NOTHING I FACE IS GREATER THAN MY GOD

 

 NOTHING I FACE IS GREATER THAN MY GOD

Karen Girl Friday-

  Yet, I still struggle at times. Because when facing huge obstacles, hard circumstances, great loss, and even spiritual warfare, I sometimes falter. 

   I remember when my kids were young, and now, my young grandchildren, and how they rely on their parents and adults to help them face anything. Perhaps moving and going to a new school, making friends, or a medical trauma. 

   Likewise, I need reminding how my heavenly Father is so much greater than the difficult things I face. 

  God is greater than people, things, the enemy, my circumstances—and even me!

  Why? Because He is holy. He is the one true God. The Almighty. The Most High. And He alone is our Savior.

   God is not simply greater than the things I face; He is high and lifted up above them all. Isaiah 6:1 gives us a glimpse of His majesty: “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (NIV)

  No one is like God. God Almighty is matchless. He is greater.

  So, look up. When life feels bigger than you, lift your eyes higher. When circumstances seem overwhelming, look beyond what is in front of you and remember who is above it all.  

Nothing catches God by surprise. And nothing is outside His reach. Nothing I face is greater than Him. 

  Isaiah 40:26 says: “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (NIV)

  The heavens remind us that we serve a God who created what we cannot even comprehend. He knows every star by name, and nothing is beyond His power or authority.

  Our circumstances are not greater than our God. Whatever you are facing today, God is greater.

  Paul gives us a beautiful reminder of God’s limitless power in Ephesians 3:20–21: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (ESV)

God is stronger. God is able. And nothing I face is greater than my God.

  There is a verse that has been especially meaningful to me since college: "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NASB, 1995)

                     So, what am I trusting in?

Perhaps my own strength? Or my ability to figure everything out?

Or am I trusting in God who is greater?

Nothing I face is greater than my God.

Not my fears. Certainly not my circumstances.

Not the unknown. And not tomorrow. Nothing.

I can face whatever comes knowing that nothing I face is greater than my God.

Encouragement: "By faith in the faithfulness of God live in the present moment alone, and, counting upon the Holy Spirit to communicate to you the life of Jesus, cast yourself upon His strength, and do the 'next thing' that lies in your path of duty--believing that it is God who works in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure." (Quoted from March/April issue of Herald of His Coming paper 2025,pg 6)

CHURCH NOTES:  BY FAITH

Habakkuk 2

Lean into God!
Watch and wait for Him, because He sees what's happening and has a plan.
Be ready to hear God's answer.

Faith waits with expectation. Write down changes He directs.
Wait for the appointed time. God will deal with everything.
We don't choose the timeline.

The righteous shall live by his faith, building on what's happening.
His confidence in God will bring down evil and bring justice.

#155 Hymn- The Love of God

   This hymn was written in a citrus packing house in Pasadena, California, by a German-

born Christian named Frederick M. Lehman. At age four, Frederick and his family immi-

grated to America, settling down in Iowa. Converted to Christ at age eleven while walking through a crabapple orchard.

   Frederick eventually entered the ministry and pastored churches in the Midwest. But his greatest love was gospel music, and he compiled five songbooks and published hundreds of songs.

   In 1917, his finances had gone sour, and he found himself working in a packing factory in Pasadena, moving thirty tons of lemons and oranges a day.

  One morning as he arrived at work, a song was forming in his mind. He had been thinking about the limitlessness of God's love, and during breaks he sat on an empty lemon crate and jotted down words with a stubby pencil.

   Arriving home that evening, he went to the old upright piano and began putting notes to his words. He finally had a melody and two stanzas, but almost all gospel songs of that era had at least three stanzas. At length, he thought of some lines he had recently heard in a sermon:

   Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made,

     Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade,

       To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry,

   Nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretch from sky to sky.

   That verse perfectly formed the third stanza, but who had written it? Frederick heard 

the story that it was composed on the wall of an insane asylum by an unknown inmate, 

but the words originally came from the pen of an eleventh-century Jewish poet in Germany named Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai. 

   Frederick lived the rest of his life in california, writing a number of hymns before his

death in 1953.  

