Monday, January 31, 2011

And their father...



Huge deal...Job put them into his will along with their brothers. Girls and in all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job!

Wow, we all know that this is big! Women were not left in wills only men, but Job realized after all he had been through that he was indeed blessed and given twice as much and he was thankful and full of love for his family.

God restored Job with twice as much! God is so amazing and never ever will we get truly how amazing...Thank you God for being so much more than we can imagine!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Sunday, January 30, 2011

From a whirlwind



The Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:

How does He answer you?

Is it through the words of a friend?

Is it from words in the scripture?

Is it from the Pastor on Sunday?

Is it???

I love those moments that without a doubt God answers, but what about moments like Job had been having before the whirlwind? Did you know God like Job?

We must believe God's Words with out whole heart to recognize His voice when indeed He speaks to us!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Pray for Egypt

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Overwhelmed!



Today, in the reading from Job 30 and 31 all I could think of was how alone and overwhelmed Job is feeling. After all, he had been living a life that God called blameless - a man of complete integrity, and called him the finest man in all the earth. Suddenly, his world is turned upside down and every which way but loose!

Overwhelmed is an understatement of all the feelings that had to be flowing through and around Job. His friends were full of advice, his brain was on overload and he just wanted to give up. Ever been there? Do you see yourself in these passages?

I did and do at times. In verse 11 of chapter 40, he said the Lord humbled him. Even outcasts oppose him and everyone wants to destroy him. One of my favorites was in verse 14...they come at me from all directions. They jump on me when I am down. I live in terror now. Ever felt like this? When you are down it seems like everybody wants to kick you? Well, the devil does and he will use everybody and everything to help dig our holes or pits deeper!!! Every crack in our armor is a place for darkness to creep through and feed our spirit, our heart, and our being with dark thoughts!

I am reminded once again through this reading to keep my eyes on things above, to be in God's Word, to be in the company of believers who give hope and light! We are allowed to make choices that help us crawl back out of the pit and it is my prayer that we each make the right choice today, when we reach to climb out once more...

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Let's pray today for the hot spot between Israel and the Palestinians. Let's pray for all leaders to attempt to defuse this difficult situation.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Indeed!




Job 26: 7 - 14
God stretches the northern sky over empty space
and hangs the earth on nothing.
He wraps the rain in his thick clouds, and the clouds don't burst with the weight.
He covers the face of the moon, shrouding it with his clouds.
He created the horizon when he separated the waters; he set the boundary between day and night.
The foundations of heaven tremble: they shudder at his rebuke.
by his power the sea grew calm.
By his skill he crushed the great sea monster.
His Spirit made the heavens beautiful, and his power pierced the gliding serpent.
There are just the beginning of all he does, merely a whisper of his power.
Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?
Indeed, every where we look God's power and wisdom are shown! Look around today! Give Him praise and glory for all that He is!!!!


Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Prayer Special - Today we begin to prayer for Asia. Did you know that 81% of the 4.7 billion non-Christians are in Asia? That Asia host the 3 largest non-Christian religions in the world? There are over 680 million Asians with nor formal religious affiliation? Pray about all of these today.

Monday, January 24, 2011

I Know


Today, reading Job 19 when I got to verse 25 and Job's words about Our Redeemer it was as if I heard the words I KNOW. I spoke this weekend and talked about the story of the woman who the Pharisees accused in front of everyone...Jesus never says much He just writes in the sand and slowly everyone leaves realizing that we are all the same sinners.

In this particular passage Job sharing prophecy, whether it is about Jesus or his health returning they aren't sure, but isn't it beautiful. Job is suffering, hurting, doubting, and yet deep in his soul he knows. He knows God loves him in spite of everything around him. His own words, his friends words, the evil surrounding him and deep he knows that as the NIV states "someone is going to defend me and in the end He will stand on earth!" Praise the LORD!

Job sounds so much like us at times...complaints, woe to me and yet deep down he knows and he states it beautifully here. Indeed, someone does defend us and indeed He will stand again on this earth and WIN!!!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Prayers for understanding throughout the Americas. Understanding that You made us each unique and special with a reason for all of us!!! Tolerance, but with your guidance on addressing difficult issues.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Only God


Only God!

Praise the Lord only God is able to command the sun not to shine or the stars.

Praise God that he alone spread out the heavens and marches on the waves.

Praise God He made the stars!

Indeed, God does great things too marvelous for us to understand. The miracles that only He is able to do.

