The Most Cherished Guest Ever!

The Most Cherished Guest Ever!

Psalm 65:4 "Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest at home in your place!"

There's an uniquely exceptional and welcoming presence about someone who is truly gifted with a spirit of hospitality! When you walk into their home, they  make you feel like you belong and you are special to them, they make you feel valuable as a person, accepted for who you are and they freely share their time and all they have with you.... Well, there's nothing else in the world that can truly replicate that feeling, that special touch!

This is the heart of our Heavenly Father towards each one of us! To all who have put their trust in His Son Jesus and committed their lives to him; the acceptance that he gives, the welcoming in, the open arms, the sharing freely of all that he is and has is amazing, beyond our comprehension! When we experience this 'Welcome home', then we know exactly what this Psalmist meant when he penned, "How blessed the guest at home in your place!" Such a special feeling this is, being welcomed into God's presence!

The word blessed here in the Hebrew means, "How happy!" The emphasis is on the degree of happiness, it implies such a fullness of joy that nothing else can take up any space in the heart of this one who has been welcomed in!

I have found this truth to be so real in my own life! And I am so grateful to the Lord for showing me such kindness and care, making me feel welcome and valuable in his sight. What a wonderful place to be! No wonder my heart yearns to live there every moment of every day forever!

How about you? Have you experienced this welcome too? If not, its there waiting for you! Our heavenly Father's arms are always open wide to those who realize their need for him, who lay all of their sins and sorrows down at the feet of Jesus and in full trust give their lives to him! 

Why not come home to Jesus today!?devotiontimes.blogspot.com

UNDISTURBED

UNDISTURBED

Psalm 84:1-4
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah

A longing for peace, that's what we so often hear about nowadays. People want it, they search for it, they fight for it, they set aside time in their calendars, planning vacations for it. But can we really find any lasting peace here in this world?
There's a peace that is lasting that we can find. I have discovered this peace and it's truly amazing! It's called the presence of God; no one and absolutely nothing can move me from his peace. In his presence I am undisturbed!
Those who have faith in God's saving grace through the blood of Jesus his Son are welcomed into God's presence; in fact God gives us his Spirit to live IN us!
How wonderful that the writer of this psalm likens our discovery of a place to rest in God's presence like the sparrows and swallows which would nest in the tabernacle. Obviously they were allowed to raise their young there undisturbed because the psalmist writes, "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, O LORD..." It sounds like this writer was feeling rather envious of the birds that were nesting in the tabernacle; or maybe he realized when watching them that if they were allowed to live there in the place of worship, close to God's presence, then how much more would he who desired to be close to the Lord be welcomed there as well!
Verse four declares that those who live in God's presence are blessed and ever praising him. It's no wonder; this is the place where it dawns on us how good the Lord is, how merciful, how just, how kind, how loving, how accepting.
When we humbly come before God's presence, longing for him, he more than welcomes us, he invites us to make our home there! Like the birds undisturbed, we are not shooed away... We are left undisturbed to enjoy him!
I invite you today along with me to enter God's presence and enjoy him today!Undisturbed

COMPLETE TRUST

Complete Trust

“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT)

It has been becoming so clear to me just how personal God really is! There is no black and white rule book which he simply hands to us to follow, no easy formulas to get what we want, no fast food on his menu to feed our souls, no quick and easy fix ups to hide what’s really beneath the surface – no, the Lord is in love with his creation, and he’s crazy about us, only desiring our very best. His love goes deeper than a magic wand that waves over our lives to make everything pretty and seamless. He gets right into the trenches with us where the hard work is done. He’s there when life becomes complicated, disappointing and messy. He is there and his presence is so comforting! He works all things out for the good to those who love him (Romans 8:28), but sometimes that looks so different than what we expected doesn’t it? That’s why it’s so important to get to know the Lord.

How can you truly trust someone that you don’t know intimately? How can you hear what they are saying to you if you’re not close enough to listen? How can you receive the help you need if you’re not asking and waiting for the answer? What if you’re in too much of a hurry to hear, too preoccupied to pay attention, and too busy to follow directions? You’ll find yourself lost, confused and frustrated! But when you know someone intimately and care about what they are thinking and listen to their input, there’s a much greater chance that together you will find success. (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

The encouragement I offer you today is to get close to the Lord. Look for him as you read his word, ask for his help, let him know all of your needs and put your entire trust in Him to guide your thoughts and ways.

