Come and Listen

This morning I was reading and came across this scripture...

Psalm 66:16

¹⁶ Come and listen, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell you what he did for me.

More than likely I have read this before but today it just jumped out at me. My thoughts were that this is what we should be doing. Drawing people into our world...talking to them and telling them what Jesus has done for us and what He is still doing for us.

Then I read the rest of the chapter. It's all good but this morning I particularly like what follows vs. 16.

Psalm 66:17-20

¹⁷ For I cried out to him for help,
    praising him as I spoke.
¹⁸ If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
¹⁹ But God did listen!
    He paid attention to my prayer.
²⁰ Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
    or withdraw his unfailing love from me.

When reading this passage I was reminded of what the Lord has just done for me this past week. Even though I was in trouble...flailing about in my soul...and feeling that God was not even anywhere near me...He was just waiting for me to cry out to HIM!! God does listen for us, and He listens to us, when we do call. I know this and yet at times I act as if I'm in a world devoid of Him. Devoid because...

I choose to not listen to His voice...I choose to not ask for His help...I choose to not confess my sin...I choose to not praise Him...I choose, to put it simply, to separate myself from Him.

Ohhh...Praise God! When we do fall before Him and call out in sincerity...He is there with His arms open wide just waiting to pull us back into Him!

As verse 20 says...He does not withdraw His unfailing love for us.

How great is that? Just to know that He never ignores us or takes His love from us. For me today that speaks volumes. I need to know that He loves me and that He won't let me go. Family may walk away, and friends may walk away, but the Lord will never leave me. 

The same holds true for you. If you know Him...He will never leave you.

Deuteronomy 31:8

⁸ Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

If you don't know Him...search for Him...and you will find Him just waiting for you.

Jeremiah 29:13

¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

JESUS...The LIGHT

Do you ever feel that sometimes you are living in the dark? What is dark...absence of light. Who is dark...satan. Who is light...Jesus is the light! When you turn ever so slightly away from the light what starts to creep in...darkness. And who is dark...satan is dark. There is no light in satan. What should we do when the darkness surrounds us? Keep reaching out and moving until we get a glimpse of the light again. Then once we see even just the smallest sliver of light breaking in we need to go as quickly as we can into the light. Get covered by the light...immersed in the light! JESUS is the Light!

JOHN 8:12

 ^"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

Satan is real. He wants to pull you down and drag you into his dark shadow any way he can until you're surrounded by his utter darkness. We all have things that get to us and satan knows what they are. He knows how to push your buttons and make you start slippin' and sliddin' your way towards the dark side. He is always looking for that opportunity when your defenses are down. 

At times I tend to start edging my way toward the dark. Do I want to go there...do I mean to go there? No...neither want or mean to...somehow I just start listening to the wrong voice. The voice can be thoughts in my head...or sometimes feelings within me.

How do you combat this? What do you do when you feel the light that surrounds you is starting to get dim? Pray and read your Bible. Go to church when you can. Go to a bible study or a life group. Don't let satan get so far into your head that he can convince you to not do these things. If you fail once...try again! Try until you get it right. Sometimes I fail at this. In fact I failed this past week on the first one. I almost failed the second one too. It was so close I got lost...within myself...took an extra trip around my mountain and found my way back. The second time around satan lost and I started to see that glimmer. Sometimes, even though you think it won't help to be with other Christians...it does. With each thought I write the light is shining brighter. Satan is still fighting to hold ground but...Who is the Mighty Warrior here? The LORD is the Mighty Warrior!

Exodus 15:3

The Lord is a warrior;
    Yahweh is his name!

Keep pushing towards the light...HIS light. JESUS never fails us. We just have to be willing to do our part.

There is an old song that just came to mind written by Gary Driskell. Here are some of the lyrics...

Verse 1
So many souls have tested Him throughout the course of time.
So many still reach out to Him with broken hearts and minds.
And every one of them will say,
Without exception that they find…
Jesus never fails...

