Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

He Is More Than Enough

"I have always believed that it is God's responsibility to take care of me. Of course there are things that I have to do, but having come to the realization that He is the Almighty God, I figured out some years ago that it was pointless of me to worry about the things over which I had no control, and were things that He was the specialist at. Not only is He my provider (Jehovah-jireh), but when I need healing, He is my Jehovah-rapha (Ex. 15:26); when I need inner and outer peace, He is my Jehovah-shalom (Judges 6:23,24); when I need guidance, He is my Jehovah-rohi, my Shepherd (Ps. 23:1); when I need sanctification He is Jehovah-m'kaddesh, the Lord who sanctifies (Ex. 31:13); when I need for Him to be there, He is my Jehovah-shammah and His presence is with me (Ezekiel 48:35); when I need to hold Him high, He is my Jehovah-nissi, my banner (Ex. 17:15). He is Jehovah-tsidkenu, my righteousness (Jer. 23:5-6); He is Elohim - LORD - all powerful; He is El Shaddai, my nourisher and comforter, and He is Adonai, my Lord. Did I leave anything out? As these Redemptive names of God shows, everything about Him says He is more than enough for me, and for all who will believe that He is all that He says He is and then some."

--From the article "He's More Than Enough" - CEW

[britisha]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

"Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God"

...and the people said "Amen"!!

Fabulous thread CEW; love it. Stay blessed.

[DC]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

I thought I had to see and believe
To prove that what I loved was really real
But passions turned to ashes
Dreams are turned to dust
I've found reality in simple trust.....

Bill and Gloria Gaither

[tonirand]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulder, rest assured that He is able to carry you!

Adapted

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)

"Because the word of God is infallible, we can take consolation in the fact that we are never given more than we can bear. In our reference text we read, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond what you can bear.” No one had more reasons than Job, “the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1:3b), to doubt the truth of this statement. In chapters 1 and 2 of the book bearing his name, we read of his devastating trials. He lost all he had; 10 children, 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and all but one of his servants. If that wasn’t enough, he was then afflicted with painful sores covering his entire body. Lest we think that he had sinned, in Ch 1:1 we read that he “was blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil”!

It is important to know that God gave Satan permission to test Job, but in granting such permission, He placed limits on how far Satan could go (Job 1:12, 2:6). For the child of God, this is of absolute importance. Regardless of our circumstances, God has the devil on a leash! As in the case of Job, He will only allow us to be tested to the extent that He trusts us to overcome. In Jude 24 we read “To him who is able to keep us from falling..”. Sure it does seem like our trials and afflictions are more than we can bear, and indeed more than we deserve, but nevertheless, God is faithful in that He will provide a way for us to “stand up under it”.

For the child of God, victory is assured as long as we remain on the Lord’s side. The moment we step outside of His will and care, we will fall. Job knew this so despite the best efforts of the enemy, we read that “In all this, Job sinned not by charging God with wrongdoing…..(he) did not sin in what he said.”

From the article "More Than You Can Bear?" - September 98.

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

From the article: "The Last Word - Ultimate Authority".

"And God said...and it was so." (Genesis 1:6,7)

"It is not hard to imagine the world before God took control as in Genesis 1:2 we read “And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” Once God was through creating and executing His power and authority, we read in v. 31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Shapelessness, emptiness, and darkness were replaced by a God who had the last word. This really excites me and should excite every believer because our faith is in a God whose words are final. In other words, no matter how shapeless, empty, and dark our respective lives and circumstances might be, nothing is final until our God says it is. I get excited at the knowledge that no matter what grim news the banker, the doctor, or the lawyer might give us, nothing is over until God says it is over.

Every Christian should recognize the power and intent of the enemy. He is the destroyer of our relationships, our families, and our nations. He is like a roaring lion walking about, seeing whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), he comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10), but what is more important to recognize is that he is not the final authority; he does not have the last word. This enemy will ultimately be destroyed by Him who has the final say!

If you walk around feeling like things around you are falling apart and you have nowhere to turn, I encourage you to turn over those broken situations to Him who is more than capable of bringing light where there is darkness, clarity and peace where there is confusion, hope where there is despair. That wayward child can return home, that illness – terminal or otherwise - can be healed, that shattered relationship can be restored, that empty cupboard can be filled, that joblessness can be a thing of the past, because unless God allows it, He has the last word."

[churchgirl]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

I've never made a fortune, and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow.

And as I go along life's way,
I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven't got a lot of riches,
and sometimes the going's tough.
But I've got loving ones all around me,
and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings,
and the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,
and the sun peeped through again.