God is soooooo much bigger than our small brains are able to comprehend and it drives us crazy. He made us want more and more. We long for understanding. We thirst with a unquinchable thirst. We truly desire more and more of only Him and one day we will be with Him in heaven.

On days we don't understand like Job we must cling to His Promises and He always keeps His Promises! Praise God! He always stands firm on His Truths and His Word, so cling to His Love and Keep the Faith! We don't have to understand just cling to Him on days that you desire more and more of HIM! Cling to HIS Word!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Today, since the U.S. is a part of the Americas I want to lift our political system up to God. I want us to pray for our leaders in all parties. Pray for Our Leaders to all pray for guidance in decisions and for God to be Our Leader! I pray for understanding in times we are different, pray for peace without all the ugliness, we found this country on freedoms to be different, but to show tolerance for each other! Pray for peace in our lands.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Trouble around the bend...


Today, when I got to Job 5:7, which states People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire; it hit me how fast it happens that we are drawn to trouble.

One morning a few years ago in a matter of moments sparks of fire torched my things. It was over in minutes a lifetime of treasures gone and when I read this today it was so visual just how fast trouble takes over our minds, our life, our relationships absolutely everything, if we allow it! If...such a big word to only contain two letters...

In a moment trouble grows beyond our control and only the "Living water" can put it out! The fire that morning gave me so many visuals about evil and darkness. I walked through the once beautiful rooms (at least to me) and they are covered in black ashes and this awful smell. Oh, I don't think I will ever forget that horrible odor and I remember thinking this must be a little bit like hell. So dark, nasty, smelly, awful just no other word for it and I remember thinking I don't want any part of hell. I don't want anybody that I love or anybody else to have to spend eternity in anything that is worse than this and hell would be much worse...

We don't like to think about hell, but just like this verse states trouble begins with a spark and that grows quickly. The devil works fast and spreads quickly...

Today, it is on my heart to say share Jesus, let your light shine and let goodness spread quicker than trouble! God is so much bigger than the devil, but we must share Him! Shine bright today!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Today we begin prayer for the Americas - which covers North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, we pray about the drug situation that all 3 of these face. Cocaine being the main problem for all 3...The ones that grow it (Columbia, Peru, Bolviai, Ecuador, others), the ones that ship it (Central america, Caribbean, Mexico) and then the consumers (primarily U.S.) All 3 do some of the above!!! Keep this in your prayers!!!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Do we know who is evil?


Job 1:7
"I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on."

Today, in the reading these words kept catching my attention.

Do we realize when it is evil watching us?

Do we realize when it is the devil plotting mischief?

The devil is busy plotting mischief. He doesn't sit idle..he prowls and I think we would never realize it over half the time. I think it looks pretty innocent at times to us how it works patrolling and plotting harm to bring us from good to evil!

Imagine, God saying these words about you - Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless-a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.
Think about this today...What words would God say about you? I am going to think on that one for awhile about myself!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Clean water and more people to donate for clean water in Africa Do you know that it takes 40 billion hours in Africa alone for women to haul needed water back and forth? Just to haul water folks...check out www.thewaterproject.org and look for ways to help this area get clean water. Journey of Sisters will be helping with a page...watch for details!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

What goes around comes around? Perhaps


How do you think Jacob felt when Joseph, No, my father..this is my firstborn?

What memories came back to him at this moment that he didn't have long to be with his family? Is life was coming to an end? Do you think memories of false hair? Do you think memories of yes, father it's Esau...the words the Lord provided...do you think any of that came flowing back at that moment? Do you think that he realized that God would have done exactly what he did here perhaps with his own father?

It hit me this morning with lots of thoughts of how God brought this full circle with his favorite sons children. Jacob relived his moment of taking matters into his own hands through his favorite sons children...God shows up every time!

We don't have to help God out! When are we going to get it?

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P.S. Continue to pray for peace in Africa...
Also, the story above is from Genesis 48

Monday, January 17, 2011

I Will Go


Jacob had a long journey ahead of him to a land he wasn't sure about other than his son, Joseph was there. Don't you know in
his heart how badly he longed to see Joseph? Yet, something held him back...

He began the journey it tells us in Genesis 46, he stopped and offered sacrifices when he had a vision. God saw Jacob's fear and reassured him that he was going with him and not only that he would bring him back. He knew because God told him that he would die there, but not remain in that foreign land.

