Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 8/2

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God's Word has given me the help and strength to pass peacefully through deep trials. What a difference there is when the soul is refreshed in fellowship with God early in the morning! Without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day can be overwhelming. --George Muller

Sharing God’s love with others makes us rich.

When we worry, we lose our joy and effectiveness in serving God. When instead we have faith in God to meet our needs and put God first in our lives, then we can focus our energy on glorifying our Creator.

God’s peace is priceless.

God’s love can drive away our fears.

God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events and reserved for himself the knowledge of them, that he may train us up in a dependence upon himself and a continued readiness for every event. --Matthew Henry

If you're in a difficult place right now, perhaps you need to entrust the problem to the Lord and leave it in His hands awhile. He alone can storm the impregnable, devise the improbable, and perform the impossible. He alone can part the waters. --Robert J. Morgan

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He Is Here by The Vine
From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn't want anyone to know it, but he couldn't escape notice. - Mark 7:24
The fame of Christ was known all throughout the country to such an extent that for Him to travel anywhere without being recognized would be almost impossible. No doubt there was something in His appearance and demeanor that distinguished Him from other men and soon revealed Him. There must have been a rare sweetness in His face, the outpouring of the great love of His heart. There was no halo upon His features, as many artists have depicted in their paintings, and yet there must have been a glow of grace that revealed Him to sad and hungry hearts.
Christ can never be hidden. There's no place in this world where His presence can not be recognized for too long. You can hide sweet-smelling flowers so that they cannot be seen, but soon the fragrance will reveal their hiding-place. So the sweetness of the Savior's life and love will always tell when He is near. When He enters a human heart He cannot be hidden; for soon His Spirit begins to breathe out in all the words, actions, and life of the new follower. When He enters a home He cannot long be hidden, for the home is changed. Worldliness, bitterness, and sin give way to prayer and praise -- to the spirit of love and gentleness, and to purity and holiness. When He enters a community He cannot remain concealed. The stories of missionary work illustrate this. Christ will always reveal His presence in this world.
The same is true also of all faithful discipleship. A Christian cannot be hid. If the love of Christ is truly in his heart, people around him will know it very soon. They will see it in his character and disposition, in the way he honors God, in the way he treats his fellow-men.

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GOD'S EMBROIDERY Author Unknown
When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was.
As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat. She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."
I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.
Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?"
He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"
The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."

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Our Fruit We May Not See by Tom Moore
A young woman, who was a great lover of flowers, had set out a rare vine at the base of a stone wall. It grew vigorously, but it did not bloom. Day after day, she cultivated it, watered it, and tried in every way to coax it to bloom.
One morning, as she stood disappointedly before it, her invalid neighbor, whose back lot adjoined her own, called over and said, "You can't imagine how much I have been enjoying the blooms of that vine you planted!" The owner looked, and on the other side of the wall was a mass of blooms. The vine had crept through the crevices and flowered luxuriantly on the other side.
So often we think our efforts are thrown away because we do not see their fruits. We need to learn that in God's service, our prayers, our toil, and our crosses are never in vain. Somewhere, they bear fruit and hearts will receive blessings and joy.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” -Proverbs 11:30

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Persuaded to Roll Author Unknown
Growing up in a rural hill community, we had few toys, but thanks to my little brother, Donnie, we never lacked something to play with. That's because Donnie would drag things home when he and his buddy, Preacher, roamed about the hill. Once, he brought home a very long rubber rope. Boy, did we have fun with that. We played tug-of-war, threw it over a branch and made a swing, and had hours of fun using it as a jump rope. Whether it was an old tire, a broken roller skate or a steering wheel from a wrecked car, we could figure out how to have fun with it.
When Donnie showed up one day with a big barrel, were we ever excited. "Get inside, Donnie, and I'll roll you down the hill," I said.
"No, it's too steep."
He was right. Our large yard sloped down to a ditch about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide. Bordering the opposite side of the ditch was a shed. That didn't stop me, though. After all, he was safe inside the barrel, right?
"Scaredy cat," I said.
That was all 9 year-old Donnie had to hear. I had successfully persuaded him. Donnie curled inside the barrel, and I gave it a gentle shove just as Mother stepped out the front door.
"What are you doing!" she shouted. I covered my ears as the barrel bounced the ditch and thundered into the side of the shed. Mother scrambled to help Donnie, and I attempted to become invisible. Fortunately, my brother suffered no permanent damage other than his on-going fear of barrels and big sisters.
One thing I have learned about myself as I have grown older is that I had a way of being very persuasive if I wanted to see something happen. I would nag, complain, push, plead-use any method I thought might get me what I wanted. Often, I was successful, unfortunately, much to my own undoing.
God is the only one knowledgeable enough to understand the outcome of every situation. However, He sometimes allows us to have what we demand, even though He knows it's not the best thing for us. God's word exhorts us to seek Him first - His will, His way and His truth. If we do that, we can be assured that the outcome is what He knows is better than anything we can possibly dream up. A reminder from Psalm 32:8 says: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."

