Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 3/27

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The books of men have their day and grow obsolete. God's word is like Himself, "the same yesterday, today, and forever." R. Payne Smith

The more we love God the more we will obey. The more we obey the more we will be aware of the reality of Christ in our lives. The more we are aware of Christ in our lives, the more victory we will experience. The more victory we experience, the less difficult the choices are and the less conflict we have within ourselves. Norma Becker

Your heart can depend totally upon the Lord, for His strength never weakens, His might never diminishes, and His power never fades. --Roy Lessin

No matter how bad it seems, with God’s help we can overcome. No matter how great the challenge seems, we can make it through. No matter how big the mountain, we can climb it. No matter how bad the odds seem, we can win. No matter the enemy we are facing, we must stand and proclaim, “That’s all right. That’s okay with God’s help we can overcome." --Arron Chambers

God is to us everything which is good and comforting for our help. He is our clothing who wraps and enfolds us for love, embraces us and shelters us, surrounds us for His love which is so tender that He will never desert us. --Julian of Norwich

Get alone with God and tell Him your thoughts. Be unreservedly honest. Scream, cry, yell, let it all out. God is big enough to handle your anger. Your rage won’t shock Him—you’re talking with the One who knows how many hairs you have on your head. He identifies with your agony and comprehends your pain. --Laura Petherbridge

God never changes who He is. He is always consistent. He is not fickle. He was not a different God in the Old Testament or to your grandparents. He is and always has been the same God. He is holy (He keeps His promises). He is righteous (He always does what’s right). He is good (He loves us and is always working in us and for us). These things never change. --David Edwards

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. -Corrie Ten Boom

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The Kindness of a Hermit by Matt Fitzgerald
"In Christ it is always 'Yes'." - 2 Corinthians 1:19
The year I turned thirteen my family drove across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We just tore across the empty north. A blur of pine trees. Until a tire blew and we went skidding, sliding to a stop.
Immediately my sisters, my mother, and I realized none of us knew how to change a tire.
I took my bike off the rack and rode to find help. There were no cars, no houses, nothing. Eventually I saw a two-track winding into the dark woods. I dropped my bike and walked to a tiny shack, which I would have mistaken for a deer blind if not for the world's tallest television antenna stretching from its roof.
Inside were shotguns, bows, arrows and an old man rolling cigarettes on his coffee table. It appeared that every one of his decisions, from where to live, to what guns to hang from his wall, to the impressive length of his beard, had been made to dissuade strangers from popping in.
I explained our dilemma, wondering whether he'd want money or if he'd make me smoke a cigarette or reach for one of his rifles or simply say "No." The sun was setting. My heart was pounding. I was helpless.
He was quiet for at least sixty seconds. Then he stood up and his voice croaked. "Yes. Yes, I'll help you out. Whatever I can do."
Decades later I still feel relief; a sense that everything will be all right, as if God's "yes" were somehow still echoing down through that scary loner's decision to help a frightened child.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the ways your "yes" is always being echoed on this earth. Amen.

