Dee2rites Blog

Tag: Encouragement

  • Move Your Body!

    “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

    Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”

    Psalm 139:13-14 (New Living Translation)

                One of the beautiful things about how our bodies were created is the way we can move. Our elbows, fingers and knees work like hinges. Our shoulders and hips are like ball and joints. And in coordination with our muscles and our nervous system, these  parts of our body help us to move about throughout our day. God created us so wonderfully and marvelously and He made us to move!

                However, as we age we tend to be more sedentary and we do not move our body as we were created to do. As a result our muscles grow weaker, our joints get stiffer and we blame it all on aging. However, God did not create us to sit around and do nothing just because we have some higher numbers in our years or more gray in our hair.

                Weight bearing exercises such as walking or using handheld weights are essential for keeping our bones strong. Women especially are susceptible to broken bones because after their childbearing years are over estrogen, a hormone in women that protects bones, decreases sharply which can cause bone loss.

                When I was in my 40s and 50s, I was a member of a lady’s gym and regularly attended classes for Pilates. I believe those classes kept my body in much better shape than it had been in when I was younger. Not only did I do Pilates, I also worked with a trainer on weight exercises. I really loved the Pilates classes, but some of the weight exercises I had to do with the trainer, not so much!

                Now that I’m 75, I have all the aches and pains and movement issues too many people my age also have. After carpal tunnel surgery and a slow recovery, and now possibly needing rotator cuff surgery, I’ve decided I’m changing that.

                Not having a gym convenient to my location now is not an acceptable excuse. I have found an excellent Pilates teacher on YouTube. She even has exercise videos for seniors! And yes I even bought myself a pair of 3 LB handheld weights to start working with weights again and I fully expect to work back up to being able to use my 5 LB weights, and then even my 10 LB weights.

                So I want to challenge you to first, hold me accountable. And then second, won’t you join me? Yes our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made and God fully intended for us to keep moving even in our gray haired years.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

    P.S. Don’t laugh at the bronze statue – made it when I was in college! Great art! LOL

  • “…that the Son of God may be glorified”

    In the 11th chapter of the gospel of John, Jesus received word from Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus was sick. But Jesus stayed two more days before he went to Bethany to see them. (v.6)

    “When Jesus heard that, He said ‘This sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4

    Jesus already knew what he was going to do, he would raise Lazarus from the dead. It must have seemed to Mary and Martha that Jesus was being insensitive to their brother being sick. But Jesus had a greater plan from the Father, that He would raise Lazarus from the dead thus bringing glory to the Father.

    Many people watched and many more of us saw on replay President Trump being shot at a rally on Saturday. It is nothing less than miraculous that he turned his head at the last moment and avoided being shot directly into his brain. Since Saturday, questions have arisen about how security could have been so lax. There were people in the audience who saw a man with a gun on top of a building and tried to alert the police. Their pleas went unacknowledged by the police and the Secret Service. There will be ongoing investigations, and hopefully the truth will come out. However if God could cause President Trump to turn his head at just the right moment, do you not think he could have moved security agents to check out reports of a shooter?  

    Could this shooting have been allowed to bring glory to God and cause President Trump and his supporters to see that God is greater and give the glory to Him? Yes, President Trump has said himself that it was God who protected him. Those who believe in God and the Lord Jesus Christ all know that it was God who caused him to turn his head at just the right moment thus saving his life. All glory be to God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

    At the same time that we praise God for protecting President Trump, we mourn with the families of those who were shot and the man who died protecting his family. Evil doesn’t care who it destroys. The target was always Donald Trump, and the others were just innocent bystanders. Let us pray for the families of the other victims that God will heal their hurts.

    “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15

    Peace and blessing to you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ

    Dee

  • Be The Church

    “We will never change the world by going to church. We will only change the world by being the church.”

    I saw this quote on a Facebook post, and I agree, but what does it mean to “be” the church? Are we supposed to walk around saying Bless you my child to people? That’s pretty meaningless. So assuming the Church is made up of Jesus’s disciples, what did say to His followers before He ascended into heaven?

