Without counsel plans fail, but with advisors they succeed. Proverbs 15:22
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2 ESV
God does not expect us to figure things out by ourselves. As we travel this road of life, there are choices and decisions that must be made, plans that need to be fulfilled.
It is okay and even to our benefit to seek out the counsel of others. But, it is important to be aware of whose counsel we listen to. In Psalms we are reminded that we should not walk in the counsel of the wicked, but delight in the law of the Lord.
We are told in Proverbs that with many advisors our plans will succeed. But, we need to make sure that we don’t remove the Lord from our decision-making process. Yes, listen to the counsel and advice of others. But, remember to take it to the Lord before making the final decision. He knows exactly what we should do and when we should do it. And He knows exactly what we shouldn’t do!
May we take the time to go to the perfect Counselor and put our plans in His hands. And may we know that He will guide and direct us in His perfect will.
Thank You, Lord, for loving us and for helping us as we journey with each other and with You. Help us, Lord, to seek Your guidance, Your will, and Your presence in everything we do. Thank You for not leaving us to figure things out apart from You. We are so thankful!
Jesus
O MY SOUL
“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
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my soul does get “downcast.” Other words that describe this state are – dejected, sad, depressed, discouraged, and disappointed.
I think we all have those days. How do we rise above those feelings? How do we get our soul (mind, will, and emotions) to leave the position of being “cast down” to one of being “uplifted?”
Have you ever thought about speaking to your soul? This is what is happening in this passage of scripture. If you are someone who has ever engaged in “talking to yourself” – you now know that it is scriptural!! 😃
As we read this verse, we see that the solution to the soul’s downcast state is to hope in God, praise Him, and to remember who He is – our salvation and God!
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves (speak to our souls) of God’s goodness and how we should respond to Him. As we move our attention from ourselves to God Almighty, our feelings of depression and discouragement begin to fall away.
Oh my soul, why are you discouraged? Jesus is my salvation and Lord! The Lord loves me. He is faithful, strong, and true! He is my Rock and my Redeemer! Oh my soul, why are you cast down within me? By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me! Oh my soul! Hope in God! Even in my discouragement, yet will I praise Him!
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God… Psalm 42:1-2
~~Tina Roach
DON’T STOP!
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer – a day when we are called to unite our hearts as one and pray for our nation, our leaders, and our communities. I love that we have this set aside time to join together as a nation! It also is a reminder that prayer is important. It makes a difference. It is needed.
But, I also would like to take this time – the day following this National Day of Prayer – to remind us that EVERY DAY is a day of prayer! Prayer makes a difference and is needed every day of our lives. It is an ongoing, continual communication with our Lord. We are to “pray without ceasing.” In other words, DON’T STOP!!
Don’t stop praying just because we may not feel like it. Feelings have nothing to do with it. We pray because God desires us to do it and also because it is through prayer that our lives and circumstances can be changed. WE are changed!!
We are to rejoice (feel joy, celebrate, triumph) and be thankful in all circumstances! We may not feel joy or be thankful FOR the circumstances…but we feel joy because God is with us IN the circumstances. He is within us to enable us to GO THROUGH and to COME OUT victorious and stronger! HALLELUJAH!!
May we come into alignment with the WILL OF GOD:
1) rejoice always
2) Pray without ceasing
3) Give thanks in all circumstances
Thank You, Lord, for always being with us to enable us to carry out Your will. We do not have to rejoice, pray, and give thanks apart from You! YOU give us the words, YOU give us the strength, YOU give us the desire to walk in obedience to You. We join You in our journey… day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute. AMEN!!
~Tina Roach
MOVING FORWARD
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NRSV
As I was seeking the Lord about what my devotional would be for today, I felt that He was nudging me to not focus on what has happened and is happening in this time of COVID-19, but to look FORWARD to what He is calling us to.
I know you have probably heard, as I have, people saying that they can’t wait for things to get “back to normal.” Well, I don’t think that as we transition through this season, God is calling us BACK to where we were before. I don’t believe He wants us to just pick-up where we left off.
Brothers & Sisters! The Lord wants us to go FORWARD into a new season, a new reality, and a new “normal.” It can be a little scary and a little unsettling not to know what to expect as we journey into the remainder of 2020 and beyond.
BUT! We are reminded by the Lord in Jeremiah that we have a FUTURE WITH HOPE! The Lord has plans for us – and they are plans for our welfare. When I looked up welfare in the dictionary I was given the meanings: health, happiness, and well-being.
WELL-BEING! I am encouraged to know that the Lord desires for my being – my body, my mind, my soul, and my spirit to be well. His plans are not to harm us! When life throws us an unexpected “curve ball” the Lord still can use use it to work for our good!! HALLELUJAH!!
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NRSV
LORD, we are so thankful that You have plans for us – plans that are in no way abolished because of what is happening around us. We put our whole trust in YOU, knowing that You desire our health, happiness, and well-being. We continue to journey forward knowing that You have already gone ahead of us preparing the way. We are ready to embrace the “new normal” and we know that YOU are moving in and through it all manifesting Your good and perfect will! ALL GLORY AND HONOR AND PRAISE IS YOURS NOW AND FOREVERMORE!! AMEN!
~Tina Roach
Celebrate Him!!
God is Good!! I celebrate Him today! So much to be thankful for….