God reassures us that He goes with us through these words as well! Are you feeling the nudge to go? Are you feeling the calling to something unknown to you? Are you being lead to something new and different? Perhaps God is speaking to you this morning to be brave and know that He is going with you on the journey. I know that the times I have felt this God always reassures me that He is with me!

So are your wagons loaded and ready? Is the trip all planned, but you are unsure? Listen to the words in Genesis...Do not be afraid to go...I will go with you...and I will bring you back...Our Savior loves us and we never go anywhere alone!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P. S. - Pray for the Sudan's civil strife. Pray for peace in the Sudan today.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Timing


Timing is everything!

But it's God's timing not ours!

Did you catch the but?

Not easy to take, is it?

When we decide something we want it now, but it doesn't happen that way. It is all in God's timing.

Joseph had been in prison a long time and when the cup bearer (butler) left don't you know he thought his time was short. Or at least he wanted it to be. He had given the man good news and surely he would be grateful, but nope...he forgot! He forgot until it served his purposes to remember that man in prison that helped him with his dreams. A full two years later!!!!

One commentary worded it until the time was right for deliverance! Isn't that true for us? Until we have learned the lesson God wants us to learn then we aren't delivered! During the process we might be taught patience, understanding, whats best for us...a lesson will be taught and until we are taught the lesson God wants us to learn the time just will not happen for delivery. Check out Psalm 105:19 - PRETTY FITTING!

God's timing not ours...when will we get it?

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Poverty in Africa

Friday, January 14, 2011

Dream your dreams


I love the story about Joseph and his dreams. I realize that when he shared his dreams that in some ways he was bragging to his brothers, but he dreamed!
Do you have dreams? Do you believe they can happen or will happen? Do you know that we have dream stealers in our paths? In the Bible they were the Pharisees. Who are they in your life?
Jesus is the dream giver. Now, I am not saying everything we desire we will get, but we will have the adventure of a lifetime, because Jesus provides so much better than we are able to even dream.
In our reading today, Judah that slept with Tamar thinking she was a prostitute not daughter-in-law...I mean think about it...Judah is the line of Christ! Judah was a part of the scheme of putting Joseph in the cistern, but decided it was a better course of action to just sell him to the traders. Now, this is something else! Talk about a dream...who would think after all Judah did that He would be an ancestor to the Messiah through his daughter-in-law Tamar that tricked him?
God's ways are not our ways!!!! When will we understand this fact? All, I can say is "thanks be to God."
Sweet blessings,
Debbie
P.S. Pray for clean water for the people in Africa!!!
Debbie

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Our Ancestors


Are the days when the family history are listed hard for you to follow? Some days they are really difficult for me.

Do you know why they are important? Do you know why God continually wanted them in His Word for us to read? So, that we would realize that He is a living God and these events happened to real people in real time our faith relates to a time in our world history. We are able to relate the two. Other religions do not have specific times and people to back up their faith with time lines along with the historical moments around them.

I'm not going to act like I've got all these family lines down, after all it is hard for me to keep my own family lines straight sometimes, but I know it matters. It is important to God and that is why we have it. It is why we remember them and have them.

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

P. S. Over the next week we will pray for Africa and different aspects of this country. Today's focus is the disease in Africa. In Africa, a very high prevalence of malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis. Did you know that malaria kills more than twice as many as AIDS and TB in Africa ? The people have very shortened lifespans and the illnesses put a hard ship on most families. Clean water is not a disease itself, but it contributes to the spread of the diseases. So today pray for more awareness and help for the situations facing the diseases in Africa. Every 45 seconds, a child in Africa dies from malaria. Check out Nothing but nets. net and send a mosquito net to help save a life today!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

vqlyishshakelhu


A smile like this picture are always a welcome sign, aren't they? Imagine if Esau had met Jacob with a frown and anger all over his face...different scene would have happened right?

The title from today is the original word used that means an emphatic, sincere change had happened in Esau towards Jacob. Matthew Henry said that after very sincere prayer on Jacob's part God intervened and changed the enemy. The same He can do for us. If our ways please God, He will change things for us along our path. It doesn't mean that Esau indeed was a different man, but God changed the situation for Jacob. He believed that Esau was still not a man of God, so that is why they went separate ways. Jacob did not need to hang around with people that were not believers, so this is why he didn't go along with Esau. Another commentator thought perhaps something happened along the journey that caused Jacob to go another direction. I tend to go along with Matthew Henry, because God directs our path and he directed it away from the non-believers surrounding Esau, so that Jacob would not meet with that hurdle too.