Chorus
Jesus never fails. Jesus never fails.
You might as well get thee behind me, Satan
You cannot prevail, because Jesus never fails.

Verse 3
Sometimes this world brings trouble I find so hard to bear.
I know I could not make it without Jesus being there.
It’s so encouraging to know,
How ever deep we’re in despair…
Jesus never fails.

Verse 4
So what can I do to prove to you, tell me how can you deny?
No untold facts, no mysteries, it’s all so cut and dried.
On the witness stand of your life,
I’ll be the first to testify…
Jesus never fails!

Is Anything To Hard For The Lord?

Today while reading the Bible I came upon a verse that spoke to me so I looked at the reference's for other verses to read. I don't even know what the original verse was, or what it was about it I liked, but I ended up at Psalm 61. I specifically want to talk about vs 1-4.

Psalm 61:1-4

¹ O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
² From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
³     for you are my safe refuge,
    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
⁴ Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
    safe beneath the shelter of your wings!

There have been many times I remember asking God to "Please, listen to my prayer." And asked if He could, "Please, answer." I know that my troubles are nothing compared to what David was going through. But that's okay. We can still pray this way because God sees all of our problems the same. Nothing is too big or hard for the Lord to take care of. Think about Abraham and Sarah when the Lord told them they were going to have a son. Sarah just laughed because they were old. But the Lord said...

Genesis 18:13-14

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

If you know the story, you know she did! How amazing is that? Just like Sarah we too know that nothing is to hard for the Lord but sometimes...like Sarah...we doubt! For me one of the reasons is what it says in verse 2. Simply...I get overwhelmed with the circumstances. Sometimes we pray and pray and nothing seems to change. Sometimes...things get worse...we get scared...we doubt...we get overwhelmed by it all! But through it all there is one thing...one constant that remains the same...GOD! No matter the circumstances..."GOD is still GOD" and He will see us through all of those things that overwhelm us.

I like the next part that says; Lead me to the towering Rock of safety. Who is that Rock for us? Ohhh...it is the Lord our God...Jesus. The Rock that is higher than me and The Rock that is higher than you. He is our safe refuge...our safety net. When we feel like we're falling...or maybe we're already as low as we think we can go...and we just don't know about tomorrow...He is there. If we go to Him there is no one...no problem...that can reach us. He surrounds us like a fortress and keeps us safe. He wraps His loving arms around us and holds us. You know how it feels to get a hug from someone that you know loves and cares for you? Even how it feels for you to be able to hug someone else because you care about and love them? Well just think about how it feels when Jesus...who loves and cares for you more than anyone else can...holds you in His arms. We are safe...you are safe. The troubles...the stress...the tension...just melt away because we are sheltered in His arms...beneath His wings as David says.

When the things of this life have knocked you down and you feel like you just might not be able to keep going...pray. Reach for the Rock that is higher than any of us. The towering Rock of safety. He will shelter you and help you to get back up. He has done it for me many times and I know He has done it for you too. 

If your heart is heavy today and you just have that overwhelmed, kind of helpless feeling, remember that God is not limited, in any way, as to what He can do. It makes no difference if your problem is physical sickness...depression...financial...relationships...the Lord knows all about it and He loves you. Go to Him...let Him hold you...and give Him the problem. He will take it and help you more than you can even imagine.

Isaiah 26:3

Saturday morning my brain was thinking in New King James.

 

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

So, all day I kept thinking about this verse...saying it over and over in my thoughts. Apparently...thinking it and saying it is not the same as believing it! So...

Just before midnight I decided maybe I needed something a bit more descriptive. So I thought...Amplified, that will help. You know, something a bit more to grasp onto.

 

Isaiah 26:3

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

12:05 Sunday morning...

That's a good verse no matter what version you know...or have to read. He will give us peace if we will only let Him. Sometimes though...it's hard to get there. Why? Because we let the wrong thoughts come in and take over. We stop trusting and pressing in to the Lord. We need to pray continuously throughout our day. He is always there listening for our voice. 

