Day 18

Hello everyone, I'm sorry that I've been so far behind but I've had a lot going on and then I couldn't find my Bible. But in that time when I was so worried about finding it and doing these blogs in a hurry, I feel that God told me it's ok and He would rather me do them late than not at all or in a rush where I may miss the entire message that He wants to bring across to you all. I still apologize for the delay but hopefully I'll be able to get back on track.

The verses for January 18th are: Genesis 32:1-33:20; Psalm 10:13-18; Proverbs 3:1-2; Matthew 12:9-37

In the Genesis verses discusses Jacob wrestling with a man all night. I had always heard the story of him wrestling with an angel but this bible says a man. Anyway I never understood the significance of this story until now. Can you imagine wrestling with someone until all night until the sun comes up? I would imagine that you would be very tired and probably extremely sore. Plus Jacob was all alone with no one to help him either but he continued to wrestle with him. Now the most significant part of this story comes in Genesis 32: 27 when the man asks Jacob what his name is and he tells them. Now for me I thought nothing of this because considering they were wrestling all night asking their name seems like nothing out of the ordinary, but it is.

You know how throughout the bible people's names are changed (i.e.-Abram to Abraham) and there is usually some significant meaning behind the name change. When stating your name in biblical times (and even now) it has a significant meaning to it and imagine that your name was less that wonderful and you had to reveal that to a complete stranger....how would that make you feel?

When I read this I felt that at times we 'wrestle' with God, fighting Him with all our might in hopes that He will see us the way we feel we ought to be perceived when it should be the other way around. We should be trying to see what God wants us to be instead. Remember how tiring I said wrestling could be, it's just like when we try to get God to see things our way and then get frustrated or upset when it doesn't work out the way we want it too. Or maybe your way of 'wrestling' is that you go through life striving for a perfection that you'll never reach, pretending to be someone you're not in order to live up to this specific ideal that you were never meant for.

All of this can become very exhausting both mentally and physically but my real question is why do we feel we have to 'wrestle' with God? One regardless of how we think our lives should go His will is going to be done anyway and two, He knows exactly who we are so what's the point in pretending? He knows we'll never be perfect and He doesn't expect us to be so why do we try to hide our flaws from Him? He made us and He knows us inside and out and top to bottom. So just tell him your name.

And I mean really telling Him, for example my name would most likely be "impatience." As much as I try to pretend that waiting for certain things don't bother me, they do to no end! I am one of those "instant satisfaction" people as someone very close to me always says. I don't want to wait for it I want it right then and there. I've even questioned God as to why I have to wait when it seems like no one else has to. Can you just imagine that, me demanding anything from the Lord and two being all up in someone else's blessing that God has for them when it has nothing to do with me...yes I'm ashamed but like I said no need to hide it when God knows exactly who I am...we have some real talks :)

But do you understand? When Jacob told the man his name, he was in a vulnerable position after wrestling him, which could potentially seem like less than flattering behavior. But then the man gave Jacob an even better name (Genesis 32:28). This made me think of no matter how bad we may feel or how much we have tried to make God see things our way, or even when we flat out mess up to the point where we feel we can't get over it, He will still mold us and change us into the best that we can be. We just have to be willing to reveal our true selves to God and be honest and understand that we cannot do anything without Him.

Prayer

God, help me to tell You my name-my real name. Help me dodge no longer, the game is up. Take out of me the spirit of demandingness. Change my name and my character. Save me from myself. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Further Study

1 John 1:1-9; Ezra 10:11; 2 Samuel 12:13

What are we to do with our sin?

How did Nathan respond to David?

Thank you all so much for sticking with me during this journey, it is definitely an interesting one, but again I want to thank each and everyone of you and I pray that you all stay blessed :)

Day 17

Hello hello, good people. Hope you all are having a blessed day :)

Today's verses come from Genesis 31:1-55; Psalm 10:7-12; Proverbs 2:20-22; Matthew 11:20-12:8

As I've said before I sometimes find it hard to believe that God loves me just for me. There are plenty of times when I feel unworthy of His love because there are a lot of times that I'm so undeserving of it, but then again I guess that's the point isn't it? Jesus said "come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28) Maybe it's just me but it sometimes feels strange to take all your problems to someone because I feel like I'm burdening them. But when I say this I am thinking pf it from a human standpoint, meaning that I feel like I would be bothering God if I take all my problems to Him, especially when I feel like I don't deserve to do so. However, God is so much more than a mere human and I shouldn't even try to compare Him to our human standards.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though we stumble or feel at our lowest God is still there to take on how we feel even when we feel unworthy of His covering but He loves us and only wants us to have the best even when it seems like everything is against us.

Prayer

O Father, help me come to the quiet time expectancy-expectancy that here my weakness shall become strength, my doubt become my faith, my fears become courage, and my sin become redemption. I ask this for Your own dear name's sake. Amen.

Further Study

Jeremiah 15:1-16; Deuteronomy 8:3; Job 23: 12; Psalm 119: 103

What was Jeremiah's experience?
What did the children of Israel have to learn?

I truly enjoyed this prayer because I often have a lot of weakness, doubts and fear and I forget that God can transform my weaknesses and turn them into something so much greater and better than I could even imagine. Thank you Lord for all you do for me

I hope you all stay bless and safe :)

Day 16

Happy Sunday everybody!

Today's verses are from Genesis 29: 13-30:43; Psalm 10:1-6; Proverbs 2: 16-19; Matthew 11:1-19

On the suggestion of a friend I decided this time I would ask some questions for the verses. Enjoy :)

1. How do you feel about Laban tricking Jacob into working 14 years for Rachel?

2. How do you feel about Leah and Rachel giving their slaves to Jacob to conceive their children?

3. What do you feel about those who are wicked?

Prayer

My Father and my God, I have gathered some wisdom on my journey through life, but now I pray for the kind of wisdom that is greater and sharper than all earthly wisdom-Your wisdom. Make me a wise person, my Father. In Jesus' name. Amen

Further Study

Proverbs 2:1-3:35

What are we not to let out of our sight?