To know him is to love and trust him! Trust him with ALL of your heart today!     

WITH GLADNESS!

WITH GLADNESS!

I'm not naturally inclined to be an outgoing, happy go lucky kind of person. No - you might rather describe me as an Eeyore walking around with a cloud over my head!

But God has been teaching me something. I woke up this morning and Psalm 100 popped into my heart, and since I had it memorized I quoted it in my mind...

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations."

It struck me that this scripture tells us to, "Serve the Lord with GLADNESS." It went in line with the verse from 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 which spoke to my heart recently to, "Be joyful always." Both of these passages also speak about being thankful to the Lord. I am curious about these verses as they tell me to do something to which I am not naturally inclined - to CHOOSE joy and gladness! However, after pondering it a little further I understood why. In the following verses it gives these reasons:

• KNOW that the Lord, He is GOD. 
• It is HE who has made us, and NOT WE ourselves.
• We are HIS people and the sheep of HIS pasture.
• The Lord is GOOD.
• His mercy is everlasting.
• His truth endures to all generations.

These reasons go hand in hand with the instructions to :

• Be joyful
• Serve
• Be glad
• Sing
• Be thankful
• Praise
• Bless

Basically, the Lord is telling me to KNOW Him. To know Him is to LOVE HIM! I need to bring back to mind each and every day when I wake up WHO God is and all He has done......

• He is GOOD!
• HE made me, not me myself!
• I am HIS, one of His sheep! 
• His mercy lasts forever!
• His truth will last forever!

It's like having our own children; Bob and I made our children and that is the very simple reason why we love them; because they are ours and that will never and cannot ever change! They did not make themselves, or of their own will come into this world. They are here because of Bob's and my union, our oneness, our love. 

And so also each of us who have been born again were conceived in love, in the heart of God. We cannot experience this new life from God by our own will, we have been birthed by God's Spirit. And our Heavenly Father loves his children so much. Nothing can change His love or stop Him from being there for us every moment of every day. It is His delight to give us all that we need. Even in seasons of darkness, when the light isn't shining as brightly, we can know that His promises are true and remind ourselves that He will never fail or forsake us. He is always and forever there for us and nothing can ever stop him from loving us, EVER!

And so, I encourage you with these words today: "Be joyful, serve the Lord with gladness, sing, be thankful praise, bless His name...for THE LORD IS GOOD!" 

Oh yes! He is sooo good!

God bless you,

Eleanor

NEW HOPE FOR THE NEW YEAR

Well, 2020 is upon us and with this new year we will most likely encounter some prospects for new successes. As well, we will also encounter some new challenges. 
For me, the ordinary and mundane days of life are sometimes the most challenging. When I try to balance business with the desire to experience true meaning in it all, it feels like I'm having fun on a swing while also trying to relax reading a book! Confusing? Frustrating? Yes! Cooking, washing dishes, doing laundry, going to work, sleeping and then waking up to do it all over again - where is the real substance in all of these daily routines? 
Life gets really exciting at times too, in good ways and bad; a child graduates with honours, a new baby is born, the vacation of a lifetime; but then comes an unexpected bill, sickness, heartbreak, death of a loved one - each and every high and low causes our adrenaline to flow with either feelings of elation or devastation. Emotions go on roller coaster rides, from highs of happiness to lows of sadness.
Where do we find the happy medium, somewhere that keeps us secure and content in every circumstance of life? I found a scripture today that gave me the answer to this question; not a specific answer to a specific situation, but one that I can apply at anytime in my everyday life!
1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Wow! There are a lot of emphatic words there! ALWAYS, CONTINUALLY, IN ALL circumstances; I am determined to realize from reading this scripture that there's definitely more to life than what meets the eye, because if I run my life according to my circumstances I will only be living for what I understand with my senses.
There's always something to be joyful about, it's possible to pray continually and I can give thanks in all circumstances. Why? Because Jesus is with me and I can bring back to my mind as many times as I want to that he's always there: loving me, teaching me, encouraging me, comforting me, helping and guiding me! That's more than enough reasons to be joyful, pray and give thanks! And these spiritual practices can be done anytime, anyplace, in any situation; whether I'm up or down; in or out; feeling elated or bored; no matter what, there's solid ground beneath my feet and so I'm going to start this new year being thankful for that truth and try to remember these instructions every single day. I know at times I will fail - that's ok. Even then, my Lord will help me get up and keep on moving! 
What a wonderful God He is!