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 Amp

¹⁷Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];

    ¹⁸Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

Jesus Shouted..."Come Out"

Isn't the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead one of the best you have ever read? Lazarus was dead for "four days"! He was wrapped up like a mummy and I'm sure he smelled pretty bad. But Jesus didn't care. He went to the tomb and told them to roll the stone away.

John 11:39-44

³⁹ “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

⁴⁰ Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” ⁴¹ So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. ⁴² You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” ⁴³ Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Oh...what a sight that must have been! A once dead man, all wrapped up from head to toe, hopping out of the cave. I can imagine it took a minute, but once everyone got their thoughts together, they were probably unwrapping the cloth that had him bound! Then just imagine the rejoicing!

What came to me after reading this was how much we were all like Lazarus before accepting Jesus into our hearts. This is how I see that story for me...

For 52 years I was dead. Satan had me convincingly "wrapped up" in graveclothes. Bound...not dead and in the grave but many times wishing I were. I was wrapped up figuratively. Physically...spiritually...mentally. Body...soul...and mind. Then one day the stone that was covering my heart was rolled back. I believe that Jesus went to my hearts door and said..."Roll the stone away!" Then the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and I was able to hear...really hear...that this was the time I needed to somehow find my way to Him! In effect, Jesus shouted..."Chelle, come out!" And even though I had been "dead" for all those years, bound up by all the lies I had believed...the things that I had done...the hurts I had...the anger and hatred...the graveclothes...the Lord helped me to find my way out. He started "unwrapping" me...freeing me...from all my past and letting me go! Jesus rolled away the stone!

Then the story goes on for me as it does for you.

Everyday we have to make a choice to not start wrapping ourselves back up in graveclothes. New or old...they are still graveclothes. They may be somewhat different than before...or they may be old things you haven't dealt with yet but...they still put us in bondage. We need to continuously be working on staying out of that tomb we were once in. It's not always easy because satan is always there filling us with doubts...insecurities...putting old thoughts back in our minds. Jesus wants us to be totally free from all of that stuff and He is there just waiting for us to let it go. Become a new person in Him.

For anything going on in your life...

When you fill doubt starting to creep in...read scriptures on faith. When you feel insecure...read about how much Jesus loves you. When your thoughts start turning dark...read about how JESUS is the LIGHT! Put on your devil kickin'...satan stompin...shoes and squash him into the ground!

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Feelin' The Stress

You ever have those days when you can't hardly make it out of bed and then when you do you actually have to make yourself look decent and go to work...or somewhere else?? Then believe it or not...the day gets worse and it's only 6 a.m. Not looking for sympathy but...I've had two days in a row like that. So, here's my story for this morning...

My first stop of the day was a convenience store. I NEEDED COFFEE!!! So...Filled up the biggest cup they had and got it too full. But, not wanting to waste any, I kept it that way and started driving to work. Eventually, it sloshed out of the lid. When I got to work I cleaned up the cup...or so I thought...and went in. When I got to my desk I noticed coffee on my top in four places. Had to go and wash that all out and finally clocked in...feeling the stress!! I knew I needed to get it together quickly so I picked up this great little calendar my friend got me. It's full of uplifting verses and prayers. I turned to today's and this is what it says...

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Wow! What a great verse for that moment...and a great reminder! Sometimes when things are going bad from the git go we don't do that. We need reminding. So I thought...I need to listen to some music. Well...my iPod needed charging and the radio station had a pledge drive going. Immediately my thought was...great, now what?! Aha...my friend has cd's on her desk. I found one I hadn't heard in a while and popped it in. Karen Peck and New River was the CD and the first song is Ephesians Chapter One. It's a great song...fast and good words. Here is the chorus...