HOLD ONTO GOD - HE'S HOLDING ONTO YOU

 Hold Onto God — He’s Holding Onto You

                                

   Karen Girl Friday- Recently, I was walking in a large parking lot with our grandkids. To guide them safely to the vehicle, I asked our granddaughter to hold my hand and our grandson to hold my other hand or stay close (in case he thinks 10 is too old).

  We all experience seasons when we feel alone and uncertain about what God is doing. And we may wonder if our prayers are being heard or if we have the strength to keep going.

   But remember this: God has not let go of you. 

Even when our faith wavers, His faithfulness never changes. And when we cannot see the way forward, God already knows the way.

So when we feel like we’re barely holding on, His hand is still holding us.

The Bible reminds us God never leaves us (Hebrews 13:5).

Let’s look at a few ways we H-O-L-D onto God no matter what life throws at us. 

H — Hope in His Promises

When life gets difficult, hold onto the promises of God. His Word gives us hope when circumstances give us reasons to fear.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”  Psalm 42:11 (ESV)

Don’t let what you see make you forget what God has said. 

O — Obey His Word: Hold Onto God

Holding onto God means continuing to follow Him, even when you don’t understand everything He is doing. Obedience is an expression of trust.

“Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river.” Isaiah 48:18 (ESV)

You may not understand the instruction, but you can trust the One giving it. Keep walking in obedience, even when the path isn’t clear.

L — Lean on His Strength

Our own strength often runs out. Why? Because it’s an opportunity to lean more deeply on God.

We don’t have to carry everything by ourselves. Instead, we give God our burdens, our fears, and our weaknesses. We cast our burdens on the Lord (Psalm 55:22).

Hold onto God and His strength.

D — Don’t Give Up: Hold Onto God

The enemy would love for us to believe that our situation is hopeless and that God has forgotten us. But God’s timing is never a sign of His absence.

So we’re to never give up. 

Keep praying. Keep trusting. And keep holding on.

Don’t give up because of what you see today. Don’t let a difficult season make you question a faithful God.

Because the beautiful truth is this:

Maybe you are holding onto God, but God is holding onto you even tighter.

 “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” Isaiah 41:13 (ESV) 

God’s Never Letting You Go!

You may feel like you’re barely hanging on, but you’re not hanging on alone.

God has you. God is with you. And God is not letting you go. You may feel like you're barely hanging on, but you're not hanging on alone. God has you. God is with you. And God is not letting you go. 

And when you feel like you can’t hold on anymore, remember—you were never holding yourself together by your own strength.

He is holding onto you.

Whatever you’re facing today, God’s hand is still on your life. So let’s remember to H-O-L-D: 

H — Hope in His Promises

O — Obey His Word

L —  Lean on His Strength

D — Don’t Give Up   

 Encouragement: “When we invite Jesus into our lives, we become more like Him. He is the embodiment of the fruit of the Spirit. When we are full of His presence, we become more attractive to those around us. The more like Jesus on the inside, the more the people on the outside get a taste of Who He is.”

CHURCH NOTES:   The Ten Commandments

   Before “thou shalt” commands, God made it clear that He was the “I AM’!

   He’d seen the affliction of the Israelites and brought them out of slavery. They were free and now His people. 

   God built a ladder for freedom for us too: Jesus Christ. We are free to obey what was provided for us through the cross. As we’re designed to worship something, we try to make God in our own image, not realizing that He is worthy of all praise and honor. 

   God loves us and wants a relationship with us. He wants us to worship Him as the I AM, the One with full authority over everything. He wants our hearts to be right, our minds and souls. We’re to live freely, as He has redeemed us by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus. We’re to be His image bearers. We’ll hear messages over the next few weeks about the various commandments that God gave to help us honor Him and how we’re to treat others.

   The author of the following hymn, Wonderful Grace of Jesus, Haldor Lillenas, was born in the fjord district of Norway in 1885, and, as a child, immigrated to the United States with his family. From his youth, Haldor had a musical bent, a talent that served him well when he entered the ministry in 1910 in the newly established Church of the Nazarene.

   “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” is the best known of the 4,000 hymns Haldor himself wrote. In 1917, Mrs. Lillenas and he built their first little home in the town of Olivet, Illinois. Upon its completion, they had scarcely any money left to furnish the little home. Having no piano at the time, and needing an instrument of some kind, he managed to find, at one of the neighbor’s homes, a little wheezy organ which he purchased for $5.00. With the aid of this instrument, a number of his songs were written which are now popular, including “Wonderful Grace of Jesus.”