What do the wise inherit?

I hope you all had a great day. What questions do you all have for the verses? Be blessed everyone :)

Day 15

Hello everyone!

For today's verses are Genesis 27: 30-29:12; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 2:11-15; Matthew 10:21-42.

Prayer

O Father, I am so grateful that You have recorded in Scripture so many illustrations of the truths You want me to know. I see so much of myself in Jacob. Help me from this day forward to be less and less like him in this. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Further Study

Luke 15:11-32; Matthew 20: 1-16

How did the prodigal's brother display demandingness?

How did Jesus illustrate it?

So as you can see today's lesson was just the verses and a video. Well that's for a few reasons. Mainly because I wait so late to do these and I do apologize for that because it isn't fair to you all who are following this because it puts you behind as well. So my intention is to start doing these at a decent hour so you all can keep up with it and so I can fully get my thoughts out and not rush like at times like this. Also because when I did read the verse this song came to mind and I felt that it just went with it...what do you all think? But again I apologize greatly and will definitely do better from now on because God's word should work on His time and not mine and I want to be bless by it as much as I pray that you all are blessed by this as well.

Ok everyone I hope you all had a blessed day and have a blessed Sunday as well.

Day 14

Hello wonderful people. I hope you all have enjoyed your Friday.

The word of the Lord today comes from Genesis 26:12-27:29; Psalm 9:7-12; Proverbs 2:9-10; Matthew 10:1-20.

Do you ever get tired of looking at the news or opening up a newspaper just to see that something tragic has happened? I know for me it can get down right depressing to see some of the tragedies that take place in this world. As sad as it may seem God prepares us for times like this with his word. He knew the sin that would take over and in His word He makes sure that we are well equip for the trials ahead.

In the verses in Matthew, Jesus prepares His 12 disciples for going out into the world and warns them that even though they may come across those who won't listen to them, they shouldn't worry because "but when they hand you over, don't worry about how or what you speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you" (Matthew 10: 19-20).

I found this to be a great comfort because there are plenty of times I am faced with a difficult situation and I don't know how I will address it and somehow God helps me get the right words across to those so they may hear what I have to say. I'm so glad that God stays with us in these trying times and it wonderful to know that where we lack He will do the rest.

Prayer

O God, I am so grateful that I am not an orphan in this universe. I have a homeland, the kingdom of God. And because nothing can hinder the establishing of that kingdom, I have a peace that nothing can disturb. I am so grateful. Amen.

Further Study

Psalm 24:1-10; 2 Chronicles 20:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 19:6

What picture does the psalmist give us?

What is his exhortation?

I pray that you all have a very safe and fun weekend. Be blessed everyone :)

Day 13

God is good isn't He everyone? Hope your days have been blessed and full of favor. Just waking up this morning showed me that mine is :)

The verses for January 13th are: Genesis 24:55-26:11; Psalm 9:1-6; Proverbs 2:6-8; Matthew 9: 18-38.

From what I gathered from these verses, it is all about praising God. In the Genesis verses it showed the blessings that God had granted to Abraham's family even after he had passed away. Psalm and Proverbs verses tell about how God blesses those who follow Him by protecting them that follow Him and Matthew showed how Jesus healed so many that they couldn't help but share how He had blessed them and just had to praise Him.

Now I know for me it's a lot easier to praise Him when things are going well for me but as soon as things get tough I tend to pray a little bit more in hopes that He will bring me through. How messed up is that? It's like having a friend call you only when they need something. I know how annoying that is when someone does that to me and I really don't want to treat God that way either.

Praise Him when things are at their very worst. Why? Well I know how easy it is to throw yourself a pity party and get so down because things just don't seem to be going your way, but you can't forget the things that God is doing for you. Such as waking you up in the morning, being able to see, walk, hear, sit or stand, things that you may take for granted. Even in the midst of hard times God continues to bless us even when we hardly notice it. It could be something as simple as giving us someone to talk to who will listen to what we are going through or anything like that that we may not even recognize. Just be sure to praise Him just because He is God through it all, plus it'll really make the enemy mad :) And despite our circumstances, our belief that God will bring us through and our faith in God guarantees us a place in Heaven so the things of this world look a bit trivial compared to a lifetime in Heaven. So be sure to give God the glory and honor.

Prayer

Father, I am utterly amazed when I realize You have not only taken me out of Satan's kingdom, but You are using my prayer, when in is in line with Your pattern, to demolish his kingdom and re-establish Yours. Help me participate with all my might. Amen.

Further Study

Ephesians 1:17-2:7 and 6:1; 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 11:3

What is Christ's position?

What is our position?

Have a blessed and wonderful day everyone :)

Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 12

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your middle point to the week.

Today's verses are Genesis 24:1-54; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:1-5; Matthew 8:28-9:17

Truthfully, I have little to say about these verses so instead of giving you all this long interpretation of what I thought (mostly because I really don't have one today) I'd much rather hear your interpretations of the verses. But I would like to leave you all with a few questions that I'm curious about: Why do you think it's so hard to forgive someone? When we ask for forgiveness and get it, why is it so hard for us to forgive ourselves?

Since the some of the verses pertained to forgiveness, I figured I would ask these questions because over the past few months I have struggled with forgiving myself for some of the things that I have done to those I cared about most and it has kind of gotten to the point where it eats me up inside because I feel so guilty about how I treated them, especially since I know I can't go back and change any of it. However, I am learning to let that stuff go and even though I do still bad about it, I'm so glad God can forgive me.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, not only have You forgiven me, but You keep on forgiving me. Help me realize, however, that though Your forgiveness is free, it is not cheap. For You had to die in order to bring me forgiveness. Help me never forget that. Amen.