God says I'm blessed, I'm chosen, I'm adopted, I'm favored
Redeemed, yeah, I'm forgiven
Makes me wanna sing, I'm a child of the king and now I'm a really livin'
By the blood of the Lamb, I know who I am
God said it and it's already done
When the devil comes in, I remind him again
Of Ephesians chapter one

God is amazing. Just read those words! We are blessed! We are His child! Could it get any better!?? NO!! I know that my problems this morning don't even come close to some of the things that you may be going through right now. But you know what? Whatever you are going through...small problems...big problems...the Lord cares about each and every one! He is in charge and taking care of things for you. So...Stay Strong...

Ephesians 6:10

 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

 

Joshua 1:9

 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 

Deuteronomy 31:6

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

 

Psalm 55:22a

Give your burdens to the Lord,
    and he will take care of you.

We need to give all of our problems...burdens...cares...to the Lord and just wait and see how He takes care of them and of us.

 

Psalm 37:5 NCV

Depend on the Lord;
       trust him, and he will take care of you.

 

Psalm 37:7a

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
    and wait patiently for him to act.

After the way my week has been going I had to make a choice. Choose to be stressed and anxious and have a bad rest of the day or...choose to listen to what the Lord was telling me through scripture and song and go with HIM! I don't always make the right choice but today I did. The rest of the day was good and I do feel blessed, chosen, favored and forgiven.

How about you? What's your choice going to be tomorrow when you get up and things go bad. Or maybe...when circumstances in your life haven't changed? I hope you choose to do what all of these verses say.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help everyone who reads this post to give all of their burdens and cares to You...right now. Help them to depend on You and to lean on You. For You alone are the One that can help us when we are feeling down and afraid. Help all of us to trust in You Lord and to just be still and wait in Your presence. Help each and everyone of us to be strong in You. You Lord are amazing and awesome and we love You! Thank You for taking care of us and loving us. In Your name Jesus...Amen

Linking up with Tracy for Winsome Wednesday

Resurrection Sunday

Here in Boise Idaho we woke up to a beautiful day. Not only is it a bright sunny day but best of all it is the day we celebrate the resurrection of JESUS... our Lord and Savior! Resurrection Sunday! But before the resurrection Jesus had to die. However, Jesus had to go through many things before death overtook Him.

Jesus was... betrayed by Judas...denied by Peter...mocked by the crowd that wanted Him dead...sentenced to death...brutally beaten...had a crown of thorns pressed into His head...stripped of His clothing...then hung on a cross with long nails like spikes until dead. Then after death a spear was driven into His side. When Jesus was taken down from the cross He was placed in a tomb by some of His friends. Then...JESUS arose!

Really if you read it...it's a sad story. But...it is a story with a great ending. One that writers...no matter how good their imagination...could not have come up with. I'm not going to attempt to tell you but you can read it in the Bible...the true account of what happened after the death of our LORD.

All I want to say about it in my words is this...

Jesus died and then was resurrected for us...you and me. He died so that you and I might live! Hallelujah!! What a day that was when Jesus rose from the dead! How many people do you know that would die for you? I only know one and that was Jesus. I'm so thankful that He died that for me. He died for you too. If you don't know Him today you might want to think about changing that. One day soon He is going to come back for all of us that have asked Him into our heart. If you haven't done that...and you are left here...it will be a very bad day for you. You might think that what the Bible says is just a bunch of stories that some man wrote...but they are not. Everyone of the things you read in God's word are true. Maybe you think that you will have to change to many things in your life and you don't want to do that. Let me tell you...you don't have to change anything. But...you will want to change! Giving your life to the Lord is the best thing that you could ever do. It's not always easy but you will be happier than you have ever been in your whole life! There's a simple prayer you can pray on the top right of this blog. If you need to talk to someone...do it. It's the most important thing you can ever do. Jesus is coming back soon. Don't be left behind!