Hidden from Reproach

"Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Luke 1:24-25

I wonder why Elizabeth hid herself for 5 months when she first became pregnant? I'm thinking maybe it was because she wanted people to really believe her word when she told them that she was at last going to bear a child. After all the years of hoping and at times sharing with her friends the possibility that she was pregnant when she was late for her period, maybe Elizabeth did not want to be scoffed or laughed at because of the impossibility of the pregnancy naturally speaking, or because of the false hope she shared in the past. Perhaps she wanted to have the proof to reveal the truth to everyone around her.
How can this relate to us? When people around us know of an area in our life that is broken, barren or difficult they may laugh or scoff at the idea of the miraculous actually taking place in that situation. Humanity naturally puts God in a box, the box of its own way of thinking and believing. It's funny how we perceive and face the difficulties of life; we'll carry hardships alone and resign ourself to bear the entire weight of  them rather than believing that we can go beyond them. Faith goes beyond our limitations. Faith sees beyond our present situations. Faith sees God and that God is able, able to do far beyond what we could ever imagine. So, when he speaks, am I hearing? When he moves, am I seeing his hand at work in my life? Even when darkness surrounds my soul, do I believe his hand is still holding me, his presence still guiding me? That is faith; believing that he's there and still in control no matter what I can or cannot see. And he will lead me into a wonderful place beyond what I could every imagine or think as I simply put my trust in him!
So today I will choose to stay hidden for awhile with the knowledge that I am bearing a treasure of faith, I have new life growing inside of me and can be assured that this new life in time will be seen and be a testimony to God's faithfulness and grace! Amen!

Wrap It Up!

It's Christmas Day, 2019 and I have joy in my heart today at finding a new perspective of God's heart!
When wrapping up gifts for Christmas there are many different styles, effort and time that goes into wrapping a gift. Some people cannot be bothered to put much into wrapping a gift that will wow the receiver. Others go all out and try to put the most elaborate wrapping paper and bows or ribbons around the gift they are giving. Some even go to the next level and discover some eclectic or highly fashionable way to wrap a gift.
When God the Father sent the gift of his salvation to us, he chose to wrap his gift in the most unlikely wrapping we'd ever think of - human flesh, and that of a new born baby! How clever was that!?
Whenever I've held one of my own children or grandchildren in my arms as a newborn I would feel like I never wanted that precious moment to end. I was totally mesmorized and in love with that new born child each and every time! There's just something so cleansing, so refreshing and awe-inspiring about the face of a new born child! I wonder what God the Father felt when he beheld his only son wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger? I imagine his heart swelled with pure joy! In fact, he held a celebration in heaven right away and he sent angels to share the birth announcement to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night! His Son was to become the gift of salvation to all mankind - God's  heart's desire was at last coming to pass!
But his gift wrap was so unlikely, so unassuming, so easily missed. He did not send Jesus to the city as a prince in beautiful robes riding on a majestic horse with a royal entourage behind him. No, his Son was born to a poor teenage virgin named Mary and with her fiancee Joseph by her side, Jesus was born in a barn, wrapped in simple cloths, was laid in a feeding trough, and visited by some simple shepherds.
Jesus came for the least, the humble, the broken, the needy, the sinful. And anyone can recieve God's wondrous gift who has faith in Jesus' name!
Today will we be caught up in the moment of this most wondrous gift, the awesome sight of this new born babe of Bethlehem or will we distracted with the tinsel and gold?

Too Tired to Serve?

Jesus understands what it's like to be human. After all, he took on bodily form and lived in this world amongst humanity.

