Weekly Spiritual Meditations - November 10

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Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:4-5

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When we are in the midst of an assignment from God and we cannot see past our present situation, it is easy to fear, to doubt, to want to give up. Take heart fellow Christians; God sees past this moment and into eternity, and He is waiting to show you the blessed outcome of your obedience.

When we take time to slow down, read and study scripture, and open our hearts to its message, God will lead us to new insights and to the answers we seek.

God sometimes opens doors that we never knew existed.

God holds us firmly when life turns us upside down.

Resting in God’s love renews and transforms us.

No matter how grimy we may be, we still have the same worth that God placed in us from our beginning.

What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God.

The will of God will never take us where His grace will not protect us.

No God, no Peace; Know God, know Peace.

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God’s Dream by Marilyn Ehle
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3b)
Recently I was reading a magazine article and five simple words jumped out at me from the middle of a paragraph. The author wrote, “God’s dream for the world.” The words leapt off the page and I put down the magazine to ponder. What is God’s dream for the world?
Dare I imagine the Holy Trinity before the creation of the world discussing their plan? Did they consider men, women and children of all races working together for mutual benefit and the glory of God? Did they see an earth blossoming with sufficient food for everyone along with flowers and trees to satisfy the soul? How about people genuinely satisfied because their satisfaction is found in allowing God full access to their lives?
I know that whatever dream I could imagine has been marred—often destroyed—by humanity’s determination to be selfish. Even altruism is scarred by world-weariness. How easy it is to give up on our human dreams when discouragement rolls over us? Unfulfilled hopes and soul-shrinking disappointments can strike deep into the heart of our dreams.
But the difference between what God dreams and what I dream is that God never gives up. He provides everything necessary to make those dreams a reality. Sin enters the garden but God promises a Savior. People are formed and chosen and break God’s heart but He uses judges, prophets and kings to lead them back to Himself. Again, He promises a Savior.
The Savior comes, teaches, love and leads but it seems as though even He cannot fulfill the dream created before the foundations of the world. So the Savior dies to provide what humanity has been striving for. God’s dream is for the people He created to be in complete relationship with Him, to experience the love they think possible only in their wildest imaginations. When we submit our dreams to Him, we find that He is already working to make His dreams reality in and through us.
God, Help me to listen to the dreams You have placed in my heart. Remind me of Your dream to see all people come to know who You are. Help me to do my part in spreading this very best news of all. Amen.
Question: What are the God given dreams of your heart?

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When You're Floundering by J. Hudson Taylor
They also had a few small fish. Mark 8:7
Khru Jarern pastored a church in Thailand in 1981, but his income was lean. One day his family ate the last of their food for supper. When their son asked what they would eat the next day, Jarern said, "We don't know. We will pray." That night the rain fell in buckets, and Jarern got up to secure a broken corner of his rice paddy. Feeling something slippery under his feet, he realized it was fish. Rousing his family, they caught enough to tide them over several days.1
Several of our Lord's miracles involved fish -- the feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6; the feeding of the 4000 in Mark 8; the fish with the coin in Matthew 17; the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5; the catch in John 21. In each case, Jesus provided for His followers in unexpected ways. He'll do the same for you -- and that's no fish story. When we ask for daily provision, it reminds us to keep our dependence on the Lord, not on ourselves.
There is a living God. He has spoken in the Bible. He means what He says and will do all He has promised.