Further Study

Matthew 26:17-30; Acts 2:38 & 13:38; Hebrew 9:22

Why is forgiveness available?

Seek forgiveness for your sin today.

Stay warm and blessed everyone :)

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(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 11

Happy 1-11-11 everyone :) Hope that your days was fabulous and that you stay warm.

Our verses today can be found in Genesis 21:22-23:20; Psalm 7:9-17; Proverbs 1:32-33 and Matthew 8:5-27.

Faith is a really powerful thing, yet at times I find it hard to have faith in things that seem like they will never change. It's hard to believe something that you're not sure about. In chapter 22 of Genesis, Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his only son. Now, God had already promised Abraham that his children would be as numerous as the stars yet, He was telling Abraham to kill his only son. But Abraham never questioned God and did as he was told.

How many of us can honestly say we would just go along with a task like that? I don't have any children but I can imagine how difficult it would be for me if God were to ask me to do something like that to a relative or even a friend that I cared deeply about. This is something that may often get us into trouble though, thinking that we know better than God so we try to find out ways to do it the way we see fit when we really need to have an attitude like Abraham and say "God Himself will provide.."(Genesis 22:8). God does test us with hard times just to see if we will fully trust in Him and lean on Him for everything. As I've said before God will give us what we need if we just trust the plan that He has for us and not try to force the plans that we have for ourselves.

Prayer

Father, I see that again You are about to face me with a strong and serious challenge. Forgive me if I draw back when Your lance plunges deep. I have lived with demandingness for so long that I might not even be able to recognize it. Help me, Lord. Amen.

Further Study

Galatians 2:15-21; Isaiah 29:15 and 30:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:24

How did Paul describe "demandingness"?

What were the children of Israel doing?

I pray for miracles for you all. Be blessed everyone :)

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 10

Greetings everyone hope you all have had a blessed day today.

The wonderful word has for us today Genesis 19:23-21:21; Psalm 7:1-8; Proverbs 1:28-31 and Matthew 7:13-8:4.

I enjoyed reading these verses because it showed how God can use certain people around you to help you get a relationship with Him. Sometimes we fall on hard times and think that God has forgotten about us, but in fact He is using the hard times so that we will appreciate and understand the full extent of the blessings He has for us when we receive them. I feel that sometimes He allows us to witness some of the struggles so that once we gain victory we can be able to tell others about the goodness of Jesus.

Just today, I had a conversation with a good friend and we discussed how we both had fallen on hard times and how it seemed like so many doors had been closed to us and how down we would get and not understand why these things were happening. He had to remind that everything we go through is a test and that we can't lose our faith because everything happens in God's will we have to remain strong despite our situations. Later, this evening I was having a conversation with another friend and we got into a disagreement and I just felt so upset about it that I called my friend to discuss it with him. After I told him how I felt about the situation and he just calmly reassured me that I shouldn't worry about and to just give it God and remain strong in our faith....I was so shocked by how easily he could just give this issue to God, but this is also why I love this friend so much because he turns it all over to God and I mean all.

I almost felt ashamed because I even though I felt that the issue was big I felt it was just too small to give to God. My friend quickly put those thoughts out of my head telling me that nothing is too big or small for God. That really made a huge difference for me because just like in the verses you never know how anyone will be able to strengthen your bond with God or even bring you to God for the first time. I truly thank God for using my friend to make the relationship between God and myself stronger while at the same time renewing the friendship between my friend and I. Thank you Lord :)

Prayer

O God, I am so thankful for the experience of my own conversion. May the wonder of it never dim within me. It began in a miracle and its sustained by a miracle. Blessed be your wonderful Name forever. Amen

Further Study

Acts 9:1-31; John 1:12

What suddenly happened to Saul?

How did he respond?

I want to thank all my readers for reading this and even if no one ever does read this God's glory will still be lifted up through His use of me and I am very glad that He chose me to reach all of you :) Be blessed, stay warm and I love you all.

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 9

Happy Sunday wonderful children of God! Hope your day went well.

Today's lesson is from Genesis 18:1-19:22, Psalm 6:6-10, Proverbs 1:24-27, Matthew 6:25-7:12

How often do we stress and worry about the things of this world? I imagine that there are a few things that we worry about in our daily lives such as how bills will get paid, what we will eat or even what we will wear. These things come with living a human life, but God doesn't want us to rely on the stresses of the world and depend on Him.

The word says "but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6: 33-34). Now isn't this the truth? Believe me, I have spent a lot of time worrying and wondering about certain situations that I knew I couldn't handle on my own and was worried about how they were going to get solved, but as the verses say God will provide for us. No matter what it is He will. First hand experience tells me this, but how many times have we witnessed God work things out in our lives just when things seemed like they weren't going to get any better but then, when another situation arises, we freak out and have a 'woe is me' moment like it's the end of everything? Guilty!

I have been guilty of this a few times. Yet, after I calm down and think back to how God worked it out for me I realize that He hasn't let me fall so far so why in the world would He stop now. Also, there are times when things happen that we just don't understand and because they don't fit into our "life plan" we try to fix something that God has no intention for us to have our hands in at all and then we get so worked up about instead of leaving it to the Lord to sort out. Sometimes we just need to take a step back for our situations, stop worrying about it and let God handle it. If we do that we feel a whole lot better and the situation will be solved. It's a win-win situation :)

Prayer

Gracious Father, I begin to see that there is something here that demands my thoughts and attention, and I don't want to miss it. Prepare me in mind and spirit for what You want to teach me in the days ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Further Study

Luke 9:51-62; Matthew 5:3; John 3:3; James 2:5

What did Jesus teach about the kingdom?

What did Jesus say to His would-be followers?