    “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” John 8:32

    We have to spend time in The Word to know how to be the Church.

    “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

    The outward evidence that we are disciples of Jesus, the Church, is our love for other believers. Too many times the world has been witness to church disputes, so called Christians speaking negatively about other churches or other believers. Where is the love? The Apostle Paul said in his letter to the church in Ephesus to “speak the truth in love”.

    The Gospel of Mark records these instructions that Jesus gave His followers, “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15-18

    Our assembling ourselves with other believers as we’re commanded to do, changes us. We hear the Word taught, and it empowers us to take Jesus to the world outside our assembly.

    And Jesus last words to the disciples before He ascended into heaven,  “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

    The church is not a building, it is not even the meeting together of believers. The church is the individual believers, all parts of one body doing what Jesus said and being His witnesses.

    The early church went about teaching and preaching Jesus. They laid hands on the sick people who then were healed. They cast demons out of people in Jesus Name. They raised the dead. They did all the things Jesus did because He had said “You shall receive power and be My witnesses”. They believed Him and did what He said and changed civilization. They spread the gospel throughout the entire known world. They literally “turned the world upside down”.

    Is it not time for believers to really believe what Jesus said and take the gospel to the world? Show Jesus to the world by our love.

    Romans 2:4 says “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Show unbelievers the goodness of God by praying for the sick, by giving to the needy, caring for one another. Often in the gospels people came to believe Jesus was the Messiah when they saw the miracles. He showed them who He was by what He did. Maybe we need to show unbelievers who we are, the Body of the Anointed One, by what  we do.

    Yes we need to be in a Bible believing church and attend regularly. If your church doesn’t teach the Bible, or changes things in the Bible, then you need to find another assembly to go to to be fed.

    Our society is hurling toward destruction, wickedness is so prevalent we are becoming immune to it. Just as God gave people time to repent before the flood, He’s giving us time for people to repent now. And just as Noah was a preacher of righteousness, we’re to be preachers of righteousness to a lost world.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

  • Delayed but not Stopping

                Ever feel like you’re just spinning your wheels? I have. Ever since I decided to turn my wreath-making hobby into a full-time business and I opened my Etsy shop, it seems like there’s been one thing after another to slow me down. DH had surgery in July, out of town which meant two nights in the hospital for him and three nights in a hotel for me. Not complaining, because I have friends who’re going through much worse and DH’s was relatively minor compared to what they’ve had. But it was time away from work, plus all the follow-up doctor appointments we had to go to in July. Then in August, more doctor appointments.

    Now here comes September, and it starts off with a bang. When I got home last Saturday from grocery shopping, I discovered that our freezer had stopped working and everything in there was defrosting! So I have spent the last two and a half days cooking all the meat that was in our freezer before it could go bad! Thank God I only had to throw out one package of ground sausage and a box of Wagyu Beef patties (insert crying emoji here!). Oh, and forget Home Depot if you need a freezer in a hurry. It takes them 10 days or more to deliver one, depending on the brand and model you want!

    Nevertheless, I am not deterred. Delayed a little at times, but I am not giving up. God had placed a dream in my heart for several years now and I am determined to see it come to pass.  

      “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” Jeremiah 29:11

     “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”  Deut. 28:8

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

    https://adorabellahomedecor.etsy.com

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  • New Years’ Peas

    I read an article about why Southerners eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day. My family followed the traditional meal of black-eyed peas, ham (usually left-over from Christmas), greens and cornbread. As a kid I never liked the peas, but ate them anyway because that’s just what kids of my generation did – parents said “clean your plate” so we cleaned our plate. And black-eye peas were a tradition although I never really understood why. All I was told was “they’ll bring you good luck” and that what I said to my kids. But there is so much more to the story.

