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Treasure Gods Word In Your Heart

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“My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬ I find this proverb helpful in understanding what God expects of me and the significance of cherishing His Word, following His commands, and experiencing life. First and foremost, we are to keep His Words and treasure His commands within us. How do we achieve this? What are we truly cherishing in our hearts? Jesus emphasizes this in John 15:7 (ESV), stating, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” By allowing His words to abide in us and writing them on the “tablet of our heart,” we gain a deeper understanding of Him, grow closer to Him, and draw the strength we need each day. Currently, I am committed to memorizing Scripture. I have found that His words offer comfort, hope, and peace, while al...
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Seek His Presence Continually

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  What do you need most right now? Peace, confidence, courage, assurance, strength, or perhaps more of God’s presence and glory? As the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:2 (NIV), “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” What are you craving? We all crave something, whether it’s sweet or salty snacks, acceptance and approval, or simply to feel satisfied, comforted, and loved. But do we crave the Lord as much as we do other things? In Psalm 63:1, David expresses his deep longing for God, saying, “O God, you are My God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry land where there is no water.” And in Psalm 42:1-2, he yearns for God’s presence, saying, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God…” Have you ever experienced that intense thirst or desire for something so much that you couldn’t wait to have it? I find the story in Exodus 33:1-23 partic...
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Jesus Loves Us Where We’re At

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“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Sometimes, the environment around me, causes so much stress I find myself looking for a way out. Negative attitudes, hate filled rhetoric, people not doing what I think they should, unmet expectations, and current circumstances that never seem to change. It brings to my mind Psalm 55:6-8(NIV) which says, “…Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”” ‭‭ I have definitely felt this way at times, have you? The desire to escape the drama around me; the voices in my head that constantly taunt me; away from all the noise. I start feeling a little bit like the prophet Habakkuk and find myself asking God why? Why do I need to go through this? Why do I have to listen to things...
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Manage your Lizards:)

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““When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.””  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The Sunday before last Pastor Tim’s message made quite an impression on me, especially the lesson of the lizard, and I’ve been busy sweeping them out of my mind ever since! Seems to be a daily and necessary chore:) I even started naming my lizards so I could sweep each one away.  It made me think of the Bible verse previously stated. But it’s not enough to sweep just once, I or we, must stay vigilant or those little buggers move right back in!  Perhaps that is what is meant by, “the last state of that person is worse than the first.”” Even Peter reminds...
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Fun With Words

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  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬   For fun, I decided to challenge myself to find as many observations as possible in this verse by breaking it down word by word. “For God”…refers to the person or thing that something is sent or given to, intended to help or benefit someone. In this case, the person is God. “So…” means “to such a great extent” or extremely; very much. It evokes feelings of head over heels love. This verse reminds me of two of my favorite verses: “Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you…” from Isaiah ‭43‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬ and “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” from Zephaniah ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The next word is “Loved”…a simple word with so much meaning. However, the world has twisted it to...
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A Simple Easter Message

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  “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is in vain. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17) So I asked myself the question, what if Jesus had not been resurrected? What would that have looked like? Consider this: Sunday morning would have been just like the day before. The stone would have still covered the tomb’s opening. Sure, the disciples would have discussed the events for a while, but Jesus would have faded into memory. The Jews would have continued offering sacrifices for the sins of the people. We would still be waiting for the promised Messiah. Paul would have never encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. We wouldn’t have the New Testament writings or the hope and encouragement they bring. Life would feel hopeless because this would be all there is—no promise of eternal life, no forgiveness of sins, we would simply live day to day by our own rules. But thanks be...
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An Ever Present Help In Trouble

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I stumbled upon this picture on Pinterest, and it speaks volumes about my emotions at times. The enemy surrounds me, whispering lies and taunting me relentlessly. I feel his breath on my neck, and fear grips me, paralyzing me from movement. The battle within me rages on, and I yearn for it to end. Exhaustion and weariness weigh heavily on my soul. The enemy’s relentless attacks repeat the same lies over and over: “unwanted,” “not needed,” “unnecessary,” “not good enough,” “failure.” But amidst this darkness, a glimmer of hope emerges. In the background, Jesus approaches me, not walking but running towards me, ready to lend a hand. Scriptures like Psalm 27:2-3 come to mind: “When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besieges me, my heart will not fear; though war breaks out against me, even then I will be confident.” Why can I find confidence in the midst of darkness? Because The Lord is my light and my salvat...
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