Today, I want you to think about what is like after an exciting, eventful time; you've been running on adrenaline because everything's going great. You have lots energy, you're accomplishing many necessary projects, and your outlook on life is, "I'm on top of the world right now! I could stay and live here forever!" You know what I'm talking about! Major life events, like marriage, a newborn child, or a new home, can all be sources of ecstatic emotional highs. Then suddenly, the moment comes when the great feelings wear off and you're left with the ordinary, the mundane routine of life as it was before. For some of us, this change from excitement to the ordinary can bring a sense of anxiety. You feel like you're left with an emotional vacuum where once fullness was.

In Matthew chapter 6:30-32 we see Jesus, knowing the state of euphoria that His disciples were experiencing from a successful mission trip, attempting to lead them to a quiet place where they could rest for awhile. He knew they needed to wind down and eat some food and get some rest so they would have strength to go back to their normal daily routine.

But what happens next is very interesting. Many people who saw them leaving in a boat ran and arrived at the spot ahead of them. Now, if that was me, and say I had just landed on the beach of a nice quiet island to have some "down" time, some R&R, some sweet relief from all of the pressures of life; if I arrived there only to find a crowd there to greet me with a load of work which I had just left behind, you know what I'd be thinking? "Are you kidding me?"  my thoughts would shout! "Seriously, I thought I just left this all behind! Don't you people know I'm tired and need some rest? Jesus told me I needed some sleep! Don't you ever think of anyone but yourself?" 

Moms can relate to this when it comes to taking care of their little ones. You just have a moment to sit and relax and there's a child who shows up and needs your help! (By the way Moms, did you know that carrying for your little ones is a ministry unto the Lord?)

Back to Jesus and His disciples: Jesus' response is amazing! Not for one moment does He feel resentment towards the people who need His help. He felt compassion for them, He saw them as they were, lost sheep without a shepherd to guide them. And instead of a sigh of resentment, He began to teach them.

Moms - sometimes all your child needs is a teaching moment. You may have just fed them, bathed them and played with them, but now they show up with a book and want you to read! What better opportunity to take out a Bible storybook and use it to teach them about how wonderful God is!

Serving moments come along when we least expect them, and often they come in disguise. They'll come as a tired husband, who's worked hard all day and needs a welcoming wife to bless him with a welcoming smile and kiss when he comes through the door. They'll come as a little child who needs Mommy's attention again! They'll come as a fellow worker who needs a helping hand. Serving moments come in many shapes and sizes, and test our patience and ability to put our self aside to be a blessing to someone else.

Jesus and His disciples did finally get the rest and refreshment they desperately needed, but not until they first spent some time ministering to the needs of the lost and lonely.

Let's make more of an attempt to think about others before ourselves, putting their needs before our own. God will bless you with the needed strength to serve, and supply you the blessing of needed rest as well. Don't lose those precious moments that come your way today!

Take care and God bless!

The Importance of Joy

We had experienced a very fun afternoon with our grandchildren; Smiley face chocolate

chip pancakes with Butter Tart ice cream for lunch, peeping through binoculars from the

deck into the backyard, riding down the hill in Amma's new gardening wagon, then more

rides in the wagon (including the dog), attached to Papa's riding lawn mower! What a

blast; Riding, laughing and enjoying sweet things to eat! Who needs the fair or an

amusement park when you can create fun in your own backyard!?

I'm reminded through these fun moments at how important joy is. The Bible says in

Nehemiah 8:20, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."

But how can we experienced joy, especially when we are hearing so much bad news nowadays, this world is becoming a darker place, and even as we face our own brokenness and pain?

Just like fruit, joy needs time to grow! We do not always experience joy in times of pain and misery. But there are certain things we can do to grow joy, even in times of hardship:

Watch your thought life:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, 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...... think on these things" Philippians 4:8

Be thankful:

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

Give Jesus your broken heart:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:1-3

What a beautiful promise – the oil of joy for mourning! I have experienced this kind of healing in my life from the Lord. How about you? Have you given the Lord your heartache and pain and allowed Him to fill you with His joy? Don’t put it off – give Him your heartache today, and He will fill you His joy!