    Here’s the short version, if you want to learn more look up Brad Downey on Facebook, he has a great post with many details. First, black-eyed peas kept many Southerners from starving after the Union Army came through and took everything or destroyed what they couldn’t take. Except for the black-eyed peas and the salt pork because they didn’t recognize them as food. Thus the women, children, elderly and the disabled were saved from starvation and the lowly black-eye pea became the symbol of good fortune.

    While I will continue to enjoy a New Year’s meal of black-eye peas, greens, ham and cornbread, I do not put my trust in a legume to bring me good fortune or prosperity. I choose to put my trust and faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty) my provider. I put my trust and faith in Jesus Christ, my ​Adonai (Lord, Master).

    Our nation has faced many dark days besides the terrible days during and after the Civil War – WWI, the Depression, WWII to name just a few. But God has always been faithful to heal and restore because people turned to Him, repenting of sins and calling on His Name. Great revivals and the preaching of the gospel kept this nation a Christian nation where the church was honored and recognized as significant to the nation and individual communities. From the birth of our nation until recent times we were a nation based on Christian/Judeo values.

    Today our nation faces the darkest times we ever faced, not because of war or even the run-away inflation we’re experiencing caused by an out of control federal government, or even because of the invasion on our southern border. No, the darkness in our nation is spiritual. We are living in the times we were warned about by the prophet Isaiah :

    “Beware, those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.” Isaiah 5:20 (New English Translation)

    Here we are, members of our own government calling things God has called evil as being good and acceptable. They call Christians who hold to Biblical truths intolerant or even a threat to the country!

    Here’s what the New Testament says about the times we’re living in:

    “But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God.” 2 Timothy 3:1-3

    Jesus warned us that hard times would come, but we’re not to fear:

    “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

    Whatever 2023 brings, I know God will provide whatever I need, including peace.

    Happy 2023 to you all and I pray you know the joy of salvation and the peace only Jesus can provide!

    Dee

  • A Dream from the Lord

    “And it shall come to pass afterward

    That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;

    Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

    Your old men shall dream dreams,

    Your young men shall see visions.

    And also on My menservants and on My maidservants

    I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

    Joel 2:28, 29

    I had a dream last night that I believe was a message from the Lord. Here is the dream:

                My family was buying a house we had not yet seen. When we entered there was a garden area and in the garden was a concrete ledge with a cove and in the cove was a statue of a Hindu god, Shiva. I was not concerned but I knew it had to go.

                When we entered the house a man was standing by the door dressed in all black and had on a cowboy type hat. His face was hideous and evil looking. He began taunting me and my family. I knew it was Satan or one of his demons.

                I was still not afraid and I said to him “You be quiet in the Name of Jesus!”[1] He tried to continue taunting us, but was not able to speak, no words came out of his mouth. I then declared “this house and all my family are covered by the blood of Jesus[2] and you have to leave.” He turned to go and as he was leaving he tried to talk but could only mumble “I don’t want to but I have to”. I then told him to take his evil statue with him and go to the dry places and find no rest.[3] He put the statue under his arm and left, still mumbling about having to leave.

                Then I woke up. As I prayed and pondered over the dream, I believe that God is telling me two things I need to share

    1. We have authority in the Name of Jesus and when we speak in that authority demons have to obey.[4]
    2. Even though they have no choice to obey the Name of Jesus, they don’t want to. We cannot just say it once, or just pray once but we must be diligent and on guard, continuing to speak the Name of Jesus, daily plead the blood over our families, our homes, our city, our schools, and everything that concerns us or touches our life.

    Praise God we do win by the power of the Blood, the Name that is above all other names – the Name of Jesus and by our testimony![5]

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

    [1] Mark 16:17″ And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues”

    [2] Exodus 12:23 “For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.”

    [3] Matt 12:43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.”

    [4] Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

    [5] Colossians 4:2 “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”   

    Revelations 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

  • God is Faithful, Always

    “O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord?   Your faithfulness also surrounds You.”     Psalm 89:8

     

                To say I feel a little overwhelmed would be a major understatement. But not necessarily for the reasons you may think, considering the events of the past week.

