“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.”  Psalm 77:19

How often have you heard the comment, “I didn’t see it at the time, but now I recognize how God was leading me”.  When young Joseph, (eventually to become a Hebrew patriarch) was thrown into a desert pit by his brothers and later sold into slavery, observers could rationally have argued that God was not in the picture. Yet years later, after enduring the suffering of misunderstanding, abandonment, treachery and prison, and now in a position of authority, he would confidently say, “God sent me. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

It takes faith in a sovereign and loving God to believe that even when His footprints cannot be seen, He is leading through the thrashing waters of the sea of life. And because He is sovereign and loving, His plans for us include a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

“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.”

Loving Father, help me see your footprints with the eyes of faith when I seem to be drowning in the swirling waters that seem to be sucking me into their depths. Thank you for your love even when it cannot be seen.

By Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

Jeremiah 29:11

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“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?” Isaiah 43:19

One of the quietest lies we believe is this:

I should be further ahead by now.

We rarely say it out loud.

But we feel it when someone else announces the promotion. The engagement. The new home. The growing ministry. The answered prayer. The dream finally becoming real.

Then we look at our own life and wonder whether we missed our moment.

Comparison has a cruel way of turning someone else’s blessing into evidence against our own future.

But God has never been restricted by the timeline you created for yourself.

Abraham was old when Isaac was born.

Moses was eighty when God called him to stand before Pharaoh.

David was anointed long before he became king.

The disciples watched Jesus die and believed everything had ended. Three days later, God showed them that what looked like the ending was actually the beginning of something they could not yet comprehend.

God is not intimidated by a late start.

Maybe life took a turn you did not expect.

Maybe you lost years to survival.

Maybe your own choices created consequences you are still rebuilding from.

Maybe circumstances beyond your control delayed something you desperately wanted.

Maybe you are starting again while everyone else seems established.

Starting again is not always failure.

Sometimes starting again is grace.

Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I will do a new thing.”

God does not say, “I will only work if your life followed the original plan.”

He says He can do something new.

New means the future does not have to look exactly like the past.

New means a closed chapter is not the whole book.

New means God can create a road where you currently see wilderness.

Stop measuring your life against people whose full story you do not know.

You may be comparing your beginning to someone else’s middle.

You may even be calling yourself late when God calls you prepared.

The better question is not, “Why am I not where they are?”

The better question is: “God, what are You asking me to do from where I am today?”

You do not need to recover every lost year before taking the next faithful step.

You only need to take the next step.

You are not too old. You are not too young. You have not made too many mistakes. You have not missed God’s ability to use your life.

If God is still writing your story, there are still pages ahead.

Pause and reflect: Where have you allowed comparison or regret to convince you that God’s best work in your life must already be behind you?

Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for measuring my life against other people and against timelines You never gave me. Help me release regret over what did not happen when I expected. Give me courage to follow You from where I am today. Open my eyes to the new thing You are doing and give me faith for the next step. Amen.

Today’s Thought: You are not behind when you are walking faithfully with God.

by Barry Saunders
used by permission

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The post You Are Not Too Late appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,  to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight ”  Ephesians 1:3-8

When I hear a believer announce, “I’m just a sinner,” I feel like saying, “That’s what you used to be.” A lot of folks cling to a view of themselves as a patched-up, slightly-better-than-before version of their old self. The Bible contradicts that opinion: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come”  (2 Corinthians 5:17). In fact, according to Scripture, we’re dramatically different once we are complete in Christ.

The question is whether people will trust in what they feel or believe what God says about them. His Word calls us saints (Romans 1:7), disciples (Matthew 28:19), and fellow heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). If your opinion is that you are “just a sinner,” then you cannot fully experience and enjoy your identity in Christ.

Believing what God says about our new self is a choice. Satan certainly conspires to convince believers that God’s Word doesn’t apply to them. He knows that people held captive by spiritual poverty back away from opportunities to share the gospel and serve the Lord’s kingdom. It’s much easier to spiritually bankrupt someone who already thinks of him- or herself as “just a sinner” than it is to conquer a disciple who knows God is his loving Father.

Our true identity is defined not by our past actions but by the Savior’s. Jesus purchased our lives with His blood and brought us into relationship with God the Father, who adopted us as beloved children. We have every reason to hold our heads high, stand firm, and courageously proclaim the gospel.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
used by permission

from: https://www.intouch.org/

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The post Our True Identity appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Spirit, listen to the heart of your Father speaking to your heart in His Word in 1 John 3:1.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

You bear the imprint of your Creator’s fingerprints on your entire being. You are a special evidence of His continuing handiwork and creativity in the earth today. He chose generational treasures for you and your soul and body. He made you His child on whom He lavishes His love. Be blessed to feel with almost aching sharpness and clarity the truth that you are greatly loved. He calls you beloved. He likes you. In fact, He adores you. You are the apple of His eye. You are His special treasure. You are legitimate and worthy because He loves you, not because of anything you have done. Be blessed with a deep and abiding joy as a favored child of Most High God.

