Weekly Spiritual Meditations - September 23

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You may not think God cares about your problems, but He does. Even now, because you are His child, He is working on your behalf. David Jeremiah

The joy and sadness mixed up in daily life may both contain blessings. Sometimes the greater blessings can be found in the stormy moments. Living in Christ means all our life events are opportunities to experience his love. The more difficult ones may well bring us richer experiences of his grace.

When we face a problem, we can find refuge in God.

Whenever we feel alone and wonder who will understand or how we can continue, we can remember that Jesus has already been there. He hears our cries and stands ready to walk with us through whatever difficulties we face. He holds us up in our lowest moments. He offers hope when life seems hopeless and celebrates with us when our hardships cease. Jesus knows. Jesus cares.

In the vastness of the universe, each of us is held tenderly in the hands of our loving God.

"If you want a blessed life, put God first. It's that simple. It doesn't mean life won't be difficult but it does mean that we will be companioned by a Love greater than any power in the world." --Mary Manin Morrissey

God is a friend who walks in when everyone else walks out.

From God: No matter how big, no matter how small, Just come to me and tell me it all.

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The Voice by Sally I. Kennedy
"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out...He goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:3-4
We were sitting around rehashing football games, slumber parties, teachers, and who went steady with whom. Yup, we were getting ready for another class reunion.
The last time we had one, I remember thinking that the guys had definitely changed more than the girls, especially in the hair department! I recall looking at the Yearbook picture name tags; how memories came flooding back.
One thing stands out most in my mind from that reunion. Although most of our appearances were drastically different from high school days, one thing had not changed one iota. That was our voices. I discovered I could identify people when I heard them speak, even if I didn't recognize them from the way they looked.
How interesting. I thought of what Jesus said: the sheep listen to the shepherd's voice, and they follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, because they don't recognize his voice.How great to think that as we listen to the voice of our own shepherd, Jesus, and follow him, we won't get mis-led or go off in the wrong direction. He is speaking, and we know His voice. It is Love, and it never changes. That is good news.

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When You're Gasping for Air by Larry Eide
I remember an incident as a boy when we were at the Oregon Coast, and I was knocked over by a wave. The back pull of the current was so strong that I couldn't regain my footing and was being dragged by the waves, gasping for air and thinking I was going to be dragged out to sea. Thankfully I wasn't, so that I'm able to write you these thoughts. But for a few moments of struggling on that Oregon beach, I had trouble catching a breath or getting control of the circumstances. Although it wasn't at a beach, my wife had a similar experience growing up on a farm in Iowa when she was playing around a grain bin while it was loading, lost her footing, fell in and was being covered by grain until noticed by her father and rescued from her crisis.
All of us have incidents and experiences and seasons in life when it feels like things are out of control and inwardly we're gasping for air, trying to catch our breath but feeling overwhelmed and a bit like the waves of worry, fear, sorrow, anxiety, depression, discouragement, or other emotions are sweeping over us and we're fighting a losing battle. If you're in one of those seasons, or when you are, take heart and have courage remembering the character, promises, and plans of God for you. When you're caught up in the experience or immediate circumstance it's easy for that to become your main focus, but returning to the big picture in your heart and mind will bring renewed strength, hope, and courage to catch your breath, regain your footing, and find the ability to move forward and through the circumstances.
I experienced this personally during this summer season, which held many blessings for which I am deeply thankful, but also some heavy testings which related to the struggles of three of our children. As parents we naturally identify with them and carry their burdens with them, and at one point I found myself inwardly feeling like I was gasping for air, pleading for the mercy of Christ. It was in focusing on the character, promises, and plans of God for my children as well as my wife and I that I was able to regain my footing and move forward with confidence and courage.
Jesus has said that he will be with us always, that he uses all things to work for the good of those who love him, that he loves us and is accomplishing supernaturally a plan for our lives that is good and pleasing and perfect. It's important to remember that when the struggles of life start to overwhelm you and you feel like you can hardly catch your breath. At those times, take a deep spiritual breath and let the life and love of Christ renew you and let his strength be made powerfully evident in your weakness!
"Breathe on me, breath of God! Fill me with life anew, that I might love as you've loved & do what you would do! Help me BREATHE in Your Holy Spirit and exhale SELF. I can do all things in Christ, Who strengthens me! In Jesus Holy Name! Amen!" POW!

