Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 10/10

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Listen, my friend! Your helplessness is your best prayer. It calls from your heart to the heart of God with greater effect than all your uttered pleas. He hears it from the very moment that you are seized with helplessness, and He becomes actively engaged at once in hearing and answering the prayer of your helplessness. --Ole Kristian O. Hallesby

God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to. --Elisabeth Elliot

Our fellowship with God is not meant to wait until we are in heaven. God’s greatest desire, and our greatest need, is to be in constant fellowship with Him now, and there is no greater expression or experience of fellowship than prayer. --John MacArthur

God wants us to seek Him more than anything else, even more than we seek answers to prayer. When we come to God in prayer, sometimes our hearts are so full of what we want that we leave God out. Our minds become consumed with the gift rather than the giver. --Charles Stanley

Jesus is the only One who can satisfy our longings. All other relationships will fall short. No one else is able to completely satiate our hunger for perfect love. --Lisa Harper

The more we see of Jesus, the more we know there’s still so much to be seen. The more He touches our lives, the more we realize our desperate need for Him to consume every part of us. --Matt Redman

Better to be with Jesus, in any circumstance, than to be anywhere else without Him. --Greg Laurie

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HAPPINESS IS THE WAY Author Unknown
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.
After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching.
God has given each of us a "gift" that we are to use to glorify His name! Do you know yours???

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God Can Turn It Around! Authro Unknown
When a tragic accident left Will Mitchell with disfiguring burns, he decided to focus on his possibilities, not his problems. Although he’d lost his fingers, he learned to fly an airplane solo.
Then one day while flying from Colorado to California, ice caused his plane to crash. Paralyzed from the waist down (and you think you’ve got problems), Mitchell was understandably depressed about being confined to a wheelchair for life. Then a friend gave him the same advice he’d earlier given to her: “It doesn’t matter what happens to you. What matters is what you decide to do about it.”
So Mitchell adopted the “Triple-A Formula.”
1. Accept what has happened. Otherwise you live in denial, or open yourself to resentment and self-pity.
2. Appreciate what you can learn from it. Built into every painful experience is the potential to be wiser, stronger and more effective for God.
3. Adapt to the new opportunities it presents. It was darkness that drove Edison to keep searching until he discovered a source of light (and it can do that for you, too). Since then, Will Mitchell has held public office, found love, and given hundreds of talks.
He says, “Before I was paralyzed there were 10,000 things I could do, now there 9,000. Should I focus on 1,000 things I can’t do? No, I’d rather concentrate on 9,000 ways in which life is still good.”
So, whatever we’re facing today, it’s not too big for God. It can be turned around through “His power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

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More Than We Ask Or Imagineby Alan Smith
A 60-year-old couple was celebrating their 40th year of marriage. During the celebration, a genie appeared and said, “Because you have been such a loving couple all those years, I would like to give you each one wish.”
The wife quickly chimed in, “I want to travel around the world.” The genie waved his arms and, POOF!, she had the tickets in her hand.
Next, it was the husband’s turn. He paused for a moment, then said shyly, “Well, I’d like to have a wife 30 years younger than me.” The genie waved his arms and, POOF!, he was 90 years old.
We seem to be fascinated by stories of magic genies granting wishes (why is it usually three wishes?). Which of us hasn’t sat and wondered at some point in time, “If a genie granted me three wishes, what would I wish for?”
God is not, as some imagine Him, a magic genie waiting at our beck and call to give us everything we ask for (see James 4:3). But there is certainly that level of power and ability at His disposal. Listen to these words of Paul: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)
God is able to do more than I ask of Him. That’s pretty amazing, considering that I have some pretty difficult requests. Furthermore (and this is really mind-boggling), God is able to do more than I can even imagine! I don’t know about you, but I can imagine quite a bit. Yet, Paul assures us that God is not only able to do all that we ask or imagine -- he is able to do more, immeasurably more!
When things in life are beyond my control, I find comfort in knowing that God has such power -- not the power of an imaginary genie but the power of a living awesome Father. Sometimes we offer to pray for others saying, “It’s the least I can do.” How wrong we are. Considering the power of God, it’s the most we can do!