RAIN and WEEDS

Recently I was picking the weeds around our yard that seemed to have popped up overnight from all the rain that had fallen. Then it dawned on me that rain is most welcome for the plants and vegetation that we WANT to see grow and thrive; BUT it also causes vegetation to sprout that we would rather not see. It's a lot of work, keeping up with those pesky plants! But, they are so much easier to pull out when they are small! If you give them time to grow, their roots will grow deeper and stronger. Then they become more difficult to remove.

The rain spoken about in scripture is likened to the Lord's working in our lives. It says in Hosea 6:3 "... He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains watering the earth." (NIV)

The Holy Spirit faithfully works in our lives to bring spiritual growth and fruit. Then we find that as He is working, He also reveals pesky character traits that pose problems when we do not deal with them. Like weeds in a garden; if you don't take the time, care and effort to keep up with negative qualities in your character they will soon grow unchecked and out of control. This causes a greater amount of work, effort and time in the long run! For example; if you've seen the weeds of anger, self-pity, or greed popping up, but do not take the time to pull them out of your heart quickly, they can grow into resentment, bitterness and the endless seeking for more of the things money can buy!

For more helpful insight as to "weeds" and "good plants" in your life read Colossians chapter three.

Take time to evaluate the garden of your heart today!

HOME SWEET HOME!

They say, "Home is where the heart is!" I concur! There's no place quite like home! It's where your security lies, where you can feel at ease, let your hair down, put your feet up; in a nut shell, it's where you can be yourself!
The best and the worst comes out of us at home. We tend to be on our best behaviour elsewhere, but at home, well - you know! You can wash your make-up off, take your earrings out, put your jammies on and simply "chillax"!

I imagine that's partly what I'll feel like when I reach my final home, heaven. Similar to walking in the door of my home after a busy day of running errands;  a gentle sigh of relief, a feeling of peace and tranquillity, time to rest and wind down, my work is finally done - that's the feeling I imagine I'll have when I arrive through eternity's door!
Coming home is also a time to enjoy the fruits of my labour. My husband and I have worked really hard creating beautiful gardens around our property. There are bushes, trees, flowers, a fountain and a few well placed cement figurines. There are bird feeders and bird houses, plants to attract butterflies and arbours with climbing, flowering plants. With all of the time and effort and hard work it's been to create and maintain these gardens, it's so nice just to sit under the awning on our back deck and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. This I also liken to our home in heaven. After all of our hard work here on earth, as tedious at times as it may seem, we will truly enjoy experiencing the fruit of our labours there.
Here are a few scriptures to show this truth:
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)
"One who does righteousness reaps a sure reward." (Proverbs 11:18)
"Whatever you work at, do with all your heart, as working for the Lord.... you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." (Colossians 3:23 & 24)

I'd like to encourage you today to find the place of peace in your heart, that little bit of heaven here on earth that the Lord gives those who trust in Him. Jesus promised His peace to us; He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:23)

There is a place in God's heart where we can feel at home, a place of rest He's created for those who trust in Him. That place is the truest, sweetest and best, "Home Sweet Home" that there ever is!  

Hebrews 4:9-11 "So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labours, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest." 

Right In Front Of Your Eyes!

"It's right in front of your eyes," you exclaim to the person you're asking for help to hand you something! For some reason they just can't see it! Frustrating isn't it?

Do you ever ask for help finding something while grocery shopping, only to see the item just before the grocer points it out? Meanwhile it was there, right in front of you while you were asking! I feel so silly when I do that, but just chuckle and say, "Oh my goodness! It's right in front of my eyes!"  

It seems as though some things are only found after we ask for help. I wonder why that is! Hmmm!

The Apostle Paul was a zealous man, eager to assist the religious leaders to irradiate their nation of what they saw as infectious heresy. He had been trained at the feet of the top religious leader of his time and he was steeped in the culture of Judaism. He was vehemently set on ridding Israel of all who left Judaism to follow Jesus, who had so radically changed the hearts and thoughts of his followers. So vehement was Paul, that he was granted permission to search  from house to house, and town to town to drag to prison all who followed Christ. Paul, whose name was actually Saul at the time was 100% convinced that he saw the whole scenario clearly, until one day, in one moment of time his direction was changed completely! Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus. He appeared in a bright light, as bright as the noon day sun. But do you think the brightness of the light caused Saul to "see the light"? No, it took more than that. Saul also had to ask for direction. When Jesus asked Saul, " Why do you persecute me?" Saul had to request who was speaking to him and what it was that Jesus required of him. And when Jesus told him where to go, what to do and to wait, he simply obeyed. He waited for three days, not eating or drinking anything. As focused as he was in his cruelty, so he became as he waited. He must have been doing an awful lot of soul searching! He knew that he was being confronted face to face with the one who he has been fighting against. Oh, the questions that must have gone through his head! "I need to understand! What is going on? "How could I have been wrong? How could I not have seen this before? Who really is this Jesus and what does he want with me?"