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How God Builds Your Faith: Delay by Rick Warren
"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late." (Habakkuk 2:3 HCSB)
Even as you make a decision to follow the dream God places in your heart, you can expect a delay. God will not fulfill your dream immediately because this is another step toward building your faith.
In Habakkuk 2, God [basically] says, "These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled."
In this step of faith-building you will most likely start asking the question, "When, Lord? When are You going to answer my prayer?"
And we hate to wait. We don't like to wait in a doctor's office, or in traffic jams, or at restaurants, or for Christmas presents, or for anything else. But what we hate worst of all is waiting on God.
Have you ever been in a hurry when God wasn't? It's so irritating! You're ready, but God isn't. God wants to work on you before He works on the project. Every believer MUST GO THROUGH the University of Learning to Wait (ULW). Some of us are STILL working on our degrees from ULW!
- Noah waited 120 years from the time he started building the ark until it began to rain.
- Abraham was told he would be the father of a great nation and didn't have a child until he was 99.
- God told Moses he would be the leader to lead his people out of 400 years of slavery, but then made him wait in the desert 40 years.
- Joseph spent years in prison before God raised him up and he became the ruler God wanted him to be.
- God had David anointed as king, but then David waited for years until he actually got to be king.
We all have to go through these waiting periods. Even Jesus waited for 30 years in the carpenter's shop before setting out on his public ministry.
Why do we wait? It teaches us to TRUST in God. We learn that His timing is perfect. One of the facts we have to learn is this: God's delay NEVER destroys His purpose!
A delay is not a denial. Children must learn the difference between "no" and "not yet," and so must we. Many times we think God is saying, "No," but He is saying, "Not yet."
Prayer: "God, I believe You are using circumstances and events to move me into a place of patient waiting as You put me in the place You desire for me. Help my soul to mature, my faith to grow, my life to be more pure and dedicated to You. James 1:2-4 tells me, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Lord, I PRAISE You in the midst of it all--my special trials and daily challenges--KNOWING that I must learn to be patient and content as I wait upon You. Thank You for being with me through every trial, every day! In Jesus' Mighty Name I pray. Amen." - prayer by Os Hillman

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A Clear Conscience By Steve Troxel
Several years ago I went to the store to buy four small bricks I needed to complete a project in the backyard. Nothing special, just four bricks; and after considering the selection, I decided on a charcoal black which cost a little more than the standard red brick. The store was busy with several long lines of shoppers intent on completing projects before the end of the day. I chose a line and waited my turn.
The lines moved slowly and there seemed to be an impatient tension all around. When it came my turn, the clerk quickly computed the price and took my money. As I received my change, I felt something was wrong. And as I stepped toward the door, I knew I had been charged a lower price.
My mind knew a mistake had been made, but my feet kept walking out the door and toward my car. I knew I should have revealed the mistake, but my mind raced into high gear justifying my inaction: "I don't want to make others wait while the correction is made!" "The mistake is small - little more than the cost of a bar of candy." "The profit from my other purchases during the year will certainly make up for this small loss." It's amazing how easy it was to find reasons to keep walking.
As I continued, my conscience began to counter my rationalization; and by the time I reached my car, that small inner voice was screaming at me to correct the error - and correct it NOW! I walked back into the store, waited in another long line, pointed to the error, and paid the extra money. My conscience hasn't always been so sensitive - and I confess, it's not always so sensitive now - but on this day it was, and I still praise God!
Acts 24:16 "I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."
God has created us all with a conscience deep within our soul. At a very young age our conscience helps us maneuver the complex path of right and wrong. And when we place our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, we are given the Holy Spirit who ignites our conscience and guides us toward the presence of God and a life of holiness.
But when we ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit, our conscience slowly becomes burned. The burning usually begins small - a little lie, a small deception - but over time, our conscience can become "seared as with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:2). Then, when needed in a time of great temptation, there is no "inner voice" to keep us from falling. Our conscience is a precious gift, and it's hard to believe I nearly damaged such a gift in exchange for such a small amount of money.
Is your conscience sensitive to the prompting of the Spirit, or has it developed a hard crust which fails to point the way toward truth? Let's live so that all areas of our life bring Him glory and honor. In ALL we do, let's listen intently, obey completely, and protect God's wonderful gift as we strive to maintain a clear conscience.