God gave you your competence, your talents, and your personality. Beyond that is your identity of belonging and worth and your legitimacy in Him as a covenant son/daughter. Be blessed with a healthy sense of being from a solid core of identity and legitimacy in Him. Be blessed with physical, emotional, relational, mental, and spiritual sense of being in Christ Jesus. Be blessed to realize that you stand in His favor based on relationship, not performance. Be blessed with His approval and pleasure. Be blessed with awareness of all your spiritual blessings He has deposited in you. Be blessed with knowing you are set in a large place in the spirit realm, a place of authority in Him.

Be blessed to know that you are loved, wanted, and needed in the world. Your Father placed you right where you are. Be blessed with relaxing in His perfect care in every detail, knowing He is lovingly watching over you. Be blessed with freedom from fear. You are immovable and unstoppable as you remain in that place of abiding in Him and Jesus in you. Be blessed as God encourages and empowers you in His truth and purposes for your life.

Be blessed in the name of your Father who loves you as He loves his own Son

(John 17:23).

By Sylvia Gunter
Used by Permission

From: You Are Blessed In The Names of God
To learn more about Sylvia Gunter: www.thefathersbusiness.com

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The post Sense of Being appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.”  2 Peter 1:2 (AMP)

I tried many things to fill the void in my life. However, in reflection, I realize that I forfeited peace often over the years because I didn’t seek to know God more. I didn’t put the necessary effort into memorizing scripture and working at renewing my mind. I panicked instead of praying. I looked at my circumstances instead of God’s promises. Then, I decided to trust Him more and more. Peace at last flooded in.

Do you remember your first experience of the overwhelming sense of God’s presence that accompanies trusting in Jesus? When people first experience forgiveness and life in Jesus, one of their first responses may be astonishment over how much peace occurs ? especially in their minds. That is how it was with me. At first, I sensed much contentment — it was greater than anything I had ever experienced.

I soon realized that along with this contentment and a desire to follow Christ wholeheartedly comes a battle — the battle for our will and for our minds. No surprise there. Jesus promised that in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33).

However, He also promised His peace could reign in our hearts, not just the first time we come to Him, but every time. We can retain that peaceful sensation no matter what bombards us in life. Growing in our knowledge of the Lord is a lifelong pursuit. Peter reminds us it is worth every effort. He says God will provide more and more grace and peace as we grow in our knowledge of Jesus our Lord.

Lord, thank you for your promise of grace and peace as we grow in our knowledge you. Teach me to know you. Write your word on my heart. Help me pray according to your will and pray through everything I need. Thank you that you hear and will answer according to your will. Thank you for the promise of your peace — beyond anything this world can give. Amen.

By Donna Mitchell
used by permission

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“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news….Today …a Savior has been born to you;… ” (Luke 2:10-11).

Between the Old and New Testaments, God had been silent for over 400 years but at the appointed time, at the birth of Christ, He began to speak. In the Christmas story God spoke at different times through dreams, visions, songs, prophecy and through the Galaxy.

In Luke 2:10-14, an Angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds who were in their daily workplace at night-time. He gave them a message that would change the course of history forever. As the Angel spoke about the birth of the Messiah, a great heavenly choir began a song of praise and the sky shone with the glory of God; probably like an amazing celestial fireworks display.

Examples of God speaking in the daily routine of His servants:

God still speaks to His people, and often, like with the shepherds, He speaks in our daily routine. Too many times, we expect God to speak only at Conferences and Church services. He certainly does speak in these gatherings, but can we believe God to also speak to us in our daily routine. God spoke to Moses while keeping sheep and to Gideon while threshing wheat. He spoke to Elisha while plowing a field. He can talk to you too near a cooker, a computer, a mop, a canvas, a keyboard, a microphone, an exercise machine or in any other place.

A Pastor friend was enjoying a refreshing drink at a wayside shop in Colombo one day when two visually impaired persons bumped into him. The Pastor, moved by God, spoke to them, saved their contact numbers and eventually helped them on to a bus. As they connected in the days ahead, an idea for a Church Service for the visually impaired was birthed in this Pastor’s heart. As a result, our church has been able to host such a service for the past 7 years which has now become a national event! In the same way, God waits to speak to you too in your daily routine. Be sensitive to His voice.

