The Lord will Rescue Me – 2 Timothy 4:18

16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.  And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 4:16-18 (NIV)

Second Timothy; was written by Paul while he was in prison. He was writing to encourage Timothy to assure him that God keeps His promises; He is faithful.

Paul praises God; he expected to die soon but was confident of his eternal destiny.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 4:18 (NIV)

He had the assurance that the Lord would rescue him from evil and; bring him safely to His heavenly kingdom. Instead of despairing, he was able to rejoice in the Lord, saying, “To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen”.
For Christ is the power and glory forever and ever!

Do you have assurance in God’s promises; that He will rescue you from evil and bring you safely to His heavenly kingdom?

Prayer; Lord, we thank You for helping us and rescuing us from evil. Teach us to rely on You and have faith in Your promises. As the Gerbera Daisy flowers spread upward; toward the sun, let us reach upward toward Christ Your Son. We raise our praises, to You be the glory forever and ever. Amen

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Live in Him: 1 John 3:24

23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 3:23-24 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit lives in believers, enlightening, sustaining, and guiding us to be more Christ-like. We are given the Holy Spirit, a gift from God, to guide us in truth. The presence of the Holy Spirit can’t be seen but is exhibited in its effect on a believer’s heart and life; by growth in faith, love, and sanctification.
A believer in Christ; lives in Him, and Christ lives in the believer; through the Holy Spirit.

Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 3:23-24 (MSG)

Does God live in you? When we believe in Jesus and love one another, God lives in us, and we live in Him.

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Guide us to live in You and love others as you have loved us. Teach us to listen to the Holy Spirit and find help and guidance. As the hardy geraniums glows with raindrops in the sunlight, let us glow with Your love and spread Your light. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

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Wonders: Psalm 40:5

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.

Psalm 40:5 (NLT)

David’s song of praise to God; “Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us.” They are more than we can enumerate beyond what we can express.

You cannot count God’s thoughts of you. If he were only to think of us once, in tender mercy, that one thought would run on throughout eternity, for he does not retract either a thought that he thinks or a word that he utters. Instead thereof, one gracious thought is followed by another, swiftly as the beams of light flash from the sun, so that it is impossible for us to number them.

Spurgeon’s Bible Commentary

Your forgiveness, mercy, grace, and kindness surround us. Nothing can compare to God, He is Omnipotent, and there is nothing He cannot do. God is powerful, and He protects; He is gracious, He forgives, and; He is trustworthy; He keeps His promises.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful works, miracles, and His grace toward us! ⁂

God has performed many wonders for us; have you taken the time to respond with thanks and praise?

Prayer; O Lord, our wonderful Heavenly Father, we are in awe of Your majesty. We thank you for Your miracles and the many wonders You have done for us. No one can compare to You. Thank you for your grace, forgiveness, and love. As we marvel at the beauty of flowers, let us marvel at the beauty of Your grace and Your wonderful works, and give thanks. In Jesus’ holy and loving name.

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May the Lord be Praised-Psalm 40:16

May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you! May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May the LORD be praised!”

Psalm 40:16 (NET)

May all who seek the Lord rejoice and be glad, be happy, and praise You. God’s love, promises, and truth bring joy and are reasons to celebrate. David wanted people to focus on the goodness of the Lord and rejoice.
Different versions have different worded rejoices; may the Lord be praised, may the Lord be magnified, and let the Lord be exalted, all praising the Lord for all He has done for us.

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The LORD be magnified!”

Psalm 40:16 (AMP)

Thanks to our God of all mercies, comfort, and salvation. May the Lord be praised! He has delivered us from slavery to sin and promises to be with us always. May the Lord be magnified! Let us rejoice, for God loves us, has mercy on us, and gives us grace. May the Lord be exalted!

Constant worship clears the debris from our hearts. Praise is the cleansing element that flushes the trash of worry and anxiety.

Max Lucado “Help is Here”

The Lord has given us much to rejoice over and be glad about. Let us remember; to joyfully thank and praise the Lord for all He has done, is doing, and will do. ⁂

Do you take time to focus on the goodness of God and rejoice?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, God of grace, mercy, and salvation, we praise You! We exalt you, Lord, and thank you for your mercy, care, and protection. Teach us to be happy and rejoice; in your promises. May the Lord be magnified! As the flowers of the orchid are colorful and spread joy, let us rejoice and declare that the Lord be praised! In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Great Joy: Luke 2:10

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

Luke 2:10 (NKJV)

The angel said I bring you good tidings of great joy. Great joy for all people. What is the good news, the good tidings? The good news, the tidings of great joy, is the announcement of the birth of Jesus. God so loved the world; he sent His Son, Jesus, into the world.

