We were on our way home from spending precious time with family in Miami. First we stopped at Cracker Barrel. Nope-30 minute wait. We left and went to Outback in Daytona Beach.
The first table was in the bar area and it was too cold. We moved to a booth by a window in the main area.
Our waitress was a young woman who blessed us tremendously! Above and beyond service!! I praised her for her excellent service. ❤️. As she brought our box to go and our check, I felt the Lord’s nudge to speak a blessing over her.
I gently touched her arm, looked in her eyes and began speaking, “May this New Year…” She interrupted me by throwing her head back and laughing joyfully!
I said, “I want to speak a blessing over you.” She immediately closed her eyes and bowed low over our table.
I gently touched her forehead and said, “May this New Year be above and beyond what you can think and dream of! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!”
She raised her head and exclaimed, “I needed that!!” I said, “God is so good!”
Oh my, God is indeed good! Circumstances changed to make sure I was at her table to speak God’s blessing and love over her. I am completely overwhelmed by the goodness of God!!!
As I was sitting on the porch in the quiet of the morning and the coolness of the gentle breeze flowing over me, I drew near to the Lord and rested in His presence.
I began seeking Him for His word for the new year 2021. A scripture flowed through my mind but did not stay. Then the scripture above settled and I began to meditate on it.
The New Year is a time of making new resolutions and new plans. We begin to list all of the things we want to change, make better, or simply add to our lives. Usually, they are good and healthy things. Some things we may want to get rid of altogether.
There is nothing wrong with doing a “life check” and judging where we are and where we need to be. But, it is important to let God be a part of our “life check.”
We tend to have our own ideas, thoughts, and plans and never realize that the Lord has even BETTER ideas, thoughts, and plans for our lives!
I believe this new year will be a time of the unexpected. What WE think will happen and how it will be accomplished is thinking at a level far below that of the Lord.
Do we truly trust our God? May 2021 be a time of maturing – in our faith, in our hope, and in our love. May we SPEAK our trust and belief! May our words align with the heart and will of God! May our ways and thoughts be raised to God’s level and may we not try and bring His down to our level.
RAISE US UP, O GOD!!
I’m entering 2021 with high expectations of God and in His ability to do more than we can even ask or think!!
God has spoken and continues to speak His love to you and me. I received this word from the Lord in 2011 on this day and He is still speaking it over us!❤️
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalms 19:14 NASB
I have been thinking alot about my words lately. I have to admit that with everything that has been going on during the last 3 ½ months, sometimes my words may not be acceptable to the LORD. I have allowed words of negativity and complaining to flow from my mouth. Forgive me, LORD!
As I look at the meditation of my heart, I see the same problem. My words are connected to what I am thinking – to what is in my heart. God’s Word tells us that out of the heart the mouth speaks.
What words do we find ourselves speaking to others and even to ourselves? Are they words of life…words of encouragement? Or are they words of discouragement and discontent? What do we meditate on during the day? What do we allow our thoughts to dwell on?
LORD, may Your Holy Spirit help us to filter our words and our thoughts. May we lift up and encourage all who we come into contact with. May we take every thought captive and bring our thoughts into alignment with You and Your life-giving truth. May we be vessels of reconciliation and peace. In Jesus’ mighty namewe pray. AMEN!
“Pentecost is a Christian holy day that celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit 40 days after Easter. Some Christian denominations consider it the birthday of the Christian church and celebrate it as such. Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish holiday held 50 days after Passover.”
The Scriptures describing the day of Pentecost can be found in Acts 2:1-4.
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4 NASB
LORD! We beseech You to move once again in POWER upon and in Your people! Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to be Your body upon this earth! May the FLAME of YOUR LOVE burn brightly within us!! RISE UP, most HOLY ONE, and show Yourself in all Your glory!! AMEN!!
Good Friday…so why is the day that Jesus was tortured and crucified called “good?”
As we look at how Jesus was treated, I think we definitely can say that what He endured was not good.
So again…why is this day called Good Friday?
There is no Easter Sunday without Good Friday. There is no Resurrection without the Cross.
Sometimes it’s difficult to understand that what we consider a “bad” thing could actually end up achieving good results.
Jesus chose to suffer the Cross to bring about our redemption…to reinstate our position with God that was lost in the Garden. There are consequences to sin. What an awesome Love that Jesus chose to bear the consequence of our sin on the Cross. No, the suffering of Jesus wasn’t a “good” thing – but it was necessary to bring about our good standing with God once again. The result of the Cross was definitely good!
Because Jesus understands the importance of being willing to lay down our lives for a new life, He instructs us to take up OUR cross and follow Him.
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever losestheir life for me will find it.”
Matthew 16:24-25 NIV
No, we don’t have to be nailed to a physical cross to be a disciple of Jesus – but, He does call us to be willing to exchange our old life for a new life in Him. And this can be a difficult thing indeed!
Are we willing to let go of our plans, our desires, our way and allow Jesus to place His life in us? If we want to have life eternal with God – then we must embrace the cross – His and our own.
Good Friday – a day to remember the GOOD that was accomplished through the absolute LOVE of JESUS!! He took our sins upon Himself so we could have eternal life with Him. And that was indeed a “good” thing!!
Ahhh, Jesus! I am overwhelmed with the revelation of what You were willing to endure for us. You chose the Cross. You chose the Cross for us so we wouldn’t have to pay the price/penalty for our sin. Lord, help me to choose to pick up my cross and follow You. May I place all of my selfish desires and my self-focus on the cross and follow in Your footsteps of humility and love. May I join You on this Day of the Cross and follow You to the Day of Resurrection! Amen!
