Tag: trust in God

The Light of Your Presence: Psalm 89:15

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Psalm 89:15 (NIV)

Blessed are those who know the Lord, and follow His way. They flourish in His love and find refuge in His strength. The Lord leads them on the path of righteousness and refreshes their soul. They walk in the glorious light of His presence and receive His peace, for God is with them.

Where do you need the light of God’s presence to brighten and illuminate your path?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we are blessed by Your forgiveness, compassion, and love. Strengthen our faith and teach us to turn to you when we are lost, afraid, or feel alone. As the hydrangea blooms lean on a bench glowing in the sunlight, teach us to lean on You and glow, reflecting Your light into the darkness around us. Lead us Lord, and teach us to walk in the light of Your presence. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

God is Our Refuge: Psalm 62:8

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:8 (NIV)

My help and glory are in God

    —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—

So trust him absolutely, people;

    lay your lives on the line for him.

    God is a safe place to be.

Psalm 62:7-8 (MSG)

Trust is defined as; “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone.” God is truth, His strength is unparalleled, and His people have relied on Him for years. When we pour our hearts out to God, we make known to him in prayer our sorrows, worries, wishes, and troubles. The definition of refuge is; “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.” As David advises, God is our refuge a safe place to take shelter during life’s storms. When we put our trust in God and go to Him with our troubles, God keeps us safe and shelters us.

Is God your refuge, do you reach out to Him when you are lost, afraid, worried, or troubled?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank You for your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your guidance. Teach us to trust in You, to go to You with our concerns, and to remember in all situations that You are our refuge. As the white cross-shaped bracts (flowers) of the dogwood tree brighten spring days, let us remember your sacrifice on the cross, and brighten the world by spreading Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

 I would like to thank Dawn Drawing Closer to Christ and Jacquie JOY COTTAGE for nominating me for the Kennedy Award for Excellence. I highly recommend Dawn’s and Jacquie’s blogs they are inspiring, full of God’s love, and spirit-driven.

God With Us: Deuteronomy 31:8

8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

The Lord is with us, he goes before us, he never leaves us, and He surrounds us with unconditional love. Take time to rest in God’s love, and let go of fear, worry, and discouragement. Do not fear God, is with us, and He cares about us. May your New Year be blessed with hope, faith, and joy.

What do you need to let go of and let God handle?

Prayer: Dear Lord, loving Savior, we give thanks for your help and compassion for us. Teach us to be bright and open like the poinsettias, reflecting Your love and compassion. Help us not to worry, instead to realize that You are always with us and will never leave us. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Have a Healthy and Happy New Year – 2020!

– Jeanne

Faith: Hebrews 11:1-2

Heavenly Blue Morning Glory

 1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.

Hebrews 11:1-2The Message (MSG)

Faith, to me, is personal a relationship with God. I think I’ve always had faith, but at times my faith was immature. It was more about what I wanted than trusting God. During my early years, I didn’t feel God’s love for me even though it was there. As I have grown and matured in faith, I now feel surrounded in God’s love. My faith has changed me from being needy and feeling alone, to basking in God’s love and wanting to share it. To me, faith is trusting in God, our firm foundation, our hope for things to come. Faith does make life worth living.

How firm is your foundation in faith?

Prayer: Dear Lord, teach us to put our faith in You. Help us to faithfully build our foundation on You and Your word. The beautiful colors of the “heavenly blue morning glory” look like the sun radiating out into the clouds and sky. Teach us in faith to reflect the radiating love and compassion of Jesus Son of God. Thank you for making our lives worth living. We praise you. Amen

Confused: Proverbs 3:5

PJM Rhodendron – Early Blooms

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not depend on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ISV)

Often when I find myself confused, trying to figure out why things aren’t going my way, or things aren’t following my well-laid plans. I realize that I am relying on my understanding. Currently, the PJM rhododendron in my backyard is blooming, because autumn sunlight and temperature have fooled it into thinking that it’s spring. The spring flower bud has opened and the blooms have appeared, but it’s autumn. Often, I also get confused, not allowing myself to seek God and ask for His direction, to let Him guide me to make my paths straight. My goal is to learn to trust the Lord with all my heart.

Where are you confused, and need God to set your path straight?

Prayer: Dear Lord, teach us to trust you with all our hearts. Like the PJM Rhodendron, with its red autumn leaves and unseasonal pink blossoms, we are often traveling a confused path. Lord, we acknowledge your loving guidance and wisdom and ask You to make our paths straight. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen

Delight: Psalm 37: 3-4

Begonia

3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness

4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37: 3-4 English Standard Version (ESV)

Today delight in the Lord and do good. Praise His name and dwell in the land of faithfulness. Trust the Lord. When we delight in the Lord, He fills our heart with compasion and love.

What way do you delight in the Lord?

Prayer: Dear Lord you are our delight you bring sunshine and brightness to our days. Like these blossoms cluster together, help us to gather together to do good. The flowers are exuberance in color and form let us be exuberant in praise to God. In Jesus name. Amen.

*Special thanks to Matt at https://jesusluvsall.wordpress.com for nominating me for Sunshine blogger award. His site is great, new content daily, plus a lot of diversity, compassion, and fun.

*Special thanks also to Jacquie at https://joycottage.blog for nominating me for the Liebster Award. Her blog has great content, plus many thoughtful and encouraging articles.

Peace and Joy: Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Trust in God, give Him your worries, listen to Him, and love Him. This brings hope. Today, may this hope from God fill you with joy and peace. May you walk in trust with Him and feel His love.

When do you feel God’s peace and joy?

Prayer: Dear Lord, let our trust in You, be bold and bright like these blooms. Like the shiny leaves glow, let us shine with joy. May our peace grow and blossom. Thank you, Lord, for your grace and abundant love. In Jesus Holy name. Amen.

Blessed: Jeremiah 17:7

Blessed
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”  
Jeremiah 17:7-8

As a gardener, this is one of my favorite verses. It’s like a word picture of trust in God. What a wonderful image of a tree planted by the water with strong roots and leaves always green. What a pleasure no worries, even in a year of drought and uncertain weather. What a joy to bear fruit in life. God lead me to this kind of confidence.