Thu, Nov 27th - 10:49AM
Happy Thanksgiving,
It is a beautiful morning with a very orange-pink sunrise. God is so good! He is ever faithful. God's Mercy
“His father saw him - there were eyes of mercy;
he ran to meet him - there were legs of mercy;
he put his arms round his neck - there were arms of mercy;
he kissed him - there were kisses of mercy;
he said to him - there were words of mercy;
Bring here the best robe - there were deeds of mercy;
Wonders of mercy - all mercy!
Oh, what a God of mercy he is!”
Matthew Henry As we are busy celebrating Thanksgiving today, let’s do it with a thankful heart. If preparing the meal, getting ready for company, having a change in our routine starts to get to you remember to show each other mercy. I think the number one thing I am thankful for today is the heritage dad and mom left us kids of knowing the Lord and how to have a thankful heart. Colossians 2:7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with THANKSGIVING. Father, we thank you for your love and provisions to us not only today, but every day; help us to have thankful hearts I pray.
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Mon, Nov 24th - 11:46AM
by these things men live!
Last night in church my pastor read some scripture in Isaiah 38 in continuing with his message; however I read a little beyond and it seemed like the scripture just jumped out at me. Here is what I read. Isaiah 38:16-20 16 O LORD, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. 17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. 18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. 20 The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD. We who are living are able to offer praises unto the Lord. So it would appear to me we need to do that as much as possible, as the day will come when we can no longer offer praise to our loving Father. In addition we need to show love and praise those around us while we have the chance. I no longer want to wait and then after our loved one is gone to say “I wish I would have told them more often what they meant to me.” Now while we are alive give love, and praise freely to each other, and most importantly to God. Father we thank you for your Word. Thanks that we can read it with understanding. Our HOPE is in you Lord. Our STRENGTH is in you Lord. Our LIFE is in you Lord. How awesome to be your child.
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Sun, Nov 23rd - 11:01AM
Standing Firm!
“On a daily basis we’re faced with two simple choices. We can either listen to ourselves and our constantly changing feelings about our circumstances, or we can talk to ourselves about the unchanging truth of who God is and what He’s accomplished for us at the cross. Far too often we choose to passively listen to ourselves. We sit back and let our view of God and life be shaped by our constantly shifting feelings about our ever-changing circumstances.” C.J. Mahaney Psalms 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brought forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doth shall prosper. My days go so much better when I stand firm on the Word of God. When I don’t let the circumstances around me surround me, but I hold onto the promises of God, knowing that He is at work on my behalf and will not only see me through the circumstances, but will give me joy, peace, and the strength to come out stronger and victorious. That makes me excited. Sing! Thanks Father for your love. Thank you that we can come to a place in you that no matter what is swirling around us, we know you will take care of us and we can rest in that knowledge.
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Fri, Nov 21st - 7:31AM
What doth the Lord Require of You?
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Another way to read this verse is to put your name in place of Israel, And now, Joy, what doth the Lord thy God require of you? I need to fear the Lord, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him with all my heart, mind, body, and soul. When I do this then I am being obedient to His word and He is able to bless me. The same applies to each of you. God loves us and wants to bless us. “In Jesus are riches – if you are poor; Honor – if you are despised; Friendship – if you are forsaken; Help – if you are injured; Mercy – if you are miserable; Joy – if you are disconsolate; Protection – if you are in danger; Deliverance – if you are a captive; Life – if you are mortal; and all things – if you have nothing at all.” James Meikle Thank you Father for showing us what you require of us so we can walk closer to you. Help us to seek you more, praise you more, and share you with others.
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Thu, Nov 20th - 2:15PM
Beating great odds!
“Beating great odds is God’s specialty. It’s one way He proves that He can do the impossible. Don’t accept defeat if what you’re standing for is consistent with God’s Word and His ways. Persevere, believing God. Ask Him to fight for you and show Himself mighty!” P165-Daniel by Beth Moore God is so awesome. I just can’t get enough of Him. He is everything and all things to me. He gives me the courage to go on when I don’t have the strength. He sends others along to give encouragement. How special to know and feel the tangible love of God. Psalms 33:18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy. Sometimes thoughts and feelings get so full within me that I feel like I am about to explode. To put those thoughts and feelings into written word is a little harder. But to know God’s love, to feel His eyes of mercy upon us, to experience His peace in the midst of the storms of our lives, to walk in the fullness of His joy, is to be fully alive! Thanks God for filling us with your peace, joy, and love. Help us to extend yourself to all those around us. Love you!
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Wed, Nov 19th - 11:32AM
Resting In Him!
“May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. May the soft winds freshen your spirit. May the sunshine brighten your heart. May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you, and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.” I may have used this before, but just felt with what several of you are going through that I would remind us that God is enfolding everyone in the mantle of His love. He is ever present and wants to make our burdens light. Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP) 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. God is just waiting for us to come to Him so He can take our burdens and carry them for us. His desire is for us to rest in Him; knowing that He will work all things out for our good. Yes! Thanks Father that you love us so much you are willing to carry our burdens and sicknesses yourself. When we come to you, we can lay them down and pick up peace, joy, and rest. Praise Your Holy Name!
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Thu, Nov 13th - 11:38AM
Our Tears!
Good morning, It is a somewhat sunny morning here on the timber farm. Life is so good. God is great. All is well with my world. “The poor broken-hearted sinner, going into his bedroom, bends his knee, but can only utter his mournful cry in the language of sighs and tears. Look! that groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God, and put into a vase made especially for tears, to be perpetually preserved.” C. H. Spurgeon I think the above statement could be made for those who already know God, but are too brokenhearted to know how to pray so they just utter a groan or tears and God interprets it for us. God bottles our tears I have a song “Tears are a language God understands.” Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings; put thou my tears into the bottle; are they not in thy book? God cares about us so much, He even stores our tears. It can’t get any better than that. Thanks God for your mercy, grace, compassion, and your unlimited love toward us. Knowing you and loving you is an awesome privilege. I praise your wonderful name. Have a great day!
