Weekly Spiritual Meditations - March 10

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“Refuse to spend your days focused on your mistakes…. Let them go, and allow God to bring you beauty from those ashes. Take hope in the knowledge that God redeems every situation.” – Joyce Meyer

Consider the beauty and fragrance of the flowers, the exquisite nature of the butterfly, the stateliness of the horse, the cuddliness of the little puppy. Look up at the stars in their courses and at the sun sending forth its life-giving rays. In all the works of nature let your mind dwell upon the glorious wisdom of God. Jerry Bridges

God continues to cultivate new life in us each day.

God offers us unconditional love, support, and forgiveness; fulfills our needs; and never fails us. When we profess our faith in Christ, we become part of God’s family.

With Christ we can face any problem imaginable.

When we allow God to direct us in everything we do, we encourage others to do the same.

When we listen and pay attention, God gives us many opportunities to serve by sharing our faith and serving and supporting one another.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to God is our time.

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YOU CAN HAVE IT... BUT I WANT IT BACK!!! by Steve Blair
If you have children, or you are around young children, then you'll recognize this: Two toddlers are sitting on the floor playing. Suzie is playing with her blocks, and Davey is trying to decide what to play with. Suzie tells Davey, "Davey, you can play with ANY of my toys. I'm playing with the blocks, but you can use ANYTHING that you want"
So Davey takes her up on it. He picks up her toy telephone, and begins calling his little sister. He's having a great time... such a great time that Suzie suddenly wants to play with the telephone, so she reaches out and grabs the phone. Davey, of course, is upset, and tells her that HE was playing with the phone because she told him that he could use anything that he wanted to. Her response is, "I know that I gave it to you, but I want it back to play with it myself".
Do we ever do the same thing with God? He tells us (in one of my favorite verses) to "cast your cares upon the Lord, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) But how often do we really cast them to Him, and allow Him to keep them? Do we take them back to "play with them ourselves for a while?"
I don't know about you, but I'm really good at giving God the burdens of my heart, but taking them back from Him and worrying with them for a bit, and then giving them back to Him. I'm good at SAYING that I'm giving God my cares and worries, but I don't seem to truly let them go. Sound familiar?
Worried about your family? Concerned with your finances? Got a health problem keeping you up late? Problems with your relationship with your spouse? Your Boss getting on your nerves?
Philippians 4:6-9 says "Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you."
There it is, my friends - in simple English - by prayer, and in faith, give your concerns to God. Then, again by prayer and in faith, allow Him to KEEP them, and watch as His will is done with your requests. Remember that sometimes He says wait, and sometimes He also says no. The peace that is promised will come as you allow Him to move in your life, and as you align your life with His will.
Want God to help you carry the load? Then give Him your concerns, and DON'T TAKE THEM BACK!

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Traffic Jams And Big Trucks by Sylvia Alloway
Ephesians 5:20 – Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)
I had been working at the computer all day, finishing up a writing assignment. My eyes were tired and dry, but I had an important evening appointment. Since I live in LA — Los Angeles, California, USA — there was only one way to get there: on the freeway (or the expressway, as they say back east).
Now, there are two things that freeway drivers can't abide: traffic jams and big trucks. Both slow you down, and no LA driver puts up easily with that.
But I had to get there, so I used some eyedrops and set out to brave the infamous Golden State Freeway 5. Halfway there, I realized that I'd forgotten to bring my eyedrops. Blinking and peering resolutely out of the top of my bifocals, I made it to my appointment. But then, I had to get home. My eyes continued painful and dry until just as I hit the onramp, when my vision went blurry.
In front of me was a large truck. As long as I stayed behind that truck, I could see to keep in my lane, if he didn't go too fast. And what should we encounter at that very moment but a traffic jam! All the way home, I drove slowly, staying behind one truck or another, keeping my car in line with its tail lights. When I finally turned safely onto my street, I breathed a sigh of relief and a prayer: "Lord, I have never said this before and probably never will again, but thank You for traffic jams and big trucks!"
Most of us are familiar with the many verses that tell us to give thanks, but we're not sure that God really means it. Always giving thanks for everything? Really? Even amid things that bring us pain and frustration? Yes. God wants us to be thankful through trials, big and small, to teach us patience, to stop us grumbling, and even to keep us safe on the freeway. When we give thanks, we show how much we trust Him.
So, keep in mind today that God may be using the very circumstances that annoy you to do you good. And give thanks!
Prayer: Dear Lord, we give thinks for the things that frustrate us, for the circumstances that slow us down, and for the people who try our patience. We thank You for the growth and the good that You will bring from our trials if we do not lose heart. In the name of Jesus, we thankfully pray. Amen.