   Not yet having started his own publishing house, he sold his soon-to-be-famous hymn for $5.00--just enough to pay for the organ on which it was composed.

#157 Hymn- Wonderful Grace of Jesus

    

OUR GREAT WEALTH

                                         

Merlin Carothers-  Regardless of how little money we have, we feel wealthy when we realize how valuable our faith is:

'Your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fire trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of His return." (1Peter 1:7)

   We should measure our wealth on God's scales. He knows how valuable faith is. Remember that Jesus had no home and no possessions, yet He could feed thousands of people, turn water into wine, cause fish to swim into fishermen's nets, and raise the dead. Surely we would prefer to have the wealth He had.

   Peter gave up everything to follow Jesus. What an honor it would be to know that God had chosen you to be a disciple. We too are highly honored! We are chosen to be God's children! We can walk down the street with the assurance that no matter what people may think, we are special. Both now and in eternity we have access to God whenever we want to talk with Him. What higher honor can anyone ever have? We are told:

"O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." (Ps. 47:1)

   When I read that verse I feel triumphant because of what Jesus did for everyone who has faith in Him!

Our Prayer- 

   Father, we come to You for Your help in increasing our faith in and through Jesus, our Savior. Help us manage our lives with Christ's help, to increase our faith through trials and hard times. Help us remember that we are Your children, and that we are privileged to call upon You for help and guidance. No matter what others think, remind us that we have the high honor of speaking with You at anytime or day. We look forward to welcoming Him on His return to catch the believers away! We pray this in the name of Jesus, to honor Him, and to remind us of the saving faith He has graciously given to us. Amen

An Encouragement: "A continuous looking off to Jesus Christ crucified, and a steadfast dependence upon the Spirit of God to work in us the separating power of His death and to minister to us the quickening of His life, is the 'way of faith' in which Christ can be 'fully formed within' and the believer grow up unto the 'measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Taken from the Herald of His Coming paper- Mar/April 2025 pg. 6)

Church notes:  When We Don't Understand God

We ask- How long?

We're not to give up or be unbelieving, but trust His judgment and timing. He's righteous and already at work!  Silence of God is not His absence. He's doing something behind the scenes. Faith leans into God, trusting Him to understand our questions and needs. We're to trust God's character. We can't judge things by what we see, but have to wait and trust Him!

Hymn- #150 Great Is Thy Faithfulness

   The author of this hymn, Thomas Obediah Chisholm, was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. At age 16, he began teaching school, despite the paucity of his own education. He came to Christ at age 27 under the ministry of evangelist H. C. Morrison. But Chisholm's health was unstable, and he alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs, he discovered new blessings from God every morning. The third chapter of Lamentations became precious to him: "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22-23). 

   Thomas later admitted there was no dramatic story behind the writing of "Great is Thy Faithfulness." While serving the Lord in Vineland, New Jersey, Thomas sent several poems to his friend, musician William Runyan, who was so moved by this one, that he prayed earnestly for special guidance in composing the music. Runyan was in Baldwin, Kansas, at the time, and hymn was published 1923 in Runyan's private song pamphlets.

   "It went rather slowly for several years," Thomas recalled. Then Dr. Will Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago discovered it, and would say in chapel, "Well, I think we shall have to sing 'Great is Thy Faithfulness." It became an unofficial theme song for the Institute; and when Houghton died, it was sung at his funeral. Still, it remained relatively unknown until popularized around the world by George Beverly Shea and the choirs at the Billy Graham Crusades.

ENCOURAGEMENT: "If we could see how much pleasure Jesus receives from watching us enjoy the gifts He sends our way, we would gain a clearer image of how much He loves us."

CHURCH NOTES:      FAITH

Faith worships and trusts God.
 We need to allow God to work in our lives.
  May we respond and not question Him, as He knows the past, present and future.
   Faith rests in Him and positions us to trust Him.
    We need to concentrate on Him, not the problem!

     Worship God, though things are not going well. Rejoice in the Lord!