Another thing I learned that the acceptance of the gifts was a sign of forgiveness on Esau's part and acceptance. A sign of friendship between the two brothers. Also, the order in which Jacob sent the people to greet Esau had meaning some commentaries think it was a ranking in the order that Jacob cared for them in case Esau was coming to do battle. Another thought was that he wanted Rachel and Joseph last as his most esteemed treasure, so that it would be a lasting memory in Esau's mine of what Jacob valued the most.

Poor Leah. She was the first wife and it seems she went through her life with not much esteem given to her. Yes, she went along with her father's trick of Jacob, but did she have a choice? It saddens me to think of the journey that Leah had with always being second best and then on top of that you were always second to your sibling sister. I wonder in Jacob's dealings with Leah did he ever think about his own with Esau? Did he show her some form of love or was it all duty? Today, I was left with lots of thoughts of Leah and how Jacob may or may not have treated her.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P.S. Pray today that young people will find a church to help them along their path in this world.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

In Your Dreams

I had a dream! Jacob had a dream about how to build his flock and his fortune given to him by God. Jacob wasn't sure how to do this on his own, so God gave him the answers in his dream. In his dream an angel of God gave him instructions to leave.


Leah and Rachel agreed after all their father had not been good to either of them. They were ready to leave with Jacob and yet Rachel stole her father's idols. Why? Why would Rachel want these idols? It keeps going through my mind over and over why was she clinging to the past. A past that brought nothing, but harm and pain. A past where her father pasted her sister off to the man she loved first. A past that caused her to watch as her sister had children one after another. A past that her father was nothing but dishonest and far from honorable...Why would she want these idols? What did they represent to her?

I pondered this question and read in a commentary that perhaps Rachel stole them so that her father would finally no longer worship these idols. She removed them, so that he might find the true God. Another said it was so Laban could not consult with them to figure out where Jacob had taken them. Another said she took them as affection from fear of the reception she would receive from Jacob's family. Why do you think she took them? I think it might have been a little of all...A clinging to the familiar, an act to provoke a father that she felt wronged her, and perhaps the fear of the unknown.

If you left today, what would you cling to from your past? What would you be sure you packed in your belongings?

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P.S. Prayer for more disciples throughout the world.






Monday, January 10, 2011

Surely the Lord is in this place


So much in the reading today that struck me. First, the beginning with Esau's anger knowing his parents feelings going to Ishmael to marry his daughter. Defiant, we read yesterday where his birthright he gave away for food and then his blessing was stolen from him. Esau was filled with bad stuff. The stuff that nothing good will come from and that definitely fits Esau's situation. I can't help remembering though that we were told that Issac favored Esau, so how could he not value his birthright more? He would have learned from Issac how much this meant to him and God and yet for a bowl of soup it was gone...

We left the reading yesterday with Jacob on the run. He found a good place to sleep and laid down to sleep. In his sleep a dream came of a stairway that reached from heaven to earth and the angel moving back and forth. At the top, stood the LORD with the message telling him that He is the LORD and that the ground you are laying on belongs to you and that God would protect him wherever he went. Wow, what a gift! The gift of such an amazing vision and promise.

Jacob awakens and stated "Surely the Lord is in this place"...BUT then he said IF, IF, IF...what did that mean? Jacob was given the gift of this dream and yet he said If God indeed be with me and protect me me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing. and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. Does this not strike you to be a lot like us? IF you do this, then I will do this???

Here God gave Jacob an amazing experience without a doubt a God moment and still the IFS overflow out of Jacob's mouth. Indeed, Jacob built an altar, annointed it, built the worship site and even made a pledge of giving but it still had if in the words! Jacob is so much like us, isn't he? I promise God, if you do this then I will do this...Why not just step in faith? God already proved His love for us, over and over, over and over...yet we struggle just like Jacob!

Jacob gives us all hope because he is so much like us or at least me. What about you? Am I alone in admitting this fact?

Another part from the reading today is the in Genesis 29:11 when Jacob kissed Rachel and he wept aloud. Do you think perhaps he wept aloud, because he is beginning to see God's work? He is beginning to recognize it?

Wow, Wow how I love God's Word...

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P.S. Pray that we will all have the power to speak about God's Love with others or that our Light will shine so that they ask why...

