Thank God I'm Forgiven! Dwell on all the nuances of that praise and worship!
Prayer update on the Muik's...Chris was now admitted to St. Luke's Bethlehem while His wife is recovering at Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest. She will be there in aggressive rehab for the long haul. He is again having feet issues caused by his diabetes. Pleas keep lifting them. He will need assistance upon discharge as will Yvonne.
Good Morning Masterpiece! Amen! Thank God for being fearfully and wonderfully made in His image for His purposes. Thank God for activating and gifting you to accomplish those plans. PTL for teammates to grow an go with. Thank God for saving, forgiving and refining you! We are truly blessed! I think we can just stop there and worship ! Below find our devotionals for threading through these praises. He has a plan for you, Masterpiece! Guard your thoughts and check out Phil. 4:4-9 and how two devos use that verse . Don't be anxious but focus on God. Turn off the noise and worship! Then be ready to receive God's peace. He wants you to be you and to do what you are made to do His way and to know His shalom beyond understanding. Amen. Focus on these and worship, receive, trust and obey. May Love, peace, hope and joy overflow from you and light up and color the world around you! Amen! What's God nudging you to be or do or both . Trust and obey and know His peace. Amen!
TWFYT:
ODB
Guarding Thoughts in Christ
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure . . . think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Lap after lap, Katie Ledecky was in a familiar spot during the 1500-meter freestyle race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. For some fifteen minutes, she was far ahead of the rest of the swimmers and alone with her thoughts. What was Ledecky thinking about during the long race? In an interview conducted immediately following her gold-medal-winning performance in which she set a new Olympic record, Ledecky said she was thinking about her training partners and saying their names in her head.
Distance swimmers aren’t the only ones who need to focus their minds on the right things. We as believers in Jesus also need to guard our thoughts throughout our faith journey.
The apostle Paul encouraged the Philippian church to “rejoice in the Lord,” not be “anxious about anything, but pray about everything (Philippians 4:4, 6). The result? “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). Jesus, the Prince of Peace, helps put our worries and troubles in perspective.
Paul also encouraged believers: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (v. 8).
As we go about our day, let’s be aware of our thoughts. When we see God’s hand in our life, we can count our blessings and worship Him.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
What have you been thinking about lately? How can you honor God with your thoughts?
Dear God, may my thoughts be pleasing to You.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In this “joyful” letter (Philippians 1:4, 25; 2:2, 29; 4:1), Paul challenged believers in Jesus to “rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4). He explains why he’s rejoicing and encourages believers to do the same (1:18; 2:17-18; 3:1; 4:4, 10). When he first visited the Roman colony of Philippi on his second missionary journey about ten years earlier, he’d been falsely accused of disturbing the social peace of the city. Even though he’d been illegally beaten and unjustly imprisoned (Acts 16:20-24), he was a picture of calmness and peace, “praying and singing hymns to God” (v. 25). In Philippians 4, Paul says not to “worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. . . . Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (vv. 6, 8 nlt). As we focus our thoughts on what God’s done, we can worship Him even in the midst of trials.
K.T. Sim
UR: The Right Time
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6 (NRSVUE)
The start of the spring season was very exciting for me because my yard was growing grass in places that had been bare for years. Because the grass was new, the man who maintains my yard told me I would need to wait longer to cut it. He explained that the new grass needed ample time to take root. My neighbor, who is a lawn expert, agreed. So for two weeks I watched my grass flourish; but soon it started to look more like a jungle! Every time I asked for it to be cut, I got the same reply — it’s not time.
I began to get impatient because my yard looked like a wild forest compared to the yards of my neighbors. Then God reminded me once again to be patient and trust the process. What looked wild to me was in the perfect condition for God to transform it into something beautiful — all in the right time.
I encourage us all to wait on God’s timing in the situations we face. What looks like chaos to us could be the perfect scenario for God to be God. God is aware of every challenging situation we encounter and already has a plan for resolving it. So let’s pray, be patient, and let God bring transformation.
's Prayer
Dear Father, help us to remain patient in every season and to focus on your guiding presence. Amen.
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