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When I Pray... Author Unknown
When I PrayI can acknowledge that my help comes from above (Psalm 121:1, 2).
I can acknowledge that if God is for me, no one else can be against me (Romans 8:31).
I can see my unworthiness contrasted with the magnificence of God (Nehemiah 1:5-7).
I can, as a child, talk to my Father (Matthew 7:11).
I can pursue the will of God in my life (Matthew 26:39).
I can seek true wisdom (James 1:5).
I can seek the blessings of God on behalf of the ones I love (John 17:20, 21).
I can seek forgiveness—even for my secret sins (Acts 8:22).
I can ask what ever I want—according to his will (1 John 5:14).
I can have confidence that my prayer will be heard (1 John 5:14, 15).
I can thank God for all that has done and is doing on my behalf (Philippians 2: 13; 4:6).
I can thank God for my brothers and sisters in Christ (Philippians 1:3).
I can draw closer to God (James 4:8).
I can petition God on behalf of the sick (James 5:13, 16).
I can take advantage of the promises God has made (Hebrews 13:5).
I can “tap into” the vast resources of heaven (Ephesians 3:20).
I can request help in resistance of the devil (Ephesians 6:18).
I can win a battle against the devil (James 4:7).
I can separate my self from the world—for a while (Matthew 6:6).
I can expect mercy and grace in time of trouble (Hebrews 4:16).
I can find peace (Philippians 4:7).

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Red Headed Woodpecker by Sally I. Kennedy
Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11
Give us each day our daily bread. Luke 11:3
..give me only my daily bread.. Proverbs 30:8
For a small bird the red headed woodpecker out back sure could make a lot of noise. Even with the windows closed you could make out the distinct rat-tat-tat. I watched as he intently gripped the brushy tops of the palm tree trunk just below the fronds, a lush place for all sorts of little tasty bugs. He would rear his head back and with a determined thrust of his beak dive right in to get the food he was after.
As I walked outdoors and rounded the corner, he cautiously edged around the back of the tree out of my sight, and as he did so he continued pecking away. He wasn't about to let my approaching interrupt his determined meal seeking.
When the Israelites were in the desert for a couple of generations, God literally sent them bread/manna every single day. Each morning it was fresh, not moldy left-overs. When we open God's word, read it or listen to it, Holy Spirit gives us fresh 'bread' - His word for us for the now.
That's how it works. So like the red-headed woodpecker, it's a great idea to persist for the food we can receive anytime we want, always fresh and timely.

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A Good Reason to Pray With Others by Aletha Hinthorn
God multiplies the results when we unite! When two or more people pray together, their prayer power is not only added together but also multiplied. In medicine a drug reaction called "synergism" parallels this principle. Some medicines by themselves are ineffective against certain diseases, but when combined with another medicine, they accomplish much more than either could alone.
C. Peter Wagner tells that when he was young he attended "horse pulls." One of the strongest horses could pull 7,000 pounds and another an amazing 9,000 pounds. But when the two horses were hitched together, they could pull 33,000 pounds.
Many light bulbs shining together make a bright light. But if they are concentrated into one light beam, they illuminate much greater distances. Think of your agreeing in prayer as focusing your light into a laser beam that God can use to reach those "inaccessible" situations.
"Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand" (Lev. 26:8). This Old Testament promise to those fighting battles also applies to prayer.
Jesus is attracted to unity. He values our uniting so much that He says if we are united in asking for His will, He will reward us. Our prayers will become synergistic!
Thank You, Jesus, for giving us a powerful reason to be united with others.
If two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, together make a symphony) about anything and everything - whatever they all ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven" (Matt. 18:19 Amplified.).

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
You are entering a new phase of existence where you have a tendency to feel disoriented. In order to re-establish firm footing in this new spiritual environment, you will need to stay spiritually aware. You must pay close attention to the details of where you are and what you do and still see everything through the eyes of the Spirit. This may feel like multi-tasking, but it will soon become your new normal, says the Lord. Refuse discouragement. Proverbs 10:25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

Whatever comes your way, get on top of it as quickly as possible. Don't let the enemy's tactics get you down or keep you down. I have given you authority to gain the victory over every attack. Trust Me, says the Lord, to lift you up, strengthen you, and cause you to stand strong. Just don't be afraid. Hebrews 12:12-13 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

To those who have taken a wrong turn and have gotten on the wrong track, I say it is not too late to make a course correction and get back into a solid place spiritually. What's done is done. You cannot allow past mistakes to define who you are or where you are going. Make a concerted effort to get right spiritually. You must be righteous before the rest of your life will fall into proper order, says the Lord. Isaiah 60:21 Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.