PERFECT PEACE
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV
How can we continue to be at peace in our lives with so much going on? One way that God will keep us in perfect peace is if we will have our minds “stayed” on Him. As we all continue to abide by the “stay at home” directive during this COVID-19 quarantine, we see that as our bodies stay at home – our minds should be stayed on the Lord!
We may be constricted in our movements right now…but our minds are not! We should not let our minds be constricted with all of the fears, predictions, and negativity going on around us. We are to keep our minds focused on the Lord!
And why do we choose to keep our minds stayed/focused on the Lord? Because we trust in Him! The Lord is faithful and loving. He is above every disease, every virus, every problem, every challenge. He already knows the answer and solution to every question we have. He will never leave or forsake us. He is our everlasting rock on which we can stand with both feet planted and know that we are safe. The “storm” may rage around us…but we are held on a firm foundation! HALLELUJAH!!
TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER! KEEP YOUR MIND STAYED ON HIM! BE IN HIS PERFECT PEACE!
May the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!
2 Thessalonians 3:16 NASB
~Tina K. Roach
Bloom Where You Are Planted!
“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
I am so thankful that I am not expected to display the fruit of the Spirit in my life through my own strength and ability! When I try to “live right” many times I come up short. But, as I draw closer to the Lord and seek the Holy Spirit to manifest HIS fruit in and through me – I discover that the fruit of the Spirit becomes more evident in my life.
I know that most of you have heard the saying “Bloom where you are planted.” I was thinking about this today. Brothers and Sisters, we are planted in a very unique place right now. We are planted in the “garden of quarantine.” We are being instructed to restrict ourselves to a stay-at-home environment.
I would say to you, Brothers and Sisters, that we have been placed in a very special kind of home/house. I believe that many of us find ourselves in a “hothouse.”
I was thinking about what a hothouse is in gardening. But, as I began looking up definitions – I saw meanings that went beyond a greenhouse definition and really related to the times we find ourselves in.
A couple of definitions I discovered were:
1). an environment that encourages rapid development 2). an environment where there is great pressure
I would definitely say we are living in a “hothouse” type of environment! Are you feeling “great pressure” as we continue to live in this time of isolation?
I believe the Lord is using this time to “encourage rapid development” in our spiritual lives. It is a time of diving in deeper into the things of the LORD! We need to ramp up our prayer lives; immerse ourselves in our Bible study; and let worship infiltrate into all areas.
I am reminded of Acts 17:28
“For in him we live and move and have our being…”
Dearest LORD, as we continue to make this journey with each other and more importantly – with YOU – I pray that You will use these times of great pressure to develop in us a deeper capacity to bear greater fruit in the world. We desire to bloom during this time and not wither. We thank You for all that You are doing in us and through us for Your glory! Our deepest desire is to truly LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING IN YOU!! Amen and Amen!
~Tina K. Roach
GLORY OF THE LORD
The GLORY of the LORD is never under quarantine!
“but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD…”. Numbers 14:21 NKJV
“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” I Chronicles 16:24 NKJV
“But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.” Psalms 3:3 NKJV
“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters.” Psalms 29:3 NKJV
“And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” Psalms 72:19 NKJV
RESURRECTION SUNDAY
I wasn’t really planning on doing a written post today. To be honest, I woke up a little depressed. If it were a “normal” day, I would be getting dressed in a beautiful, colorful outfit and looking forward to joining my friends at church to celebrate this special day. Of course, I know this day isn’t about me…I know that it is a day of focusing on our precious Jesus…I know this and yet I still find my thoughts drifting towards my isolation. Am I the only one?
So! At this point, I CHOOSE to refocus my thoughts…I CHOOSE to trade in my depression for the oil of gladness! I CHOOSE to celebrate the awesome resurrection of our precious Lord!
As I said, I really wasn’t planning on writing a post this morning – but the Lord had other plans. Thoughts of resurrection have been floating around in my mind and spirit. And I know I am to put it to “paper.”
When we receive God’s Truth we are expected to react to it. We know that the resurrection of Jesus is true! So what should our reaction be? Hopefully, foremost our reaction should be to accept the NEW LIFE that Jesus offers to us through His death and resurrection. If anyone who reads this has not made that salvation step – I would encourage you to stop…seek the Lord…and CHOOSE to accept what Jesus did for you.
Again, what do we do with this Truth of the Resurrection of Jesus? We must DO something! I am reminded that “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26). We have faith that Jesus was indeed resurrected from the dead. What are we going to do with this knowledge? How will our lives be changed with this knowledge? How do we “walk out” this Truth?
Resurrection Power is within us! Through the Holy Spirit living within us, we walk in the same power that Jesus walked in on this earth. Sometimes it’s hard for me to wrap my brain around that Truth. But, Jesus confirms this Himself!
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” John 14:12 NASB
CHURCH! Are we walking this out in our ministries and lives? Jesus is our example. Are we seeing the works that Jesus did being manifested in our families, in our church, in our communities?
I believe that on this Resurrection Sunday, as we celebrate our risen Lord, He is calling us to be the expression of His Life on earth!! BE the hands, feet, eyes, ears, and mouth of Jesus! HE IS ALIVE and HE LIVES IN AND THROUGH US!!
Oh Jesus! We thank You for dying on the cross for us. We thank You for the resurrected life we have in You. When we accepted You as our Lord and Savior – You brought us from death in our sins to eternal life in You!! We celebrate Your resurrection on this most high and holy day! WE CELEBRATE YOU!! Amen!
~Tina K. Roach
