Communication With God

"Blessed and joyfully nourished by God's goodness are those who hunger and thirst for right standing with God, for they will be completely satisfied" (Matthew 5:6 Amplified Bible).

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord, JESUS!

A while back I was running errands, and as I was pulling into the parking lot of a craft store, I realized I left my cell phone at home.  I was too far from home to turn around and get it, but the thought crossed my mind.  Instead, I rushed to get everything done so I could hurry home and get my phone.  It felt weird to be unplugged and disconnected from the rest of the world.  I send a bunch of texts throughout the day, and I am always on the alert for any messages from family and friends.  And who can live without “Breaking News” bulletins?

When I finally made it home and grabbed my phone, there was nothing new.  No missed calls, no messages, no alerts, N-O-T-H-I-N-G!  The world did not, in fact, end because I was unplugged from it for a couple of hours.    

Can the same be said of our relationship with the Lord?  Can we stay unplugged from Him for any period of time and be okay? Can we stay disconnected from the One Who nourishes our souls without it affecting us? When was the last time any of us felt the urge to “turn around” from whatever we were doing so we could connect with Jesus? Do we ever find ourselves “rushing” to get to Him? Do we even feel anxious when we forget about Him? What if we were as diligent in our communication with God as we are in our communication with everyone else via every device and social media available? 

Are any of the six questions above important?

YES!, and the answers will determine the quality of our lives.

When we become active seekers of God our strength is renewed (Isaiah 40:31), our prayers are answered (John 16:24), joy is abundant (Acts 13:52), we will be led in peace (Isaiah 55:12), and our paths are made straight (Proverbs 3:6).  These are just a few of the wouldn't-want-to-live-without-em' blessings that are ours when we plug in and connect with Him.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are so passionate about our communication. Most of us can’t go for an hour without checking our phones, myself included. And we thank You for the ability to keep in touch with family and friends.  But You are the source of every good thing in this world and in the world to come; staying connected with You blesses us in immeasurable ways, and we are grateful. Thank You for reminding us today that the greatest relationship we will ever have is the one with You.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~     

Stand in the Gap~

Yesterday we were left wondering about what we are to do if someone we love is not plugging into God. If our coming close to God is a pre-requisite for His coming close to us, and if someone we love is not making that effort, what hope do we have?


Of course we want those we love to have God's peace, joy, protection, and guidance in their lives. But if they aren't seeking it, is it a lost cause?

NOPE, NO WAY, NEVER, UH-UH!

God expects us to stand in the gap. I love that expression, "Stand in the Gap."

All of you know that I raised my children to love the Lord, and they willingly accepted Christ as their Savior at a young age. But there have been periods in their lives when prayer and going to church was not a priority. They weren't really plugging in as often as they should. There was a disconnect between them and God. So I filled that gap with my prayers.

I got right in the middle of the divide and poured my heart out to God to keep them safe anyway. To guide them anyway. To pour His spirit out on them anyway. To fill them with joy anyway. To let their dreams come true anyway. To bless them with the right relationships anyway. And guess what? He has and He did and He will continue to do that.

1 Timothy 2:1
"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them."

What a tremendous relief to know that when we pray for others, God helps them. When we say, "Thy kingdom come..."It does, and it invades the lives of those we love.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that You come near to us when we pray and near to those whom we are praying for. This is such a lovely truth. It will carry us happily along for the rest of the day. Remind us of this when things get crazy--that prayer changes things. Come near to ________ today. They really need You. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Enjoy Your Life~

My mission in life is to turn every frown I see into a smile. Yes, there is a bunch of bad news, everywhere, all the time, but there is more good news than bad. I promise! In light of eternity, keeping in mind about the wonderful adventures ahead, we should smile everyday no matter what. But, I don't want any one to think that they have to go through life--barely making it--until heaven. NEWS ALERT: GOD WANTS YOU TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE ON EARTH!!!

John 10:10

"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Jesus wants you to have a full, satisfying life. Yet so many out there live their lives devoid of peace, joy, faith, and hope. Millions upon millions of folks are on some type of medication to help them function, and too many others, in an act of extreme desperation, take their own life every single day.

Why does this happen if God, in the kindest and most compassionate act ever in history, sent Jesus to save our souls AND bless our human existence?

Think of it this way. We all have electricity in our homes. Great and glorious power available to us, but we have to plug the cord in to access it. It's the same thing with God. He's there ready and waiting, but we have to plug into Him. We must take the first step because God does not and will not force Himself onto anyone.

James 4:8

"Come near to God and He will come near to you."

We get near to Him through prayer, which is a fancy word for having a little convo. Plain and simple. How often should we come near? Daily.

"Give us this day our daily bread," is one of the hallmark's of our faith.

God desires to be kind to us everyday, and if you woke up this morning and ate a hearty breakfast and took a hot shower all while listening to the radio, then thank God for His kindness. If you had to get dressed and go to work, thank God for His kindness. If you took a car to work, thank Him for His kindness. If you dropped of your kids at school and kissed them before they ran off, thank God for His kindness. If your spouse brought you coffee in bed, thank God for His kindness. Heck, if you made your own coffee, thank Him for His kindness.

There are so many things we should thank God for, but today let us thank Him that He is approachable and that He responds by coming near to us. And He doesn't come empty-handed. He brings whatever you need to have a full, rich, satisfying life!

What if there is someone you love who isn't plugging in and you are worried about them? Mañana :)

PRAYER:

Dear Lord,

Thank You that we have the assurance that if we plug into You, You respond by coming near to us. We accept as a matter of fact and faith that since we are praying now, You are coming near to each and every one of us. Fill us with peace and joy today. You said You came to give us an abundant life, and we receive it. In Jesus' name, AMEN~