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An Attitude Of Gratitude by Cassandra Wessel
1 Chronicles 16:34 – O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. (KJV)
One winter evening many years ago, when I was in active ministry, we held Bible studies in my home, the church manse, where we read the Bible, prayed, and shared. We often finished our time together with the Lord's Prayer. We gathered in a circle, folded our hands and prayed aloud. One night, my Golden Retriever/Chow crossbreed buddy, Friskie, joined our circle. He flopped on the floor between myself and the person next to me, crossed his paws, and as we began to speak "Our Father, who art in heaven", he began to "speak" too. His tones modulated with ours, beginning and ending when we began and ended. Was he praying? Probably not, yet a part of me wished he were. One thing that I know for a certainty, Friskie was always good-natured and thankful for every treat that he received and for every affectionate pat on the head.
I've often thought that our pets make good examples for us. Perhaps, we, too, can find it within ourselves to be thankful for everything we eat and every "pat on the head" that we receive from those we love … and maybe we can give a few "pats on the head" to others, too (figuratively speaking, that is). Let's show an attitude of gratitude by sharing our appreciation for one another.
Prayer: Thank You, Father God, for simply being who You are. How can we thank You and praise You enough for all that You give us: our breath, our life, our food, clean water to drink, our families, our friends, our health, our well-being? You give us oh so much, Father God, that we can never include everything that You do for us. Thus, we will say a simple "Thank You", as we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Sip And Savour by Sharon Greer
Psalm 34:8a – Taste and see that the Lord is good. (NIV)
All of my life, it seems to me that I have been in a hurry for some reason or other. For example, I have always been the first person at the table to finish my meal. I never thought much about it until recently, when God opened my eyes to some new truths.
I was facing surgery and needed to lose some weight. But how? I had never been good at dieting.
Then, the Lord began to point out some facts that I hadn't considered.
Because of this bad habit, in my rush, I always ate more than I needed, and often, even more than I enjoyed. If it was a buffet, I wanted the best value for my dollar, which equated to "eat all you can", not just to the point of satisfaction, but sometimes, rather foolishly, even to the point of discomfort.
One day when I saw my dog gulping down his food, I wondered how he even tasted it, let alone enjoyed it.
Then, it hit me. How was I any different? What an embarrassing thought! Even worse, it was the truth.
That's when the idea came to me. If I wanted to lose weight, I had to learn to eat and drink more slowly, in order to taste and enjoy my meal. In that way, I would eat less. When I began to chew my food slowly and sip my drinks instead of gulping them down, I actually began to taste the different flavours, and everything began to change.
No, this is not an ad for a diet. It's about a revelation. God had much more to teach me.
One morning, when I was rushing through my Bible reading because I had a long list of things to do, the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks, so to speak. What are you getting out of this?
In truth, I was literally "gulping down the gospel". How could I expect to get any spiritual insight or strength from what I read when I never took time to "chew" the words and allow them to digest? In my haste, I was going for quantity, not quality, just as with my eating habits.
Today, I am listening and putting into practice what the Lord taught me that day, both in my spiritual and physical life: to take time to savour each bite of food that the Lord so generously provides, and to savour the Word of God and all of my blessings so that I may be ready at all times to glorify Him.
I hope that these words have given my readers food for thought.
Let me leave you with this question to consider: Are you getting the most nourishment possible from the food that God supplies in His Word? May I suggest that you take the time to chew every bite thoroughly? In short, savour every morsel, and be strengthened with might in the inner man.
Prayer: Lord, we are so thankful for Your loving patience. Help us to consciously savour all of Your goodness, so that we may be equipped to carry out Your will in our lives. Amen

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At First, It's a Little Disconcerting by Katherine Walden
Up to a few years ago, I viewed the world from a haze of severe nearsightedness. Until I received my first pair of glasses, I had difficulty reading the chalkboard, although I sat in the front row at school. I learned to rely on landmarks to navigate around my city as I could not read street signs. I became accustomed to taking off my glasses to read fine print. Friends and family understood that if they saw me walking down the street and wanted my attention, they would have to come closer so I could see them. I thought I lived a rather ordinary life in my nearsighted world. Even when cataracts began to form and cloud my vision, I learned to cope until surgery became necessary. Through the miracle of modern medicine, I received special lens implants at the same time my cataracts were removed. My world turned upside down in the most wonderful way possible.
The moment the nurse removed my bandages, I reached for my eyeglasses, but they were of no use to me. I was no longer nearsighted. I entered the world of slight farsightedness. When I reached for my cane; I missed it twice. The cane seemed to be a lot closer than before. As I walked down the hall to a waiting room, I was afraid I was going to bump into the walls. I picked up a magazine. It was all a blur. I blinked, then blinked again to clear my vision, and tried to read – to no avail. My doctor reassured me my vision was fine and recommended I buy reading glasses. Following his advice, I stopped at a nearby drugstore and bought a pair of readers.
Relief washed over me when I finally made it home that day. I was back in the comfort of my familiar surroundings. Over the week, I timidly explored my new world by venturing out to a small grocery store and walking to the mailbox around the corner from my apartment. I marveled that I was able to read street signs 2 blocks away. I could see the individual flowers that made up each cluster on a nearby lilac tree. I spotted a wild hare hop down into the river valley. How much had I been missing? How big my world had suddenly become.
The crunch came on the following Sunday as I walked into my church. It suddenly appeared to me that children were bound and determined to race at breakneck speed directly toward me. People barely avoided brushing against me as they edged past me to find a seat. Why was everyone stepping so close to talk with me? My personal space seemed to have shrunk. The lights were too bright; the lines on the floor were too distracting; the curved layout of the chairs made me dizzy. The service began, and the worship dancers waved their flags, ribbons, and scarves. It was all too much. I put on my sunglasses, and I shut my eyes. I missed my old vision. Sure life was a bit fuzzy back then, but at least it was familiar!
Through surgery, I had a truer picture of the world around me. I had two choices; I could wear sunglasses for the rest of my life or I could learn to align myself with the truth. By the next Sunday, my brain had reprogrammed itself. I could no longer visualize my old worldview.
And so it is with the ways of God. He reveals truth to us and it shakes us to our core. Our world looks different! We are not sure how we fit in any longer. The world we live in no longer seems the same. We need to learn new ways of doing things. We must set aside old habits and patterns. We no longer can relate to our environment in the same way we did before. Fresh revelation brings clarity. More often than not, clarity demands a heart change.
We must embrace such revelation with intent, or we will slowly return to our old ways, allowing old filters to cloud our minds and spirits. As we continue to open our eyes to His ways, we will look back and marvel. How did we ever cope with our old limited sight?
Ephesians 1:18-19 -“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

