Category: Jeremiah

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Thirsty

I know I have shared this a couple times with some of you. We found ourselves sharing the story again just days ago.

A number of years ago, we lived in the panhandle of Idaho. We had one particular summer that was very dry. The catch ponds were drying up and the springs were only a trickle.

One afternoon our dogs put us on alert that something was in the yard; this is what we saw.

A cow moose had wandered into our yard with her twins in search of water. Our sprinklers were running, and provided the much-needed water that she was seeking. After they drank their fill, the moose rested in the shade of the tall pines. At first, she was very cautious, looking about after every sip and then as her calves rested quietly, she found rest herself.

Have you been thirsty? Have you been really thirsty for God? Thirsty enough to search outside your comfort zone? Willing to leave the familiar way of doing things and find the answers you need in God’s word?

God asked Abraham to leave his family and his homeland. Ruth left all to follow Naomi to a new land where God blessed her with a husband and a child, making her a descendant of Christ. Peter left his fishing nets to follow Christ. Paul gave up his prestige as a Pharisee to seek Jesus and His word.

“As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God. 2 In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face?” Psalm 42:1-2 CEV

When we seek God, we will find Him and we will find that He gives us so much more than we ever dreamed possible.

“‘Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.’ This message is from the LORD.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 ERV

God is loving, kind and gracious and when we seek Him, we find that to be true. He put all of our punishment and judgement on Jesus so that we could have a wonderful relationship with Him.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 ERV

Someone needs to know that God isn’t mad at you! He loves you and if you seek Him, you will find Him waiting with arms of love open wide.

“Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people. 9 He satisfies those who are thirsty. He fills those who are hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9 ERV

Be thirsty for God, like that momma moose who sought out the life-giving water, you will find all you need in Him.

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Hope, Joy, Peace

I was looking for an image to use for this morning’s blog. When I did a search for hope, joy, and peace most of the results were images of Christmas cards. I thought that was interesting.

Is that the only time the world stops to think about these words which are so interconnected in Scripture?

We live in a society that is hurting. Without hope there is no joy or peace. This isn’t a seasonal message, it’s a message we should be living on a daily basis. But once again we can only give what we possess – if our hearts are filled with anxiety, fear, self-preservation and desperation we have nothing to give.

“ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

When we embrace the promises of God and place our trust in His unconditional love His joy and peace will fill us and we will overflow with His hope.

“Remember that in the past you were without Christ… you did not know about the agreements with the promises that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you did not know God. 13 Yes, at one time you were far away from God, but now in Christ Jesus, you are brought near to him. You are brought near to God through the blood sacrifice of Christ. 14 Christ is the reason we are now at peace.” Ephesians 2:12-14 ERV

Years ago, there was an evangelist by the name of Oral Roberts. Many, in Christian circles, were skeptical of his message. You see, he preached hope and the goodness of God. He preached the Gospel, the good news.

He would say to those who came to the stadiums and those who watched him on television “something good is going to happen to you today”. He believed it wholeheartedly and he brought this message of hope to everyone he could.

“‘I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.'” Jeremiah 29:11-12 ERV

Something good. Something to hope for. Something to fill us with joy and peace.

These are the words Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah about Himself.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor. He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again.
He sent me to free those who have been treated badly 19 and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness.” Luke 4:18-19 ERV

My prayer for each of us is that we are filled with hope, joy and peace and that we carry that to those in our sphere of influence, not just at Christmas but all year through.

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Raising Davids

Can you imagine how hard it must have been to raise godly children in the days of Jesse?

Jesse was David’s father and he had six other sons as well. The Israelites were living in constant conflict. Nations came against them on every side. They were only a few generations removed from the exodus of Egypt and already they were forgetting some of the miracles that God had done to bring them to this place.

In all of this the Lord saw David, a young shepherd, and selected him to be the next king of Israel. What He saw wasn’t someone of great stature or strength, it wasn’t wealth and prestige. No, it was a humble and believing heart.

David was a young man who spent time tending his father’s sheep while his brothers went off to fight the battles under the leadership of King Saul, but it was David whom the Lord chose.

“ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’…And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on.” I Samuel 16:7, 13 NLT

The Bible tells us that David was a man whose heart was for God. David had to learn his faith filled beginnings at home. He learned to listen to the voice of God and obey.

As parents and grandparents, we have a responsibility to raise our children to hear and know the voice of God. Each person has a divine plan for their life. God has a purpose for each of us to fulfill. Some will be inventors, teachers, leaders of industry, preachers, mothers, doctors, pilots, farmers, fishermen, giant slayers but all have a calling.