      We are blessed! God is enough. He's on the throne!

 

THERE ARE NO CHAINS ON ME: Not Anymore!

  

  

Karen Girl Friday

"There was a time when I allowed things that happened to me to become chains. And even what I believed about myself formed chains in my life. Perhaps you are familiar with these invisible but weighty forms of chains—fear, shame, rejection, disappointment, guilt, and the past. 

We might carry chains for so long, we forget God meant for us to live in freedom.

But along the way, I encountered Jesus in a way that changed everything.

Yes, salvation gave me forgiveness of my sins. But Jesus also came to set captives free, heal broken hearts, give me a new identity, and teach me how to walk in the freedom He purchased for me. The things that once defined me no longer have the authority to determine who I am or where I’m going.

I’m not saying I never struggle. I’m saying my struggles don’t own me. My past doesn’t own me. My failures don’t own me. Fear doesn’t own me. Shame doesn’t own me. Sin doesn’t have the final say over my life.

Jesus does.

So let’s look at how Jesus breaks our C.H.A.I.N.S.

There are no chains on me because I've encountered the One who breaks chains. The Chain-breaker. Jesus Christ. 

C — Captivity Is Cancelled

What once held me captive no longer has ownership over me.

• Luke 4:18 — Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives.
• Romans 6:14 — “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (ESV)

I may have a history of bondage, but I have a present-day freedom through Christ.

H — Healed from Hurt 

Some chains form through wounds, rejection, disappointment, and painful experiences. Jesus doesn’t just forgive our sin; He cares about our broken places.

• Psalm 147:3 — The Lord heals the brokenhearted.
• Psalm 34:18 — “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” (ESV)

What hurt me doesn’t have to hold me.

A — Authority Has Changed

Before Christ, sin was our master. But Christ transfers us into a new kingdom with Him as Lord.

• Colossians 1:13 — “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (ESV)
• Romans 6:12–13 — Don’t let sin reign in your mortal body.

The enemy may still fight me, but he doesn’t have to win the battle. Jesus fights for me.

I — Identity Is New 

Freedom begins when we stop allowing our past to define us.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 — A new creation in Christ.
• Galatians 2:20 — I am crucified with Christ.

 

I don’t have to answer to the name my past gave me. God has given me a new identity. I take my cue about who I am from the Great I AM.

N — No Condemnation

Guilt and shame can become invisible chains, but Christ has removed condemnation from those who belong to Him.

• Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)
• 1 John 1:9 — God forgives and cleanses us from unrighteousness.

Conviction draws me back to God; condemnation tells me to run away. I don’t have to live under condemnation.

S — Stand in Freedom 

Freedom is something we must intentionally walk in. We shouldn’t keep picking up the chains Christ has already broken.

• Galatians 5:1 — Christ set us free for freedom.
• 2 Corinthians 3:17 — “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (ESV)

Don’t go back to what Jesus brought you out of.

Jesus Sets Us Free

C — Captivity Is Cancelled
I was bound, but Jesus set me free.

H — Healed from Hurt
What happened to me doesn’t have to control me.

A — Authority Has Changed
Sin and Satan don’t own me anymore.

I — Identity Is New
I’m not who I used to be.

N — No Condemnation
My failures don’t have the final word.

S — Stand in Freedom
I’m going to walk in what Christ purchased for me.

Fear has no claim on me.
Shame has no claim on me.
Sin has no claim on me.
My past has no claim on me.
Condemnation has no claim on me.

#149 Hymn- All the Way My Savior Leads Me

When Fanny Crosby wrote, "All the Way My Savior Leads Me, What have I to ask beside?" She was expressing her own testimony of God's guidance. Even her blindness, she realized was part of His plan. Fanny was not totally blind. Even in old age she could discern day from Nights. But her vision was gone. Years later, Fanny viewed her blindness as a special gift from God, believing He had given her a particular "soul-vision" which equipped her for a special work. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me," she declared. "How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life had I not been blind?"

ENCOURAGEMENT: "Jesus has provided for us through His Word. Every day, we can open the pages of our Bibles and find His greeting of love, expressed in various ways: letters, songs, poetry, historical accounts parables and more."

CHURCH NOTES: The Best is to Come!

Come and receive by faith- God will fill your mouths!