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Open My Ears, Again by Julie Cosgrove
“Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.” (Isaiah 50:4b-5, ESV)
I sympathize with my friends who have pre-teens. It seems that kids get selected deafness once the hormones start kicking in. Tweeners want so desperate to be heard that often they drown out everything but their own voice. Their conversations are all about themselves, even when talking about their friends. The world is seen only through the filter of their experiences and feelings.
Deafness can come on subtly. A friend related how amazed she was when she finally swallowed her pride and got a hearing aid. Everything was so clear. It reminded me of the time when in fifth grade I got glasses for the first time. But more than that, it made me think. Am I really any different in my prayer life?
Had I been turning a deaf ear to God? Maybe not completely, but my ears had become so stuffed with my own voice crying out to Him that I wasn’t truly listening for His response. My prayers had become earplugs, reducing His response to a soft murmur - barely audible in my soul. My prayers had been mostly about me. I had regressed to being a spiritual tweener.
When I began a career as a writer, I knew my talent was God-given so I devoted one tenth of my writing time each morning to Him first. He blessed that effort and I was able to produce five books in five years and was accepted to write for such worthy blogs as this site. But, to be honest, after a while, my writing time with Him began to diminish.
I decided (well, God decided and I obeyed) to begin my own blog: Where Did You Find God Today? On the blog I write about where we can find God in our daily life experiences. This has changed my time with God. I am now more observant and less talkative. I find my time with Him is less about me and more an anticipation of how He is going to reveal Himself. My self-indulgent selective deafness is going away. The result is that I am seeing anew the wonders of this world He has created. I am seeing His fingerprints on nature, His stamp on events, and His face in the face of people I meet.
If you are wondering where God is in your life, start listening more with your soul’s ear. Ask the Lord to reveal His presence to you each and every day. Sure, keep praying to Him for your needs, but make your time with Him more about waiting and watching. You just may be surprised by the lessons He is waiting to show you. Each is a gift wrapped in His love.
Father in Heaven, forgive us when we drown You out by our own voice calling out to You. Teach us to bend an ear each morning and listen to You. Help us to yield to You starting off the conversation after we say, “Good morning, Lord. I love you. Thank you for loving me.” Teach us anew to watch and listen for the serendipities You provide that show us You are there with us each and every day. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Questions: Are you being a tweener when it comes to your conversations with God? Who does most of the talking in your prayer time?

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Grace Happens by Becky Toews
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2:11-12)
I knew he was coming after me as soon as I saw him turn on the flashing lights and pull up behind my car. Cruise control had kept me close to the speed limit for most of the trip, but somehow I managed to fly past the state trooper going fifteen miles over the speed limit.
“Ma’am, do you know how fast you were going?” he asked. “May I see your driver’s license and registration?” Busted! It’s interesting how such simple questions can cause a near-heart attack. We both knew I was guilty.
I prayed and cried as I waited in my car for the officer to write up the ticket. I was almost sick to my stomach. I was without excuse and I knew it. How could I be so stupid? The longer he delayed, the lower my spirits sank. Yet when he finally returned, I could hardly believe my ears.
The trooper’s words came as a total shock. “I’m going to cut you a break and give you a warning. Drive carefully now.”
I guess you know where I’m going with this. I didn’t deserve the grace he gave me that day. I should have gotten a fine, and a hefty one at that. But his words did not go unheeded. I bet I was the safest driver on Interstate 80 that afternoon.
Whenever the cruise control kicked off and the speedometer started to creep up, I immediately slowed down. Sure, I had no desire to get stopped again, and I wanted to be safe, but you know what really motivated me? It was that state trooper giving me a second chance. Even though he would never know, I wanted to “live out” my gratitude.
The Bible states that it’s grace that teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness. I believe it. It’s not that laws aren’t necessary. But the law can’t really change us. It serves to keep us in line, to protect us. Grace, however, moves from the inside out.
Grace is fueled by gratefulness. We don’t want to let down the one who “cut us a break.” We know how guilty we are. Tim Keller writes that grace becomes electrifying as we see the true depths of our flaws. So how about you? Are you, like me, thanking God today that you are not receiving what you deserve?
Father, we are so grateful that You do not treat us as our sins deserve. Strip away everything that keeps us from seeing Your grace to us. Let that awareness teach us to say no to ungodliness and live the lives You intend us to live—for your glory. Amen
Question: How does the reality of grace change the way you live? What happens when you forget just how big God’s grace really is?