So Lord, help me not to gripe,
about the tough rows I have hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage,
When the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings,
I'm already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy,
to help others bear their loads.
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

When I think of how many people
in this world have it worse than I do.
I realize just how blessed most of us really are.

~Author Unknown~

[Queen]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

The Next Best Thing To Do

[i]Seek, and ye shall find." Luke 11:9

Seek if you have not Found. "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss." If you ask for things from life instead of from God, you ask amiss, i.e.,. you ask from a desire for self-realization. The more you realize yourself the less will you seek God. "Seek, and ye shall find." Get to work, narrow your interests to this one. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you given a languid cry to Him after a twinge of moral neuralgia? Seek, concentrate, and you will find.

excerpt from The Utmost for His Highest A daily devotional by Oswald Chambers.

In addition this verse comes to mind:

Jer. 29: 11-14

11. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

[DC]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

Do you know what the enemy thinks when he sees men use violence to propogate the gospel? He sits with arms folded behind the fires of hell and says with malignant looks and frightful grin: "Ah, how wise these madmen are to play my game! Let them go on; I shall reap the benefit. I delight in it".

But when he sees the Word running and contending alone on the battlefield, then he shudders and shakes for fear.
The Word is Almighty, and takes captive the hearts.

I did nothing; the Word did everything.

Martin Luther-The Great Reformer

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

From the article: "Walking In Expectancy"

“And it shall come to pass, that before (you) call I will answer, and while (you) are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24, KJV)

Ask any mother who is expecting a baby, and she will tell you that at about the expected date of delivery, she is walking in expectancy! More times than not she does not know exactly when, but given the natural order of things, she knows that as night follows day, at any time she could start feeling those first tell tale signs of a birth that is on the way. For the child of God who enjoys a relationship with the Heavenly Father, the expectancy should be no less. Unfortunately, unlike the expectant mother who is expecting the arrival of her child, the Christian is often times not expecting the arrival of that which God has already conceived.

Many are us are living well below what God intended for us. I am reminded of the children of Israel who were liberated from Egypt and the persecution and day-to-day existence that it represented. According to Numbers 23, they were commanded of God to take the land of Canaan which contained far more than they would possibly need, yet in spite of the physical liberation, mentally there were still in Egypt, having steadfastly refused to walk in the abundance that God had already provided for them; a land flowing with milk and honey! Please note that according to verse 2, the LORD said unto Moses, “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel…”, but the men that went up with Caleb said, “…We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” (v.31). Like most modern day Christians, these men had chose to see things with the natural eye instead of cluing in to the sovereignty of God and the execution of His divine plan.

In Jeremiah 29:11, we read “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” This gets even better when read from the New International Version, “For I know the plans I have for you ... plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”! Hallelujah! This passage of scripture excites me! Gosh, it really does excite me! See, I expect things to happen everyday. You could say I walk in expectancy of God doing something awesome everyday. Jeremiah reminds us that we awake to new mercies every morning and the greatness of God’s faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22, 23), and every child of God should recognize that on any given day, as long as we walk in the will of God, something good is going to happen at just about anytime! Why? Because God has a plan for each of us, and as a visiting speaker to my local Church said recently, He is just wanting for our cooperation to move our blessings from His storehouse, into our house! I strongly believe that there are blessings waiting to be claimed, that prayers have already been answered, while God waits for His children to get a hold of His purpose and lay claim to the things He has already provided for us. Not that which He will provide, but that which He has already provided.

[jedi]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

Many are us are living well below what God intended for us. I am reminded of the children of Israel who were liberated from Egypt and the persecution and day-to-day existence that it represented. According to Numbers 23, they were commanded of God to take the land of Canaan which contained far more than they would possibly need, yet in spite of the physical liberation, mentally there were still in Egypt, having steadfastly refused to walk in the abundance that God had already provided for them; a land flowing with milk and honey! Please note that according to verse 2, the LORD said unto Moses, “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel…”, but the men that went up with Caleb said, “…We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” (v.31). Like most modern day Christians, these men had chose to see things with the natural eye instead of cluing in to the sovereignty of God and the execution of His divine plan

Well said couldn't express it any better myself.
If only we could truly taste and see the goodness of the Lord and plug into His continuous supply of life giving power how much more blessed we would be.

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

CEW, this devotion reminded me of you.

A Passion to Serve Him
Romans 12:1

Someone once asked Daniel Webster what was the most profound thought he ever had. He replied that his greatest thought was that of his individual responsibility to God. It seems like a logical answer when you consider that not one of us had anything to do with our conception or our arrival on planet Earth. Nevertheless, most people assume that they belong to themselves. When we meet Jesus, however, and discover His claims on us, what could be more sensible than offering to Him a lifetime of service?