We need Him to help us, that's for sure!

God has plans in a winter season to break up fresh ground

He's writing history through our testimonies.

Don't harden your hearts. God knows us and wants to build a relationship.

We're to celebrate what He's called us to do.

Look for what He's done, and be ready to come into His future plans!

WHO'S ON THE THRONE?

 WHO'S ON THE THRONE by Mary Carothers 

   "What I want to share this month is really directed to those who are born again in the Lord. With those who have been lifted our of Satan's kingdom of darkness into God's Kingdom of Light and Love; where Jesus is King (see Colossians 1:13).

   At the very center of our being, Jesus is to be enthroned, signifying His Lordship over our hearts and lives. But too often we allow Him to be lord over certain areas--while holding back parts we do not want to relinquish to God.

   We may allow Jesus to be lord in other areas of our lives, but cling to the right to choose our own friends and relationships, regardless of the Bible's command to not be unequally yoked with those of the world.

 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV) says: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Satan? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

   When Paul used the word yoked, he was using it in the sense of being joined together with, committed to, or under obligation to someone who does not belong to Christ. He was not saying that we should not speak to or associate with people of the world -- we would have to leave this world to do that (see 1 Corinthians 5:10). He meant that we are not to hold them close to our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard you affections. For they influence everything else in your life." The enemy relentlessly tries to entice our affections away from Jesus. He really doesn't care who or what takes Jesus' place -- just as long as he can succeed in dethroning Christ.

   It can be with someone we live with or are friends with. It can be success in business, achieving skill and recognition in sports, academics or some other area. It is even possible for us to allow our ministry -- whether singing, preaching, writing, pastoring, teaching or whatever -- to gradually become more and more important to us than our Lord for whom we minister.

   Another area we often want to control is entertainment. It's okay to have fun. God has given us the ability to enjoy ourselves. But we need to ask ourselves some questions such as, "Does this bring glory to the Lord?"

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31).

   Some other questions might be, "How important is this to me? Do I care too much about it? If I had to give this up, how would I react?" Remember, whatever we give ourselves over to, that is what becomes our master and we become enslaved to it (see 2 Peter 2:19). The good news is that Jesus came to set us free from bondage (see Luke 4:18). Then we, like Paul, can say, "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

   Jesus encourages us in Matthew 26:41 to watch and pray so we won't fall into Satan's temptations. 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us "to be alert and on guard." Why? So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:11). 

Let's keep Jesus on the throne of our hearts and lives."

Our Prayer-

   Father, please help us recognize what may turn us away from focussing on Jesus! Make us alert to the devil's schemes, so we can outsmart him in his determination to get our eyes off Jesus and onto worldly things. Set us free from bondages that keep us from having freedom in our spiritual lives. In the name of Jesus we pray for Your help!  Amen!

Some Encouragement:

Jessie Penn-Lewis-"By faith in the risen Christ we walk on with Him, refusing all temptation to look within or turn back upon yourself at all. Let His Word dwell in you richly, teaching you His will for your manner of life, and pour out your heart's longings to Him that He might show Himself through you to all around."

Church notes:  BE READY TO SHARE

Live lives that give others a better understanding of Christ.
Our responses to situations show what we believe.
We're to stay away from evil, to be forgiving and to love others.

We're to say, "Yes, Lord!"

When we've experienced forgiveness, He can help us forgive others!

We'll become like Jesus.

God loves us as we are, but when we receive Jesus, 

He'll be determined to change us into Christ's image over time.

We're to care for the Body of believers and to be good examples. 

Today's Hymn: #148 

"I Need Thee Every Hour' was written on a bright June morning in 1872. Annie Sherwood wrote, 'One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness of the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain,  these words, 'I Need Thee Every Hour,' were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me." The next Sunday, Annie handed these words to Dr. Lowry, who wrote the tune and chorus while seated at the little organ in the living room of His Brooklyn parsonage. Later that year, it was sung for the first time at the National Baptist Sunday School Association meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, and published in a hymnbook the following year.

 

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

 

    

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

Mary Southerland

  

Facts for the Journey

   "Stress happens ... a lot. In fact, stress seems to be a constant companion in many of our lives. Yes, we live in a world filled with people and circumstances that seem to feed stress. But I believe much of our stress is the result of an innate quest to love and be loved. The problems come when we look for that love in all the wrong places.

