"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.” Psalm 18:2
God is strong; solid as a rock; protective as a fortress and a shield. He is our place of shelter. His strength is perfect and complete. It's a resource which can never be exhausted. And it's available to each of us! Whenever we feel absolutely weak and defeated, vulnerable to sin or depression or failure, let’s draw on His strength, His deliverance and His love. Run to Him! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Many try to discover the secrets of what the future holds, but no one really knows what’s in store. Instead of fretting about the unknown, let’s prepare ourselves for any eventuality which God may bring on our path. To be able to enter the unknown future in hope and trust, a positive and living faith in God is imperative! When Christ lives in our heart and thoughts, we will be able to face the future without any fear. We shall have the quiet assurance we will not be confronted by any situation in which Christ and us will not be able to overcome together! We should live only in the fear of the Lord! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples.” Psalm 77:13-14
We serve a wonderful God!. Unfortunately, we sometimes lose sight of His greatness and end up leading unfulfilled lives. Instead of growing into the fullness of His stature by focusing on Him, we try to reduce Him to our level. God is great and Scripture resounds with His invitation for us to share in His greatness! When we are aware of God living in us, our attitude to life changes and our heart will overflow with gratitude for the glory and beauty which God imparts to our daily life. In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
Today regardless of how bad things may appear, God is greater than any situation! Every day is a unique gift to us from God. What we make of it is our responsibility. The way in which we welcome each new day will depend on our frame of mind and attitude towards life. Fortunately for us, our frame of mind isn’t something we have to leave in the hands of fate or coincidence. God has given us the ability to choose our frame of mind. Meet every day with joy and expectation and then we can live a hope-filled, prayerful, victorious life in the name of Jesus Christ! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “Cease striving, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Nothing surprises God. What puzzles us is permitted by our Lord, for reasons we cannot grasp. It is put together in the counsel of His own will so that it fits perfectly into His plan for His glory and purposes. As His servant, we should respond, “I will not fear. Though I don’t understand it, I will not fear. I will not blame, I will not doubt, and I will not question.” [Jesus said,] "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
At the end of the year, it’s nice to be invited to rest in Jesus. Before we begin a new year, let's pause and place our hopes, our future, our dreams, and especially our burdens down at His feet and let God give us rest. In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! Zechariah prophesied concerning John,] "You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God." Luke 1:76-78
Where does salvation come from? Does it come from our sense that something is desperately wrong and we need to change and make it better? Does it come from casting things in a more positive light so we don't become discouraged and quit? Does it come from a lucky break? Does it come because we are scrupulously righteous and deserve it come our way? Does it come from rigorously obeying everything in the law? No! Salvation and forgiveness come from one source, "the tender mercy of our God." In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! ‘For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.’ Romans 15:4
If the Bible is a love story, then its theme is hope! No matter how dire the circumstances, no matter how big the enemy, no matter how deep the sin, no matter how lost the people, no matter how empty the cupboard, no matter how wide the river, no matter, just no matter…God repeatedly gives His people reason to hope in a brighter tomorrow. God brought the assurance of tomorrow in Jesus! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" Isaiah 29:15
Aren't we so very silly sometimes! We try to hide what we are doing and what we are planning from the Lord. We are only fooling ourselves. Just knowing God knows our plans and sees our actions is threatening. After time to think it through, it’s good to know God does see everything! This insures justice will be done and our mess will be evaluated by our intentions, not just our failures! It also means those who plot to do us harm will have to answer to God, and we don't have to worry about "settling the score" or "getting even." In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
Who are your closest friends? Good friends are hard to come by in a world of superficial acquaintances and shallow relationships. "Hanging with the crowd" can give us a false sense of belonging, but often leaves us wounded and alone in times of trouble. Open, honest, supportive, and loving relationships don't happen without investment. Ask the Lord to lead you to close friends in His family. Minister to and serve those around you as you listen to their requests, faithfully upholding them in prayer. Trust God will give you a "stick-through-thick-and-thin-friend." Development of Christian friends is an investment of effort and time, they are friends with whom we can share with always. In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! |
Pastor Derrick RichardsonPastor of Community Abundant Life Church Archives
March 2024
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