"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me along paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever."
I am lacking, You are enough. I selfishly want, You fulfill my every need. I am weak, You are strong. I grow weary, You give me strength to carry on. I am lost, You lead me down Your righteous path. I am weary, You restore my soul. I am broken, You are fulfillment. I am a sinner, You forgive me. I am fearful, You protect me. I am sad, You comfort me. I am poor, You provide for me. I am empty, You make my cup overflow. I am angry, You fill me with joy. I am lonely, You are with me always. I am confused, You bring truth and promise. I am Yours, You are eternal and forever faithful. You are His, you are loved, you are ENOUGH. Child of God..rest in His truth, rest in His promises today & everyday. His banner over you is love. He brings peace, contentment, hope, and strength to all His people. Just that one short passage from the Bible [Psalm 23] is packed with His truth and promises to His children. However we come before the Lord, he takes us in, he accepts us just as we are and wherever we are on our faith journey. Fear and anxiety are so real, we can be consumed by it, and we forget that we don't need to do this on our own. We have a a God who love us. We have a God who will never leave us or forsake us. We have a God who gave it all for us and will never fail us. Do not be afraid to bring your broken pieces to Him, he takes every piece of us, the good, the bad, the ugly, and He pieces every part of us together perfectly. We forget that we don't need to be perfect in order to earn His promises. He love us no matter what. In the midst of our broken sin-stained world, in the midst of broken-hardheartedness, He is there. He is there to take our broken world and broken hearts and fill them with peace, hope, and love-unfailing love. He is draws near to the brokenhearted. He comforts those who suffer. He brings peace to troubled hearts, strength to the weak. He spares no blessings, He is a good and faithful Shepherd. He protects, provides, and has perfect provision for our lives. Anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, bitterness, jealousy, can weigh so heavy on our hearts. We don't have to hang onto those thoughts or fears. They are not put their by God. Our God is greater than any problem we face, any burden we carry, and any fear that we feel. He has called us to so much more than that. Don't be afraid to let go. Fix your eyes on Him. "We can be consumed by our situation or we can choose to consume our thoughts with Jesus. Even when things seem unbearable, God's promises are true. Love, hope, peace, strength, protection, freedom, fulfillment belong to us when we seek Him. "Laughter, joy, and good thoughts are the best medicine. Praising God breeds more reasons to praise Him. Thankfulness breeds more thankfulness. And a person who practices both, walks in JOY! Keep your thoughts fixed on God and you will experience peace. Dear Lord, I want your truth to be the loudest voice in my life, correct me, comfort me, come closer to me, and I will trust."- Lysa TerKeurst We have the power to speak blessings into others lives, our words are powerful, how do you want to influence the lives of others? The mind feasts on what it focuses on. What consumes my thinking will dictate my direction and my joy. Choose wisely. The enemy loves to see us focusing in the negative, feeding off of lies, putting others down, digging ourselves deeper into the trap of comparison, jealousy, and self destruction. This is when we make the choice..is this how I want to live? Is this how I want to feel? Is this how I want to make others feel? Is this what I want to be remembered for? Are these Jesus thoughts in my head or the devils? Are my thoughts, words, and actions shining God's glory to those around me? Each day I must intentionally park my mind, emotions, and my trust in God. We can't look to our feelings to determine truth. We must look to truth to reign in our feelings. Refusing to gossip is a beautiful decision to make. It creates richer friendships and makes our relationship with the Lord more authentic. Wise women tuck Godly wisdom into the words the speak and even more into the words they choose not to speak." -Lysa TerKeurst "God gave us all unique and beautiful gifts. And we are most beautiful when we use those gifts to bless others and bring glory to His name."-Lysa TerKeurst We are most beautiful when we support and encourage others in their purpose. We are most beautiful when we appreciate and cheer for others and their beautiful gifts. We gain nothing by welcoming the devils thoughts and dwelling on jealousy, insecurity, and envy. The world gains nothing, our Lord's Kingdom gains nothing. Be happy for God's children and all of the unique gifts we were granted. Cheer each other on. Be a blessing and you will always be blessed. We are called to gain ground in the Kingdom of God. Do not let the fear of anxiety rule over your heart, do not let the devil's thoughts rule over your destiny, stop trying to impress others and win people over with the wrong things, the wrong intentions, and for all the wrong reasons. Do not be consumed by the pressures of a sin-stained world. Your worth is found in God, not in the opinion of others, not in the lies we feed ourselves. We don't have to prove anything to anyone, He proved it all for us on the cross. I want it to be evident to others that I spend time with The Lord and He is close to my heart. I want His light to shine out of me into the lives of others. I want people to look at me and want Jesus more. Truth lived out is the best sermon. Change me, Lord, to look and think and love more and more like you. Give me a heart like Yours in a world like mine. Allow me to be an Earthly vessel filled with Heavenly contents. "Encourage each other and build each other up." 1 Thess 5:11 Praying Psalm 23 over you today! May your week be willed with His goodness, love, & blessings! Thanks for reading!