Well, Jesus did answer all of Paul's questions and he called him to become not only a disciple, but an apostle; to help open other blind eyes to see the light of the gospel of Christ and to be changed from a life of sin to righteousness. The Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to  pray for Paul and when he did, something like scales fell from his eyes. It was as though he could see for the first time, although the truth of Jesus Christ was always there, right in front of his eyes!

How about you? Have you been searching for something you need, only to find you're at a dead end? Do you realize yet that it's time to cry, "Lord, help me to see what you want me to see!" When you ask, you will discover that what (or who) you needed is right in front of you, although you never realized it! Let go of your pride, and take some time to allow the Lord to search your heart and mind, and to reveal His ways to you. Jesus will be there for you when you stop fighting Him and start asking for His help. It's HIM you've needed all along!

Psalm 139: 23 & 24
"Search me oh God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts. See if there be a wicked way in me, and let me in the way everlasting."

God can Use a Turkey!

"You turkey!" we say when a friend or family member does something goofy or mischievous. Then we all laugh and brush off the minor misdemeanour's.

But the other day God used not one, but a whole flock of wild turkeys to lift me up! “Huh? How’d they lift you up?” you ask. Well, they didn't literally LIFT me up, but they lifted my spirits!

Pretty weird huh? How can a flock of turkeys lift your spirits you ask? Let me tell you…

So, I was actually having a really difficult day. I was feeling very depressed and sadness covered my soul like thick darkness. Nothing seemed to matter. My soul was in anguish over some of the grief that I carry in my heart and it was especially keen on piercing through any and all of the good in my life. I was feeling as though there was only despair, no hope.

My husband and I were travelling home on a county road that same day and suddenly he exclaimed, “WHAT is THAT?” I looked and shouted, “Wild turkeys!” He pulled over and I grabbed the binoculars that we keep handy in the vehicle. The sight was really amazing! There was a harem of several turkeys in a farmer’s field on the other side of the road and two toms were displaying their tail feathers in a very extravagant manner while presenting a little dance for the females. They were sizing each other up and at the same time trying to impress all of the “ladies”. I was just wishing that I had my good camera when I remembered it WAS in the vehicle; I had forgotten to take it in a couple of weeks previous. I triumphantly scrambled to the back of the Jeep to grab them, hopped outside and began snapping away! Wow! What a rush! It was truly a great experience seeing all of these wild creatures in action! We ended up crossing the road, walking down a ditch, across a makeshift little bridge and through part of a field to the edge of a tree line to try to get a closer look; but as smart as turkeys are, they already were far ahead of us in reaching the other end of the next field!

God will use different things, people and circumstances to lift up our spirits! He works in mysteries, and also uses the simple things of life to encourage us at our lowest times.

Look at what David said in Psalm 3:1 & 2 – “Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me “There is no help for him in God.”  

What hope is there if even God will not help? Do you sometimes feel that way; as though your circumstances are saying that there’s no way out, that even God cannot help you, in fact - He’s against you too?

But listen to what David says next in verses 3 & 4, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.” Isn't that beautiful and encouraging? The Lord is the one who lifts up your head! In other words, when your head is hanging low in despair, He’s there to lift it up!

So – back to the turkeys! The thing that I wanted to share with you was that after this encounter with nature, I simply felt better! I had a sense of joy and excitement, my heart was encouraged! Now, this may not have been the case for you if you had seen some wild turkeys, but God knows what each of us needs. He touches each of us in very personal ways. God knows that I love His creation and nature photography, and He gave me a chance that day to set aside my feelings of doom and despair and trade them in for His joy! Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength”. I received joy from the Lord through those turkeys that day, and as foolish as that may seem to some, it was a miracle of His grace to me!