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De-Cluttering Life by Gail Rodgers
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:6)
Caroline looked at her closet. It was in the same shape as her cupboard and drawers — cluttered and messy! As she surveyed the array of things to keep, things to toss and things to give away it occurred it her that this was a picture of her life.
She knew she had a lot of activity in her life. Some of it was needless. Some of it was useless activity that crowded the important things she did want to keep and nurture in her life. Yes, her busy schedule was cluttered. Oh, everything on it had seemed important at some point. Yet today as she pondered it all, she realized she needed to de-clutter her Day Planner as well as her closets and cupboards.
She took a fresh look at all her activities and scheduled in times for important relationships first. She needed specific time to replenish her soul in God’s presence. Somehow that slipped away on her in the busy days. She wanted more time to spend enjoying time with her husband and some one-on-one time with each of her kids. She had been feeling the distance in some of these relationships and she knew they were too important to let slide.
Next she scheduled in the important tasks and projects she was committed to. She realized a couple of them were no longer useful and she needed to re-think them. As she looked over the monthly calendar she knew she was tired of running. She needed to take some serious assessment time and determine, with God’s help and direction, just what she wanted to produce out of the time she had.
Set aside some time to look your schedule over. Are the things that you say are the most important to you actually reflected in your Day Planner? Be careful and wise in how you live. Redeem your time. The days are evil and the time is fleeting.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)
You have a choice as to what each day and each month will produce in you and through you as you choose the things you do and the amount of time you put into them. Invite God to be your guide as you de-clutter your life to make room for what is truly important.
Heavenly Father, I run hard. I know not all my activities are necessary and I am often unproductive in my results. Yet there are many demands. Please guide me. As I look at my schedule and plan where to invest my life and my energy I ask for Your Holy Spirit to guide me. Give me Your deep peace and calm as I walk through my day. I acknowledge You as my good shepherd and I will sharpen my ears to hear Your voice directing me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Questions: Why do we let ourselves get so busy? What need is met by our busyness? How can God fill that need instead?

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One Sheep – Lost Sheep – Black Sheep by Barbara Alpert
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:4-7)
Good day my beloved, little sheep! It is I, the Good Shepherd.
I am so delighted to have found you, today! My days have been off since your roaming away. I know you are lost, wondering around in the wilderness of life, feeling like a black sheep of the family. I hear your murmuring from heaven and been bottling up your tears. Day in and day out, I’ve been trying to capture your attention, but you have not noticed My loving hand swaying your way nor My gentle Spirit prompting you to turn back to the sheepfold.
Today, I deliberately sought after you, hoping you will follow Me back to the green pastures where you belong. In fact, I left many other sheep behind in order to come looking for you. Nevertheless, you know I am a gentle Shepherd and will not force you to return. I am not behind you with a harsh staff or pocking rod. I am beside and before you, guiding you back from your wilderness adventure to follow Me. My Word will be a light to your feet and My ways will lead you along the narrow path back to where you belong.
Talk with Me. Share your sorrow, struggles, and heartache. Repent of your sins and I shall make your fleece whiter than snow. Don’t worry about what the rest of the family might think or say. There are no outcasts in My flock. When one lost sheep returns home a huge celebration takes place. The angles sing and shout…Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I am the Good Shepherd. I’m willing to go through great lengths to see you come home. You need not go around the same old mountains. You need not carry a load of guilt, shame, or condemnation. Leave all of that in the wilderness. Protection, provision, and fellowship are only a few of the many wonderful things I offer within My sheepfold. I seek to embrace you, forgive you, and bestow you with my amazing grace, My beloved sheep. Come and follow Me so I too can rejoice and sing. . . Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Love, Your Good Shepherd
“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1Peter 2:25)
Questions: Have you been feeling lost lately? Do you know how much the Good Shepherd, Jesus, loves you?

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Beloved, you must re-establish peace in your heart with those you have been in division with. You cannot progress spiritually as long as you hang on to bitterness and offenses. When you refuse to let go of the past, you are sowing seeds of separation. The principle of sowing and reaping will affect how others respond to you. When you reject others, you will also be rejected. This is not good for you or those around you. Choose today to forgive and release those who have hurt you, says the Lord. Romans 12:17-18 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Rise up in your spirit man. It is time to truly seek the kingdom of God above all else. Your thoughts and emotions will take you down if you are not firmly rooted and grounded in My Word, says the Lord. You must build your life on the firm foundation of truth and do the work necessary to stay strong spiritually. Be strong and unwavering in your faith and trust in Me. Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