Mark 16

Jesus Rises from the Dead

 ¹ The day after the Sabbath day, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some sweet-smelling spices to put on Jesus' body.² Very early on that day, the first day of the week, soon after sunrise, the women were on their way to the tomb.³ They said to each other, "Who will roll away for us the stone that covers the entrance of the tomb?"  ⁴ Then the women looked and saw that the stone had already been rolled away, even though it was very large.⁵ The women entered the tomb and saw a young man wearing a white robe and sitting on the right side, and they were afraid.
 ⁶ But the man said, "Don't be afraid. You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who has been crucified. He has risen from the dead; he is not here. Look, here is the place they laid him.⁷ Now go and tell his followers and Peter, 'Jesus is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there as he told you before.' "
 ⁸ The women were confused and shaking with fear, so they left the tomb and ran away. They did not tell anyone about what happened, because they were afraid.

    [ ⁹ After Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day of the week, he showed himself first to Mary Magdalene. One time in the past, he had forced seven demons out of her. ¹⁰ After Mary saw Jesus, she went and told his followers, who were very sad and were crying.¹¹ But Mary told them that Jesus was alive. She said that she had seen him, but the followers did not believe her.

 ¹² Later, Jesus showed himself to two of his followers while they were walking in the country, but he did not look the same as before.¹³ These followers went back to the others and told them what had happened, but again, the followers did not believe them.

 ¹⁴ Later Jesus showed himself to the eleven apostles while they were eating, and he criticized them because they had no faith. They were stubborn and refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen from the dead.

 ¹⁵ Jesus said to his followers, "Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone. ¹⁶ Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, but anyone who does not believe will be punished.¹⁷ And those who believe will be able to do these things as proof: They will use my name to force out demons. They will speak in new languages. ¹⁸ They will pick up snakes and drink poison without being hurt. They will touch the sick, and the sick will be healed."

 ¹⁹ After the Lord Jesus said these things to his followers, he was carried up into heaven, and he sat at the right side of God.²⁰ The followers went everywhere in the world and told the Good News to people, and the Lord helped them. The Lord proved that the Good News they told was true by giving them power to work miracles.]

Communion

Do you ever get in a place within yourself that you just can't figure out what's going on? You're feeling just a bit off...like there's a hollowness inside...but your not sure why? Today I was in that place. Tonight I figured out why...

Sometimes I get so caught up in stuff that I don't take time for the important things. Tonight I went to the life group I have talked about before. We did something a little different than normal...we had communion. At first I wasn't sure about it because life group is a much more intimate setting than church. Intimate...closeness...is most always hard for me. There aren't too many people that get inside my "space"...comfort zone...but I'm finding that this is an area, (life group), that the Lord is working on with me. Anyway...I was asked to read Matthew 26:26-29. This is where it talks about the bread being Jesus' body and the cup being His blood. The same part was read in two of the other gospels. Then we had a time of prayer and took communion together. For the first time that I can think of...while taking communion...I really felt something. In that small, intimate setting..that is so hard for me...I was touched clear to my soul...where that hollow spot was that I had been feeling. And there was tears and real feeling. Not so much that others would notice but I knew...I felt it! It was hard but...it was good. At some point maybe I can share these things...with a voice. But for now...tonight...I will share here.

Matthew 26:26-29

²⁶  Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ²⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

Be Still

Psalms 46:10

Be still and know that I am God.

In the quiet...in the stillness of the morning...noonday...night...just be still. Listen for His breathing...His voice...His quiet. He is the Lord...our God. He is everlasting...strength...love. Just sit and be still in His presence. Feel His arms around you...and His love...surround you. Be still and know...beyond any doubt that may creep into your thoughts...your feelings...that HE Is GOD! He is the One who made us...He takes care of us...He is in control. Our God is faithful...true...kind...loving. He is our joy...hope...peace. He is from everlasting to....everlasting. Be still and know that He is God. He is our Redeemer...Savior...Messiah...soon coming King. 