    First, I’m overwhelmed at the Greatness and Goodness of our God. In the words of King David, who am I Lord that you would be so gracious to me? God took what could have been a tragic event and showed us His love and His protection over Larry’s life. When he fell and shattered the T9 vertebra, it shattered on three sides but the fourth side stayed intact, protecting his spine.

    Second thing, the peace. Throughout Larry’s hospital stay, during the surgery and recovery, we both had a sense of peace and we know it was from all the prayers being offered on our behalf. Overwhelming peace.

    And third thing, the love.  Not only the love of God covering us, the love of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Phone calls, text messages, hospital visits and gifts, each one reminds us that it is the overwhelming love of Christ through believers that bind us together so we never walk through difficult times alone.

    Larry and I still face some uncertainties, decisions that we’ll have to make that will affect our future. When the doctor tells a contractor that he can no longer climb ladders or lift heavy objects, that’s not what he wants to hear. But we know our God is faithful and He has our future in His hands. As our pastor said this morning, it’s not about how big our faith is, but it is about how big our God is.

    “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” Psalm 37:25

     

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

     

  • Happy Birthday, USA!

    “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12

    American Flags

    Every year in the small town where I grew up, Richland Springs TX, they celebrate America’s Independence on the 1st Saturday of July. While my parents were alive, we would go visit them over the week-end and be there for the celebration, but I’ve rarely gone since they died. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt a tug back to my roots and to the place I came from. So this year I decided I would go.
    The day started off with a parade and while it may not have been as big as you would see in a larger town, for a community of 455 residents, it was wonderful. A color-guard on horseback started it off followed by more flags and a float with the local veterans. There were pick-ups pulling trailers, all decorated in red, white and blue and lots of sparkle. There were 4-wheelers, dune-buggies, and motorcycles. There were kids in funny hats and dogs in sunglasses. There were antique tractors and brand new semi-s, and of course the VFD fire trucks. And candy- lots of candy thrown to folks watching the parade. The Richland Springs Coyote high school football team (who won the state 6-man championship for the 7th time last fall) and the high school cheerleaders as well as the middle school football team and cheerleaders had floats. The First Baptist Church had their van in the parade inviting kids to their Vacation Bible School in a couple of weeks. Everyone was there celebrating their freedoms and their victories.
    Throughout the day, there were competitions for horseshoes, washers, and this year for the first time, a 2-man pig-sacking completion. There were bounce houses and a water slide for the kids.
    The day wrapped up with a fireworks show. The Star Spangled Banner was sung over the loud speaker, then BOOM, the spectacular display of bursting colors began. It was a show that could put many larger towns to shame, lasting over an hour, it was amazing.
    As I sat there watching the beautiful display, I could only think about the fact that even as many things we see wrong in our hation, there are still a lot of things that are right. And all those things right with our nation, can be seen right there in my small farm community hometown of Richland Springs, Texas, USA.
    Yes, we have people trying to destroy our nation, from the outside and even within our own government, but we still have men and women willing to fight defending her.
    Yes, there are too many people just wanting a hand-out and for the government to give them everything free, but there are still hard working men and women, taking pride in their labors, working hard to support and provide for their families.
    Yes, we have too many young people with no sense of responsibility or goals beyond pursuit of their own pleasure, but we still have many young people with goals and dreams, who believe in competing to win.
    Yes, there are too many people, places and institutions who exclude God and godly beliefs, but there are still more who love God and who are willing to share the love of Jesus Christ with the nation. Let us who do know the Lord continue to pray for this nation, pray for our leaders, and for the upcoming elections that we may continue to live quiet and peaceful lives serving the Lord.
    Happy Birthday, USA! And may your next 240 years be even greater!