That is what happened to Paul it is the reason he could stand on the deck of a sinking ship and talk to his fellow passengers about the God to whom I belong and whom I serve (Acts 27:23). In his mind, it was quite simple: I belong to Him so I serve Him. Later, in writing to the Romans, he urged them to present their bodies as a holy sacrifice to God. He called it your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Reasonable, yes, but more than that, we should also regard this service as regal. It is alive with glory. We have been cleansed from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). We are preparing to join the countless multitude who serve Him day and night in His temple (Revelation 7:15). And best of all, we are preparing for citizenship in the celestial city, where His bond-servants will serve Him; and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:3-4).

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

Thanks, Compry.

From the article - "Jesus Loves Me."

“…Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; …” (Jeremiah 31:3, KJV)

On my way to work one morning, I had the most startling of experiences. I was listening to a CD in my car and one of the songs that played was one we all learned in Sunday School at one time or another, “Jesus Loves Me.” Despite having sung this song perhaps several hundred times in my life, on this particular morning, it was as if I was hearing it for the very first time. My attention was drawn to the profoundness of the words of the verses, and the crescendo of the chorus, “Yes, Jesus loves me / Yes, Jesus loves me / Yes, Jesus loves me / The Bible tells me so” was so riveting that I put the CD player on repeat and listened to that one song for several days afterwards.

Jesus loves me. What a thought! The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator of all things, Emmanuel, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, did in fact love me. Sure we have all heard it – God loves you - numerous times before, but suddenly I had a fuller realization of what it meant to be loved by my Heavenly Father. Yet, even with that realization I can fully appreciate that I have just only scratched the surface of coming to grips with the awesomeness of this divine love and what it meant.

Having posed the question to the Romans “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”, Paul continued, “Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the loved of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (8:35, 37-40). That gives me a sweet chill. I am secure in the knowledge and reassurance that I am loved unconditionally, and with a love that is lasting. There is absolutely nothing that can separate me from the love of Christ. The devil can give it his best shot. He can oppress, depress, and intimidate, yet despite it all, the fact remains that Jesus loves me.

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

Family Influence: Good or Bad?
2 Timothy 1:3-5

Sometimes we wonder if there’s any way we can leave a mark of the time we spent on earth. How will anyone know we’ve been here? How can we leave behind something that will benefit society? Will others know of our faith in Jesus Christ?

The answer is a resounding yes—it’s your children. The way you rear your children ripples down from generation to generation. If you ground your children in godly principles through both word and action, they will follow in your footsteps as they grow older. ?

As Paul writes Timothy, we see that Timothy had a spiritual heritage. Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and mother, Eunice, were both devoted to God. Paul saw that same devotion in Timothy, who learned it from his relatives.

When your children imitate you, what place will Jesus have in their lives? Will they be a man or woman of prayer? Will they develop strong, godly relationships? Will the Word of God have a place of importance in their lives?

You can’t just tell your children, "Do as I say." Children are watching. So, in order to hand down this godly foundation, you must show them what place Jesus has in your life. You must be a man or woman of prayer. God’s Word must have a strong place of importance in your life. When you do these things, your children will see you and do likewise. (Proverbs 22:6)

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection ...

Unshakeable Faith
Psalm 121:1-2

Picture a three-year-old who suddenly realizes she has lost sight of her parent imagine the sense of fear, the feeling of danger and vulnerability, the overwhelming need to get out of the situation. The dad still sees the child, but the little girl is unable to locate him.

Just as swiftly, life's tragedies come upon us; fear sets in and we are swamped by the trouble. Where is our heavenly Father? When we are able to turn our minds away from the difficulty and look up with spiritual eyes, we will see that our heavenly Father is still near to us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Unfortunately, trouble operates like a magnet on our attention; it takes some effort to detach our gaze from the adversity and affix it on the Lord. But by developing a consistent habit of seeking God's presence throughout each and every day, we will find it easier to do so in a crisis. The Holy Spirit stands ready to help us sharpen our spiritual eyesight. The best time to practice is when the issues in our lives are 'normal' and the stress level is tolerable. Yet these are the very times when we are tempted to focus on our routine and seek our heavenly Father only occasionally.

We must become people who habitually look for evidence of God's nearness. We can look for it in creation, in the Christians with whom we worship and serve, and in our own lives. With our eyes trained to seek God, we will be able to look up and find Him even in the dark nights of our lives. (Acts 7:55)