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A Quiet Life by Tom
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, NIV)
“A quiet life?” Some of you read that phrase and thought, “Dream on, Dude! Ain’t happening! You can talk about living a quiet life all you want, but you don’t know the world I live in. There is nothing quiet about it!”
Unfortunately I hear statements like that too often. Unfortunately I also find myself thinking along those same lines and using similar language.
There are two words in the sentence that appear to be contradictory: “ambition” and “quiet life.” We rarely put those two words together.
When we think of ambition we think of climbing the corporate ladder, getting to top before anyone else, winning at all cost, being the very best, being a high achiever, and accumulating the most. Ambition is often spelled B-U-S-Y. Ambition speaks of hustle and hurry.
When we think of a quiet life we hear Jesus say, “Come to me and I will give you rest.” We hear the Psalmist say: “Be still and know that I am God.” The quiet life reminds us of peaceful waters, green pasture, and a restored soul.
When we think of ambition we are reminded of the disciples arguing over, “Who is the greatest?” When we think of the quiet life we are reminded of Jesus going off by Himself to a quiet place.
When we think of ambition we have visions of the President. When we think of the quiet life we see images of a father fishing with his son on the bank of a pond.
When we think of ambition we see the corner office with a spectacular view of the city. When we think of the quiet life we see Granddaddy sitting in his rocker on the front porch.
When we think ambition we often think hard-working and successful. When we think of the quiet life we often think lazy and failure.
Is the quiet life feasible in our day? It must be and Paul provides three simple guidelines for living the quiet life.
Plan for it. The quiet life will not just happen. It must be your ambition. It must be your goal. You must plan for it. You will not wake up one morning and suddenly your world has become quiet. You will need to work at living a quiet life. There will be things you must stop if you are going to live a quiet life. You will need to shut down and shut out some of the noise in your life, get rid of some of the clutter in your life, and focus on what really matters. To have a quiet life you must desire a quiet life.
Mind your own business. Wow! What a difference that will make! Do not read that statement like siblings would say it to each other: “Mind your own business!” Read like a loving spiritual parent would say it to their spiritual son or daughter who is trying to be the person God wants them to be: “Just mind your own business. It’s not your responsibility to straighten out the rest of the world. You have plenty to do taking care of your own business. Don’t borrow frustration from someone else. Just mind your own business.” Social media would certainly change if we started minding our own business. Conversations between friends would sound different. That does not mean you ignore the needs of other people. Paul has covered that in other places. As a general rule, mind your own business.
Do your own job. Work with your hands. What have you been trained to do? Do that. What are you most passionate about? Do that. Do it well. Work hard at what you are gifted to do. You cannot do someone else’s job and still do your well. If you are teacher, then be a teacher. If you are a preacher, then be a preacher. If you are an artist, be an artist. If you are a police officer, be a police officer. If you serve coffee, then serve coffee.
The quiet life often escapes us not because it is unachievable, but because we make excuses, because we enjoy being (or appearing) over-worked and over-committed, and because we simply refuse to make it our ambition. It is your choice. Is it important? Is it possible? God thought it was important enough to include in His Book. Maybe this week you will experience the quiet life.

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Blind Horse by Alison Cotter
Just up the road from my home is a field with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if one stops the car, or is walking by, one will notice something quite amazing.
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.
Listening, one will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, one will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her bridle is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As one stands and watches these two friends, one sees how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is -- trusting that she will not lead him astray.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by God and those whom he places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see God.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, who watches over even a blind old horse, thank you for watching over us and leading us to You. Amen.