I hope you all have a wonderful week and again bundle up and stay warm. Be blessed everyone

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 8

Hello everyone. Hope you all are alright and everything is going well, if not I will be sure to lift you all up in prayer :)

The verses for today are Genesis 15:7-17:27, Psalm 6:1-5, Proverbs 1:20-23 and Matthew 6:5-24.

I really don't have too much to say on these verses but it discusses the value of prayer and how to be sure that you do it just to be seen but when you pray make sure that it is a personal conversation with the Lord and to go in your secret place when you pray. It also talks about how the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and how your prayers should model after it.

I felt that this song went well the verses for today as well so enjoy :)

Prayer

O God, as I begin this quest for a deeper and more effective prayer life, my heart cries out: "Lord teach me how to pray." For I know that when I learn to pray, I learn to live---vitally and victoriously. Amen.

Further Study

1 Timothy 2:1-8, 1 Chronicles 16:11, Luke 18:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

What was Christ's injunction?

What is Paul's desire?

Be blessed everyone :)

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

A Sacrifice Like No Other

I discovered this short film entitled Most (The Bridge) when someone on Facebook mentioned it so I decided to check it out. I was very touched by this and it is an excellent example of 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 ever lasting life." I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did as reminder of what God did for us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Enjoy :)

The Bridge

(I do not own this content and it is for viewing purposes only!)

Day 7

Hey everyone! Today was a snowy Friday for me which I see as just another blessing from the Lord.

Today's verses are Genesis 13:1-15:6, Psalm 5:7-12, Proverbs 1:17-19 and Matthew 5:33-6:4

What all these verse had in common is that the Lord will protect those that are righteous for Him and give them great rewards. It also advices those who try to be righteous and do good things just to gain praises from those on this earth because if that is what you're after then you've already gotten your reward here and will not be rewarded in Heaven.

This was nice to read because far too often do people do things claiming them to be "out of the goodness of their heart," but when no one acknowledges what they have done they make a big deal about it. Personally when people do this it makes me so mad because if you truly are doing something out of kindness then seeing the other person happy whether they know you did it or not should be enough, but when you make a big deal about how much you spent on something or all you did to make sure so and so had this, it takes away from the action and puts the focus on you. So it is important to remember when we praise the Lord that we do it for the glory of Him and not for the glory of ourselves.

Prayer

O God, how grateful I am for the sureness and certainty of Your Word. Once again I feel it entering into the core of my being. Help me to put these truths into practice the very moment I come under satanic attack. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Further Study

Proverbs 30:1-5, Deuteronomy 33:29, Psalm 33:20, 59:11, 84:9

Why was Israel blessed?

What was the psalmist's continual testimony?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and try to stay warm :) Be blessed!

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 6

Praise the Lord everyone and how are you doing on this fabulous day that the Lord has made? I am feeling much more rested than I was yesterday and even managed to wake up and read my verses a lot earlier than intended so I feel like this is going to be the start of a wonderful day. I pray that your day goes wonderful for you as well :)

Today's verses come from Genesis chapter 11 through chapter 12 stopping at the 20th verse in chapter 12, Psalm 5:1-6, Proverbs 1:15-16, and Matthew 5:13-32.

In chapter 12 of Genesis, God tells Abram take his wife and nephew and travel away from their home and relatives to a land where God will surely bless him (Genesis 12:1-3). Can you just imagine if God were to come to you and say pack up everything and leave your family and friends to go somewhere and you not have any clue as to where you are going?

When this story was often told in church, I recall that my dad would always say that if this were to happen to our family, how hard it would be for him to explain to us that we just had to up and leave, especially if we didn't know where we were going. I'm sure it would be human nature to wonder about that especially when we are naturally curious and just leaving behind everything we know and love with no real explanation other than God said so would be hard for us to comprehend.

But God had already promised Abram that He would provide him with blessings. This was a true test of faith because Abram could have easily said "my family is here and I don't want to leave them. What am I going to tell my wife? We can't just up and leave like this." But Abram was obedient to God and did as he was told.

So often we think that we know better than God and try to do things our way instead of having faith that He knows what he's doing. This, in turn, could make a situation worse because no matter how long we try to do it our way, God will ultimately have His way and we may just be delaying the blessings He has for us.

It like when road work is occurring and we must wait in traffic. We get so impatient that we try to find a way around it because we're in so big of a hurry or just don't feel like waiting. Sometimes us looking for another way around can cause us to end up waiting even longer than we would have if we had not just been patient and waited for the work to subside. I feel that God sometimes allows us to try and do things our way just so He can step in and show us just how much simpler it would have been if we just trusted Him in the first place. This is not to be cruel or anything but so that we will understand that we can call on Him whenever we need to and know that He will not lead us anywhere with the intent to hurt us or make us suffer and He will be standing right beside us. He won't leave us.

Psalm, Proverbs, and Matthew basically emphasize that God punishes sin accordingly and does not tolerate wickedness or sin and that you should not follow along with sinful acts because there is no way to get around the punishment that comes along with it. God does not do these things to keep us from having a good time but to protect us from His wrath. It may seem harsh but the Lord just cannot and will not tolerate sin.

In this day and age it seems so easy to forget God's law when it seems like everyone is doing their own thing and making their own rules. But just like you and me, everyone will one day be accountable for their actions and it is better to get them in order now than to suffer the ultimate fate of not reaching Heaven's gates. This isn't meant to scare anyone but to make you aware that the consequences of our earthly actions are real and we must be accountable and aware of the things we do and ask ourselves if they would be pleasing to God.

Now, no one is going to live a perfect life, it's impossible because we were born into sin. We will make mistakes and mess up from time to time, but that is why Jesus died for us in the first place, to erase all of our sins. Our debts are paid because of Him. However, this does not mean that we can continue to act just any kind of way without expecting consequences. God is a forgiving and loving God and will forgive us for what we have done if we truly mean it because despite all of our sins He wants us to be able to make Heaven our home.

