Words of Encouragement

The changing skies do not cause you to shift like the wind. You do not go one direction and then quickly change because of circumstances.  God you are the "change maker" but you stay the same, perfect in all your ways.

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. - Psalm 5:3-5

Things God Will Not Say. "I Made A Mistake!" What confidence the psalmist has in expressing his love for God and for the unchanging way God takes care of those that trust in him.  He says, in the morning when he seeks to talk to God, he knows he can wait in expectation for him to show up. 

He goes on to say, he knows he can trust in him to be there because God is not a god that will take pleasure in evil or wicked deeds.  So surely God will not say, sorry I made a mistake.  I forget about this time we should be spending together, I got so busy I forgot!  Yet, we can quickly come up with this as answer for why we have not stopped today or yesterday to talk to God.  We say, God forgive me, I made a mistake.  I forgot to meet with you.  I  know it was important, but I simply got too busy.

What if this were God's excuses to us for not keeping our promises to him?  We would be heart broken if we were expected something from God and he made a mistake and forgot about us.  Well we can rejoice because God never forgets about us.  We are on his mind at all times, even he is not always on ours.

Today, God we want to take this time to say forgive us for making excuses for not giving ourselves to you.  Thank you God that you are not like man and do not have to seek forgiveness for shortcomings.  Thank you for being the great God of the universe and for protecting us and loving as just as you do.

Words of Encouragement

This was not an accident.  Jesus was not standing there one day before Pilate and unaware of what was coming.  God did not look down at his Son on the cross and say "oops".  In fact the words that come from Jesus' own mouth was "it is finished".  That was a Greek word that was used to mean, "It is paid in full."  Jesus knew his death was paying the sin debt in FULL.

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.  "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God? - 2 Samuel 22:30-32

Things God Will Not Say. Oops! I love how this scripture advances the understanding about God.  He says with your help I can advance against a troop, however with God I can scale a wall.  That wall being one that is fortified and no matter  how much you help me, we won't get over it.  He goes on to say, that God is perfect and his word is flawless.

If we really believe that we would understand just how detailed God was in preparing for you and I a way to him.  The cross of Christ was not an oops!  He didn't create Adam and Eve and then when they sinned he said, oops, I wasn't prepared for that one.  Instead, he knew before he created man that he would need a way to bring them back to him.  He had the cross of Christ on his mind even before he created mankind.

What a perfect God we serve.  So then way do we think God makes mistakes when he tells us to do things his way and then we find ourselves facing difficulties.  We think, God, oops!  This wasn't suppose to happen when I decided to follow you.  You must not have know this was going to happen.  But God's ways are perfect so he knew even before he sent you on this path what you would face.  And he has been preparing you to be able to face it.

So then there are no oops with God.  There are not any mistakes or mix ups.  He didn't accidently choose you for your life.  You were hand picked for your life.  That might be difficult to understand if you are going through.  But today I want you to look at it differently.  You were hand picked to live your life because God looked at you and said, "I count you worthy".  He said, "I count you able."

Today, I pray Lord you already know all the hurts, disappointments and upsets we will face.  You do not stand there saying, "oops".  Instead you say, my ways are perfect and flawless so trust me and I will get you to the otherside of this thing.  Lord we trust you for your ways and thoughts are far greater than ours.

Words of Encouragement

What would you do if you came across a fish this big?  (I can tell you, I wouldn't want to stand around to long, I might begin to look like fish food!) Yet, when I look at this picture, I think of the bounty that God has within his waters.  No I'm not talking about fish in the rivers, but I am talking about spiritual food in the life giving streams.  God has an abundance of provisions to give to us on this Christian walk, if we only ask him for it.

(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. - 2 Peter 2:8-10

Things God Will Not Say. What Do You Think I Should Do? What would happen if God had to ask you and I how to take care of his children?  What would happen if God heard about our torment and he came to you and I and ask, "Jewel, what do you think I should do?" While I might have my own idea of what should happen, I surely do not want this great task upon my shoulders.

If this is true, why do we continually try to tell God how to do things our way?  Why do we question his timing and his methods.  No, we would not openly say God you are incapable of handling my affairs, but do you know that is what our actions do when we refuse to let go of our cares to him.

This scripture today reminds us about those that were tormented because of the righteousness they did.  The scripture goes on to tell that this torment is not going unchecked by God. He already knows about it and he is able to protect those that belong to him.  We may ask, well if this is true, why does so much bad happen to those that love him?  God's ways are far greater than mine so I can only tell you God allows those things because he has a greater plan that he is working out through those situations and circumstances.  We must simply trust his ways.  We do not have to worry because God is not coming to us and saying, what do you think I should do as if he is clueless about what needs to be done in our lives.

Today, I pray for us to hold tight to his hand and know he will keep us and protect us.  God you are our God, if you had enough power to save us, surely you can keep us.

Words of Encouragement

(pictures submitted to me through e-mail). What would you do if you saw a picture like this?  Most of us now look at it and say, it is touched up by tricks of the camera.  And that may be true. But just for right now, let's just image you are walking along the beach and this is the greeting that God gave to you.  What would he want you to know?  He would want you to know he loves you.  Well if you have not already noticed it, he has done some wonderful things already to show you his love for you, his greatest, the gift of his Son.

I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!  He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. - Deuteronomy 32:3-4

Things God Will Not Say. "I Can Do Better Than This". Can you image God making mistakes?  To say that out loud is almost blasphemy.  Yet, sometimes we think it in our minds.  We wonder, God why do we have to do something this way, isn't there a better way?  Why do I have to be afflicted, hurt, discouraged through this life?  You couldn't give me a better life?

Today, let me tell you a truth about God.  He will never say, I can do better than this about himself.  Yes he will say it about us.  He will tell us that he can do better than what we are doing with our lives, but not about himself and his handiwork.

The writer of the scripture today gives us a reminder of this wonderful truth.  God is perfect.  In all his ways he is upright and just.  He is not wrong and he does not have to repent for his actions.

God is perfect, wonderful, marvelous and worthy of all our praise.  If he is this wonderful God that does no wrong, why do we still sometimes doubt that he will take care of the situations we face?  Why do we still waver about trusting in his way instead of our own?

Today, Lord I pray that you would help us to trust you completely.  You never make a mistake.  You see the way clearly and you know that which we have not even faced yet.  Help us this day know you will never say, you can do better.  You will never fumble over how to handle our lives and our situations.  You will always do everything in your perfect like way.

Words of Encouragement

Where is this road leading?  For many of us, we do not know where every road will lead.  Yet, we can rest in God, because he will never say, "I don't know".  He is the one that knows it all.

If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?  - Psalm 44:20-21

Things God Will Not Say. I Don't Know What to Do. We often times, think things about God that are not true.  No, we will not say it with our mouths, but the thoughts are often there.  The enemy of our soul tries to make us doubt God and his awesome power.

In today's scripture, we are reminded by the Psalmist that God is never caught unaware of anything.  God will never look upon us and say, "I don't know what to do."  God knows if we go astray or he knows when we are faithful.  He knows the very secrets of our hearts.

If God knows our hearts, doesn't that mean he also knows what we will face?  He will not look upon the situations of our lives and sit in wonderment, as if this has caught him off guard.

Today, we can be encouraged to know that God will never say he doesn't have knowledge about our lives and our life situations.  We can be encouraged that even though this may be true for us, it is not true about God.

Today, I pray for us, Lord help us to be reminded that you know all about us because you formed us.  You know our coming in and our going out. Lord help us, this day to trust you more.