Prayer – Lord, help me to hear your voice today in my daily routine.

Expect God to speak to you in unexpected situations and in unexpected places.

by Palitha Jayasooriya
used by permission

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“In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever.”  Psalm 44:8 (NKJV)

Here are four reasons why today is your best day.

• Today is your best day because you are here. God has placed you in this moment of time for a purpose, and the things that happen to you today will be an unfolding of that purpose.
• What happened to you yesterday, however easy or difficult, was used by God to help prepare you for what He has for you today.
• God will use what happens today to prepare you for what He has for you in future days.
• God has used your past and worked it all together for the good, and He will use this day to add to the good that He has already worked in your behalf.

by Roy Lessin
used by permission

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“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”   Matthew 6:19-20

She had lived a long life and died peacefully. When family came to clear out the house in which she had lived most of her adult years, they were unprepared for what they discovered in the seldom-used attic. In multiple stacks higher than the tallest adult helping in the process were empty boxes. Some were plain cardboard, but most were a variety of gift boxes, all now yellowed with age and some with gifts tags still attached: “To Grandma, from Johnny.” Or “To Mom, with love from Sue.” Some boxes even had edges chewed by hungry mice. As unlikely as it sounds, a pickup truck was filled four times over as it made its way to the city dump.

Always known as a thrifty woman who had lived through difficult economic times in her younger years, the attic accumulation could perhaps be understood as simply a collection of items for “when we might need them.” But for most of her life, she had ample supply of material goods and was even known as one who could be called upon to help others.

And so her family found the empty boxes a sad legacy. Instead of telling stories about the woman’s smile or her love for God and others, the predominant topic of conversation when the family gathered was about the empty boxes. Because of their love for her, they didn’t laugh at her unusual propensity for this evidence of frugality, but their conversation was tinged with sadness. Sentences tapered off with a kind of melancholy.

What will be the conversation about us when family gathers after we are gone? Are we collecting a variety of empty boxes, void of meaning and useless in the future? Or are we “storing up treasures in heaven” in the form of people who have heard of Jesus through our personal witness, our fervent praying, the giving of our time and money?

by Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

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The post A Legacy of Empty Boxes appeared first on Thoughts About God.

What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place.  – Romans 9:30 NLT

All of us have weaknesses. No need to elaborate on them. We acknowledge that we do. However, it’s so important to focus on the grace that God has made available to us through righteousness.

Lifting our eyes from weaknesses to God’s grace enables you and me to activate our faith.

Activating our faith is possible. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Since this is the case, faith depends on how much we decide to hear the Word. It’s not given to people because they’re God’s favorites. You can grab hold of faith. So can I.

So, tap into faith. Let’s prepare our hearts in the area where we have a need. Can we do it intentionally? Absolutely.

Once you and I discover a weakness, we shouldn’t permit it to stand in our way. Rather, we equip ourselves with the relevant Scriptures to overcome it. Hebrews 4:12a says that “the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword…”

The Word is mighty enough to bring healing into every area of our lives where there’s a weakness.
So, as we stand on the Word, we stand on the righteousness of God, provided to us through Christ. That’s beyond any weakness we can ever face.

If we walk with God, we have been made right with him. Trust God. It’s not by our own works and how good we are, although works are good.

So, we can live right. We can step into the fullness of God by faith. When we do, this honors God and displays his goodness and strength.

Heavenly Father, thank you from the bottom of my heart that you don’t play favorites. It is by faith we are made right with you, and by faith that we overcome weakness and sin in our lives. Help me to remember that as I acknowledge my weaknesses and turn to you believing that you will help, your power is displayed and you are glorified. Teach me to stand on your Word and in your righteousness in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

by Fab Batsakis
used by permission

Consider This: If you’re not sure if you’ve been made right with God and you want to be, receive Christ as your Savior and the Lord of your life. Believe God can deliver you from sins and all weaknesses through Christ and you’ll be made right with God.

Prayer is simply an honest conversation with God. Because He already knows your heart, you do not need special words. Instead, He looks at whether your response is sincere.

For example, the following prayer can help you express your desire to receive Jesus Christ:

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I turn from directing my own life and place my trust in You. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life and make me the person You want me to be. Amen.”

Repeating these words alone does not save you. Rather, you receive Christ through true faith in Him. In this way, the prayer helps you express your faith, turn toward God, and choose to follow Jesus.

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The post Step into the Fullness of God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased'” (Luke 3:21-22, ESV).

My father loves this story of Jesus hearing his Father’s words of affirmation and pride. He believes that God actually has the same affection for us. There are even verses to back that up.

Jesus prayed for believers, “that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23).