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Trials by Lynell Waterman
There was a blacksmith who gave his heart to God. Though conscientious in his living, still he was not prospering materially. In fact, it seems that from the time of his conversion, more trouble, affliction and loss were sustained than ever before. Everything seemed to be going wrong.
One day, a friend who was not a Christian stopped at the blacksmith's shop to talk to him. Sympathizing with him in some of his trials, the friend said. "It seems strange to me that so much affliction should come to you just at the time when you have become an earnest Christian. Of course, I don't want to weaken your faith in God or anything like that. But here you are, with God's help and guidance, and yet things seem to be getting steadily worse. I can't help wondering why it is."
The blacksmith did not answer immediately, but finally, he said, "You see here the raw iron which I have to make into horse's shoes. You know what I do with it? I take a piece and heat it in the fire until it is red, almost white with the heat. Then I hammer it unmercifully, to shape it as I know it should be shaped. Then I plunge it into a pail of cold water to temper it. Then I heat it again and hammer it some more. And this I do until it is finished."
"But sometimes I find a piece of iron that won't stand up under this treatment. The heat and the hammering and the cold water are too much for it. I don't know why it fails in the process, but I know it will never make a good horse's shoe." He pointed to a heap of scrap iron that was near the door of his shop. "When I get a piece that cannot take the shape and temper, I throw it out on the scrap heap. It will never be good for anything."
He went on, "I know that God has been holding me in the fires of affliction and I have felt His hammer upon me. But I don't mind, if only He can bring me to what I should be. And so, in all these hard things my prayer is simply this: Try me in any way you wish, Lord, only don't throw me on the scrap heap."
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Be alert and stay on task spiritually. What I am doing in, around, and through you is not only according to My purposes, but also is for your own personal good and in your best interests. It is time to align yourself completely with My kingdom, says the Lord. Trust Me in all things, and be done with complacency. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

This is a time of re-gathering. Many things have caused you to be scattered. Your attention has been divided by your interests, your responsibilities, and your ambitions. So, I say, gather yourself to Me and get focused again on that which is of eternal importance. You will have to re-order your priorities and gain fresh perspective before you can align yourself with My will and My order, says the Lord. Colossians 2:5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

I am bringing everything to a place of very specific and detailed order in your lives if you will allow Me to do so, says the Lord. When I finish, there will be no loose ends as all things come into divine perspective and purpose. Your part is to embrace change and trust Me. It will be like pieces of a puzzle that suddenly fit and cause the greater picture to come into view to be seen and understood. 1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

You have asked for wisdom for very specific things, and if you will be on the alert you will find that I am giving you the answers you need and the clarity you desire. Your part is to not get discouraged or decide that I don't care, says the Lord. I know everything about you, and I understand your needs. I am with you and for you; it is not in My nature to ignore you. Be still, quiet your soul, and wait in faith. The answers will come. Matthew 6:8 ...your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
The new season is being birthed. And, it is true, for My prophets have spoken it forth. And, now it’s up to you. Will you receive the treasure of it? Will you put yourself in a position of faith and believe for all that I can do; for all that I will do? Only believe, and you shall receive. The work I do in this day will be great and it will be mighty. And, I say unto you that you will hear My voice more clearly than ever you have before. The sound of heaven is about to come and with it the glory of the kingdom. New doors will be opened to you--doors of opportunity to come higher; doors of opportunity to flourish; doors of opportunity to prosper. My doors shall indeed open and no one can close them. So, get ready to come through. Get ready to go forward. Get ready to receive My order in this season, and you will not be disappointed, says the Lord God Almighty.