I speak to those who have faltered. You began well. What hindered you? You believed the lies of the enemy and allowed him to undermine your faith in the plan and purpose for your life. You have become weary in the battle and have allowed yourself to become feeble. Refuse to sit down, give up, or go back. Stir up your faith again and do not allow anything to interrupt your flow in the Spirit, says the Lord. Rise up and fight the good fight of faith. Isaiah 35:3-5 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

If you will release others from your own expectations of what they need to be or do, breakthrough will come suddenly and solidly. The places in your life where you have gotten stuck and can't seem to move forward result from thoughts and desires that are apart from My nature and will. Rise up. Be done with unreasonable expectations and be established in flow of My Spirit, says the Lord. You will not regret this change in course. Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

The battle is not over. You will be required to stand firm and refuse to be moved from a place of peace and faith. I am indeed doing a good work and moving you through your circumstances to resolution, but there is more work to be done. You were hoping your problems would be resolved by now. However, patience and perseverance will be required even though you can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Be strong and determined to press through even the most dire situations, says the Lord. Trust Me. James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Beloved, make clear and concise choices that will lead to vitality in My kingdom. This is a time when you can start over on many levels, but the most important new beginning is your life in the Spirit. Choose today to be done with everything that weakens your faith and undermines your spiritual stability. Pledge your allegiance to the Lamb of God. Be set free of bondage that keeps you from walking in the Spirit, says the Lord. Your choices are seeds sown that will produce a harvest. Choose wisely. 2 Peter 1:10-11 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Set your heart on righteousness--right thinking, speaking, and doing. Then you can operate in righteous authority over temptation and the powers of darkness. I am calling forth a people, who are blameless, into refreshing and renewal--a people who will usher in the next outpouring of My Spirit. My Spirit will not rest on those who are compromised and corrupt, but on those whose hearts are yielded completely to Me, says the Lord. Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Do you hear the sound of the rising of the eagles? This is the season of the bringing forth of My eagles, says the Lord. It is time to arise to your destiny, to soar on the wings of revelation, to come before My throne of glory. Yes, I say, even with boldness you will arise in this hour to your destiny and to have the revelation and the understanding of your purpose in the earth at this time. I am the Lord of glory, and I have a chosen generation of royal priests, a glorious Church which is about to come forth in righteousness. Come forth, My people, and arise to your position of destiny. Understand who you are, and shake off the dust of regret. Come forth in expectation of the greatness that has been predestined. Arise now from your slumber; arise now from your complacency; arise now from condemnation. Arise and strengthen the hands that hang down in weakness; strengthen the feebleness of your knees. Stand before Me and listen for the sound of the trumpet, for I have declared war against My enemy. I have anointed you for battle and raised you up for such a time as this and to bring destruction to those who are against Me and that My Father may be glorified and honored and that His will be done on the earth as it is written, says the Lord.

I saw the Lord, high and lifted up, and He declared from His throne: Do you not know that the King's Highway is the road to recovery? Many of you, even though you do not recognize nor have the fullness of understanding, have begun a journey to recovery. Some of you are recovering your health, and others are recovering from the affliction of things that have held you in a place of bondage, the demonic powers that have harassed you. But, I say, you have already begun the journey, so take heart. Do not allow yourself to slip back into complacency. Do not allow yourself to lose faith, but rather stir up the gift that is within you, the residing power of the kingdom of God, which abides in you. Surely, I say to those who have begun this journey, as you proceed along and come to My table and feast upon the revelation of My word, which produces faith, I shall heal you completely, deliver you completely, and set your feet in a broad place. I will give you the voice of victory and praise, for it shall come. I am bringing recovery to My people, says the Lord.

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I Look to Thee in Every Need by Samuel Longfellow
I look to Thee in every need, and never look in vain;
I feel Thy strong and tender love, and all is well again.
The thought of Thee is mightier far than sin and pain and sorrow are.
Discouraged in the work of life, disheartened by its load,
Shamed by its failures or its fears, I sink beside the road.
But let me only think of Thee and then new heart springs up in me.
Thy calmness bends serene above, my restlessness to still;
Around me flows Thy quickening life, to nerve my faltering will.
Thy presence fills my solitude, Thy providence turns all to good.
Enfolded deep in Thy dear love, held in Thy law, I stand;
Thy hand in all things I behold, and all things in Thy hand.
Thou leadest me by unsought ways, and turn my mourning into praise.