Prayer

O Father, how serious and solemn is all this, but yet how true. Sin must ultimately be punished. I am grateful that in Christ my debt has been paid, and availing myself of Your offer I am eternally free. Blessed be your name forever. Amen.

Further Study

Zephaniah 3:1-5, Psalm 103:6, John 5:30, Romans 2:2

What does God do morning by morning?

What is God's judgment based on?

Have a great day everyone and be blessed :)

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 5

Greetings lovers of Christ and others who have just stumbled upon this blog. Well it's only day 5 and I'm already having one of those days where I just don't feel like blogging. Yep, I knew I would have days like this but not so soon. I'm just really tired and sleepy for some reason and I struggled to get through my verses today so please pray that I get some of my energy back :)

Today's verses are Genesis 9:8-10:32; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 1:10-14 and Matthew 4:21-5:12

In the Genesis verses it tells how whenever there is a rainbow in the sky it is a reminder of God's covenant with us that He would not destroy the world again with water. I always love seeing a rainbow after its rains too because it gives me hope. I think it's amazing that this promise is still in full effect even now. It just goes to show that God will never break His promises to us.

Also in the Genesis it spoke of how Noah was the first to plant a vineyard and from the wine it produced, Noah indulged himself a little too much and took his clothes off. Noah's son, Ham, went into Noah's tent, discovered he was naked and told his brothers. His brothers (Shem and Japheth) went and cover Noah but made sure they did not look at him while they did this. When Noah awoke the next day and learned what Ham had done and place a curse on Canaan (Ham's son).

When I read this I'll be honest, I had no clue why Noah cursed Canaan when he was the one who was drunk. I had to research some help on this one and found out that Ham was sort of gossiping about his father's state, perhaps he found humor in it and since he told his brothers that Noah was naked, then he probably told everyone else too. Shem and Japheth clearly found no joy in their father's condition and made sure they did not look upon when they covered him. Ham could have easily covered his father and no one else needed to know about what happened.

This just reminded me of how out of control gossip can get and when someone feels that they need to spread your business the backlash of it all can be devastating to all who are involved. In this instance Noah punished his son, Ham by punishing his child Canaan. It's a sad thing that had to happen but this is what happens when gossip gets around everyone can be hurt.

Psalm 4:1-8 is basically saying that God hears us when we call on Him and not to worry about those find joy in things that are worthless because God will always be there to protect us.

Proverbs 1:10-14 is generally saying yield not to temptation no matter how fun it may seem, don't be persuade to participate in sinful acts.

Matthew 4:21-5:12 are about the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) which tell of those who are blessed and what blessings they will receive and not to worry about the trivial things that occur and seem hard because for those who are blessed their rewards will be great.

Prayer

Blessed Lord Jesus, You who knew the hurt of being falsely accused, draw near in the power of Your Spirit and heal me now. I take---and You undertake. Thank You, Savior. Amen

Further Study

James 3; 1 Peter 3:16, 2:1; Luke 6:7

What is the hardest thing to tame?

For what should we use our tongues?

I know I didn't have too much to say today but I pray that God continues to bless each and everyone of you and your families. Be blessed :)

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 4

Hello everyone. Hope you all had a blessed day :)

Today's verses are Genesis chapter 7, 8, 9:1-7; Psalm 3:1-8; Proverbs 1:8-9; and Matthew 4:1-20.

In Genesis they were talking about Noah's time on the ark and how it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. I suppose I'm a bit biased because I already know the story of Noah's Ark and it actually brought back a memory that I had from the 2nd grade when were learning our multiplication tables, so I thought I would share it with you all (know that this is just for entertainment purposes and in are not completely accurate accounts of what happened on Noah's Ark so please be sure to read the verses)

Now I really enjoyed reading Psalm 3:1-8. It basically stated how the Lord protects us from our enemies and how we shouldn't be afraid of them because we have God on our side. It also reminded me of how in this day and age people like to say they have "haters" :)

Proverbs 1:8-9 are basically some instructions on listening to your parents because their words of wisdom will help as you face similar situations.

Matthew 4:1-20 I enjoyed reading the most! It was when Jesus was in the wilderness fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and the Devil came to tempt him. Every attempt the Devil made to persuade Jesus, He came back at the Devil with a scripture...every time. However, the Devil was cunning and he too came back at Jesus quoting scriptures as well. I think this is very important because it shows how crafty the enemy is and how we must know for ourselves what God's word say because the enemy could throw some things that sound good towards you but in order to know the difference, we must study and learn for ourselves so will be able to face the enemy when the time comes and won't be fooled by their temptations.

After reading the verses there was a passage about how some people don't feel as if the Devil is an actual entity and feel that he is merely an influence that causes us to do sinful things. I found this very interesting because earlier in the day my friend and I were having a similar conversation along the lines of whether or not the Devil was an actual being or do we (as people) invent him ourselves to take the blame for when we do something wrong (i.e.-"the Devil made me do it"). This passage just confirm that he is indeed a being and we need to be prepared when it comes to dealing with him and know that he can come at us in any shape or form.

(Please note that when I refer to the Devil as a "he" don't take it to mean that as a male figure. As stated before the Devil may appear in any form that we may find pleasing)

Prayer

Father, help me see that the first step in spiritual warfare is to "know the enemy." For until I know and understand my enemy, I will not be able to defeat him. Deepen my knowledge of these important truths, I pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Further Study

1 John 3:1-8; Hebrews 2:14; John 12:30-31

Why was Jesus made manifest?

What did He declare?

I hope everyone continues to have a great week. Be blessed :)

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 3

Blessings and abundance to everyone on this day!

