TGIF! Thank God I'm Forgiven! We do have so much to be thankful for everyday! Begin this day with some praise!
Good Morning Called, Faithful, Giving Servants of the Most High God! The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of St. Matthew's; and the God of you! He is our Savior, Shepherd, and Lord! PTL! Worship, adore, and submit yourself to Him today. Give Him your heart, your love, your hands and feet, your best, and all that He has given you. Allow Him to shepherd you and to be the Lord of this day and weekend. He has custom made you for your purposes for today and everyday. He is calling you by name and wanting to hang out and love through you. Be still and know that He is God and He is with you and has given you His authority and power to go transform the world you walk through each day. PTL! And when we fail or sin, we know that we will be forgiven as we repent and get back on track. Everyday we are called by Jesus to die to self, take up our cross and follow Him. As we think about the sacrifice He made for us, can we do any less? Confess, repent, and believe the Good news today! Then just worship! And willingly give back to Him from the abundance of blessings He has bestowed upon you! Offer a sacrifice of praise!
here's a song to meditate on as you sit at His feet...I'm Forgiven! (PTL!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avJ4lDnZWRU. Yes PTL and may your day be filled with joy as we walk from your cross and follow Jesus!
Below you will find the Upper Room, Our Daily Bread devos and a copy of my Charles Stanley devo for today. Yesterday as I was visiting some of our homebound, God impressed on me that I should walk in and pronounce His love, acceptance, blessings over them and then remind them of their daily purposes just as they are. Jesus is looking at you too and saying, "I love you! I know you! I made you for something special today. Come! Let me lead you to my best! Let me love you and love through you today!" Do you sense His loving presence right now. He is sitting with you and listening to you and trying to align your heart beat to His. Be still and know. Be open and receive. Be filled with His love overflowing! He came just for you, His masterpiece. He is making you new in Christ. And He has some great things planned for you, even today! Rejoice! Worship. Love God and others and enjoy this day! You are known, called, forgiven and very loved. Jesus can be, not only your Savior, but your Lord and Shepherd. Surrender and give Him all of you and follow well!
God's been speaking to me a lot lately through the 23rd Psalm. One, many of us have memorized. Sit and mediate on this and receive Your Shepherds love and heart to walk through this day! Shalom!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypzobDJT7f8
Charles Stanley Devotional:
Upper Room: Comfort In Scriptures
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. - Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)
Years ago, I wore a shirt with the inscription “I depend on Jesus.” But it was not until after I was diagnosed with cancer that I began to understand how important depending on Jesus is. Shortly after being diagnosed, I started a series of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, followed by surgery. After the cancer was removed, my condition went from life-threatening to lifestyle-changing. The surgery and treatments caused side effects which I have to live with every day.
I have come to realize just how important memorizing scripture can be. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, for example, Paul refers to a thorn in his flesh, but he adds that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. We will have troubled times, but Matthew 28:20 assures us that Jesus will be with us to the end of the age. The Bible contains thousands of God’s promises and God is faithful to them all (see Ps. 145:13). What a comforting thought! We serve a mighty God. Now I live each day confident that nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ (see Rom. 8:38).
TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank you, loving God, for staying with us when life gets tough and for your promise of an everlasting life. Amen.ODB:
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On our last day in Wisconsin, my friend brought her four-year-old daughter Kinslee to say goodbye. “I don’t want you to move,” said Kinslee. I hugged her and gave her a canvas, hand-painted fan from my collection. “When you miss me, use this fan and remember that I love you.” Kinslee asked if she could have a different fan—a paper one from my bag. “That one’s broken,” I said. “I want you to have my best fan.” I didn’t regret giving Kinslee my favorite fan. Seeing her happy made me happier. Later, Kinslee told her mother she was sad because I kept the broken fan. They sent me a brand-new, fancy purple fan. After giving generously to me, Kinslee felt happy again. So did I.
In a world that promotes self-gratification and self-preservation, we can be tempted to hoard instead of living with giving hearts. However, the Bible says that a person who “gives freely . . . gains even more” (Proverbs 11:24). Our culture defines prosperity as having more and more and more, but the Bible says that “a generous person will prosper” and “whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (v. 25).
God’s unlimited and unconditional love and generosity continually recharge us. We can each have a giver’s heart and create unending giving cycles because we know God—the Giver of all good things—never gets tired of providing abundantly.
By Xochitl Dixon
REFLECT & PRAY
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How has the generosity of others helped you get closer to Jesus? How can you put someone else’s needs above your own this week?
Dear God, help me give as generously as You’ve given to me.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Proverbs 10–22 are a collection of individual wisdom sayings compiled by Solomon. In Proverbs 10–15, most of the proverbs appear in contrastive form, in which a wise choice is advised and then compared to the negative result of foolish behavior. It can be difficult to identify a specific thread in any given section of these proverbs, but in the second half of chapter 11, the theme of wealth and its appropriate use is clearly in view. In verse 15, we’re warned against using our wealth as collateral for a stranger and are reminded that caution in making commitments is wise. In verse 16, wealth is contrasted with honor, and wealth is seen as vastly inferior. Verse 18 warns against “deceptive wages” and instead extols “righteousness.” And in verse 24, a generous heart brings “even more” to the giver, while stinginess will lead to “poverty.”
Gain wisdom from the Bible on how to handle finances.
Tim Gustafson |
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