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DO WHAT YOU CAN by Joseph J. Mazzella
I was in a rush to get my power bill payment in the mail today. I pulled my car into the post office parking lot, hopped out, and started quickly walking towards the entrance. Then I saw something green on the sidewalk. I looked down and saw a hummingbird lying on the concrete with her wings spread out. She was breathing slowly in and out but not moving otherwise. I squatted down to take a closer look. She appeared more stunned than injured and I wondered if she had accidently flown into the clear glass window on the side of the building. I was sure of one thing, though. If she stayed where she was for much longer she was either going to be accidently stepped on or end up as dinner for a stray cat. Taking the tiny bird gently in my hand I lifted her up, carried her over to the green grass, and with a few kind words lay her down.
I hoped that the camouflage of the grass would give her time to recover and said a prayer to God for her safety. Then I left her and went into the post office. The next day I returned and checked the area around where I had left her. She was gone. I smiled and imagined her flying happily around and feasting at someone’s bird feeder. It felt good knowing that even if I hadn’t done much, I had done what I could.
So often the things we do seem so small. What we don’t realize, however, is that every single one of them is important in the eyes of God. Do what you can then to make this world a better place. Do what you can to share the love within you. It can be as simple as a prayer. It can be as little as a hug. It can be as tiny as a few coins offered to help another. It can be as small as a
kind word, a smile, or a wave. It can be as itty bitty as helping a hummingbird off the sidewalk.
In the eyes of Heaven they are all priceless, they are all powerful, and they are all eternal. In the eyes of God they are all beacons of the light in our souls and the love in our hearts.

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Letting Go Of Finances
Letting go doesn't mean we don't care. It's about having faith that things will work out. Let's take a look at how letting go applies to the issue of money.
John had been an alcoholic for years. Over time, the disease destroyed his life, including his financial health. He hit bottom and finally began recovery. After a while, he was able to start making progress in life.
But his finances were in terrible shape. For a while, he hid all the bills in a drawer. Then one day, he took out the bills and started to make a plan. Instead of feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, he applied the Twelve Steps to this area of his life. He called his creditors. He gave himself a budget. He did the best that he could and he let go of the rest.
Slowly, over the years, he began to rebuild his credit. He paid off his debts, a little at a time. He applied for a credit card, the kind you have to pay in advance. Then after a year, his limit was raised. He doesn't use the card for credit; he uses it for a credit rating. He's now got a checking and savings account. He pays his taxes and manages to save a little every week. Sometimes things happen. Cars break down. People get sick. The rent gets raised. That unexpected expense come up, out of the blue, just when you thought you were ahead. There were many years I couldn't do my budget on paper. No matter how I arranged it, more had to go out than I could see coming in. I did my best, took responsibility for myself, then let go. Worry never helped. An attitude of taking responsibility for myself did.
What we cannot do for ourselves, God will do for us. And God knows we need money to live here on earth. What was that the Bible said?
Seek money first, and then you'll have peace? Nope, I got that backwards. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else shall be added unto you." Manifest what you need from a place of responsibility,
trust, and peace.
God, teach me to let go of worry about money. --Melody Beattie

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
You are coming to an intersection in life where you must choose the direction your life will take. The choices will be clear, and you will be able to distinguish between the two. One path will draw you ever closer to Me, says the Lord, and the other path will take you further down the road of worldliness and self-interest. Choose wisely. Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

Take a stand against evil. You will have opportunities to compromise this stance for the sake of not being rejected by the world. But, you must make a conscious decision to maintain a position of righteousness regardless of the cost. The spiritual reward for your dedication and commitment will far outweigh the worldly benefits of compromise, says the Lord. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Make your witness and testimony sure. Your testimony is not credible when you quote My word and yet do not exhibit My character and nature. Your witness of the gospel message is more powerful when not just spoken but demonstrated. Do not be a hearer only but a doer of the word, says the Lord. 1 John 1:5-6 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Beloved, examine the motivation behind your commitments. My desire is that when you commit it is motivated by your love for Me, says the Lord, and not your need for approval or position. I would have you come into the secret place before Me with a pure heart and righteous dedication. Refuse to allow the enemy to establish selfish ambition or corruption in your reasoning and subsequent actions. Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I heard in my spirit the phrase "patient continuance." And, the Lord said, "Stay on course. Do not deviate from your purpose in My kingdom. Distractions will come that would cause you to lose focus and drift, but you must remain steadfast and immovable. Deliberately choose to be loyal and faithful to Me." Romans 2:5-8 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath.