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Wed, Nov 12th - 11:42AM
God is Good!
God is so good. You will hear that a lot from me as I firmly believe that God is good. “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” I took a brief respite and went with Sis to take the dogs for a walk. It was very refreshing. Everything smells so clean. “The measure of a Christian is not in the height of his grasp but in the depth of his love.” Clarence Jordan Mark 12:20 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment. In reading the above verse I decided I needed to love the Lord with everything that is within me. In order to love myself or those around me I need the love of God first. When I love Him with my mind, heart, soul, and strength, then He will give me the love I need for those around me. For me loving God is a way of life. I don’t know any other way. I am thankful that God gave me the desire as a child to love Him and walk with Him. The great thing is no matter how old we are or the things we’ve done, God still loves us. Thanks Father for loving us. How awesome to bask in your love.
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Tue, Nov 11th - 12:22PM
Refuse to be average!
Good morning, It is a watery, sunshine morning here on the timber farm. All the trees are shrouded in a misty, mystery cloak. It makes me want to go explore even though it is wet. Today is a day of remembrance of all the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom; and to all soldiers who came home. Perhaps we need to take a moment in our day, pause and give thanks to them. If you see veterans give them a hug. “Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will.” A. W. Tozar “In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.” A. W. Tozar Psalms 69:34 Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein.
Psalms 96:11-12 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice. Have you ever been our walking in the woods when the wind began to blow? Did you ever hear the trees sing? I have. I love to stand on my deck in a wind storm and listen to the fir trees praising the Lord. Their branches seem to wave praises to the Father. God has blessed us with so many things to help us enjoy life more than any tree, yet how much of our day is spent complaining instead of praising? Do we really accept what God says in His word when He says to fret not, but to trust in Him? Today I am going to try to be as free as a bird soaring and singing my maker’s praise and not worry about anything. Father, I thank you for a worry free day. I pray that you would give the same to everyone reading this devotional today. I pray that they will grasp your love, and then share it with others. Thanks
Have a praise filled day! Joy
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Sat, Nov 8th - 11:38AM
A Thankful Heart!
"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies." Hudson Taylor “A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” Maya Angelou Sometimes we don’t have the answer, but we can still sing praises to our Father. He delights in the praises we give Him. Psalms 75:1, 9 1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks; for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. 9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. Do you ever notice when reading scripture that sometimes He is the God of Abraham, sometimes the God of David, here He is the God of Jacob. Sometimes I put my name in place of theirs. 1 Chronicles 4:10 And Jabez (Joy) called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him (me) that which he (she) requested. God delights in blessing us. His hand is on us protecting us, He will keep us from wrong when we ask Him to. We can walk in close fellowship with Him. That just thrills my heart. Yes God! Thank you God for your many blessings to us, help us to love and appreciate you more. Have a great day!
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Fri, Nov 7th - 11:08AM
Living Faith!
Gray skies are not always gray; blue skies are not always blue; but one thing is true, Jesus loves you! “If my car was inoperative and I went to the mechanic for help, I would have to hand over the keys. That is my action of trust in the mechanic. It is fides vive – living faith. Without doing that, all my talk about the competency of the mechanic results in nothing. And so, without our giving the keys of life over to Christ, we have never really trusted. This is Bible belief simply stated.” Jim Elliff I know I do a lot of devotionals on faith, however a deep, unmovable faith in God with the absolute assurance that He is in control is what will keep us up and going in victory in the days ahead. Romans 1:16-17 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith. In God and thru God, we have the power to believe for the salvation of our families, friends, and whom ever God puts in our sphere. God loves us and wants only the best for us. That makes my heart sing. Thanks God for your love and protection. You take such good care of us; even in the midst of troubled times and sickness you are still there taking care of us. It can’t get any better than that. You are a mighty God!
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Sun, Nov 2nd - 12:07PM
Pray For Me!
It is a beautiful wet morning here at the timber farm. The wind blew, the leaves fell, the road coming home last night looked like it was paved in gold. It made me a little bit homesick for heaven. Acting up in church One Sunday in a Midwest City, a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle.
Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out.
Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!" That’s what we should all be doing for each other (not acting up) but praying for each other. Encourage each other in the Lord. Today as you go about your day think of someone either that you see or call someone and let them know you appreciate them. Isaiah 41:6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. Thanks God that you put within each of us a desire not only to love you, but each other. Help us today to reach out with a smile, a hug, a kind word, whatever you lay on our heart to encourage someone. Thanks Have an encouraging day! Joy
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Sat, Nov 1st - 12:13PM
Enlighten our eyes!
Good morning, After I described the morning as being gray and dismal; I got this reply back from one of my nieces. Damp and dismal; you may see gray with your eyes... close them. What do you smell? What do you feel? What can your hear? It is a glorious morning on the timber farm isn’t it? To which I replied yes! What we perceive and describe may to another have a totally different view or memory. “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” No matter what we do, the most important thing to others is to show them love, and that you care. When we extend the love of Jesus toward others, then it rebounds back to us. Isn’t that super? Ephesians 1:18 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Psalms 112:3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house; and His righteousness endureth for ever. Father, help us when we look at the world around us with our natural eyes, that our spiritual eyes be opened to receive your love and beauty into our hearts. Have a great day!
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Name: Joy Durham