Today's verses are Genesis chapters 5 & 6, Psalm 2:7-12, Proverbs 1:7, Matthew 3:1-17

In Genesis chapter 5 we learn were the expression "as old as Methuselah" comes from. Methuselah was 969 years old when he died (verse 27). As I was reading chapter 5 of Genesis I found it amazing that people could live for so long back then. Now if someone makes it be 100 years old we count that a major blessing.

My sister and I would often talk about why no one lives to be 500 and 600, etc anymore and we've often had the theory that's because there is so much sin in the world. Up until today I just thought it was a good guess on our part because we were pretty sure that was what the reason was. Between all the killings, gluttonous bad habits and unhealthy choices it just seemed like the logical explanation, but then Genesis 6:3 says "My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years." I honestly didn't know that the 120 years came from this verse, I had heard it before but it was never clearly explained to me why and now I know :)

One verse that just made me really sad was Genesis 6:6 "the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." Talk about some serious serious disappointment. It reminded me of how you do something wrong and instead of punishment your parents tell you how disappointed they are in you...that was one of the worst feelings ever and when I read that God regretted even creating us, I had to stop for a second and try to imagine the hurt that He felt with all the nonsense that was going on especially since that was not the reason He created us. Even the worst thing I could think of probably didn't come close to the pain He was feeling and it just made me so ashamed of the things that I've done wrong. Thank goodness God is loving and forgiving and doesn't constantly pound guilty and criticism over our heads after we ask to be forgiveness and He just forgives us right there on the spot. Otherwise we would be in a whole mess of trouble, but thank God for 2nd chances.

And speaking of 2nd chances.....

Chapter 6 of Genesis tells how God just got so fed up with the corruptness that was on the earth that He decided destroy everything and instructed Noah to build an ark and he was to place his family and 2 of every animal on the ark. When I was little and read that God wanted to destroy everything on earth I thought it was very harsh to just wipe out everyone like that. Yet, as I study this now, I see what God did as a second chance in some ways. It's kind of like in life when you try to hold on to some things that just don't need to be in your life but you still try to make it work. I think that's what God did, He tried to make to hold on to the fact that these were His creations and He made them out of love and he really wanted it all to work out. But just like in life when you can't find any good left in some things you just have to wipe the slate clean, cut your ties and move on and that's just want God had to do.

I feel it was a second chance because he allow Noah to be a part of a world much better than the original one....but we haven't gotten to that part of the story yet but think of it as a promise of hope. In life when we go through bad things we feel like it's the end of the world and in Noah's case it was literally but God granted him and his family access to a better one. So when you feel like your world is caving in and being destroyed it's probably just God's way of building something even better for you. So don't feel like your life is being destroyed...how about we just think of it as remodeling :)

I'll stop here for a few minutes just to say how blessed I was from reading these two chapters and the message I received while reading them. I've heard the story of Noah's Ark plenty of times and never got this message out of it before and there's no way I would have come up with something like this on my own. I can take no credit for this revelation because this clearly came straight from God and He was using me to bring it across to someone out there (including myself). This is really cool because I've never actually felt personally used by God before, so right now I'm super excited! :) :) :)

Psalm 2:7-12 to me says that God is our Father and we are His children and because of this if you ask Him, He will make what you need yours and if you choose not to serve Him, He will be angry and "you will perish for you rebellion" (Psalm 2: 12b) and that "all those who take refuge in Him are happy" (Psalm 2:12d). So the wrath of God or serve Him and be happy.....I think I know what my choice is going to be :) I mean why not? As I've said before because we are all God's children there is nothing He won't do for us if we simply serve Him....sounds like a fair trade to me :)

Proverbs 1:7 is along the same lines saying "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." To me that says ignorance is not bliss and personally I would rather be able to learn something from the One that is fully of knowledge than to be a fool...this also reminds me of the saying "don't be a fool, stay in school" and I guess that kind of works here to considering we go to school to gain knowledge....but anywho lol....

Matthew 3:1-17 shares how John the Baptist prophesied about Jesus coming. John basically told everyone they needed to get their act together because He was coming soon and if you didn't get it together then you'll be taken out.

One thing I have learned so far is that plain and simple God just doesn't take any mess. I mean I knew that but never really found it relatable until now. I was watching Joel Osteen last night and his message was "Knowing God as a Father" as in a parent and like a light bulb it just finally all clicked for me between last night and now how literal it means to be a child of God. God does all the things for us that our earthly parents do: teach us right from wrong, are there when we need to talk and even when we mess up we can go running into His arms and ask Him to make things all better. We often see Him as this being that has all power in His hands and I'll be the first one the admit that can be a bit intimidating to think about sometimes but God is also loving, humble and comforting and any wrath He has is not aimed at us but at our sins.

In Matthew 3:13-15 Jesus comes to John the Baptist to be baptized in the Jordan River and John's like um you're asking me when I should be the one asking you to baptize me. But how cool is Jesus to say that "allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). I would have been so nervous if Jesus wanted me to baptize Him. Probably shaking and I might have even dropped Him but that's why John was there to do it and "better him than me." :) Jesus is humble enough to get on our level (i.e.-become human) to help us understand what He needs for us to do.

God is not this ominous being that we should be fearful of to the extent that we run away from Him but we should be fearful enough that we run to Him, if that makes any sense at all :) What I mean to say is all He wants is to love us if we just let Him.

Prayer

Blessed Trinity, Three in One and One in Three, my spirit joins with Your Spirit this day to worship You in spirit and in truth. Though sometimes darkness to my intellect, Your truth is nevertheless sunshine to my heart. Amen.

Further Study

Matthew 28:16-20, John 14:26-27 and 15:26-27

How were the disciples to baptize new converts?

How did Jesus confirm the truth of the Trinity?

I have added the prayer and further study verses and questions to this blog and the other ones as well so feel free to go back and look at those when you have the time.

I hope you all have a very good day. Be blessed everyone :)

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Sunday Best

Greetings and salutations everyone! Hope your day/afternoon/evening/night is going well.