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Kindness by William Hamblen
This week, I heard the roar of the garbage truck, and I realized that I had two blue recycling boxes, which they had emptied, to bring back into the garage.
I thought of our other house, before we moved, where every week, the boy next door always brought in my garbage containers for me. It was a small token of kindness, but even after ten years, I had not forgotten it.
Kindness is encouraged throughout the Bible.
Colossians 3:12 – Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (NIV)
Are we forgetting kindness in our world today? Have you had an opportunity in a supermarket, on the highway, or in the neighbourhood to demonstrate the importance of kindness to a neighbour or a stranger?
Don't think that acts of kindness must be big. At the battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War, a general, noticing that a small bird had fallen from its nest, dismounted from his horse and very carefully picked the bird up and placed it back in the nest. Other people said, "How can you waste time with a bird in the middle of a great battle?"
He replied, "If someday I reach paradise, it will not be for the great battles I have won but for the small things, like saving this bird."
Why do we think all kindness needs to be big? Perhaps it's because of the importance of the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards us all.
Titus 3:4-5 – But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. (NIV)
Nevertheless, following His example in small acts of kindness, like bringing in my garbage containers, will be long remembered.
Prayer: O Lord, we long to grow in our faith and see You more clearly as we meditate on Scripture. May we not forget that our spirits must be fed and watered by Your Word every day. May we go forth, remembering Your commandments and showing our kindness towards all. Amen.

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The Depth and Width of Your Calling by Os Hillman
"If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer." - 2 Corinthians 1:6
"God must love you a lot! He doesn't allow someone to go through the kinds of adversity you have experienced unless He has a special calling on your life." Those were the words said to me by two different mentors at two different times within a three-year period. Later I would learn another related truth from a respected man of God - a man who lives in another country, a man whom God uses throughout the globe. "The depth and width of your faith experiences are directly proportional to your calling." What were these men of God saying?
They were describing a process of preparation that God takes each of His leaders through when He plans to use them in significant ways. A "faith experience" is an event or "spiritual marker" in your life about which you can say, "That is where I saw God personally moving in my life." It is an unmistakable event in which God showed Himself personally to you. It was the burning bush for Moses; the crossing of the Red Sea or the Jordan River for the nation of Israel; Jacob's encounter with the angel. It was the feeding of the 5,000 for the disciples. It was the time when you saw God face to face in your life.
If God has plans of using you in the lives of many others, you can expect that He is going to allow certain faith experiences to come into your life in order to build a foundation that will be solid. That foundation is what you will be able to look back on to keep you faithful to Him in the times of testing. Each of us must have personal faith experiences in which we experience God personally so that we can move in faith to whatever He may call us. Do you need a personal faith experience right now in your life? Pray that God will reveal Himself to you. He delights in doing that.

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Pain by Dee Renaud
Some days, I'm in a lot of pain. It seems that my whole body aches. Other days, it's like the pain moves from one place to another. It might be my legs or my feet or my knees or my hands. Oh, the joys of getting older and having arthritis! On the days when I have no pain, I am so grateful, and I try to figure out what I may or may not be doing to cause the pain.
Jesus knew all about pain. He suffered incredible pain when He died on the cross. We can't even begin to imagine how much pain He suffered! But we do know why.
Sin.
Not His sin, because He had no sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 – God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV 2011)
Our sin. He took our sins upon Himself.
1 Peter 2:24 – "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." (NIV 2011)
Love.
Our heavenly Father loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for us.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV 2011)
Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to give His very life for us and suffer the pain of dying on the cross so that we could be saved from our sins and have eternal life when we believe in Him and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.
1 John 3:16a – This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. (NIV 2011)
John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. (NIV 2011)
Everyone has sinned.
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (NIV 2011)
Have you accepted God's forgiveness for your sins? Jesus paid the price. He is willing to forgive us when we come to Him in faith.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your only Son Jesus to die for our sins. Jesus, we can't begin to imagine the pain that You suffered on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could live forever. We thank You that even though we were sinners, You loved us so much that You were willing to suffer and die for us. What amazing love! We are humbled and grateful. By Your Spirit, help us to live our lives in a way that honours You and brings You glory. We pray in Your holy name. Amen.