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    color_guard_resized
    Color-guard

    vetrans_float_resized
    My Uncle Robert Lewis, 2nd from left, fought in WWII

    dog_sunglasses_resizedantique_tractor.2_resized

  • Giving Thanks Always – Even When You Don’t Feel It

    1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (NKJV)

          child-prayer-clipart-royalty-free-praying-clipart-illustration-216150       When my younger sister was about 4 years old at a family dinner with my grandparents, she requested to say the blessing at the table. My Granny, being one to always encourage us to pray, told her to go ahead. Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes, except me of course being the older sister I felt the need to keep an eye on her. She began to pray, looking around the table, thanking God for each and every item on the table, including the plates and forks, except one food. She closed her prayer with the words “But I’m not thankful for the green beans. I don’t like them and I’m not thankful for them! Amen.” We can laugh at a child’s honesty in refusing to give God thanks for something she doesn’t like, but how often are we unthankful? Do we too sometimes feel justified in not giving thanks?

                God wants us to have a grateful heart and thankful spirit. “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.” (Psalm 95:1-3) But we don’t always feel thankful. We all have times and situations in our lives that we don’t want or like, so how then can we be thankful?

                When we cannot be thankful for a specific thing or situation, we still can find ways to give thanksgiving and praise to God. Sometimes we have to stop and ask God to bring to our remembrance things to give Him thanks for. Sometimes we have to ask Him for the words to praise Him with. David wrote Psalm 51 after Nathan had confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba. In verse 15 he says, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.” David who wrote so many beautiful psalms praising God, asked for help to praise Him.

                How do we offer God thanksgiving when we are hurting, when we’re going through a spiritual battle, or we’re in a time of trial?

                First, we remember WHO God is. 

     “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.” (Psalm 148:13) God’s names tell us who He is. He is the great “I AM”. Whatever you need Him to be, He is. 

    He is JEHOVAH SHALOM, The Lord is Peace. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  During some of the worst times and events of my life, God has been my peace.

    He is JEHOVAH SHAMMAH, The Lord is There. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matthew 28:18, 20b) He was there with me in every crisis.

    He is JEHOVAH-RAPHA, The Lord That Heals. “…If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26) He was my Healer when I had shingles in 2010.

    He is JEHOVAH JIREH, The Lord Will Provide. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19 He has been and continues to be our Provider through job lay-offs and a bad economies.

    He is EL SHADDAI, The Lord God Almighty, The All-Sufficient One. When God spoke to Abram in Genesis 17:1, He said “I am El Shaddai” (Almighty God) and He promised to bless him and make him great. He is the God Who sustains us. Genesis 18:14 says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?..”

     Whatever else is, wherever else we are, we can give God our thanksgiving for Who He is to us. Psalm 69:30 (NKJV) says, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”

              The second thing we can do is to remember WHAT God has done in the past.  Psalm 107:21-22 says “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!  Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.” (NKJV)

                Psalm 77: 5, 6 in the New English Translation says, “I thought about the days of old, about ancient times. I said, ‘During the night I will remember the song I once sang; I will think very carefully.’ I tried to make sense of what was happening.’” v.11-14 continues “I will remember the works of the Lord. Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago! I will think about all you have done; I will reflect upon your deeds! O God, your deeds are extraordinary! What god can compare to our great God? You are the God who does amazing things; you have revealed your strength among the nations.”

                When we are walking through the valley, when we are under fire, when we have questions, we need to reflect back on the times God answered us and recall His great work in our life.

                Psalm 107:22 in the Amplified Bible says “And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!” We need to speak about what God has done for us to others. Hearing ourselves rehearse God’s goodness not only encourages them, but it encourages us too.

                 The third thing is to remember the HOPE God has given us.  Romans 5:1-2, 5 says “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory… And (this) hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (NET Bible)

                “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) We have been given hope through the Holy Spirit and that hope does not disappoint.

     “Blessed is the man [or woman!] who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For (s)he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NKJV)

                When we don’t feel we have anything to be thankful for, we’re usually in some kind of spiritual battle, and we can’t afford to be silent. That is when we need to loudly proclaim the goodness of our God. We need to offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God. Psalm 86:12-13 says “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, And I will glorify your name forevermore! For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.”   The Psalmist is recalling Who God is and What God has done in the past.

                The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”.