 

There is only one right place where we can find true love – in a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

It is really very simple. When we know God, we will know love. When we experience His unconditional love, we are then freed to love ourselves and to love others.

 

I have personally discovered that it is downright frustrating and completely impossible to live the Christian life when you are not a Christian. I tried.

 

For years I desperately struggled to be a Christ follower with only head knowledge of who God was and wanted to be in my life. The result was a pitifully shallow existence with stress and frustration as my constant companions.

 

I grew up in a Christian home, attending church just about every time the doors were open. I sang all of the right songs, spoke all of the right words, and did all of the right things in front of all the right people. I fervently prayed that my works would validate my faith, and desperately hoped that by following the rules, I would please the Ruler. It was not until my first year in high school that the spiritual integrity of a dynamic youth pastor made me hunger and thirst for something more.

 

I wanted to know God.

 

I desperately wanted and needed to experience the unconditional love of God.

 

During a Saturday evening church service, I sat in my usual spot with the rest of my high school friends, clutching the back of the pew in front of me while wrestling with God over the condition of my soul and my eternal security. I was an active church member, a soloist, and the pianist for our worship services. I even directed a children’s choir.

 

I was a fake! How embarrassing to walk down that aisle, admitting to everyone that I’d been living a lie!

 

My mind argued that I knew all about God – and then the deeper truth of that argument hit me. Yes, I knew about Him, but I didn’t know Him.

 

God’s perfect love settles for nothing less than an intimate and loving relationship with His children. That night I met God. I surrendered all that I knew about myself to all that I knew about Him.

 

The course of my life was changed forever, but I quickly discovered that my problems did not magically disappear. I still had to deal with stressful situations. The difference was that God’s love preceded me. His power and strength surrounded and sustained me as I lived each day. And that made all the difference in my stress-filled world.

 

Knowing we are loved fosters contentment and peace in our hearts, and when our hearts are filled with peace, there is little room for stress." 

The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1, NKJV). It is suggested that we read this everyday for a month!

 

Prayer for today:

 

   Father, thank You for the peace that comes from knowing You. Help me remember that no matter what comes my way, You are with me. When I am tempted to worry, give me the strength to choose faith over fear. Teach me Your ways, Lord, and empower me to walk in them. In Jesus’ name, amen."

Encouraging words:

"Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Ps. 119:11)

    "The Word of God has great power in itself. Used effectively, it brings victory to the child of God. As a matter of fact, lodged in the heart of the believer, in itself it becomes a power for holiness. Our Lord said to His disciples, "Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3).

   The Apostle Paul, led of the Holy Spirit, spoke of the church as having been "cleansed. . . by the washing of water with the word" (Eph. 5:26).

   If there is in our hearts any aspiration for holiness--then we can be absolutely sure that the Holy Spirit will lead us to make much of the Word of God. No one who has at his disposal the blessed Book of God and who neglects that Book can be a strong, holy Christian. Surely it must have been this conviction which caused D. L. Moody to inscribe in the front of his Bible, "This Book will keep me from sin, or sin will keep me from this Book."--William Culbertson

Church Notes:

   We Came from Dust

God made a way for redemption from our sinful condition, caused by Adam's rebellion in the garden of Eden at the beginning of creation.

He remembers that we are dust, and have various seasons of hardship to work through to provide for our needs and for others. 

Labor is good, a gift from God.  

Until we return to dust in our death, our realistic view of labor is that we're called to labor and sweat, or starve. 

It's easy to slide into apathy, but remembering our Perfect example of a man, Christ Jesus, we're to be faithfully calling on Him for forgiveness from sin, and to have the strength to labor until He comes again in the clouds!

I pray today that you will let Jesus do the “heavy lifting” for you.  He carried mine. It was heavy for years. I pray that you will let Him take your heavy burdens.  That you will heed His words found in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Today's hymn #154- Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary

The Christian hymn "Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary" was originally written and composed by John M. Moore in 1952.

Inspiration: Moore wrote both the words and music after visiting a young, critically ill merchant seaman at a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland.
Popularity: It remains his best-known work among more than 150 gospel songs he authored.