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Thirty-Five Years in the Light: Reflections on My Conversion by Chuck Colson
A lot of people have asked me what I think about when I remember back to that hot, humid August night in 1973 when Tom Phillips, then the president of the Raytheon Company, witnessed to me in his home. I left his house that night shaken by the words he had read from C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity about pride. It felt as if Lewis were writing about me, former Marine captain, Special Counsel to the President of the United States, now in the midst of the Watergate scandal. I had an overwhelming sense that I was unclean.
After talking to Tom, I found that when I got to the automobile to drive away, I couldn't. I was crying too hard - and I was not one to ever cry. I spent an hour calling out to God. I did not even know the right words. I simply knew that I wanted Him. And I knew for certain that the God who created the universe heard my cry.
From the next morning to this day, I have never looked back. I can honestly say that the worst day of the last 35 years has been better than the best days of the 41 years that preceded it. That's a pretty bold statement, given my time in prison, three major surgeries, and two kids with cancer at the same time, but it is absolutely true.
That's because, for the last 35 years - whether in pain, suffering, joy, or jubilation, it makes no difference - I have known there was a purpose. I have known that I belong to Christ and that I am here on earth to advance His Kingdom.
Would I have ever known that if Tom had not witnessed to me?
The reason I visited Tom that fateful night was that I was coming back to his company as counsel. But before he met with me, Tom prayed about how he should treat me. After all, here was his lawyer, mixed up in the Watergate affair. Tom later told me that God spoke to him: "Tell Chuck Colson about me, because he needs a friend." God was certainly right! I was as desperate and lonely as a man could be.
But get this: Never before in Tom Phillips's life had God told him to share the Gospel. Never before had he done so.
But in total obedience, Tom followed God's lead, and the result? A ministry that now spreads all around the world to 114 countries, tens of thousands of men and women coming out of prison being redeemed by the blood of Christ, and then finding their place in community; and the whole Church being sensitized to the needs of the least of these in our midst.
I also wonder what might have happened to me, personally, had I not encountered the living God that night or some other time. I do not really think I would be alive today. Before my conversion I drank, partied, and smoked heavily. I do not think I would be seeing my 77th birthday, which I will this October.
And if I managed somehow to survive the high-powered party life in Washington among the rich, famous, and powerful, I would have been so miserable I don't think I could have lived with myself. If I did not know for sure that the God who created us sent His Son to die on a cross that my sins might be forgiven, I would have long ago suffocated in the stench of my own sin.
So how do you celebrate 35 years as a Christian? By recommitting yourself to use every available moment, every ounce of energy, in service of the King. For what He has done for me, how could I ever do less?
So how do we celebrate our life as a Christian? By recommitting ourselves to use every available moment, every ounce of energy, in service of the King. For what He has done for us, how could we ever do less?

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
You have endured everything from inconvenience to hardship with every circumstance lending to the understanding of life, people and yourself. The lessons learned have been invaluable and ultimately have had the potential of making you stronger than you have ever been as you trust Me in all things. You are truly being transformed into My image, says the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Set a watch over your mind and emotions so that you don't get carried away from truth and reality. You must be quiet enough to perceive and discern spiritually so that you know what I am doing and where I am taking you, says the Lord. That which the enemy has meant to be evil or harmful to you, I will turn to your benefit. Make every effort to get in the flow of My Spirit. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Be strong and stay steady. You have been in a time of sifting and sorting to know the difference between what is vital for you to retain and what needs to be discarded. Much of what you are hanging on to will soon be shown to be detrimental to your spiritual well-being and growth. You must decide what is necessary to your existence both now and in the days to come, says the Lord. Choose wisely. 2 Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever.

You, My people, are on the verge of breaking through into higher ground. It is as though you have been sleeping, and you are trying to wake up and open your eyes. You are just now being stirred to greater awareness of the spiritual realm and activity. Press through this period of virtual hibernation with the strength of your desire to come higher, says the Lord. The time is now. Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Now is the time to be encouraged by renewing yourself in the truth of My Word. Bolster your faith by reminding yourself what you believe and why you believe it. Your mind and heart need to be cleansed from the doubt and unbelief that keep you from receiving the benefits brought about by strong faith, says the Lord. James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Everything that you have had to face and deal with in recent weeks and months has been for the purpose of revealing your heart as you take advantage of opportunities to make necessary changes. If you will stop for a moment and review how far you have come, you will see that you have grown spiritually. You have also learned to rely on Me more completely, says the Lord. Psalms 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
I heard the Lord say, "Today you heard My word and it is true. For, if you will embrace the process of clearing the clutter from your mind, you will indeed hear Me. You will see the things that I've desired to show you. You will know of the things that I want to do for you and with you. This process is for each and every one of My children. Only believe what I am saying and set yourself to receive."

I am establishing a standard among My people. I am establishing this plumbline so that you might see that as I visit you, the power of the kingdom will come to bear upon your heart and then the manifestation will indeed flow through you. For, this is the time of fulfillment in the day of My power. And, it shall come to pass even as it is written, for My word cannot be broken; the scriptures cannot be changed. They come with timeliness in the right season according to My will. So, I say to you, now it is time for you to arise to your position. It is time for you to become My priests and do the work of a priest. It is time for you to honor Me as it should be in your lives; give Me the glory, give Me the honor. Come to Me with words of praise and thanksgiving and I will indeed meet with you and reveal your purpose, for I am about to carry you into the things that I have designed for this season, says the Lord.