May you receive encouragement from these words I have written here today, and may the joy of the Lord be your strength!!!

Eve and the Earmark of the Modern Age

The ear mark of the modern age is SELF and self is where sin begins. But this phenomena is not really so modern.  Self is where sin began. The tempter beguiled Eve to think that there was something really good that she was missing out on. Before he came by that day, she may never have paid much attention to THAT specific tree in the middle of the garden. It was a given that it was dangerous , because God had warned about its fruit. Then the beautiful creature sweet-talked her into trying it out. He was so smooth, so very sweet, and he seemed to really care about what Eve was missing out on! He caused her attention to be turned towards THAT tree. Then, without warning the snare he had set caught her; she decided that the tree being so beautiful, and the fruit so appealing, NEEDED to be enjoyed!  She simply MUST try it! She wasted no time in reaching out as fast as she could, before she had too much time to think about it, grabbed one of the luscious fruits and sunk her teeth into it, allowing the flavorful juices to burst over her taste buds. It was sweeter than she expected, and momentarily she felt quite happy! She also felt a little twinge of something she was not familiar with, something that made her feel bad, but she pushed that aside so that she could quickly have her husband try the fruit as well.  And it just so happened at that moment that he was right there beside her! "Adam! You've just GOT to taste this fruit! It's so delicious! My new friend told me about it! Apoarently it's not as dangerous as we thought!" She practicality shoved the fruit into his hands and up to his mouth, so he wouldn't think too much about it. She was determined he experience what she was experiencing, that he share in her happiness and also this new found "strangeness" that she didn't know what to make heads or tails out of! So Adam, wanting to please his wife, took a bite of the fruit she had offered to him. At the same moment the tantalizing juices poured over his tongue, he suddenly became aware of that same strange feeling that Eve was experiencing. It made him feel..... afraid..... But what was he afraid of? He hadn't ever felt that before! "Eve! We're naked! Oh no! God of is going to meet with us soon! We can't greet him like this! We must hide!"
You know the rest of the story. Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness, made excuses for their disobedience, and had to leave the only home they had ever known to live out the remainder of their existence exposed to all sorts of dangers, heartache and pain.
Today, we experience the same temptation, sin and heartache that Adam and Eve did. And it all boils down to this; We either obey or reject God's word. The Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) And, "All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah53:6)
In our own strength we fail. We need Jesus! And the sooner we accept this fact, the better off our lives will be!
Let's be thankful today to God for redeeming us through His Son Jesus. But let's also remember to be aware of the sweet-talker who can "transform himself into an angel of light". Let's not be tripped up by the deception of the modern age, that our own ways and our own thoughts are better than Gods! If the way you're living doesn't match up with His word, it's time to make a change!

He Knows Your Name!

    

“...the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” John 10:2-5

If you are one of the Lord’s sheep, then this devotional is for you!

Your name is really special!

You know why?
Because it is yours!
When someone calls your name, you recognize that they are speaking to you. What if we didn't have names? We can hardly imagine life without them! How would we get someone’s attention? “Hey you!” or “Listen up!” would be a couple of possibilities, but it would not be a very personal way of communicating, would it? There is something about having our very own name that is actually very special. Now, if you’re like me, you may not always have liked your given name, but you didn't have any choice in the name you were given at birth. That was your parents’ privilege. After all – they brought you into the world!
God knows your name, and that is very special! You are NOT a “nobody”! You are one of His flock! And since you ARE one of His sheep, then He will call you by name and lead you in the path that He wants you to take. You follow Him, because you recognize His voice.

Jesus said that His sheep run from the voice of a stranger, because they don’t know that voice. There is a relaxed feeling when you hear the voice of a good friend or loved one. If someone would call out your name in a crowd and you didn't know them, you wouldn't respond – why? Because you wouldn't trust someone who would talk to you that doesn't KNOW you! So, also, because we know the voice of our Good Shepherd, we know He won’t lead us wrong. He has our best interests at heart.

Listen for the Lord's voice today!

Remember - He knows your name!

Like ·  · Share