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As The Deer by Martin Nystrom
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longs after You
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You.
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You.
I want you more than gold or silver
Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joy giver
And the apple of my eye.
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You.
You're my friend and You're my brother
Even though you are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything.
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfKt3eIw9ac

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:7-8

Meditate on These Things
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

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The Harvest
There was once a spider who lived in a cornfield. He was a big spider and he had spun a beautiful web between the corn stalks. He got fat eating all the bugs that would get caught in his web. He liked his home and planned to stay there for the rest of his life.
One day the spider caught a little bug in his web, and just as the spider was about to eat him, the bug said, "If you let me go I will tell you something important that will save your life." The spider paused for a moment and listened because he was amused. "You better get out of this cornfield," the little bug said, "The harvest is coming!"
The spider smiled and said, "What is this harvest you are talking about? I think you are just telling me a story." But the little bug said, "Oh no, it is true. The owner of this field is coming to harvest it soon. All the stalks will be knocked down and the corn will be gathered up. You will be killed by the giant machines if you stay here."
The spider said, "I don't believe in harvests and giant machines that knock down corn stalks. How can you prove this?" The little bug continued, "Just look at the corn. See how it is planted in rows? It proves this field was created by an intelligent designer." The spider laughed and mockingly said, "This field has evolved and has nothing to do with a creator. Corn always grows that way."
The bug went on to explain, "Oh no. This field belongs to the owner who planted it, and the harvest is coming soon." The spider grinned and said to the little bug, "I don't believe you," and then the spider ate the little bug for lunch.
A few days later, the spider was laughing about the story the little bug had told him. He thought to himself, "A harvest! What a silly idea. I have lived here all of my life and nothing has ever disturbed me. I have been here since these stalks were just a foot off the ground, and I'll be here for the rest of my life, because nothing is ever going to change in this field. Life is good, and I have it made."
The next day was a beautiful sunny day in the cornfield. The sky above was clear and there was no wind at all. That afternoon as the spider was about to take a nap, he noticed some thick dusty clouds moving toward him. He could hear the roar of a great engine and he said to himself, "I wonder what that could be?"
Every promise God has ever made has and will come to pass. Eight hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:3-12). He wrote in detail of all that would happen to the Lord and it did come to pass just as he had written. Read Matthew 27 and John 19. Just as the past prophesies have all come true, so will all of the future prophesies. Jesus is coming again (Revelation 1:9) and will take all of those who have put their trust in Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
I encourage you to make Jesus the Lord of your life if you have never done so before. He promised to forgive your every sin and make you a child of God. (Isaiah 1:18) (2 Corinthians 5:17) God in His everlasting mercy wants no one to perish, but has made a way for every human being to have eternal life with Him in Heaven. It is then up to us to accept or reject this free gift. The Bible declares in Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Jesus is the only way to have eternal life and anyone can have this gift by opening their heart to Him and confessing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-13)

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Gracious Lord, forgive us when we speed ahead, forgetting to listen to the wisdom you offer us in the Bible. Remind us to rely on the truth of your word and not simply on our own view. Help us always to trust you and to rest contentedly in your love. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
Ezekiel 44
1 Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. 2 Then said the Lord unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. 3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. 4 Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord: and I fell upon my face. 5 And the Lord said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. 6 And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, 7 In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. 8 And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. 9 Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. 10 And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. 12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord God, and they shall bear their iniquity. 13 And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. 14 But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. 15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: 16 They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. 19 And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments. 20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. 21 Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. 22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. 23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 25 And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves. 26 And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. 27 And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord God. 28 And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering: and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. 31 The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.

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God, We thank you for your love. When life is overwhelming You offer us peace in the middle of chaos. Help us to focus on You when we are tempted to look at the hardship. Grant us the confidence to know that no matter what our situation is, you will not let us fall. 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: https://bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.