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Remember Jesus by Max Lucado
In what was perhaps the last letter Paul ever wrote, he begged Timothy not to forget. You can almost picture the old warrior smiling as he wrote the words.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. - 2 Timothy 2:8
When times get hard, remember Jesus. When people don’t listen, remember Jesus. When tears come, remember Jesus. When disappointment is your bed partner, remember Jesus. When fear pitches his tent in your front yard, remember Jesus. When death looms, when anger singes, when shame weighs heavily. Remember Jesus.
Remember holiness in tandem with humanity. Remember the sick who were healed with callused hands. Remember the dead called from the grave with a Galilean accent. Remember the eyes of God that wept human tears.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. - Matthew 10:29–31
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. - Psalm 139:14
We are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10
Your Turn: Are you facing a situation that seems overwhelming or unbearable? Remember Jesus. He is our peace and comfort in the midst of it all.

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Puzzles by Amy Toohill
I was given a puzzle a couple of months ago from a friend of mine; it had 1,500 pieces. I haven't put together a puzzle since I was a kid. Isn't it funny how we stop doing certain things when we grow up: puzzles, coloring, playing dolls, hop scotch, hide and go seek. Things that brought us so much joy as a child, we stop doing when we reach a certain age - it's a shame, isn't it?
I must admit, I really enjoyed the puzzle. Although very frustrating at times, it was a challenge. Each time I found a piece that fit, it was extremely rewarding.
Have you ever realized how many similarities there are between puzzles and life? In a puzzle each piece plays such an important part in the big picture. In life, it's people and events who play the important parts. As with pieces in a puzzle, each of us are unique, special in our own way. Although we may appear similar, there are no two alike. Ironically it's our differences that make us fit.
While I was working on this puzzle, there was one piece that I was sure belonged in this particular spot. But it didn't fit. I just kept going back to it and trying to make it fit, forgetting that I tried it already. I guess I had my mind set on the fact that I felt it belonged there.
I thought about how many times I've done that in my life. Tried to make things happen that just weren't meant to be. I'd try over and over again even to the point of forcing it - but it wasn't meant to be... and nothing I did changed that.
If you do many puzzles, you'll know what it's like to spend so much time looking for one specific piece. I thought I knew what it looked like, it seemed so obvious... but I couldn't find it. I got so wrapped up into finding that one piece that I couldn't see beyond it. I got frustrated and decided to let it go and step away from it for a while. When I came back to it later, I found it immediately. It was right in front of me all along.
Life has been like that for me sometimes. I try so hard to understand why things happen the way they do. I search high and low for the answers and sometimes the answers are right in front of me. It isn't until I stop, take a step back, breathe and let it go - that the answers find me.
As I sat there looking at the pieces in this puzzle, I started thinking about the "pieces" in my life: my family, my friends, events, milestones and celebrations. There's such a mixture of good and bad, joy and tears, happiness and sorrow.
I thought about all those pieces that I didn't feel were important or had purpose. I reflected on all those pieces in my life that caused me to ask why... "Why me, God?"... "Why this?". I suddenly realized that it was because of those pieces that other pieces were able to fall into place.
Everything in our lives happens for a reason. Each event, whether good or bad, signifies a piece of the puzzle. You take away one piece and it upsets the entire harmony of the finished product. I finally understand that even though some of the pieces in my life aren't pleasant and many of them bring me pain and heartache, without them I couldn't move on. No matter how unimportant I think they are, they bring me one step closer to wholeness.
We can't possibly look at the pieces of our lives right now and understand the important role that each one of them plays; there are too many holes and the picture isn't clear. But I know that when my journey in this life comes to an end, and that final piece is put into place, I'm going to look back and understand. I'll no longer wonder why there was so much pain, or why certain people came and went in my life. And I'll be able to see the complete picture and the beauty that went into each piece that made it whole.
Until then, I will continue to live on in faith--knowing and trusting that all the pieces that I need are there and that it only takes a matter of time before they fall into place. Remembering that there is a big picture, a plan for me, that I'm unable to see right now. Believing that each piece of my life, even the painful ones, have purpose and play an important role. And when I'm weak, I will seek strength through prayer. I do all this in hopes that on that glorious day, when God's masterpiece of me is finally complete, He will then whisper... "Well done".