Survey your environment, and take time to assess current conditions. You will need to quiet your inner chatter in order to be objective so that you can see, hear and discern spiritual reality. Allow My presence to permeate everything in and around you. Let your faith become the primary resource in life. Only then can you act according to My will and purposes, says the Lord. James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Stand up My people! Shake off the dust of that which has come against you. Declare to yourself that you will rise above all that is a hindrance. For, I am calling you in this moment to come forth and come out of all oppression, all depression, all doubt and discouragement. Believe fully in Me. I will provide the power of your faith, says the Lord. Faith becomes a substance as you stand fully upon it to receive that which you need in this season.

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GOD IS ALWAYS NEAR Author Unknown
One thing can always cheer me
When I'm feeling sad and low
When I tired of daily trials
That I have to undergo,
When those who should
Seem closest, seem like
People I don't know,
One thing can always cheer me
I know that God is near me.
One thing can always cheer me
When I do not understand
How pain and sadness
In our lives
Can get so out of hand,
When the best of human efforts
Doesn't meet the days demands,
One thing can always cheer me
I know that God is always near me.
One thing can always cheer me
More than anything I've known
And show me I will never
Have to struggle on my own
For no matter what might happen
I will never be alone
The thing that will always cheer me
Is just knowing God is near me.
Our lives are in God's loving
Hands, in everything we do
He is with us constantly,
He always sees us through.
And if our faith is strong enough
We'll never walk alone,
For with His great and perfect love
He takes care of His own.

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God’s Garden by Herbert Wendell Austin
I tarried alone in the garden,
All burdened with worry and care;
I yearned for a friend in the garden,
And, lo! He was tarrying there!
For God seemed to be in the garden
Where flowers and butterflies play;
And happiness came to the garden,
My worries and cares went away!
The birds in the treetops assure me
That Heaven’s as near as the air;
And beautiful visions of Nature
Call gently my spirit to prayer.
“Consider the lilies”—said Jesus,
For even a lily can teach;
And I, in the heart of God’s Garden,
Hear sermons that men never preach.

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Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:21

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:17-22

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16-17

We walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 2 Peter 1:5-7

Teach me, O LORD, to follow every one of your principles. Give me understanding and I will obey your law; I will put it into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Psalm 119:33-35

"I am counting on the Lord: yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His Word." Psalm 130:5

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U-Turn by Julie Bowles
Life runs along mostly predictably for many of us. Yes, we have things tucked into the far corners of our minds about health and retirement and so on. But when a family has a medical crisis, these thoughts instantly find their way back into everyday thinking, as life changes immediately to meet this need.
For two weeks in August, this was our world: juggling hospital visits and hospital meetings, making decisions about prospective new living arrangements for my father-in-law, taking care of a pet, and, oh yes, fitting family and work into the day.
I tend to find that when events like this bring a change to my routine, I forget where my anchor is and Who my anchor is, and I live moment by moment. For three days, I had this sentence in my head: "Greater is He Who is living in me, than he who is living in the world." I was waking up with this sentence in my head, and it kept popping into my head throughout the day and evenings. Finally on the fourth day, I searched the Bible to see if this was a verse.
1 John 4:4 – You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (NIV)
Later that day as I was driving with the radio on, a song by MercyMe came on the radio called "Greater". A few minutes into the song, the lyrics I heard were:
'Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed
When others say I'll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
(written by Barry Graul, Bart Millard, Ben Glover, David Garcia, Jim Bryson, Mike Scheuchzer, Nathan Cochran, and Robby Shaffer)
What a truth to hear and to hold onto when the world is crashing in on us! I was humbled how the Lord first used the Scripture, and when this didn't get my attention, the same words in a song. This caused the U-turn moment for me right then and there.
What about you? How is the Lord working a U-turn in you? If this is a difficult time for you, have you noticed what or who the Lord is putting in your life to help you navigate and provide a U-turn back to Him? I believe that He is constantly providing U-turn opportunities in the lives of those who call Him their own.
Psalm 85.8 – I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants — but let them not turn to folly. (NIV 2011)
Let us pray and ask the Lord to use us as His vessels to provide U-turn moments that will take people to Him.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that You care so much for us that You give us Scripture and songs as well as people that guide us back to You. Help each of us always to be a vessel for this world in all that we say and do. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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Father help us to keep our hope in you. Help us to stay positive because We are Your children.

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Read Through The Bible
Ezra 7
The Arrival of Ezra
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. 7 Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra
11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel: 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth. 13 I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 And whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand; 15 and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem; 16 and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem— 17 now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. 18 And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God. 19 Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king’s treasury. 21 And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently, 22 up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit. 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? 24 Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God. 25 And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them. 26 Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it be death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment. 27 Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.

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God, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I together can't handle. Living one day at a time, in this moment, cause this moment is all I got. God Bless, take care!

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=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.