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Jesus Calling:
I am King of Kings and Lord or Lords, dwelling in dazzlingly bright light! I am also your Shepherd, Companion, and Friend- the One who never lets go of your hand. Worship Me in My holy Majesty; come close to Me, and rest in My Presence. You need Me both as God and as Man. Only My incarnation on that first, long-ago Christmas could fulfill your neediness. Since I went to such extreme measures to save you from your sins, you can be assured that I will graciously give you all you need. Nurture well your trust in Me as Savior, Lord, and Friend. I have held back nothing in My provision for you. I have even deigned to live within you! Rejoice in all that I have done for you, and My Light will shine through you into the world. As you celebrate the wonder of My birth in Bethlehem, celebrate also your rebirth into eternal life. This everlasting gift was the sole purpose of My entering your sin-stained world. Receive My gift with awe and humility. Take time to explore the very dimensions of My love. Allow thankfulness to flow freely from your heart in response to My glorious gift. Let My Peace rule in your heart, and be thankful. Such a beautiful passage for this Christmas season! A beautiful reminder of the true reason for the season-- the birth of our Savior who came to Earth as one of us, the sacrifices of our Savior Lord Jesus Christ, and the joy and peace He brings us. The most beautiful blessing & gift. The Lord says, "Receive My gift with awe and humility, allow thankfulness to flow freely from your heart in response to My glorious gift. Let My Peace rule in your heart, and be thankful." Powerful words--awe, humility, thankfulness, glorious gift, and peace. Christmas Eve church service has always been one of my favorites, not only because we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, but because I can feel those raw emotions as I sit in that church pew surrounded by believers holding their candle high as we sing Joy to the Word. Awe, humility, thankfulness, glorious gift, and peace come over me and they flood my heart with so much joy. And then you look around, and you're surrounded by His presence and His people. What a feeling. What a glorious gift. Christmas brings a sense of peace, of fresh new beginnings, rebirth, thankfulness, generosity, and so much joy! My heart is so full being surrounded by family and friends, making memories, sharing stories, continuing traditions, laughing, giving, spreading joy, and spending time together. I pray that amongst the battles and hardships you may be facing, and all of the busyness and craziness of the season, that you would pause and focus on the true meaning of Christmas and what it means to you. Remember loved ones and cherished memories as they spend Christmas with our Savior Jesus Christ in Heaven. And enjoy spending time and creating more memories with loved ones here! Focus on all of the blessings in your life and remain thankful, hopeful, & joyful! May His peace fill your heart, may happiness lead you into the New Year, and may His strength carry you through. Blessings on your New Year and Merry Christmas to all!! Enjoy this time spent with loved ones! God Bless, Shadow John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. John 1:14 - And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Matthew 2:11 - And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. |