Today I want to talk about an issue that I personally have wondered about ever since I was little and growing up in the church and that is dressing in your Sunday best. Sorry to disappoint those who may have thought I was talking about the show on BET but honestly I never really watched that show so I couldn't tell you want was happening on it other than it is the Christian version of American Idol lol.

Now when I was little dressing up was one thing I just couldn't stand! I was a tomboy growing up and was all about being comfortable. Give me jeans and a t-shirt any day and I would be set to go. Yet, when it came to going to church on Sunday dressing up was a must and no amount of my being a tomboy would change that. Oh but I hated it! My dress would be poofy, my stockings would itch my legs and my dress shoes would make my feet hurt.

I never understood why I needed to be dressed to the nines every time we went to church. Being smaller and not fully understanding what was happening during church anyway, I thought it was boring and I just wanted to stretch out in the pews and take a nap. Now how was I supposed to be able to do that and get comfortable in an itchy outfit whose material could be doubled as a tablecloth? (there were a lot of floral print dresses in my closet) Even if I did understand what was going on I was too focused on being uncomfortable that I would have missed the good word anyway.

I just didn't get it and every now and then I would see some children in more casual clothes and would ask why I couldn't wear what they were wearing. But no matter how much I complained or whined it was the same thing every Sunday....I had to wear my Sunday best.

As I got older I began to hear the phrase "come just as you are." Finally the answers to my prayers! These were perfect words I had been waiting to hear for so long that would allow me to don jeans and a t-shirt to church....man was I wrong so so wrong. My parents were not having any part in that, saying that doesn't mean you can just come any kind of way to church, you still must be presentable....Boy did they burst my bubble quick :(

So Sunday after Sunday I was still made to wear the appropriate clothing to church which was definitely not my idea of a good time. However, I still continued to hear the phrase "come just as you are." In my little mind I was thinking "someone isn't telling me the truth. The pastor says come as you are but my parents are telling that I can't just wear any old thing to church...so who is right?" Internally, I fought with this question over and over and still couldn't come up with the proper solution, so I just accepted the fact that in my house I was always going to be expected to wear my Sunday best.

Eventually, I learned that the phrase is meant to be understood (or at least from my understanding) that God wants us to give ourselves over to Him no matter what our circumstances are. We can be broken down, hurt, feeling like no one cares about us, be broke, be rich, have the best or have nothing at all and God still wants us flaws and all. Now this is fantastic right? Someone who is willing to take on all our baggage and troubles no matter how big or small our troubles are....He will take us just as we are. What a wonderful thing to know.....

But here is where the controversy comes in.....or a bit of debate if you will :)

Although I hear what the phrase is saying (and I agree with it), why can't it also be applied to our attire when we go to church? For some people they take it both ways, come as you are inside and outside. What you have on shouldn't matter. For others it's strictly an internal thing....you can be broken up and messed up on the inside and yes, God will take you as is, but don't you dare stroll up in church looking as busted as you feel on the inside and if you do they be prepared for "church folk" (church folk and Christians are not always the same thing but that's a blog for another time :P) to stare at you and maybe even criticize your attire amongst other "church folk."

Now to me that just doesn't seem right. Maybe I'm a little bias because I wasn't one for being so dressed up when I was little. Even though I guess I understand it now, dressing up is not so bad (especially since I get to choose what I can wear now), but I don't feel that we as Christians should berate anyone for coming to church if we feel they aren't dressed appropriately. What we perceive as "unworthy" could very well be their Sunday best and while we get so caught up in what they have on or don't have on, we could be missing our blessing while they are steady receiving theirs.

I've been to some churches and you would think you've stepped into America's Next Top Model: Church Edition. It's like a fashion show and some of the outfits and elaborate hats are just ridiculous. Don't get me wrong sometimes putting on nice clothes can change your whole attitude and what better way to share such a happy attitude than by being in the house of the Lord. However, sometimes the people in the fancy outfits and hats could be the ones that need God the most and no matter how handsome or pretty you look in your best suit or dress, it still can't change how you feel on the inside.

I truly think my biggest problem when it comes to putting on your Sunday best is when people use it to make themselves seem like they're better than someone else. Aren't we all children of God? Aren't we all afforded the same privileges when it comes to being a child of God despite our situations and who we are, so why should what we wear matter?

I've often gone back and forth with many people about this subject and I see both sides of the viewpoint. I'm not saying any particular side is right or wrong because both sides have made valid points when we have discussed the issue. All I'm saying is behind all the clothes is you...just you and that's what God cares about. I just want people to realize and take the focus off of what people wear and keep the focus on their relationship with God.

If dressing to impress is how you feel most comfortable when going to church that's is great, but don't hold your head up high because you have on the best, hold it up because you are God's child and He loves you. If you feel like you come to church and your clothes are less than the best please, don't hold your head down, hold it high because you too are a child of God and He loves you.

Christians, the important thing is to welcome everyone as they enter the church. Giving someone a sincere smile, kind words or even a hug can make all the difference because looks can be deceiving and you never know what anyone is going through despite how they look and what they wear.

I guarantee you that if you have God in your heart on Sunday morning no matter what you have on you will be dressed in your Sunday best :)

Have a fantastic day/afternoon/evening/night everyone and be blessed :)

Day 2

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a blessed Sunday. Today's verses are Genesis chapters 3 and 4, Psalm 2:1-6, Proverbs 1:5-6 and Matthew 2:1-23.

I really don't have any individual comments about each book like I did yesterday because for the most part each of the verses dealt with the how God deals with sin. While reading this I felt kinda bad because it made me think about actions and consequences when we do something wrong. It made me think of when I was little and did something wrong and how my parents had to punish me. There were times when my parents would even say "this is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you," at the time I would be thinking "you must be out of your mind because there is no way that's possible."