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He's Never Far by Nancy Burr
When you are feeling down and depressed,
When nothing goes right and you're feeling stressed.
When pain strikes again and your eyes fill with tears,
And your heart starts filling with doubts and fears.
There's no need to run and hide away,
There's no need to hurt through another day.
Jesus is waiting; He wants to help you,
He wants to show you that His love is true.
Just call out to Him wherever you are,
Always remember that He's never far.
He knows you are hurting but He can heal you,
Just talk to the Father cause He cares for you.
He died on the cross to save you from sin,
All that He asks is that you let Him come in.
Then He'll stay by you as you learn and grow,
And when you leave earth to heaven you'll go.
Why not trust Jesus, He'll change you today,
He'll make you so happy day after day.
Yes hard times will come but He'll still be there,
He'll get you through cause He really does care.
So when you are feeling down and depressed,
Turn to Jesus and He'll give you rest.
You can count on Him to never leave you,
Cause Jesus is faithful, loving and true.

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One Wish by Nancy Burr
So many struggles we do face,
they knock us to the ground.
It’s sometimes hard to get back up
and face the world around.
But my dear friend you need to know
that God is on your side.
He loves you and wants you to run
into His arms and hide.
I wish my friend that you did know
the love He offers you.
That you would turn to Him right now
and He’d help you get through.
I wish you knew that there was hope,
that joy can fill your soul.
That He is waiting for your call
so He can make you whole.
Dear friend if I could have one wish,
I’d wish for you God’s love.
I’d wish you‘d open up your heart,
to the Father up above.
No other wish would be enough,
for God is who you need.
I promise you He really cares
and His love is guaranteed.
My friend there’s nothing better than
to feel God’s awesome love.
So if I could have one single wish,
I’d wish you God above.
God hears our wishes when we pray,
He knows my wish for you.
And every single day I’ll pray,
that my wish will come true.

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Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Luke 6:38

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

The Consummation of Love
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:17-19

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Isaiah 61:10-11

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CAST OUT THE NET Author Unknown
Very early in life (almost from birth) we are trained to be successful according to the world's definition of success. We are driven by goals and accomplishments from the day we take our first steps and ride our first bike. As we grow older, we are pressured to accumulate knowledge and "things" in order to prove our success.
In our Christian walk, Jesus calls us to a new definition of success - one determined not by what we accomplish, but by our obedience. The disciples walked and talked with Jesus, but they still faced many challenges with faith and obedience. One morning after fishing all night without a catch, Jesus called from the shore. John 21:6 "He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some {fish}.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."
The disciples were successful that morning. But we must understand that the large number of fish did not define their success. They would have been successful even if the nets remained empty. They were successful the moment they were obedient and threw out the net. One thousands years earlier, King Saul was told to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them," (1 Samuel 15:3).
But Saul allowed the Amalekite king and the best livestock to survive. He tried to cover His disobedience by saying the calves and lambs were for a sacrifice to God. "But Samuel replied: 'Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22).
In any task we undertake for God, it's easy to become discouraged by our apparent lack of success. We often feel inadequate - and those feelings increase when our goals seem to be elusive. But we must remember, the outcome of the task is secondary to our obedience. God doesn't need our "fish" - He wants our devotion and trust. He desires that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Let's take our eyes off the accomplishment of the "catch" and what we can produce. Rather, let's focus on walking each step according to His leading. Let's concentrate all our effort on obeying His call to cast out the net.

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Wondrous God, Teach us to give freely, as you do. Teach us to love one another as you love us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
1 Chronicles 10
Tragic End of Saul and His Sons
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. 3 The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. 5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together. 7 And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; then the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among the people. 10 Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 And when all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons; and they brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. 13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. 14 But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

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God, You are the one who feeds the birds and dresses the flowers, so we know you will take care of us. 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=866 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.