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
If you will steady yourself and seek My face, says the Lord, I will reveal to you things that have been difficult to grasp. Bring your inquiry before Me, and be assured that if you ask, I will answer. But, you must lay aside your own speculations and assumptions and come with a heart wide open and ready to receive. Do not be afraid. Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

You've been waiting for the right time to step out and accomplish what has seemed to be beyond you. Now is that time. But, it would be good for you to ask for wisdom in the process of being led step by step along the way. Rest assured that I am with you and for you, and I will speak into your situation and bring peace to your heart, says the Lord. Trust Me! Psalms 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

You have come a long way. Don't stop. Keep pushing through to the next thing. You will know the next thing because it will appear like a guest at your door, and you will take one step at a time, one day at a time, until you accomplish what I have set you to do, says the Lord. At the end of this process you will know yourself better than you ever have before. Job 23:11 My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside.

I have brought to your attention the futility and fragility of earthly life and values. Allow difficult circumstances to divide and separate light and darkness, truth and error, as well as eternal and temporary so that your hope will be in Me alone, says the Lord, and not in things of the earth. Make sure that your emotions and decisions reflect spiritual life and not your carnal nature. 2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
My people have asked for wisdom. And, because they have asked I am revealing to them the process of My purposes, in these days, so that they can indeed be who they are called to be. So they can rise to the occasion; so they can rise up to that which I have called them to be; so that I can reveal Myself to them more completely in the process as they go forth to carry the nature of My character into this world. They shall know Me more fully and not only will they know Me fully, but those around them will know Me more fully because they have walked on the path of life and they have opened a way for people to see My goodness in their lives, says the Lord.

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If Jesus Came Back Today... Author Unknown
If Jesus Came Back Today...
Would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines, and put
The Bible where they'd been?
Would you hide your worldly music
And put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in,
Or would you rush about?
And I wonder...if the Savior
Spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing
The things you always do?
Would you go right on saying
The things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
As it does from day to day?
Would you take Jesus with you
Everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
Plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him
Meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away
Until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him
Stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief
When he at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know,
The things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person,
To spend some time with you.
The reality is that Jesus is always with us and He sees ALL! He sees everything that we do!

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All I Had To Do Was Ask by Chee Chee
I stood on the mountain top
Held my hand toward the sky,
I wanted to touch heaven
But I couldn't reach that high
I just needed to feel His love inside
So I climbed on a large rock
Thinking I could reach heaven then I raised my hand
But it was still out of reach
so I climbed the tallest tree
And stood on a limb that seemed weak
and bent downward as I did
But I stood tall and reached high
Trying so hard
But never touching anything but an empty sky
So I climbed down the tree, jumped off the rock
Feeling alone and sad
I fell on my knees with tears in my eyes
I asked God why was he so far away
Why I couldn't touch him when I need so much
As I knelt there crying in silence
God Said "All you had to was ask"
And God gently reached down and picked me up
When I couldn't reach up God reached down
And I touched heaven while on my knees
All I had to do was ask.

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So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Psalms 25:5

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Deuteronomy 6:4-6

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4

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Jesus' Story of the Father's Love by Randy Frazee
But while his son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." – Luke 15:20, Luke 15:24
In a story Jesus told about a father and two sons, the younger one had gone off and “squandered his wealth in wild living” (Luke 15:13). Then when a famine came and his money was gone, he found himself tending pigs and wishing they would share with him the pods they were eating. The emptiness of his stomach brought him to his senses, so he mentally drafted an apology and request for forgiveness, swallowed hard, and headed home. And he never had a chance to give his speech!
Now imagine the father’s joy.
He had been watching for his son (he hadn’t given up hope); he ran toward the boy, and he celebrated his son’s return. What amazing grace!
Maybe your wandering was a lifestyle change or more a matter of the heart. If you’ve come to your senses, that past doesn’t matter. Your heavenly Father runs toward you to celebrate your return.
“Amazing grace!.. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see!”

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Lord, it is my choice
That only your voice
Is the one I want to hear
You are the One I want to be near
Lord I pray today that all I do
Will be pleasing in your eyes
Lord we know that You
Are the only One who is truly wise
So before we start
We seek Your counsel
With all our hearts
We surrender to You all control
Your will, not ours, be done
Today and beyond
Tammy B. 03/22/09

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Read Through The Bible
Esther 7
Haman Hanged Instead of Mordecai
1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!” 3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. 4 For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.” 5 So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?” 6 And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. 8 When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?” As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him on it!” 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided.

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Lord, We pray for nothing to be given to us other than Yourself. You are our everything, our life, our light, our food, our drink, our God. Inspire our hearts with the breath of Your Spirit and pierce our souls with Your love. Amen

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.