All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.  Ephesians 1:3-4, NLT                                   

Glorious God. Heavenly Father. Loving Creator. Oh how i love You and oh, how You love me! Even before You formed me You loved me and chose me. Before my first failure, in my weakness and in my shame, You saw it all and loved me the same. You chose me to dwell in Christ and He in me. You have spared no heavenly thing to bless me, not even Your precious Son who died to save me;  His love redeemed me and His blood cleansed me so that when You look on me You see me as pure and holy. Yes Lord, You are worthy of ALL praise!!

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he posesses.”  Luke 12:15                   How often do we look with envy at people who “have it all” according to the world’s standards? Wealth, money, fame…all the worldly posessions they desire, it seems, are right there at their fingertips. Yet what they truly seek: peace, joy, love and salvation elude them because their treasures are in earthly things and their lives are miserable. The world tells us we should strive to be one of these people. But is this what we really want?                                Now consider those who are “poor” according to the world’s standards. They have little money, no fancy homes and their names are not well known.  They are missionaries in far away lands. They are Christians being persecuted in foreign countries and they are people all around who put God and others before themselves. How can these men, women and children be so happy when they have so little and so many of them are suffering? It is because they have so much more than we can see in this present life. Their treasure is not here where it will rust, fade or be taken away. No, their treasure is in Heaven where it can never be destroyed or taken away. It is an eternal treasure, given by the the eternal, loving Father, God.                   Now which treasure will we strive for? Will we covet the things of this world that do not last and bring more misery than they are worth or do we store up our treasures in Heaven that truly bring about abundant life? The choice is yours.               

“Be anxious for nothing, but in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.”  Phillipians 4:6&7           He hears me when i pray and fills me with peace when all around me is dismay. When i come He never turns me away. How can help but give thanks? I come with my requests, He knows what is best. Through His Son my heart and mind are guarded and the lies are disregarded. In this knowledge, i keep on praying. Even when others around me are saying i should give up. To my God i will pray pray pray.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works and that my soul knows very well.”  Psalm 139:14                                                      I waste too much time wishing i was thinner, my hair was straighter and maybe my nose was different. Then i am reminded of the One who created me and how He created me in His image. Now i tell myself i will no longer look in the mirror to see who i am but i will look to see myself through His eyes and there i will see me as i really am. I won’t look at “In Style” or “Vogue” to find who i should be or what i should look like. Instead i will look to His Word to seek the answer to those questions. I will praise You, God!

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”  Psalm 27:14                                                                                                             As i am going through a time of difficult lessons learned the hard way i keep asking, “What do i do, Lord?” . This morning i open my Bible right to the Book of Psalms and this is the passage my eyes are automatically drawn to. Guess that is my answer. Given in God’s sweet way in His perfect timing. So now i wait…i am weak but He is strong and His grace is sufficient for me. Somehow He will get me through this and i will be better because of it but first i must learn to wait. Wait on the Lord…

Thank You, God, for the little things that often come our way-The things we take for granted but don’t mention when we pray-The unexpected courtesy, the thoughtful, kindly deed-A hand reached out to help us in the time of sudden need-Oh, make us more aware, dear God, of little daily graces That come to us with “sweet surprise” from never-dreamed-of places.          Helen Steiner Rice

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23                   God, You know me and You know my heart. You know my wickedness and my anxieties. You know how i easily overlook or excuse my sinful behavior. Please help me to see what You see when You look at me and to walk in the way that You lead. Amen.

“They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 7:16&17                                                                 While i can only imagine what these living fountains must be like, it is nice to look to what i do know, and though it is only a hint of what i can expect, i am comforted and encouraged by God’s Word and the ways He uses to speak His truth to me.

“Think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.”  Proverbs 3:6     It is at the times in my life, when i take my eyes off You, that my life is filled with strife. You guide me in the way i should go but i cannot see because i am so wrapped up in me. When i stray i also turn others away. Direct my thoughts, Lord, and guide me. Keep me on Your path, the path of Life.

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”  Psalm 63:1