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:11 (NKJV)

The angel announced that Jesus had arrived; as a baby born in a stable in Bethlehem; since there was no room in the inn. Who did the angel inform, was it kings, nobles, or scholars? No, it was shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, the angel, informed of our Savior’s birth.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV)

A multitude of angelic beings suddenly appeared bearing a message of comfort and joy; peace and goodwill toward all.

May Christmas glorify our savior’s birth and be filled with comfort, peace, goodwill, and great joy!

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us and sending Your Son as our Savior. We celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth and praise You. As the angel proclaimed, I bring you tidings of great joy for all people; guide us in spreading the love and great joy of Jesus’ birth to others. Glory to you, our God in the highest! Teach us to walk in peace and exhibit goodwill to all. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

Merry Christmas! 🌺

Lamp: 2 Samuel 22:29

You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.

2 Samuel 22:29 (NIV)

Chapter 22 in 2 Samuel is a hymn from David, a hymn praising God and thanking Him for deliverance. David called out to the Lord, asking for help, protection, and deliverance from his enemies and Saul. The Lord heard David and helped him, protecting him, guiding him, and saving him from his enemies. The Lord was his lamp; brightly shining forth light; illuminating the darkness of wickedness, depression, loneliness, and despair.
The Lord is our lamp, illuminating our path and brightening our lives with His light of understanding, hope, and peace.⁂

Is the Lord, your lamp? Do you reach out to Him on dark days, letting Him turn your darkness into light?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for your protection, help, and care. You are our lamp; teach us to reach out to You in our darkest times. Help us to trust you to shine Your light on our worries and fear. Teach us to be patient and trust in Your strength and power. Like flowers grow, flourish, and glow in the sunlight; let us flourish and glow in Your light. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen

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Just and Good: Psalm 33:5

4For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does. 5He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth.

Psalm 33:4-5 (NLT)

Psalm 33 starts with;

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful.

Psalm 33:1 (CEB)

The following verses give reasons to praise the Lord. We can trust in Him, for the Word of the Lord is true; we can believe the truth of His Word (verse 4). We can rejoice because God loves righteousness and justice. He is good and wants us to be like him, moral and good. We should rejoice and praise the Lord for His goodness and unfailing love for us (verse 5). As His love fills the earth, let us rejoice and show love to all. ⁂

Our Lord is good, just, true, and righteous. He forgives our sins and loves us. Have you taken time to praise, rejoice and worship Him today?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we rejoice in Your goodness, truth, and justice. We praise You for Your patience and forgiveness of us. We thank You for Your grace, mercy, and your unfailing love for us. Like the sunflowers grow and glow in the sunshine, let us grow in faith and glow with Your Son’s light. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. If you need prayer, I would be glad to pray for you; message me on the contact page.🌺

My Hope: Psalm 62:5-6

5Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
6Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 62:5-6 (NIV)

Psalm 62 is a psalm of David. It is a psalm of confidence, of trust in God. David has bitter enemies, but he has confidence God could and would deliver him. When our souls find rest in God, we give up our worldly concerns and trust God.
Where does our hope come from; our hope comes from God. He is our rock, our salvation. Meditation and prayer strengthen faith and build a strong foundation in the Lord. Like David, we can learn not to be overcome by worries but to stand strong in faith unshaken.

When worldly issues are overwhelming, is God your rock and your hope?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, You are our rock, salvation, and our hope. Thanks for being our strong foundation and our shelter during life storms. Teach us to let go of our worldly concerns and put our trust in You. Like the full rose blossoms make a lovely garden, let us be full of hope and reflect Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. If you need prayer, I would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page.  🌺

I pray for the Ukrainian people, I pray for peace, and I pray for the end of war.

Mercy: 1 Timothy 1:16-17

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:16-17 (NLT)

In 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul is instructing his protege Timothy. In verse 16, he explains that God had mercy on him, a foremost sinner. For, Saul, as he was known then, was persecuting the followers of Jesus, trying to stop the spread of Christianity.
When Saul was traveling to Damascus, Jesus appeared to him and changed his life and mission. Paul’s conversion is a testimony to the great mercy and forgiveness of the Lord.
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, as Paul had been. Paul converted and became God’s representative taking the gospel to the Gentiles.
Paul’s testimony highlights the mercy and infinite love of Jesus; and its transforming power.
The Lord is still patiently waiting for sinners to believe and repent.
In Verse 17, Paul closes with heartfelt praises to God, the Eternal King; all honor and glory to God forever and ever belong to Him!

What testimony can you share of God’s mercy and love for you?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your Son Jesus; and His saving grace. Jesus, we are in awe of Your mercy, forgiveness, and infinite love. We admire, worship, and praise our Triune God for all You have done for us. Like the beautiful trumpet-like blossoms of the azalea, we raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving for your mercy and grace. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. If you need prayer, I would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