                When we have a bad report from the doctor, we say “Thank you God for being my Jehovah Rapha. When the bills are due and there’s no money we can say “Thank You God for being my Jehovah Jireh.” When there is turmoil all around us we can say “Thank You God for being my JEHOVAH SHALOM.

                  Psalm 50:14-15 says “Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” We can go to God with our needs, and we can do it in faith when we know Who He is and we can offer Him thanksgiving, not for the need itself, but for His response to that need.

                   When David was on the run from Saul, who was trying to kill him, he fled to Gath but when he realized he was in danger there he pretended to be insane. (1Samuel 21:10-15) That is when he wrote the 34th Psalm. It begins “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

     

     

     

  • “I Will Give You Rest”

     

    “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

    What does that mean? In our crazy world, with our busy messy lives, how can we rest? Most of us feel like at times we need more hours in the day.

    Some of the definitions from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary for rest are: (noun) repose, sleep; a place for resting or lodging; peace of mind or spirit; something used for support or (verb) free of anxieties

    Let’s consider some of these definitions.

    1. Repose, Sleep

    We all know our physical bodies need rest. Article I read list some of the health risks of too little or poor sleep.

    Weight gain/Obesity – people with poor sleep habits typically have a higher BMI (body mass index) than those who get 8 hours.

    Diabetes – inadequate sleep influences the way the body processes glucose and can contribute to Type 2 Diabetes.

    Heart Disease and Hypertension – insufficient sleep with people suffering from hypertension can cause elevated blood pressure, eventually increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

    Mood Disorders – Irritability and moodiness can be caused by a single sleepless night, and long term mood disorders such as depression, anxiety and mental distress have been connected to chronic sleep issues.

    Performance and Public Safety – Poor job performance and accidents can sometimes be attributed to lack of sleep.

    Life Expectancy – Studies show that sleeping five hours or less a night increased mortality risk by roughly 15 percent.

    God created our bodies to renew and refresh themselves through sleep. Cells regenerate and brains sort out superfluous information stored over the day. If you have trouble falling to sleep, ask God for restful sleep.

    Psalm 4:8 (AMP) says “In peace [and with a tranquil heart] I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety and confident trust.”

    Psalm 127:2 says “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.”

    Proverbs 3:24 promises “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”

    The Amplified Bible says in Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.”

    Sometimes, we need to take a break from whatever we are doing, especially when we are overwhelmed with activity and business.

    In Mark 6: 31, Jesus told the disciples to come rest awhile. “And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.’”

    The Greek word translated “rest” here is anapauð : (reflex.) to repose (lit. or fig. [be exempt], remain), by implication to refresh:-take ease, refresh, (give, take) rest. (Also the same word translated rest in Matt. 11:28) Jesus knew the disciples needed to take time refresh, take rest.

    1. Peace of mind or spirit; free of anxieties

    God created us as a three part being just as He is – He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We live in a physical body, we have a soul (mind, will and emotions) and we are a spirit.

    Not only does our physical body need rest, but also our mind and emotions. Sometimes the poor state of our physical body can affect our mental or emotional being, but we also need to rest, or refresh our mental state of being.

    We all have a certain amount of stress, it’s called life. But prolonged stress can damage our body, even to the point of serious illness or death. God did not create us to carry excess stress.  And He has given us instructions and the tools how to handle it.

    In 1 Peter 5:6, 7 tells us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”  We do not need to spend time stressing over situations, needs, problems especially those things we have no control over. We do need to acknowledge we are unable control it, and then cast it all over on God. And if that means we have to do it over and over, then we do it over and over, repenting for taking it back.

    A lady named Phyllis Ford said “Rest is displayed in our ability to yield to the presence of God, trusting that He is in control of our lives… We relinquish our ability to fix, manage, and control things.” Yield to God’s presence and trust He is in control. And trust Him that if there are things we can do or need to change, He will reveal it to us.