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Contempt among brothers


I read the story of Esau and Jacob with sadness. Two brothers that before they were ever born set up to never have a loving friendship or relationship. The Word shows today in Genesis 25 that Esau was made of instant satisfaction through a bowl of soup being worth more than his birthright. How could you sell your birthright for a meal?

I really thought about his actions and thought well we all desire easy, quick fixes in our society. Oh, they probably look different to each of us, but we all have those shortcomings. It's whether we recognize and accept it where we are able to deal with it.

I feel saddened by Jacob in the reading today as well. I mean he stole his brother's blessing on in the reading today with his mother's help. I kept help thinking let God handle it, but don't we all try to help God at times. We can't wait, so we do something and it might not have been God's way at all. Jacob served his brother a bowl of soup for his birthright. Jacob was cunning. He realized his brother thought with his stomach and not much more. Sad...

One commentary told me that God would never have been able to do what he wanted to with Esau that it was hard enough with Jacob. Wow, two brothers that birthed two nations that were never to get along. Esau filled with hate. Jacob on the run.

How often have we looked like one of the brothers?

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Today we pray for world heath and awareness. We also need to lift up the people hurt by the tragedy in Arizona yesterday and our nation as a whole. We need to be able to accept each other's difference without resorting to violence. We need to pray for recovery for those injured and for the families that lost loved ones whether through death or being the one that pulled the trigger.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Tripped up...


Beautiful babies! Do you think Esau and Jacob ever looked like this photo?

Reading from Genesis 25 today, it struck me that they were fighting even in the womb. Looking up additional information, I learned that Rebekah was in so much pain during the pregnancy that she went to a prophet to approach God about why. The original words for struggling was they were crushing each other in the womb. She wanted to know if this was normal and was she going to die, it was so painful. Two little boys that their world would never seem peaceful like this photo.

Jacob which translated is "Yaccob" means to defraud, deceive, overthrow by tripping up his heels. Well, what an appropriate name for this little guy. We all realize by the message that Rebekah received from God that this was part of his plan, but ...

Two nations that never get along...How sad I would think for a mother to hear these words! A struggle that we still deal with today.

On a sidenote about this story one commentary stated that they believe Issac pleaded with God at the site where Abraham trusted God to save Issac on the altar. I thought this was a cool thought, who knows...

Hard to comprehend God's ways...That is the reason to trust and have faith that indeed God's ways are not our ways. We don't understand or know and that is what faith is all about, so we trust and believe only in Him!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special is to end the world terrorism and hate for one another. Lofty, but it is possible with God!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Early in the morning


I am a morning person. I seem to be getting to the point that it doesn't matter how hard I try I wake up early.

Reading today, I was struck in the story of Ishamel that Abraham got up early to prepare and send him away. I've always been amazed that he got up early in the Issac story, but never noticed it until today in the Ishamel story. Abraham believed and was obedient, so why prolong what the Lord called him to do.

Why have I in my journey prolonged things? I know that God told me to do something and if it didn't quite fit my plan - I waited. After all, I might not have heard that correctly or I might have projected that I prolong and want to call it being sure. Abraham trusted God beyond words with the two young men he loved so very much that he was willing to send one off to the unknown and the other he placed on an altar. At times I hesitate in my trust and hold back, but Abraham got up early and showed obedience to Our Savior.

What a lesson for all of us to ponder today! Also, in the story of Rebekah we can gather so very much. The servant knew Abraham's God was the director of the universe and he prayed to him about Rebekah. Rebekah was also so obedient. Imagine, this strange man meeting you at the well with this story about this man in a foreign land and you are the answer to the prayer. do you reply Yes, I will go? It is my prayer that we will all answer Yes, I will go Father wherever you ask me to go. Not only that Father, but that I will get up early and take those steps toward your plan for my life!

Father, let me get out of your way to do amazing things through me listening and following your plans for my journey. Let me shout YES Father and How early. After all it is already and will only be one amazing journey. I love you. Amen

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Today please pray for all of the people around the world over 30 million suffering in human slavery over 80% being women and children. A $32 billion dollar market. Let's bring an end to this horrible statistic through prayer.



Thursday, January 6, 2011

Who me?


Don't you love the reading about Sarah today in Genesis 18? In fact, I just loved this whole section!

To begin, Abraham ran to greet guests and invite them in not realizing that he was entertaining angels. I wonder how often we might be entertaining angels and never know. Do we offer hospitality? Are we too busy to even offer a kind word? What do we do?