I'm sure that God feels the same way when we sin and he has to punish us. I'm sure it hurts Him as well because He loves us but that is why He punishes us because of the sin. God cannot tolerate sin so in order to keep us safe, He does His best to eliminate the sin from our lives. Even though we may not understand it at the time God indeed is doing this for our own good.

Prayer

O Father, what a change comes over me when I realize Your wrath is not so much directed at persons as at the sin that demeans and destroys them. You are not against me for my sin, but for me against my sin. I am deeply grateful. Amen.

Further Study

Psalm 5:1-6, 11:5; Habakkuk 1: 12-13; Zechariah 8:16-17

How did the psalmist express God's great intolerance?

What does the Lord hate?

That's pretty much all I have for my thoughts on these verses. Please feel free to add more.

Be blessed everyone :)

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)

Day 1

Happy New Year everyone! Although 2010 was rough year, I can truly say that I thank God for allowing me to see another year. I pray that God grants you with an abundance of blessings during 2011 and fills your heart with much joy. Today is the first day of my Everyday with Jesus Bible journey and I will tell you already that Satan has been trying to stop this already. There have been a few obstacles in the way and I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to post this blog today but by the grace of God I am able to J

The verses for January 1^st are Genesis chapters 1 & 2, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 1:1-4 and Matthew 1:1-25. I had initially wanted to put the verses on here so that you all would be able to see them, but I feel that it is important that you all become used to finding the word yourselves and get into the habit of opening your Bibles and reading the scriptures for yourself.

Genesis chapters 1 & 2 are basically talking about how God created the Heavens and Earth in six days (He rested on the seventh day). Although I had read this story plenty of times before I couldn’t help but smile when I read it again. I loved how God seemed so pleased with His work, it reminded me of how proud we feel when we put such hard work into something and it comes out pleasantly well. For me, it just showed me that even the small things such as being happy with work that we have done, are traits of being God’s children and even though I knew this, it was more a comfort to me to receive more affirmation of that we are indeed children of God J

In chapter 2 verses 7 through 24, it discusses God’s creation of man and woman. Initially He just created man and surrounded him with the creatures but seeing that it wasn’t good for man to be alone God created woman. This part here spoke to me on a personal level because I am dealing with some issues of being lonely and knowing that God himself doesn’t want me to be alone was such a huge comfort. I can’t begin to tell how lonely I had been feeling lately and it was as though God was speaking to me personally when I read this and I knew that my lonely feelings would only be temporary.

Psalm 1:1-6 gave me the impression that we can get so wrapped up in being around those who partake in sinful activities such as gossip thinking that it is this behavior that will make us happy. But the verses state that man will be stronger and happier if they look for their happiness in the Lord. I feel that the ways of the world are ever-changing and while we tend to cling so hard to trying to figure out what the current trends are it can quickly change by the next day and if that is where we seek our joy, then it will be short-lived. Constantly chasing something that will come and go can make us weary and weak when we place ourselves in it whole-heartedly because once it is gone It may take a little piece of us with it. And if we place ourselves with so many Earthy things that are often scattered and brushed away, then so will we. Holding on to God will give us stability and much happiness because He will never change and will always be there for us. I enjoyed reading this especially going into a new year with unexpected things about to occur it is very good to know that there will be One that will always remain the same.

Now Proverbs 1:1-4 gave me the most difficulty and I had to read the verses over and over again. I don’t know if I was reading it wrong or what but I ended up asking my sister to help me understand what the verses were saying. The verses were saying that you need to read Proverbs to gain certain attributes that will aid in your Christian walk (my interpretation anyway). Just as the Bible is an instruction guide for Christians, I felt that these particular verses just gave a bit more special instructions…kind of like specific tools to further aid us as we become stronger in our walk with God. I could be totally off base with this one because as I said I wasn’t fully able to understand it so please feel free to give me your thoughts on the verses I would really appreciate it J

Ah! Good old Matthew 1:1-25. My sister and I joke about these verses a lot. Not because we don’t take what it says seriously but because of what it says. The majority of these verses (2-16) list the long lineage from Abraham all the way up to Jesus. You’re probably thinking what’s so funny about that but we find it a bit amusing and sometimes difficult because the names that are listed. Some are not easy to pronounce and it seems to just go on and on (perhaps this is just meant to be an inside joke). Anyway what I gained from reading verses 2-16 is that no matter what happens it all ends with Jesus. I may be reaching on this but this is what I felt: that no matter how hard the situation may be God will always be there in end to see us through it all. 14 generations and it ended with the birth of Jesus Christ. How amazing is that?! Verses 18-24 share the story of Joseph and Mary. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant he intended to secretly divorce her because if she were to be discovered pregnant outside of marriage then the penalty was death. I had to commend Joseph for want to protect Mary even though he wanted out of his commitment with her because I can just imagine how the human side of us would want to publically condemn someone that we find fault with just to save face. But once the angel spoke to Joseph and explained how she was blessed with the Holy Spirit he reconsidered and did what God wanted him to do.

We often hesitate and become fearful (or personally I have) when God wants us to do something but I am glad that Joseph stepped up and did as God asked otherwise he would have missed out on the best thing to ever happen in the world….literally! This made me think about how many blessings we could potentially be missing out on because God wants us to be placed out of our comfort zones to do what He asks because we think we know better when truthfully He has it all under control…just a thought.

Prayer

O Father, from this day help me determine to You my primary focus. And give me the grace and strength to maintain it, through all the vicissitudes and uncertainties of the days ahead. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

Further Study

John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 12:2, Revelation 1:8

What did the Lord declare to John the revelator?

What did the apostle John declare?

I hope you all enjoyed your first day of the new year. I pray for miracles and blessings for you all. Be blessed everyone J

(Both the prayer and further study have come from the Everyday with Jesus Bible: A One-Year Reading Bible by Holman Bible Publishers with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes)