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Psalms 8:1 NIV[1]  Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.

Psalms 8:1 NIV
[1]  Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.

There are no small miracles!
How often do we ask God for something that is really important to us, but after He answers we never tell people because we have gotten it into our heads that it was small. I think we have this feeling due to certain testimony expectations. Someone who survived a car wreck unharmed seems to have a testimony that is greater than the girl who was praying for her senior dog to be able to jump up on the couch by himself again. Yet both are equal! Yes. The fact that God answers us at all is the amazing thing, but the lost earring and the broken foot both hold the same weight with God. Nothing we ask for is hard for Him, it’s our mind which make things big. Inside my mind my exams are HUGE! But to God they are nothing, they are so simple to Him. In my mind protection from a terrible storm is MASSIVE! But it’s easy for God.
There are no small miracles. What we ask for is only big or little inside our own minds.
I would like to see us walk away from this and begin boasting on God for EVERYTHING He does, not just for the things that seem big to us.
In the Psalm above, David speaks on how majestic the name of the Lord is; then he goes on to ask God what are we that God Himself cares for us?
We are so small in the whole of things, yet we mean so much to God.

Take away:
We undermine God’s goodness when we speak of how only certain things He does are miracles and others are only little blessings. Yet every work of God’s hand is a miracle, everything He does for us. Because the true miracle is the fact that God loves us and cares about us.
Even if we simply stub our toe, Jesus cares.
So when the things we think are big happen, let’s remember that, to God, they aren’t big at all.

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Refuge

Psalms 121:1-2 NIV
[1] I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? [2] My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
David found his hiding place within the mountains when he hid from Saul. He knew perfectly well how safe a cave could feel. Yet he reminds us here that his rescue did not come from the mountains. His safety and hiding place was in God.
Too often we find comfort in things of this world. In our jobs, in our studies, in health care, in our homes, so on. All these things are very good but they do not replace God. How often throughout the book of Isaiah did God warn the people about setting up thing as idols, about relying on earthly strength instead of on Him? Just like the Israelites then we seek strength for anything we can touch and see because we fear relying on God.
Yet David saw it. My safety is not from these mountains around me, my safety is from the God who made these mountains.
Our safety and strength and success does not come from anything we can touch or see, sure we will have put out effort on our part, but our salvation from all around us no matter what we face, is in God Himself.
These strongholds cannot save me, but God can!

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But you said no anyway

But you said no anyway

I was listening to soft piano music and this title came up. It reminded me of times with God where we have done all the right things. We have been kind to people who would be easier to be mean to. We have given even when we were poor ourselves. We have gone to church each Sunday when all we want to do is sleep in. Yet God said no to our desire anyway.
Times like those are so hard, and many walk away from their Faith during such days because it hurts too much to keep holding on.
But God’s answers to our prayers aren’t based on how good, kind, and giving we’ve been, they are based on His will and timing.
C.S. Lewis said something once along the lines of:
“It is not that we doubt that God has a plan, it’s that we fear how painful His plan will be.”
The days when God says ‘yes’ it is easy to trust in Him. It’s those days when He says ‘no’ that we stumble.
God never promised sunshine, never once did He say we would never walk in storms, but He always promises that He loves us and that His plans are for our good.
Sometimes He says no and it makes no sense. It may never make sense. That’s why we need faith. Because Faith says to keep holding on, when everything else says to fear and despair.
Jesus has never once dropped you or left you alone to suffer, and He isn’t about to start now.

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The answer was with me, I just forgot to look

Remember when Mary Magdalene in the Chosen saw the Roman soldier ride past and is terrified and hides from him? Then later is so ashamed of her fear and says that she completely ignored the scriptures in her hands and hid.
I have suddenly had a moment like that.
After school ends we all feel we will get jobs right away and life will be the bees, or however that saying goes. Then when it doesn’t, you panic. Will I ever get a job? Will I end up being one more collge graduate who can’t use her diploma for anything outside of space on her wall?
Then you start to really go down hill. Wondering why people less qualified have positions you feel you should have. It’s a mess.
Then I opened my cell phone and my lock screen said Isaiah 46:4

Isaiah 46:4 NIV
[4] Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

The right verse to remind me of God’s power was right there in my hands the whole time. I had just missed it because of my stress.