Read that last part again. Let it really sink in. God the Father loves you just as much as he loves Jesus. It’s a fact, not mere sentiment or some clever handling of Scripture.

How incredible is that? Scripture even tells us that we are “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). If we are in him, then we are perpetually being loved like the Son, and that love is extravagant beyond measure:

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1a).

It wasn’t a huge surprise the other day when I got a text from my dad that said: “I love u son u r a great joy to me.” I sat motionless in my vehicle beside the road, tears brimming, as I experienced a deep awareness of just how much I’m loved by my father and that my Heavenly Father loves me even more.

Then two weeks later, my oldest son, Caleb, nearly blinded my youngest son in one eye. He accidentally poked Isaac in the eye with a big stick. A centimeter higher and Isaac’s eye could have been damaged permanently. It was a mess of blood, screams, and panic. Understandably, Caleb was feeling terrible: “I feel stupid,” he told me with great remorse.

Half an hour later, when my anger had cooled down, I felt a nudge from the Spirit to affirm my oldest son. I invited him outside for a talk and told him, “Son, I love you. No mistake you make, no matter how big, will ever change that. You are a great joy to me.” Immediately, I saw the shame lift off of his shoulders; he stood up straighter. Joy and appreciation filled his eyes.

It all started with that voice from heaven after Jesus’ baptism. My dad never heard such words from his father, but God filled that hole and taught him how to speak those words of life to me. That blessing was contagious. I was empowered to share those words with my son, and my prayer is that by God’s grace, my sons will do the same.

by M. Jantzen
used by permission

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The post The Greatest Words a Child Could Ever Hear appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit…  – John 7:37-39a (NASB)

The soil was dry, aired and the landscape was marked with sagebrush, a thirsty land.  A large and fast moving river ran through. All that water but the land was parched. In the distance I could see blocks of green like the giant squares of patch work quilt. As I got closer it became clear these areas were rich green because irrigation lines were giving fresh life to an otherwise barren landscape, such a dramatic contrast.

What vivid picture of our lives! Every person has a deep thirst for health, purpose and meaning. Yet there is a void, a dryness that touches the remote regions of each person. Just as the spring rain brings some level of relief, a project, a goal might bring relief but this shower of self-effort it is only temporary.  The dryness and thirst returns. The cry of the heart is, “There must be more to life than this.”

Only when we are connected to God the ultimate source is our deep thirst satisfied and a rich fruitfulness result.

Jesus reviews this mystery to the women at the well in John 4 that he is the source of living water that will quench a thirst beyond water provided by Jacob’s well.  God’s Spirit in the believer’s life provides “springs of living water” that is unlimited and gives abundant life and eternal life. Just as the river ran through a dry and thirsty land with little noticeable impact, in the same way the Spirit in our lives can have limited impact without a daily yielded-ness to his power and influence. The rich fruitfulness of God’s Spirit is in contrast to the barrenness of the Christian who lives a dry and self-reliant existence.

Lord Jesus, I yield each area of my life to you and confess my self-effort as pride.  Direct and empower my even action today. May your Spirit create a profound transformation in my life resulting in the fruit of your Spirit being displayed in my life.

Action: Start each day with an acknowledgement of your need for God’s Spirit and the barrenness of self-effort.

by Mike Woodard
used by permission

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The post A Dry Land appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NKJV

If we want to know the real story, we sometimes need to listen to a small child.

What children see is what they tell. They may misunderstand or take something out of context, but we’re more likely to get the scoop on what happened—much to the horror of some parents. Children don’t have a filter in their conversations. When they speak innocently, their words tumble out. They haven’t yet learned discernment, good judgment, or discretion.

I am reminded of the old television show, “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” hosted by Art Linkletter. Kids are still learning about truth and wisdom. Aren’t we all?

Adults can be like this as well. We often speak before we think. Raw emotions can drive our words, and our thoughts may be one-sided. Grownups usually know the better way to communicate about many things but fail to apply their knowledge in conversations.

If we filter our words and thoughts through Jesus, we will more likely speak the truth with love, kindness, gentleness, and patience. And we will reflect the light of Jesus as we go into the world. This is a work in progress for me, and I have a long way to go.

A coffee filter strains out the grounds and other impurities we don’t want in our morning coffee. Likewise, the counsel of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures teach us and help strain out impurities in our minds, hearts, and spirits.

Think of ways to better filter your words so that they exhibit God’s love.

by Karen Huffaker
used by permission

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Words  by John Grant

The Words of Our Mouth by Charles Stanley

The Long Life of Words by Marilyn Ehle

The post Words of Love appeared first on Thoughts About God.