Daily Spiritual Meditations - April 5

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Precious Promises – Day 5 by SGLY Ministry

Today’s Promise: CHANGE
“For I am the Lord, I do not change;” Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)

Today’s Thought:
There are few things in this life that do not change.
Our daily lives are always full of change.
However, God is always the same, He never changes.
Therefore, let us comfort ourselves with this thought, that even though things in our world today are always changing, some for better, some for worse, the one thing we can always count on never changing is our Lord and His word.

Today’s Prayer:
Dear God,
In this uncertain ever changing world,
I will cling to these promises from Your word which never changes.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV)
God is not a man, that He should lie,.. Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning, James 1:17 (NKJV)
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 (NKJV)
Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

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Love, listen to and obey our Lord

John 14:23 'All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them.'

- It is out of our love for the Lord that we do what He tells us to do.
- The rewards of obedience are beyond comprehension.
- In the process we can know personal and intimate relationship with God.
- Let us be determined and decisive that we will love, listen to and obey our Lord.

PRAYER: Lord, I want to take this moment to tell You how much I love You! I choose to love, follow and obey what You say. May my heart be a place that You can call home! Amen.

Kind Regards
Pastor Andrew & Vanessa Roebert

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Let the Lord's Light shine

Let the Lord's Light shine forth.
Let it light up my life from the darkness within.
Let the Light of His Love light up my heart with its warmhearted rays, dispelling all the bitterness and hate.
Let the Light of His Joy light up my heart with its bubbling feeling of laughter within, dispelling all heavy hearted feelings of remorse and sadness.
Let the Light of His Peace light up my soul with its serene quietness, calming me of the storms of strife and stress.
Let the Light of His Patience fill me to overflowing, giving me the strength to endure the many defeats and set backs of life, dispelling the feelings of worthlessness and uselessness.
Let His Light , light up my life and let all darkness flee away.

Jim Welch

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Peace in the Midst of the Storm by Joyce Meyer

When life feels overwhelming, there’s only one place we can go for true, lasting peace—Jesus Christ. He is the “Prince of Peace” (see Isaiah 9:6) and the Bible says He’s our shelter in the storm. (see Isaiah 4:6).

I used to think that the way to have peace was to get rid of all my problems. It was a wonderful day when the Lord helped me realize that I could come to Him for peace in the midst of my problems.

It reminds me of the old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” This is what the refrain says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

You see, when we take our cares and worries to God and spend time with Him, we magnify Him or make Him “bigger” in our eyes. When we do, all of our problems and concerns suddenly look smaller. Compared to God, they grow dim and insignificant.

Your problems may be big, and they are not insignificant to God. But when you keep your eyes on Him, He gives you perspective.

I love Matthew 11:28 (NIV). Jesus says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

When we “come to Him”—when we read God’s Word, sing a song of worship or just sit and tell Him how good He is—He takes all of our worry, anxiety, fear and sadness and exchanges it with His peace, joy, hope and love.

When you feel worried and anxious, I know it’s easy to panic and allow fear to take over. That’s when you need to slow down, get still and focus on Jesus. He’s always with you, available any time of the day for you to cry out to Him for His supernatural peace.

Pray: “Father, right now I take a moment to come to You. Thank You for Your amazing love and how good You have been to me. Your strength, guidance and protection make all the difference in my life. Help me to always keep my eyes focused on You and receive Your supernatural peace and comfort. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

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Mark 10:27 HE looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'

- But with the Lord, all things are possible.
- He is the Author and Source of all possibilities.
- He enables us, by His grace, to triumph over all the difficulties and hindrances.
- Man may say something is impossible, but the Lord has the final say.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for looking at me today and reminding me that You are a miracle-worker. May I never forget that with You, all things are possible. Amen.

Kind Regards
Pastor Andrew & Vanessa Roebert

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Heavy Burden?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

How often we get frustrated and beaten down by the challenges of life; whether we are trying to get ahead by working and going to school, a stay at home parent trying to keep children on track, house organized, spouse happy, and personal sanity, a single parent trying to provide for and raise children at the same time, one challenged by trama, addictions, or personal tragedies, an executive or professional with a hectic schedule competing with family priorities.

I think what Jesus was telling the crowd, and is trying to tell us, is to look to Him and place our confidence and faith in Him; He will help us have peace amidst life’s challenges.

Dear Lord, help us remember that You love us, like a caring parent with outstretched arms waiting for us to come and find comfort and security. In Your name we pray. Amen.

http://seekyefirstthekingdom.net/

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Time Alone is Okay!

Luke 9:18 “[Jesus] was alone, praying, with his disciples nearby…” (TLB).

Some of us may think that we should wait to rest until everyone else is satisfied or preoccupied. When our spouses go on a business trip, after the children are in bed, if no one in our Sunday School class needs us, when all the extra office work is done — then we consider taking time for ourselves.

Yet, Jesus did not wait until his disciples were on the road, or resting for the night, or visiting relatives, to take time to be alone. With his staff nearby he went off by himself. We are not being selfish, unhealthy, or imbalanced when we occasionally take time away from our friends and families to be refreshed.

We can give ourselves permission to take solitary mini-retreats — perhaps to watch a fire in the fireplace, enjoy a sunset, drive in the country, kneel in prayer, or write in our journals. We need not give to someone else twenty-four hours of every day. Sometimes we can give to ourselves.

Lord, please give me the courage to follow your lead and take some time to be alone.

Joan C. Webb

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A Good Work by Our Daily Bread

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Today's Scripture & Insight:

As a teenager, Charles Spurgeon wrestled with God. He’d grown up going to church, but what was preached seemed bland and meaningless. It was a struggle for him to believe in God, and Charles, in his own words, “rebelled and revolted.” One night a fierce snowstorm forced the sixteen-year-old Spurgeon to seek shelter in a tiny Methodist church. The pastor’s sermon seemed directed at him personally. In that moment, God won the wrestling match, and Charles gave his heart to Jesus.

Spurgeon later wrote, “Long before I began with Christ, He began with me.” In fact, our life with God doesn’t begin with the moment of salvation. The psalmist notes that God “created [our] inmost being,” knitting us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). The apostle Paul writes, “Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace” (Galatians 1:15 nlt). And God doesn’t stop working with us when we’re saved: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

We’re all works-in-progress in the hands of a loving God. He leads us through our rebellious wrestling and into His warm embrace. But His purpose with us then is only beginning. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 nlt). Rest assured, we’re His good work regardless of how old we are or what stage of life we’re in.

Reflect & Pray

How’s God working in your life at this very moment? What’s He doing with you for His purposes?

Loving God, I’m overwhelmed to think of Your loving care for me from the moment of my birth. Thank You. Help me to respond to Your ongoing work in my life.

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Be Fruitful

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21

When something tries your patience and you feel frustrated, how do you react? Do you allow your mouth to say things you may regret later?

If this has ever happened to you, you’re not the only one.

Suppose you’re hungry and you approach a beautiful fig tree to pick some figs. Then, you notice it hasn’t even got one juicy fig even if it is full of green leaves and promising. It’s disappointing, right? Since that tree doesn’t meet your expectations, do you open your mouth out of frustration? Or do you stop and think before you talk? Do you realize how powerful your words are? Could this tree be on its way to producing fruit?

You and I need to pay careful attention with the words we use. The tongue can create life or death. Our words can grow fruit on trees or wither healthy roots. So, let us influence our world positively. Let those who connect with us flourish because of our fruitful words.

Dear God, when I feel frustrated, strengthen me so I won’t use my mouth to curse, but rather to offer life.

Decide to be fruitful with encouraging and positive words today.

By Fab Batsakis