Abraham then offered something that in those days was great hospitality the gift of shade to cool down and for their feet to be washed after a long day of walking in sandals. Imagine, yourself. Nothing like either one is there? Have you ever heard the expression we've got it made in the shade. Cool to think about isn't it? Listen to this, I found the word in Hebrew for shade is Imago Dei think about resting in God's shade from the trials of life! Anyway, just thought that was an interesting tidbit...Next Abraham offered a great food and the best of everything to his guests.

Sarah prepared the food and then stood on the other side of the door and listened to the conversation. Have you ever done this? She got caught even with doing it in silence. She laughed silently and the Lord then said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh?" She then lied about it and denied it...saying, "I didn't laugh." But the Lord replied, "No, you did laugh."
He knows all. Whether we speak it or not - HE KNOWS.

God knows everything, so why don't we talk to Him about it all. Why don't we speak those silent thoughts out loud and ask Him? Why Lord and see if you get an answer! Try it!

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special today - Pray for those around the world with no clean water

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

I am El-Shaddai


El Shaddai-'God Almighty' appeared to Abram! WOW!

One commentary stated like this that this is the appearance of God in the person of Jesus that came to Abram at the age of 99 and said, Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.

El-Shaddai means all-sufficent, I am the God that pours out richly, abundantly, continually blessings if you walk with purpose for me. Obedience again! Obedience does bring rewards God appeared! Absolutely, nothing better than that reward! Abram you live this life and I promise many descendants are yours! The El part means awesome power. Definitely, appearing shows awesome power!

Names matter to Our Lord. We have already had many times the listing of the family lines. It is important to God how we get here, our name while we are here, and what happens in our family line. Everything matters to God! Nothing is not important.

The God who pours out blessings not a just a little, but abundantly, richly and continually if we are obedient! Remember, the obedient part walking today!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special today - Pray for Christian Leaders around the World

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Leave


Again, I want you to use your imagination!

Today, you feel the Spirit without a doubt telling you to leave your country, your relatives and your father's family, and go to the land I will show you. How fast are you packing? Are you packing? Do you know God?

Answer to the last question Abram didn't know God when he received these words from God. He lived in a land foreign to knowing our God, but he listened to Him. Imagine it! Place yourself in this story and it's you that God is calling to leave all familiar to you. You have done well for yourself, you are living in a thriving city, things are happening and God up and tells you move on and move on alone!

Wow, and yet Abram was obedient! We are told Abram departed as the Lord instructed with one small exception and maybe it wasn't small...he took his nephew Lot with him. He was told to leave your relatives, but he took Lot with him. Oops, not total obedience was it? Abram also made some strange choices or at least to me...he took a side trip to Egypt due to a famine and told Sarai to act and say she was his sister. He was afraid because of her beauty they would kill him, so I will give you to the king pretend you are my sister and things will work out...Wrong! He got a lot of gifts from the Pharaoh, but is stuff worth these kind of choices?

Lot and Abram both became very wealthy, but the land wouldn't support both so they split up. Lot moved towards the wicked land of Sodom. Abram had to run and rescue Lot from a bunch of bad guys. The king of Sodom wanted to give Abram a blessing and say that he could keep all the things he won in the battle, but Abram replied no...if I took from you then you could say that you were the one that gave me great wealth, but only the LORD, God most high, Creator of heaven and earth...in other words God made Abram all that he was!

Who makes us all that we are? It is my prayer that you answered that You are a daughter of son of the KING, The Savior of this Word, the God of Abram and He is who makes you who you are! Claim it! Say it aloud and indeed grab your bags and leave when He calls!!! It's an adventure of a lifetime that you don't want to miss! So, get ready...

Sweet Blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special - Pray for a Spiritual Renewal among all Christians around the World!!!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Remember


I imagine being on that boat - first with the rain and flooding for 150 days and then with the time it took the water to go down...total of 12 1/2 months I think. We were told that Noah lifted back the covering of the boat and saw the surface was drying and two more months went by after that before leaving the boat. Anyway, a long time!

First, Noah was building this boat and everybody is thinking he is crazy. He is obedient. I guess that is the reason that Noah found favor with God. He is obedient! First lesson to remember from Noah.

Second, he did everything exactly like God commanded. Do we or do we change one little thing?