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God, you are all knowing,
You always have a plan.
There's nothing that surprises you;
You always understand.
Please help me to remember,
and teach me to embrace,
You are everything I need,
no matter what I face.
Anne Peterson

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The Path Of Faith by Shirley W. Langley
I know not why that on this path
My feet were made to trod.
I only know my destiny
Is best left up to God.
He does not lead me week by week,
Nor even day by day,
But step by step my path unfolds
As He directs my way.
The path that I am following
Is called the Path of Faith.
The strength I need to walk this path
Is drawn from God's own grace.
It matters not how far away
My feet are made to roam,
I rest assured the Path of Faith
Will one day lead me home.

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Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:30-31

I wait for You; You will answer, Lord my God. — Psalm 38:15

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. — Psalm 31:24

In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly. — Psalm 5:3

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. — Psalm 33:20

If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17

God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan. - Ephesians 1:5

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. - Colossians 4:5

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Oscars and Empty Houses By Ron Hutchcraft
Well, once again the cinema's "beautiful people" were there for Hollywood's annual celebration of itself. It's all about that little gold guy they call Oscar.
Well, for some reason, the Hollywood news takes me back to a tour that our family did at Universal Studios some years ago. The tram took us through some scenes that would be familiar to veteran moviegoers - like a street in 1920s Chicago (you know, Al Capone style?), an Old West town, a World War II French village. Impressive stuff.
It made you want to go in some of those buildings and check it out. Don't bother. When you open the door, there's nothing there. It's only a set. It looks really good on the outside, but it's empty on the inside.
Now, sadly, there are a lot of lives like that. Oh, the outside looks great: smiles, style, success. Just don't open the door.
Years ago, I was working with our local high school football team, and they actually won the state championship. And, I had some good relationships with the players, and I took one of their star linemen out to lunch after he had won it all you know, and we're talking about his aspirations for his senior year and he said, "Ron, when I was a junior I had three things I wanted. I wanted to win a championship, I wanted a scholarship, and I wanted lots of friends." I said, "Yeah." And he said, "Man, I got 'em all." I said, "That's awesome!"
And then, well it was crazy. I'd never seen him with tears in his eyes, even when he was on the sidelines experiencing a lot of pain in the game. But he had tears in his eyes right in this restaurant. And he said, "Ron, I got everything I wanted." And then he said, "Why am I so empty?" Well, I'll tell you what...that's a question that lurks behind the "set" in a lot of people's hearts, "Why am I so empty?"
The woman Jesus met at a well one day; she was one of them. As her story unfolds, we learn that she had had a lot of men in her life. We can guess she was pretty attractive, I guess, and even pursued. Well, she came to that well to draw water. And Jesus said, "Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again."
Think about those words, "Thirsty again." See, that's the problem with every "well" we go to for satisfaction in life - we inevitably end up "thirsty again." For this woman, every relationship - every guy - had been a well that left her empty inside. But then Jesus said, "Every one who drinks of the water I give him will have in him a well springing up to everlasting life" (John 4:13 ). Wow! Well, that day, that woman traded never-lasting for everlasting.
Now, that was not an easy offer to make to us. See, He's still making that offer to all of us thirsty people today, because the hole in my heart is so big that only God can fill it. But for Jesus, it meant going to a cross to pay for the sins that separate us from God; that make a wall between us; that caused God to say in the Bible, "Your sins have separated you from your God." That's in Isaiah 59:2 . And so, here is this wall between me and the God whose love I was made for, who knows the reason I'm here, and who has the keys to the heaven that I want to go to someday.
But Jesus came and made the offer after a life of never-lasting things. "I can give you that which is everlasting. I want to put the well inside you so you don't have to depend on something outside you ever again." And He's the well.
I wonder if there's ever been a time in your life when you've actually opened up your heart and said, "Jesus, I'm Yours?" Why don't you get that done today? Tell Him that today.
Maybe you'll go to our website. I want to invite you to go there because I think you'll find some help in making sure you belong to Him. It's YoursForLife.net. I hope you'll check it out today.
Life with Jesus is more than a hollow set. There's life inside.

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Dear Lord, I pray that you will heal, bless, protect, restore, fix, help, direct, break addictions, set free, and cover us all for everyone who's asked for Your Divine help and deliverance in their/our prayers. God ONLY YOU, can and WILL do it for ALL of us who's called upon you. Thank you in great advance for Your love and care for us all. Let us continue to TRUST YOU as we wait for your blessings and favor upon and in our lives. In Your Name I pray.
Amen & Amen!

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Read Through The Bible
Psalm 57
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah. 7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

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I Am Your Sheep
Jesus Christ, Lord of all things, You see my heart; You know my desires. Possess all that I am, You alone. I am Your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the evil that tempts me daily. Amen.

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.