Keep your thoughts and emotions under control so that you do not open the door to attacks from the enemy. Make sure that you are in complete unity with Me and under My protection, says the Lord. Pay attention to the things you say or do that keep you from being righteous and that prevent you from walking in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Spiritually understand the times you live in. Understand that which I am doing. Understand what the enemy is doing against you. And, understand that I have designed you to prevail over all of the works of the enemy. I have designed you to win the race that you are running. I have designed you so that you may have faith in Me. Walk with Me and therefore receive all the blessings that I have spoken on your behalf. So arise now. Arise and wake up so that you can see and understand that which is taking place around you. Pay attention to those things so that you can indeed walk in the Spirit and run this race to win.

In this season, says the Lord, I will astonish you. For, I am about to demonstrate the power of My kingdom in your lives. And, as you rise up and say, "Here I am, Lord, come to me", indeed I shall visit you from on high and the manifestation of My gifts shall begin to unveil themselves in your life. The results will be a quickened faith, a faith that brings you higher into the kingdom, a faith that compels you to live under My divine rule and challenges you to come boldly before My throne of grace. Get ready for that which I am about to do. Position yourself to step fully into this new season. For, it shall be that the glory of My kingdom and the fire and the power of My Spirit will now come to you.

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“When you are in troubled and worried and sick at heart
And your plans are upset and your world falls apart,
Remember God's ready and waiting to share
The burden you find much to heavy to bear--
So with faith, "Let Go and Let GOD" lead your way
Into a brighter and less troubled day”
--Helen Steiner Rice

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Money does not make me a person
Material possessions do not make me a person
What makes me a person
Is how I live my life
How I treat others
How I treat myself
Living my life for God everyday
Doing His will
Makes me the person I desire
Having a positive attitude
Being loving, kind and forgiving
Lending a helping hand
Remembering to treat others as I would have them treat me
Makes me the person I desire
Being selfless, trustworthy and honest
Gentle, patient and understanding
Growing in God's image everyday
Makes me the person I desire
Money and material possessions only give fleeting happiness
Leaving us wanting more
Seeking and continuing to grow in God's image
Gives happiness and joy everyday
And fills us up
Written by: Tammy B. 9/24/02

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Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men."

"The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does." Psalm 145:13b

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5–6).

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm 40:1-3

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

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Fixers by Sally I. Kennedy
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
I am into fixing things. If something breaks, get out the masking tape, superglue, or bandages. We all knew my dad could fix anthing, from a picture frame that fell apart to a table leg that had broken. All you had to do was take it to him and you knew he would get it fixed and back to you.
My husband is a fixer, too. Our granddaughter says emphatically, when something, like a flat tire on her bike needs fixing, or a splinter in her finger, “PopPop can fix it.”
There are some things we just cannot fix, though, no matter how hard we try. We cannot fix broken hearts. That is a real tough one, but not too hard for our God.
Luke 1:37 tells us, “nothing is impossible with God”. The Lord himself said, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26)
When we take our broken hearts to the healer, the One who created our hearts, we can have them fixed. The only real fix for a broken heart is the Lord…. His mercy, His kindness, His gentleness, and most of all His loving presence. He is not only the ultimate creator, He is the ultimate fixer. That is good news.

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Lord Jesus, we praise you for your amazing grace. Help us to follow you each step of our lives. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
Psalm 33
1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. 4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. 13 The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. 16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. 22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

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Lord God, be with us in our trials. Help us to look beyond our immediate circumstances, and remind us that You are always with us and that this present situation will look differently tomorrow. 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.