Sing for Joy

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

Psalm 90 is a psalm of Moses, a prayer for God to show the Israelites his mercy and His love every morning. It asks us to turn to the Lord and trust in Him and his unfailing love. When we accept His love, it satisfies us and brings us gladness and joy. In the King James Dictionary, the word satisfy definition is: “To gratify wants, wishes or desires to the full extent.” The faithful, unfailing love of God our Father satisfies and fulfills us, causing us to sing for joy.

22The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

When we trust in the Lord, we find joy and can be glad all of our days. For the faithful love of the Lord never ends. His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning. The Lord’s mercies are new each morning, so we may sing for joy!

⁂

Do you turn to the Lord to find satisfaction or try to go forward on your own when you are dissatisfied or upset? Does the Lord’s love and mercies lead you to sing for joy?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Teach us to realize that Your love and mercies never cease. Satisfy us in the morning with Your mercies so we will sing with joy all our days! As the hibiscus flowers glow in the morning sun, let Your love glow in us, and let us grow closer to Your son, and be glad all our days. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

God’s Love – Romans -8:38-39

Click for a free Download print of the God’s Love photo with cherry blossoms and scripture.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans -8:38-39 (NLT)

Neither death nor life or angels or demons or fear and worries about today and the future, nor can the powers of hell separate us from God’s love; nothing can. Nothing that occurs today or thousands of years from now can change God’s love. God, by His nature, is love. His love for us is forever.

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
1 John 4:16 (NLT)

God’s love for us is shown in His sending Jesus Christ, His only son, to provide salvation for all believers. (John 3:16) Through Christ, we are saved eternally forever. Our salvation is secure; God will not abandon or forsake us; we are secure in His love. Since Jesus loves us, he intercedes for us, His redeemed people, speaking to God on our behalf.
God so loves us that He gave us His Son Jesus, who loves us so much that he died for us sinners and intercedes for us.

⁂

Are your worries or past hindering you from feeling secure in God’s love? Rest assured, God loves you!

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for your amazing love. Help us to love each other as you love us. Teach us to trust and have faith in You. Like the cherry tree is full of blossoms, let us blossom under Your love, following Jesus. Amen

🌺

We Wait in Hope – Psalm 33:20

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:20–22 (CSB)

Faith teaches us to wait, for God is faithful, and to be patient with hope and accept God’s timing. God is our protector, our help, and our shield.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Jesus is our advocate; He speaks to the Father for us, providing help when we need it most. Our hope is found in Jesus, who loves us and gave His life for our salvation.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 John 2:1 (NIV)

God’s unfailing love fills our hearts with joy! We rejoice, for we trust His Holy name! Our hope is in the Lord.

⁂

Is Your hope in the Lord?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, You are our help, shield, and strength. Thank you for Your faithfulness and care. Teach us to be patient in hope and steadfast in faith. Guide us on our path and open our hearts to Your love. Like the buds on the Rose of Sharon open and the tree is filled with flowers, let us be open-hearted and filled with faith and hope. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

A Great Light: Matthew 4:16

the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
Matthew 4:16(NIV)

Matthew is repeating a quote from Isaiah 9:2, showing Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, written about the Messiah.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.
Isaiah 9:2 (WEB)

Jesus is the great light; He is the light of the world (John 8:12). His light shines in the dark, and darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:5). Christ came to the people residing in the area known as the land living in darkness, located around Capernaum, an area vulnerable to attacks. He also comes to save people whose trespasses and sins have them living in darkness.

Jesus is the light of the world; whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but have the light of life (John 8:12).

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:17 (NIV)

Jesus preached for us to participate in God’s kingdom, we must repent of sins, change the direction of our lives, and follow Him and His ways.

People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light;
Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up. This Isaiah-prophesied revelation came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
Matthew 4-16-17(MSG)

⁂

Are you living in darkness, or have you found the great light, Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for Jesus, a great light You brought into our lives. A light to save us from our sins and direct us on our path. Help us to change our lives and follow Jesus. As the flowers of the Jerusalem artichoke grow together, reaching for light, let us grow in faith, reaching for the great light, Jesus. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

Fix Our Eyes on Jesus: Hebrew 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 (BSB)

It is believed Hebrews was written to persecuted Jewish Christians, encouraging them to persevere in their faith. Encouraging them to fix their eyes on Jesus. Reminding them to trust God, remain steadfast in their beliefs, and keep the faith.

Jesus faced persecution and hardship but was determined to carry out God’s will. He endured death on the cross for our salvation. He willingly finished His path to pay for our sins. By focusing on Jesus and following His path of faith, despite our present hardships and difficulties we know we can trust God with our future.

Jesus focused on the joy to come, to sit beside God, His father, and to save His sheep (us).

2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God – he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.
Hebrews 12:2 (MSG)

⁂

Where is your focus this Advent season? Are your eyes fixed on Jesus, or worldly concerns?

Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and turn away from sin. Teach us to be more Christ-like in our actions. Guide us on our path. Like the butterfly weeds orange flowers brighten the garden; let us fix our eyes on Jesus and brighten our lives. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

Useful and Meaningful-2 Peter 1:5-8

5Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, 6self-control, patience, devotion to God, 7concern for others, and love. 8If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.
2 Peter 1:5-8 (CEV)

Peter earlier in verse 3 states that God gave us everything we need to live a life that pleases Him.

3We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.
2 Peter 1:3-4 (CEV)

So, how do we please the Lord? By living like Jesus, by accepting and growing in various virtues. We improve our faith by embracing the virtues of goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, and love. God has equipped us, and through personal effort, our lives can be useful and meaningful.