Whatever time of day it is that you read this just take a few minutes to just sit quietly before Him. Stop whatever you are doing and worship and praise Him. He is worthy to be praised at all times. Sit...stand...kneel...before Him. However you feel comfortable, then tell Him you love Him. Our Lord is awesome and amazing. Tell the Lord how you feel about Him. He is waiting to hear from you.

Psalms 105:7a

He is the Lord our God.
Psalms 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Psalms 103:17

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (Amp)

It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

Isaiah 47:4

As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.

Deuteronomy 6:5
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Wonderful Peace From Above

As I was working today this post just started coming together in my thoughts. When this happens I know it's for at least one person that will read this today.

My prayer for you is that GOD will encourage your heart today, and fill your spirit with peace...HIS sweet peace! And when you feel His peace that you let go and let it wash over you like the falling rain!

Peace...what a great feeling! Sometimes it can escape us when we need it most. Where does peace come from? There's an old hymn that tells us...

Peace...Peace...wonderful peace...coming down from the Father above.

Sweep over my spirit forever I pray

In fathomless billows of love. 

Peace comes from our Heavenly Father! Isn't that just so cool! He loves us and wants the best for us. His sweet peace is one of those things that is "best for us"! We can all use the peace of the Lord to just wash over us. To take over our thoughts and our feelings. Sometimes...life is just plain hard and at times even sad. Without the peace that He gives to us it would be hard to make it through our days. Peace...it's what the world longs for and yet without the Lord they won't ever have it. 

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.

Philippians 4:1
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

He will never let us down. Why? Because He told us He wouldn't. He doesn't lie and He doesn't change!

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Philippians 4:7
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Peace gives us comfort and helps us to rest. Many times at night I pray that the Lord will just fill me with peace so I can sleep. I pray that way for others too that I know might be struggling with some part of life. Even as Christians there are times that we are in turmoil in our spirits. This will make us anxious and sleep doesn't always come easy. That's when you want to ask the Lord to just drench you with His peace.

Psalm 4:8

In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

When you lay your head down on your pillow tonight ask the Lord to just cover you with His peace.

Rest well with Him tonight!


Linking with Tracy for Winsome Wednesday.

Updates...Stay Current

Tonight I had to download some updates onto my computer. When you do this it helps to keep your computer safe from viruses by giving you security updates. Updates make programs run faster and better and fix bugs a program might have. If you have auto updating turned on, your computer will automatically update and you don't have to do anything...in most cases. Sometimes though it will need your input. When the alert comes up you have to click on it because if you don't you could miss a very important download. By doing all of this...you keep your computer current. So...auto updating is the best way to go but if it's not turned on be sure to check at least once a week for all updates that are waiting for you. You don't want a nasty little virus to get in and have your computer crash and burn!  

All of this updating made me think of something...

As Christians we need to be updated all the time too. Security updates are essential for us. They keep us running faster...better...smoother and safer. Our updates can be done by praying and staying in the Word on a daily basis. Although, we can pray continuously...and in this time we are living it might be best if we practiced doing that. You can talk to the Lord all the time...quietly if need be or with a voice...He doesn't care which method you choose as long as you are communicating with Him. Doing that helps to keep us free of the one that "bugs" us too. He is like some of the viruses our computers get...mean, nasty and hard to get rid of at times! He has even made some crash...and burn! However, as long as we our current on our updates he really can't hurt us. We can just step on his neck and tell him...Be gone in JESUS name! Just like our computers, I believe that some of our updates are done automatically. The Holy Spirit lives in us and warns us at times when danger is lurking...He speaks to our hearts and lets us know when we should be wary...or prompts us to pray. Remember the alert that I said pops up at times as a reminder to not miss an update? For us that would be the Holy Spirit nudging us...not only is that for us but I believe He even makes us aware when others need us to pray for them...maybe that could be considered an added bonus for keeping up to date on our updates! 

I'm thinking that we should all get set up for the auto updates and remind others to do that also. Sometimes we all need a little help remembering to stay updated. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Never stop praying.

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Ephesians 6:18

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.