your hands in the morning and night; let the Good Lord decide which time is Right.

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 10 – 12

“In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:6.

We all have a preference on which is our best time of the day. About 35 years ago I learned that I was 100% a morning person. I happened to be over at a friends house when it was confirmed. I ended up waking the whole house with singing at 6am, and to this day I’m not sure I was ever invited over again. I’ve clung to that naming and exercised my brain, Spirit, and body first thing, practically every morning since. That’s my prayer time, my run time, and my best work time.

However, 22 years ago I met a man that would be my forever mate, and his idea of awake time was when the shadows began to fall in the east. He really started waking as the day waned on. I may have been an early bird, but he was my late night owl making it very hard on our marriage to learn when to communicate with one another. But we had to compromise. Neither way is really the right way, they are both just different.

Whether you are an early morning riser or a late night snacker, you both have wings to fly. With these wings we must sow good seed always. God will choose which is right when final judgement comes, but until then we can’t decide for the other which is right, we must sow good seeds in every opportunity so that a good harvest can be produced.

Day 187 – Sometimes, it’s just because “I AM”.

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 7 – 9

“then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.” Ecclesiastes 8:17

Switching from one suitcase to another, preparing to go from vacation to camp, realizing, your phone is in the bottom of Lake Somewhere, your children are dropped off at grandparents, your husband has been working all day, and all you have time for is packing, but all you want to do is spend quality and quiet time with the one you love.

Originally your plans all worked out, your days, every minute worked just right, everything in your head was just perfect, but then life doesn’t turn out how you thought. Now you want to know, “Why?” Then, as you move one clean shirt and 2 pairs of shoes from one bag to the other, you can hear your dear mom say, “Because I said so, that’s why.”

With God, sometimes, no matter how much we seek the answer to our Why, the final answer will be, “Because “I AM””.

God is the Great, I AM. His ways will always be beyond our understanding and greater than our belief. We need to trust His wisdom and follow His ways. His blueprint is laid out for us in “The Word”. He won’t lead us astray or take us for granted. He will show us exactly what we need to know and use us for His great plan.

I guess the reason I never question the things I don’t quite understand is because I trust the Man behind the answer. His answer makes everything clear to me in an oh so unclear way. It proves the Why without giving me visible proof. He only has to say “Because I AM”, and I only have to Have Faith!

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14

“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:38

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The next time you question remember the Why….Because I AM!

Day 186 – It is right and good to Enjoy Life.

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 4 – 6

“Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.” Ecclesiastes 5:18.

Sometimes we just need to laugh and have fun. We work work work work, and at the end of the day feel completely too out of it to do anything. Yet, God didn’t just want us to work, He wanted us to enjoy His creation.

Even Solomon in all of his glory stepped back from what he was doing and took a good look at his life. He had everything he wanted, he was wise beyond his years, and yet he wasn’t satisfied. So, he contemplated the many mysteries, the coming and goings, and the one thing he realized beyond anything else is that it was GOOD to enjoy the time God has given him on the earth.

It is okay to work hard, but you must set time aside to relax and have fun, to enjoy what you worked for. Some believe Christians are fuddy duds and don’t know how to have fun, others think there’s more money to make and no time to have fun, but these are all man made ideas and the worship of someone else besides our God because Our God is fun!

God has given us a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to mourn, a time to dance, and definitely a time to work and a time to have FUN!

As I look back over this weekend with friends, this Summer of Fun, this year of many memories, each one is filled with Enjoyment that will last a lifetime. And I will do what God desires and Enjoy every breath He has given me.