Back in the Saddle

 Happy Sunday!

"When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in. He is kind and merciful—and ALL goes well for the generous man who conducts his business fairly."(Psalm 112:4-5 Living Bible).

Today was Rodeo Sunday at church.  It had me reminiscing about summers spent in Mississippi, my grandfather's Shetland pony named Sugar, and the our young friends who were daring enough to ride bareback.  The sermon was entitled, "Back in the Saddle".  If you can imagine a cattle drive in full motion and a cowboy being thrown from his horse, you can probably see how important it would be to get back in the saddle as quickly as possible.

Life throws us at times, and we may feel like giving up or throwing in the towel.  BUT the Word always has encouragement for us to get up, dust ourselves off, and try again.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit.  We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. These bodies of ours are constantly facing death just as Jesus did; so it is clear to all that it is ONLY the living Christ within who keeps us safe."(2 Corinthians 4:8-10 Living Bible).

The Word declares that God will ALWAYS cause us to Triumph!  We always WIN.  It doesn't mean we journey through life on "flower beds of ease". But we do prevail.  Proverbs 24:15-16 is a warning to our enemies, and a reminder to us, "O evil man, leave the upright man alone and quit trying to cheat him out of his rights. Don’t you know that this good man, though you trip him up seven times, will each time rise again? But one calamity is enough to lay you low."(Living Bible).

Love and prayers, Cynthia   

My Shepherd

 Happy Sunday!

"Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him the most. Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way. You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow! Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life, and afterwards I will live with you forever in your home."(Psalm 23 Living Bible).

I love this psalm in any translation!  What beautiful declarations, and statements of faith!  Don't miss any of them!  David had the task of keeping his fathers sheep.  It wasn't a glamorous job but it taught him so much about our Father God.  As a shepherd he protected the sheep from predators.  He led them to grassy areas so that they had food to eat.  He knew they were fearful so he found peaceful rivers and streams for them to drink from and be refreshed.

There were no sheep on anxiety medications.  They had nothing to worry about.  They didn't wake up in the morning and have to struggle to find there own "green pastures".  When danger was all around them, they didn't have to fear.  What does this have to do with us?  Great question.  I'm so glad you asked.  Our God is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."(Hebrews 13:8 KJV).  He is always faithful, always good, and always with us!  Our job is to know Him, and trust Him.   We know Him by getting to know His Word.

When you know the Word, you know God's character.  When you know what He will do, and what He won't do you can live like those sheep...peacefully!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Reminders

Happy Sunday!

""But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it."(1 Corinthians 10:13 Living Bible)

My favorite part of this scripture is, "for he has promised this and will do what he says."  God can be trusted, and He always keeps His promises.  The Apostle John described it like this, "My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours."(1 John 5:13-15 Message).

God's Will is God's Word.  The answers we need and the promises we can enjoy are all in the Word.  When we know what the Word says, we can know what we can have.  Peace, Joy, Healing, Health, Love, and Prosperity.  The Psalmist said, "Let all who want me to win be happy and joyful.  From now on let them say, “The Lord is wonderful!  God is glad when all goes well for his servant.”(Psalm 35:27 CEV).

Salvation is often defined as "nothing missing and nothing broken".  Jesus paid the price for us to get the full package.  Our enemy deceives us into thinking that we can only have certain things when all the while he knows God made everything for mankind.  Don't be tempted to think small.  We serve a Big God, and he has wonderful plans for us. Isaiah 1:19 says, "If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land."(GW).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Believe the Word

 Happy Sunday!

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."(Genesis 8:22 Amplified)

God spoke the scripture above to Noah after he and his family survived the flood. God can be trusted. No matter what other voices say, He will always stand the test of time, with truth.  Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is TRUTH."(John 17:17 KJV).  The more Word we have hidden in our hearts, the better off we will be.  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."(KJV).

We used to sing a catchy song, "Whose report will you believe?  We shall believe the report of the Lord!  His report says, I am healed!  His is report says, I am filled!  His report says, I am free! His report says, Victory!"(Ron Kenoly).  Whose report are you believing?  There are so many voices in the world.  Just like the 10 spies came back with an evil report, there are evil reports bombarding us daily. But 2 men, Joshua and Caleb determined that they would believe the Word of the Lord.(Number 14:6-9). 

Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take."(Easy-to-Read Version).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Change Your Mind

 Happy New Year!

"I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now.  But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honor of being called by God in Christ."(Philippians 3:13-14 Phillips).

The Apostle Paul experienced so many things.  We've talked about it before.  But in the scripture above he gives us a hint at his secret to success. He focused on what was ahead, and forgot the past.  I know that this may sound contradictory given the Word of God tells us so many times to remember.  But we are to remember certain things.  We are to remember to be thankful to God and others, we are to remember how God has protected us and blessed us, and we are to remember the Word of God!  All the sad, negative, and fearful things we can push them out of the way and move forward!

I heard the testimony of Manny Arango this week.  His father had been in prison in Cuba, was released, and ended up in the USA.  Manny's earliest memory of his father involved being taken to a crack house.  His father abandoned the family, and there were many negative memories.  Manny eventually went to a Christian Therapist.  He told the therapist the whole sad, traumatic story.  The therapist shocked him when he turned all of his father's seemingly negative attributes to positives.  He encouraged Manny to consider all of the things he learned from his father.  He tells the story in his book entitled, "Brain Washed".  He glorifies God and recognizes that a change of mind is necessary!  The Apostle Paul said, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the MIND of CHRIST (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."(1 Corinthians 2:16 Amplified).

Romans 12:1-2 says, "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."(Message).

Love and prayers, Cynthia