Afraid – Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. – Psalm 56:3 (NIV)

David had confidence in God’s power to protect him and to fulfill His promises. He knew how God had helped him in the past. Instead of falling apart when his situation was dire, he trusted God. Instead of being self-reliant and self-confident, he was God-confident. In verse 11, David praises the Lord and restates that his trust in God is greater than his fear.

10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise— 11 in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me? – Psalm 56:10-11

Fear encourages us to run, to escape. Faith helps us realize that God is with us and He is greater than our fear.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

So fear not; do not be afraid, for God will strengthen you and help you.

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Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, You are our hope and our salvation. Teach us to trust You, especially when we are overwhelmed and afraid. Help us turn to You rather than try to deal with problems on our own. Like the opening petals of the daisy flowers reach upward, let us open our hearts to You and reach out to You in prayer. In Jesus’ loving and holy 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. 🌺

Greater than All – John 10:29

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:29 (NIV)

Great is our God! How great is our God? He is greater than all! He has incomparable, unmatched power. He created heaven and the earth, and He is loving, merciful, and forgiving. He is great, greater than all; all creatures, angels, and men.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. – Psalm 145:3 (NIV)

By God’s authority, the ones who know Jesus’ voice (His sheep) are given to His Son, Jesus. God has placed us (Jesus’ sheep) under Jesus’ care. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross saved his followers, giving believers eternal life.

God is greater than all and more powerful. No one can snatch believers away from Him.

My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.” John 10: 27-30 (MSG)

No one can snatch believers away from Jesus, for Jesus and His father God are one, one in heart and mind. ⁂

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, You are great greater than all. We thank You for Your grace in sending Your Son to save us sinners. We are in awe of Your power and strength that keeps us safe in Your hands. Like the flowers of the Viburnum are opened and gathered together, let us be open to Your love and gathered safely in Your mighty hands. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

I am taking a short break from writing – back in a couple weeks. 🌺

Freedom – 2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

The veil separating us from God is lifted by our faith in Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit, revealing God’s glory and giving us freedom.

We were redeemed and freed from the bondage of sin by Jesus’ death on the cross. Upon believing in Jesus, we have forgiveness of sin. The veil, which represented the gap created by sin between God and humans, is lifted.

The Holy Spirit inside us, empowers us. Empowering us to accept God’s will while helping us to follow Jesus. The Spirit in our hearts transforms us. The Spirit works within our hearts, transforming us and drawing us closer to Jesus.

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Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forgiveness and grace. Guide us in Your truth and your light. Thank You for your love and our freedom through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Like iris flowers grow and blossom in spring, let us grow closer to You and let our faith blossom. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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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!

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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

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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.

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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

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Our Deliverer: Psalm 68:19

Blessed be the Lord who daily carries us. God is our deliverer.
Psalm 68:19 (ISV)

The Lord deserves praise! Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. (Selah)
Psalm 68:19 (NET)

Our God, our Heavenly Father, is the creator of us and the universe and our refuge and strength. There is nothing too difficult or heavy for Him to carry. He can carry and deal with any of our problems and concerns. Day after day, he provides care and carries us and our burdens. He is our deliverer, our hope, and our Savior.

Giving our burdens to the Lord frees us, allowing us to live for God; and respond with praise and thanksgiving. Relying on the Lord releases the weight of our burdens, bringing peace. Yes, our Lord deserves praise, for He is God for us forever.

Blessed be the Lord—
day after day he carries us along.
He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!
He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.
Psalm 68:19 (MSG)

Are your burdens holding you down, or have you given them to the Lord, our deliverer, and lightened your load?

Our Heavenly Father, we praise and worship You. Thank You for Your provision and day-by-day care. Teach us to turn our burdens over to You, trusting in Your promises and strength. Lord, You are our deliverer and our hope, guide and direct us. Like the weigela’s open and trumpet-like flowers brighten spring, let us praise You with trumpets and song for You brighten our world. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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See Clearly? 1 Corinthians 13:12

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

In this verse, Paul compares our present and partial knowledge of God to seeing a reflection in an obscure mirror; the reflection is blurry. Our current knowledge and spiritual gifts give us only a glimpse of God’s wisdom and knowledge.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
Romans 11:33 (NLT)

In the future, when God comes to live in our midst, we shall see clearly, with perfect clarity. For we will see be able to see God face to face. Then we will know everything completely, just as He knows us completely.

12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG)

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Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, how great are Your wisdom and knowledge! We thank You for Your mercy and grace. Help us to grow in faith and rely on You, trusting Your promises. We wait for the day when we will see You clearly, Lord, face to face. Like the Sweet William flowers grow in the sun and flourish; let us grow in faith, follow Your Son Jesus, and flourish in Your love. 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)

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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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Our Hope: Psalm 33:22

My Easter Basket

20We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.

21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

22Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.
Psalm 33: 20-22 (NLT)

My hope is in the Lord; my soul waits for Him. What is hope? A dictionary definition is a feeling of trust. There is a close connection between hope and trust. Biblically, hope can be defined as a confident expectation of God’s promises. A confident expectation in what God has promised, and belief in God’s faithfulness, gives us hope.

The Lord is our help, shield, and salvation. Trusting in His holy name and unfailing love causes our hearts to rejoice.

Verse 22 is a closing prayer; Dear Lord, let your unfailing love and loving devotion surround us; for our hope is in you alone. Amen ⁂

When you have problems and concerns, where is your hope; is your hope in the Lord?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, You are our strength, help, and shield. We thank You for your grace, compassion, and unfailing love. You are our hope Lord; our hearts rejoice in Your faithfulness. Like bulbs planted in the Fall grow and bring joy in Spring, may our faith grow and our hope be in You alone. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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My Heart Rejoices- Psalm 16:9

8 I know the LORD is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.

My body rests in safety.
Psalm 16:8-9 (NLT)

David is celebrating his relationship with the Lord; he is confident; for he believes in God’s protection and promises. He feels secure, for the Lord is always beside him. The Lord is his instructor, friend, counselor, and his refuge from life’s storms.
David’s heart rejoices even in the face of death; for his eternal destiny is assured.

8 Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
that’s not my destination!
Psalm 16:9-10 (MSG)

Are you confident and secure in your faith; does your heart rejoice in the Lord?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, thank you for being beside us, guiding us, and keeping us secure. Teach us to put our confidence in You. You are our strength and refuge. Let our hearts rejoice; as you guide and protect us. Like the red geranium blossoms bring joy to the garden, let us grow, blossom, and spread Your joy. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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