How about you? How often has stress taken over your mind and made you ignore the truth of God? Too often I would guess, because it has happened too often for me.
The Bible holds all of the answers, we just have to stop and listen.
He’s got us. We just forget sometimes that:
He STILL has the whole world in His hands tonight. -Petra

Goodnight friends 🧡

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A little dinosaur reminding us of Christ’s love

Does anyone remember Land before time? I mean the real one, not the new one?
Have you ever thought of how that movie is a great representation of our relationship with Christ?
Don’t give up on me just yet. Let me show what I mean. Littlefoot, the cutest Dino ever, ends up having to walk across the wasteland due to what I would guess to be Pangea splitting in the continental drift.
On his journey, he runs into Sarah. The 3 horn in their world, the Triceratops in ours, and she tells him that they can’t journey together, because he’s not of her kind, so he goes and journeys on his own. Having lost his mother and being totally broken at heart he feels like he will always be alone. Yet as he journeys, he meets several others who are not his kind, who are also journeying alone, and who are frightened and need somebody to care for them. So he puts the differences aside, and allows them all to come with him. And he cares for them and protects them. And then when we have Sarah join back up with the group, she decides to take charge, and she argues with him at every step and tries to show that she is smarter. And eventually, her wrong opinions (which claim to know an easier path) lead all of the friends except Littlefoot, who knows to go the right direction, astray. Isn’t that exactly like our relationship with Jesus, right down to the wandering the wastand and finding friends to wander with him? More than that though, His knowing the answers, His finding lost and broken people in this world and putting aside the fact whether we’re black of skin or white, or we’re Chinese or we have a limp, or we have freckles, none of that matters to Him as long as we are willing to love Him and serve Him, and then He guides us and lets us follow Him. He protects us and then out of nowhere comes the devil whispering in our ear (or shouting) saying Jesus is wrong and that he knows an easier way. Taunting us with “Why are you taking the hard way?” And because we’re human and dumb, we go and we follow the devil’s voice. Even though Jesus has led us the right way up until now. Do we all remember what happens when things get hard? After the other children choose to follow Sarah, instead of Littlefoot?
She ends up leaving them all behind and not even noticing when they fall into turmoil. Yet as soon as they cry for help, little foot comes running. Shouting, “hang on guys, I’m coming.” Isn’t that just like Jesus as soon as we run into trouble? Even though we chose to follow the devil instead of Him, when we call for help He comes running saying, “hang on guys. I’m coming.” Why? Because He loves us and He is the eternal perfect leader. Let us give our lives to Him and trust in Him. Now we all remember that Sarah does get her redemption because Littlefoot allows her to continue to join them. In fact, he even saves her on several occasions throughout several different movies.
Now the devil doesn’t have that chance to be rescued, but the vialist of sinner does, and Jesus will reach out to even those who have hurt Him the most because He is our God and we love Him. More than that, He loves us.

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Too far away from the fire

When you don’t spend enough time with God, you begin to lose something. You lose the warmth. There is a warmth in the connection between you and God, a steady feeling of health for your soul. You may have days on end where your day was lousy, but you felt okay once you sat down and spent time with Him. Then things change. You get busy. Distracted. Sick. Tired. Something happens, and you are suddenly not spending the time with God that you used to. Then the cold slips in. Like a frost slipping its fingers under the door in December. A chill enters your bones, and you don’t know why or where it has come from. You wrap up in a blanket of comfort, TV, social media, a good book, but it’s never enough. Then, one day, you open your Bible, and suddenly, a wave of warmth floods back into your soul. You stop and pray for a bit, and more warmth comes. Soon, you are praying and worshiping and feel like you are sitting on a warm beach in the sun because your soul has its fire back.

Isaiah 53:6-12 NIV
[6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. [8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. [9] He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. [10] Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. [11] After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. [12] Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.53.6-12.NIV

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The battle in the hall

The real battle, he fought alone, in the hall before the great door and the monster within. – The Hobbit

We often feel like our times of fighting with ourselves and forcing ourselves forward to do things that terrify us is not the true battle. In fact, we look on it as weakness. Yet, it is often in the hallways before the interview, before the operation, before the exam, before whatever is facing you, that is where we fought the true battle. The greatest battle to overcome, because we are fighting ourselves.