    Zephaniah 3:17 says “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

    “He will quiet you with His love.” Just like a mother quiets her crying child with words of love and comfort, God will quiet our hearts no matter what is going on in our lives, even in the craziness sometimes if we only trust Him. God is in the midst of the worst circumstances and will quiet us with His love. He is the only one able to truly give us peace of mind.

    Jesus said in verse 29 of Matt. 11, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” The interesting thing here, the Greek word translated rest here, is anapausls : (from anapauð,) but it means – intermission; by implication recreation; – rest. Jesus is inviting us to come take a break from things with Him. Come to Him, and we can take an intermission from worry, from stress, from sorrow.  When I was on Grand Jury, some days were so very hard and at times depressing. No matter how hard I tried, I could not “unsee” or “unhear” some of the horrific photographs I saw or the disturbing testimony I heard. If I went home and brooded over things, I usually would have trouble sleeping, thinking about what I’d seen and heard. But If I went home, took a walk and invited Jesus to come along with me, and talked to Him about it, the burden of it always lifted and I was able to put it out of my mind and sleep that night.

    In the book of Acts Peter was thrown into prison, probably to be executed just as James his brother had been, what was his response? (Acts 12:5) He was asleep bound between 2 guards! Why? How? Because he’d cast the care of his life over on God.

    So when a stressful situation is keeping you up at night, pray “Father, I cast the care of this (whatever it is) over on You because I know You care for me. Now I will lay down and sleep because You have promised to give your beloved sleep.”

    Jesus said “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me… Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:1, 27)

    1. Something used for support or a place for resting or lodging

    Now just as rest is important for our physical bodies and our souls, rest is essential for our spirits. When we are physically tired, when we are mentally or emotionally stressed and drained, our spiritual life suffers and we are ineffective for the Kingdom of God. But equally, when we’re not refreshed and growing spiritually, our bodies and souls suffer. Each part of our being is dependent on the other – when one part suffers, our entire being suffers.

    What is it that is rest for us, that something we can use for support? Where do we go to find a place of resting?

    The NKJV of Psalm 94:12-15 says, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.”

    Now listen to it from The Message: “How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word, providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil, while a jail is being built for the wicked. God will never walk away from his people, never desert his precious people. Rest assured that justice is on its way and every good heart put right.”

    “Providing a circle of quiet in the clamor of evil.” When we meditate on God’s Word, when we spend time alone with God, when we pray, God will provide a circle of quiet.

    In John 16:33 Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

    Jesus is the One we can lean on for rest. In this life we will have problems, we will have conflicts, we will have family issues, we will have financial issues, we will have health issues. But Jesus says “In Me you can have peace.

    Why is this important?

    Today we are in a spiritual war as never before. There are things happening in the world, in our country, all around us, things that in the natural realm we have no control over. Satan is trying to destroy our nation, he wants to destroy our families, he wants to control our children.

    But in the spirit realm, we have power because Jesus said, “I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 AMP)

    The most important thing we can do for the Kingdom of God is pray. Pray Spirit led, Word based prayers. The last phrase of James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

    But if we’re struggling in our own soul, if we’re worn out, how effective can we be?

    Matthew 28:18a says “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore..”

    We have been given the authority in Jesus’ Name, we have been commissioned by Jesus, to work for the Kingdom of God. But we have to be ready and be prepared before we can be effective in this Kingdom work. We have to be ready for battle when God calls us.

    We have to be physically and mentally ready as well as spiritually prepared for do Kingdom warfare.

    The Bible says of Jesus: “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left [the house], and went out to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Mark 1:35 (AMP)

    Jesus began His day, spending time with the Father, listening to what the Father said. If you’re not an early riser, ask the Father what time He’d like you to meet with Him and ask Him to help you to set your schedule accordingly. We have to fit our schedule into God’s plans, not expect God to fit His plans into our schedule. Spend time during the day just quietly sitting, listening for His voice. You can pray, or not; read your Bible or not; but just bask in His presence.

    Listen to Jesus speaking in Matthew 11:27-30.

    “Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. ‘The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

    ‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.’”

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee