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Obedience Pleases a Holy God
I hate times I feel like I failed at something. Or if I did something half-hearted, not putting my best into it. It’s never quite fulfilling, is it? We know we can do better. Contrast that with the feeling we get when we put all we can into an assignment. Isn’t it rewarding when we know we did something well? Especially when our obedience and best efforts are pleasing to the Lord. Obedience acknowledges a holy God’s direction over every aspect of our lives, from dedicated prayer and Bible study to our interactions with a restaurant server. All we do is to testify to our serving our holy Father. In…
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Test: Pass or Fail?
A new favorite song is Flowers by Samantha Ebert. It’s about a beautiful way to walk through hard seasons. Trials, loss, broken relationships, health issues. Knowing God brings growth (flowers) out of pain adds meaning to those experiences (in the valley). Sometimes, difficulties arise when the Lord tests our faith. In Exodus 20, we see God testing Israel’s obedience. They had already failed one test: the test of physical sustenance. He provided manna in the wilderness and gave explicit instructions for how they were to gather manna each day. Some chose to collect more than they needed. Now the test was one of waiting for Moses to come back down…
- Favorite Quotes, Knowing God's Will, Spiritual Growth, Struggle and Loss, Test, Trial, What I'm Reading
Complaints and Provision
One day this past week I read Exodus 16-17, and I was reminded again of how Israel complained and God provided. I was also reminded of how I do the same, even though I hate to admit it! The Israelites had been freed from Egypt through the Red Sea and right away complained about not having the kinds of food they had in captivity! Like Israel, I find myself complaining about insignificant things while ignoring the ways God provides for all my needs every day. As I spent time with the Lord this day, I reflected on a quote by Elisabeth Elliot that I’ve kept handy ever since I read…
- Spiritual Growth, Knowing God's Will, Leadership Lessons, Lessons, Struggle and Loss, Test, Trial, What I'm Reading
Step By Step
My D-Group is reading through the Bible chronologically and recently transitioned from the end of Genesis into Exodus. Each time I read through the Bible, I discover deeper truths. As I came to Exodus 1:8-10, I was reminded once again of God’s sovereignty as He works out His plan for the restoration of His people. “A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. Come, let’s deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and when war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us,…
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No Disappointments
Theologian and hymn writer Frederick William Faber said, There are no disappointments to those whose will are buried in the will of God. How can that be true? Haven’t we all faced disappointments? We understand God is sovereign, and He decides the course of our lives. He is our ultimate authority, so he chooses what to give us and what to withhold. But does that mean we have to be happy with His choices? What about the alternative? We choose our will rather than God’s. Surely, we understand that it will not end well. We are not all-knowing and all-wise. He is. Isaiah 48:17 speaks of God’s guidance and care…
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Friday’s Encouraing Message
This week I had the blessing of writing posts for encouraging.com. Each day I will link you to that day’s message. Please sign up to receive encouraging.com posts daily Monday through Friday throughout the year. You will be blessed weekly by various authors. Enjoy! Please see link to Friday’s post Battling Your Giants. Thank you for allowing me to share these with you this week. I pray you have been greatly encouraged, no matter what is going on in your life presently. Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash
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Wednesday’s Encouraging Message
This week I had the blessing of writing posts for encouraging.com. Each day I will link you to that day’s message. Please sign up to receive encouraging.com posts daily Monday through Friday throughout the year. You will be blessed weekly by various authors. Enjoy! Here’s the link to Wednesday’s post God Fights For Us. Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash
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Tuesday’s Encouraging Message
This week I had the blessing of writing posts for encouraging.com. Each day I will link you to that day’s message. Please sign up to receive encouraging.com posts daily Monday through Friday throughout the year. You will be blessed weekly by various authors. Enjoy! Here is the link to Tuesday’s post Our Rejected Refuge. Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash
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Monday’s Encouraging Message
This week I had the blessing of writing posts for encouraging.com. Each day I will link you to that day’s message. Please sign up to receive encouraging.com posts daily Monday through Friday each week. You will be blessed weekly by various authors. Enjoy! Here is the link to Monday’s post, Waiting In The Wilderness. Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash
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Always In A Hurry!
Scottish missionary Mary Slessor said, “Christ was never in a hurry. There was no rushing forward, no anticipating, no fretting over what might be. Each day’s duties were done as each day brought them, and the rest was left with God.” How does that hit you? I remember reading this and thinking, why can’t I be like that? Truth: Jesus was unlike any other human since He was also God. But I think He was trying to teach us something. Before I retired, I recall that most days, I left the office thinking I should have gotten more done. Often, I took work home in those pre-remote work days! In…