I place myself on that boat and the thoughts that would have gone through my mind during this whole experience. The animals, the smells, the family, the rain...the rain...the rain... Rain depresses me after a little while after forty days I can only imagine, but Noah was obedient!
The verse that caught my attention today was in Genesis 8:1 - But God remembered
Do you ever wonder Lord or you there? Did you forget me? Well, here is our answer...Yes, He remembers! He doesn't have to have a sticky note to remember, a ribbon around his finger, a list to remember...He Remembers because He is God. He is the God that might close a door to protect us like in verse 16 or He is God that remembers and provides a rainbow as a sign that He will never again flood the earth to destroy it.

God remembers He may just answer in a different way than we envisioned. After all, God's ways are definitely not our ways. He knows the plans He has for each of us and He doesn't need sticky notes...He remembers!

Do you need to hear today that God remembers you? He remembers you! He doesn't forget you, He loves you.

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

Prayer Special today is to pray for those that are persecuted for their Christian belief! People in other places are not allowed the freedoms to attend the church of their choice, sit openly on their pew and worship Our Savior. Remember the people that sacrifice to worship God and have to choose God and take the chance that they may loose their life in this choice. Pray for these special believers today and pray for strength and guidance for each one.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Marked


Have you heard the expression wow your mom really marked you? You look just like her or your dad?
The reading from today about Cain hit me in so many ways. Cain killed his brother. Unthinkable! He was upset that Abel did better than him with his offering of sacrifice and The Lord rejected Cain and his offering. The Lord told him...sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. Indeed it controlled him. The act caused Cain to be declared a wanderer on the earth. Tossed about, to and fro homeless alone. Cain said it was too much to bear to separated and that it was too much to not be forgiven. He knew he would be killed. So, he appealed to the Lord and he marked him. What kind of mark do you think? We are told it had to be one of mercy or surely someone would gladly kill him. The Lord marked Cain with a mark so that others would show him mercy and give him more time to dedicate himself to God. Is that not cool? More time, mercy after he had done such an evil act!
The mark - how are we marked? Are others able to see "The Light" in us? Are we marked with Jesus or something else? What do our actions? What do our clothes? What do our expressions all say or mark us with? Ponder your mark today...also, ponder what is controlling you? or who is controlling you? Good or evil controlling you? Lots to think about today!
Sweet Blessings,
Debbie
P.S. Today pray for those in the world that still haven't heard about Jesus.

Named everyone


Welcome to 2011 with Journey of Sisters! Once again, we start this journey through God's amazing Word! His gift to each of us to share special moments and times, but most of all to share a relationship through His Word! Get ready for a fabulous adventure - never is it boring! Difficult at times, full of things we don't understand, but full of God's love for each of us.

Today, we start in Genesis about God creating this amazing world. Imagine, God creating the heavens and the earth, the water, light and darkness, vegetation, animals, humans and then He rested. Humans make note of this...God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. When you finish a project rest, after all I'm not God and your not God, if God needed to rest we definitely need to rest! So rest! Work hard, use your imagination and create with the gifts God gave you, but rest when you are complete in your task at hand.

The main thought that God talked to me about today was found in Genesis 2, when God decided it wasn't good for Adam to be alone. He didn't immediately make the woman and that grabbed me this time around. I know I've read it before, but this time it was like God showed me His reasoning behind it. Look with me at verse 19 - So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. Now, let's ponder on this a moment. God had every animal walk before Adam and he picked a name. Wow, imagine how long this took from the elephant, to the dog, shark, peacock, to the tiger, to the lamb, to the rhino, to the mouse and on and on...imagine it! Adam knew the perfect name for every creature on earth, because God gave him the wisdom to name it and everyone. God's original creation of man was perfect and excellent filled with wisdom and innocent to the core. God was showing Adam also that indeed he didn't have the right mate.

Adam even named Eve woman!

What do we take from this story?

I want to remember that God gave each of us wisdom and knowledge and to listen to Him! If we follow God's instructions things work out great, it's when we allow the serpent that little opening to weave doubt or to mix up our thoughts that the evil one is allowed in to work in our journey!

One more major point to remember even when Adam and Eve sinned and God disciplined them He loved them enough that we are told in verse 21 that God made their clothing for them. We mess up, but God loves us sooooooo very much and that is what each of us should remember starting this new year - God's love is perfect!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie

P.S. we will always a P.S. this year here -- Prayer Special this will be called...we are going to pray for those around the world this year. Today pray for peace throughout the world.

Share this blog with others and let's start a year of adventure through God's Word and praying for the World He Created!