How do we grow in goodness? By embracing virtues of moral excellence like those displayed by Jesus. While growing in patience, the ability to wait and not become annoyed or angry. It’s important to maintain self-control and control impulses when we are upset, while refraining from reacting. In addition, growth in faith occurs when we exhibit the virtues of understanding and concern for others.

These virtues help us become motivated to do good for others and make our lives useful and meaningful. When we improve our faith and add goodness and generous, selfless, sacrificial love, like Jesus, we will please the Lord.

5-9 So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.
2 Peter 1:5-9 (MSG)

⁂

To be useful and meaningful, which virtue doing you need to work on understanding, patience, self-control, devotion to God, or concern and love for others?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for your grace and mercy. Help us to grow in faith while becoming more useful and meaningful. Teach us to embrace goodness and become more understanding and compassionate. As the daisies grow upward toward the sun, let us grow in love and follow Your Son. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

Thanks, and Praise: Psalm 34:1-7

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 34:1

2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 34: 2-3 (NIV)

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Psalm 34: 4-7 (NIV)

Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving this week. I am thankful for God’s love, mercy, and grace. “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm34:3)

🌺

Set Free – Romans 8:2

Click for a free Download print of “Set Free” flower with scripture photo.

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

What does condemnation mean? It means that by our sins, we are sentenced to death; we are condemned. However, our belief in Jesus delivers us from the power of sin.

Jesus was judged and crucified for our salvation. His death on the cross paid the full price for our sins. We are set free from the power of sin; there is no condemnation for anyone who believes in Jesus. We are declared righteous by God and set free by the law of the Holy Spirit.

2 I am now controlled by the law of the Holy Spirit. That law gives me life because of what Christ Jesus has done. It has set me free from the law of sin that brings death.
Romans 8:2 (NIRV)

Life with the law of the Holy Spirit in control sets us free from sin and death.

Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
Romans 8:1b-2 (MSG)

For whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NIV)

⁂

Are you held captive by sin, or have you accepted Jesus and been set free from the law of sin and death?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Son, Jesus. By Your love, Jesus was crucified for our sins. We thank You that Jesus set us free from the law of sin. Like a butterfly is free to travel flower to flower, teach us to follow Jesus and be set free from sin and death. In Jesus’ name. Amen

🌺

Yes in Christ: 2 Corinthians 1:20

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20(NIV)

Yes, in Christ, through Jesus is God saying yes to all the promises he has made. God’s promises for deliverance and salvation are found in Jesus. Our loving God, through Jesus, offers us redemption, forgiveness, and a glimpse of God’s glory. By accepting Christ, we are claimed as children of God.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:26 (NLT)

The definition of Amen is to express solemn ratification, as an expression of faith, or heartfelt agreement and approval. (Merriam-Webster) God says yes, in Christ, and we say Amen.

20Certainly, Christ made God’s many promises come true. For that reason, because of our message, people also honor God by saying, “Amen!” 21God establishes us, together with you, in a relationship with Christ. He has also anointed us. 22In addition, he has put his seal [of ownership] on us and has given us the Spirit as his guarantee.
2 Corinthians 1:20 (GWT)

Our Heavenly Father adds His seal, His pledge to us by giving us the indwelling Holy Spirit; our guide and guarantee of what is to come.

God, through Jesus says yes to us, and we reply with heartfelt Amen!

Amen, to the glory of God!

20-22 Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit, he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.
2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (MSG)

Prayer: Lord, we thank You; You are our rock, strength, and caring Father. Thank You for Your son, Jesus, who was crucified for our sins and upholds your promises. Teach us to stand firm in faith and be guided by the Holy Spirit. Like a geranium plant that blooms spring through autumn, let us spring forth with gratitude and respond with a heartfelt grateful Amen. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

⁂

God’s promises are stamped yes, with Christ. Have you accepted the yes of Christ?

🌺

Prayer: James 5:16

Therefore, make it your habit to confess your sins to one another and to pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:16 (ISV)

Prayer is communication with God. Prayers don’t need to be fancy or long. Prayer is an incredible privilege; through it we can communicate with the creator of the universe, who listens to us and answers us.

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”
Max Lucado

It is important to confess our sins because sin and unforgiveness can block the effectiveness of our prayers. God calls us to pray for others, reflecting God’s characteristics of love, mercy, and healing. Prayer exhibits our faith and dependence on God.

Prayer was a priority in Jesus’ life. He often arose early went away to somewhere quiet and prayed.

When a believing person prays, great things happen.
James 5:16b (NCV)

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective! Through prayer we seek God, and we receive comfort, guidance, peace, and God’s transforming power in our lives. When we approach prayer with thankfulness, thanking God for His countless blessings and mercy, we cultivate a heart of love and gratitude.

“Prayer is the way you defeat the devil, reach the lost, restore a backslider, strengthen the saints, send missionaries out, cure the sick, accomplish the impossible, and know the will of God.”
David Jeremiah

In prayer, we communicate with God, seek His guidance and strength in times of weakness, find comfort, and experience healing and His mighty transforming power.

The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
James 5:16b (MSG)

⁂

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for the privilege of reaching out to You in prayer. We thank You for listening to and answering our prayers. You bless us with Your mercy, grace, and love. Help us find our divine appointments and healing as we pray for each other. As the white waterlily blossoms reach upward, let us reach upward to You in prayer and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ loving name. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. Need prayer? I will be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