In a way, we are all members of Fight Club. We are all fighters against the enemy of our own thoughts and actions. For every time God tells you to do something, the devil tells you not to, and vice-versa. If God tells you to invite your friend to church, the devil will tell you not to. If God tells you not to go to that party, the devil will tell you you should.
You always fight your biggest battles, but yourself, in the hall.
Except one thing. You aren’t by yourself. Jesus fights with you. When the devil gets in your head, Jesus is right there attacking his defenses and stopping him from making strongholds.
Jesus is your only true defense.
Don’t let the battle of the hall hold you back from the path and the future God has set before you.

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Some days

Some days, it hurts. Some days you wonder why you are there and how you even got there. Some days, it feels like everyone is after you and not in a good way. But God.
It’s like climbing through a thick cloud. You can’t see where you are going, but you keep going, and then finally, you see the light at the top. That’s what it’s like to turn your eyes upon Jesus. He will show that you are okay because of Him. He will give you great friends. He will give you great family. He Himself will be your support team.
You have wounds. But you are not defined by them. You are strong despite them and because of them, but they are not who you are.
Jesus cried tears of blood for a people He loved, in a place He did not want to be, about to do something He did not want to do. But He did it anyway.
He lives inside of us. His strength to carry on through the impossible is with us. He is our God.
Even when you feel like a tree who has had her bark wounded by a deer, stripped and torn but not so deep it will die, Jesus sees you. He hasn’t let you go or left you. He will get you through this.
Trust Him!

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Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

This. This right here. This verse.

We listen to it. We pray it. We quote it. We get it tattooed on our arms. Yet. Do we listen to it?

Trust in Jesus. Do not rely on what you understand. Submit your ways to Him and He will make a way.

We see this verse as a soft, cuddly verse. A feel good verse. This is not a feel good verse. This is a battle cry in the midst of tragedy and sorrow. This is not a spot light on a highway, this is a torch in a tunnel. 

We don’t need to be reminded to trust God when life is good. We need to trust God when life is a dumpster fire! When we can’t take anymore. When we want to scream and cry and throw things. That’s when we need to be reminded that our understanding is not His understanding. Our understanding is limited to what we know and what we see. His understanding expands beyond thought, time and reality as we know it. God knows how the book ends. We don’t. God knows how we are going to continue on. Get by. See the end. See the reward. See the plan, maybe we never see the plan, maybe we just live the plan. But God. God knows. Trust not in your understanding because it is subjective. Trust in God’s understanding because He created your understanding.

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Following the fourth Wiseman- Continuing on

Several years have passed since our traveler’s experience meeting the Messiah. He has seen many miracles and many hardships. He had know when Jesus had sent him into the world to tell people about what he had seen and heard regarding Jesus, that it would not be easy. Yet there were days when he thought he could not continue on. He often wondered about the other disciples. He had heard stories about them and even the works of a man named Paul. He wondered if they ever felt worn down and hopeless? Yet every time he felt he could not carry on, our traveler recalled the words of his Messiah.

John 16:33 ESV
[33] I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

These words and the presence of his Messiah kept our traveler going. Telling the good news of Jesus everywhere he went. Until the end of his days.

We often feel like we just can’t keep going. We don’t have enough faith to tell one more person about Jesus. We don’t have enough courage to continue on the path He has put before us. We are just too tired to keep trying. The hate against us is so strong. The mockery, so constant. Why talk to people when they don’t believe?
Then the words of Jesus come back to us. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the Earth. Jesus has already overcome it all. I like the thing I saw that said, Jesus has walked on the tops of the waves you thought would bury you. There have been so many waves I thought would bury me, but when I felt I was going under I looked up and I saw the hand of the savior reaching down, that hand has kept me going. I’m sure it has kept many of us going. There’s no promise things will be easy. But He has risen, and because He is risen. We have a reason to keep on trying to trust him to go forward in faith.
This world is hard at times, but God.

John 3:16 ESV

[16]  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.