“ For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

We have the responsibility to pray for our children and ask the Lord to show us how to help them grow into young people who will honor and serve Him. We need to encourage them in the areas where they show natural talent and passion. Each day reminding them that the Lord has a unique plan for them, and He will strengthen them to fulfill it.

When everyone else stood back, shaking in their sandals, David moved forward toward the enemy.

“…Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. 24 As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.” I Samuel 17:23-24 NLT

“I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” I Samuel 17:34-37 NLT

That giant was no match for young David who moved forward in obedience to God. David knew the Lord had made a promise to Israel to protect them, so he trusted God to keep His word.

Who are the Davids’ in your life? Help raise them to honor and obey the Lord.

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It’s All I Need

I have such a love for the word of God but it wasn’t always that way. When I was young, going to Sunday School, I was taught the Bible stories – the stories of David, Daniel, Peter, Paul and Silas, Zacchaeus. That’s all they were, stories to keep a child entertained, stories to tell us how God had been but there was no correlation to my daily life.

I learned to love Jesus from a very young age. I realized He died for my sins and that He was no longer dead, but he rose from the grave and went back to heaven. Someday He would return to earth and take those who love Him to heaven. This was exciting to know that someday Jesus would come back for me but what about today.

The answer I heard most often was “pray about it but we just never know what God’s going to do”. I knew the church’s list of rules, the do’s and don’ts. But what about my instruction for everyday life. I floundered.

I remember specifically when I embraced God’s word as the truth and guide for my life. It was like a light went on. I was in a chapel service at college and the chapel speaker made a comment similar to this. “If all you have in this life is a secure knowledge of God’s love for you and the promises of His word, you have everything you need”. Those words, that concept, changed my life. Like I said, I had Jesus as my Savior but I didn’t know that His word had been written for me. All of the promises were mine.

“ I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your feet go out from under you. He Who watches over you will not sleep. 4 Listen, He Who watches over Israel will not close his eyes or sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your safe cover at your right hand. 6 The sun will not hurt you during the day and the moon will not hurt you during the night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all that is sinful. He will watch over your soul. 8 The Lord will watch over your coming and going, now and forever.” Psalm 121 NLV

These are the words I read this morning. My eyes began to tear up and my heart filled with joy. Jesus said that heaven and earth will deteriorate and be demolished but God’s word will stand forever. He will watch over my comings and my goings, now and forever more.

Reading God’s word should be a joy, not a drudgery. You don’t need to read chapters at a time. When you come to a verse that strikes a chord in your heart, stop and read it again. Make it your theme for the day. It’s better to read two or three verses that impact your heart than reading chapters and not having it impact you at all.

“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16 NLT

It’s all you’ll ever need!

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Locked Out?

Each morning when I open my laptop this phrase appears on the screen, “Have you forgotten your password?”.

No.

I sign in and have access to all my information, unless like the other morning there has been a system update and some of my information has been relocated. But I digress. I’m sure many of you are like me and have written your passwords in a book and placed them in a secure place, just in case I do forget one of them. Better yet are the “secure” password vaults that remember them for you and at prompting populate the correct password for that sign-in.

I can remember a time when there were no passwords required. In fact, there were no computers. That seems like a very long time ago. But why all this talk about passwords this morning?

Well, in my prayer time I was thanking the Father that I can come into His presence freely – no password, no engraved invitation or secret access code.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalm 100:4-5 NLT

It’s as simple as that – we enter His presence with thanksgiving! The love of God continues forever and He is faithful to each and every generation.

Sometimes we might feel unworthy and needy but He says come in, we have access!

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

There have been times when I felt I was far from the Lord and was struggling to find my way. His instruction filled my heart.

“Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

There is never a time when the Father is too busy or unavailable to us. The Apostle Paul gave us this instruction.

“Never stop praying.” I Thessalonians 5:17 NLV

In Jesus’ final hours before He was tried, convicted and crucified He went to the garden to pray. He asked Peter and the others to join Him in prayer. He knew he was facing the most horrendous event of His life, so He prayed.

“Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, ‘Could you men not stay awake with me for one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.’” Matthew 26:40-41 ERV

Ready access – open communication. The Father knows we are weak, in need of His help that’s why He tells us to come. His plan for us is good and He will not abandon or desert us.

“Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 ERV

When we have an open heart seeking the Father we will never be locked out of His presence!

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One More Gift

Some of you have been reading the advent devotional I wrote several years ago and today you’ll read the last chapter and then you’ll probably put the book away until next year. But I want you to know there’s one more gift I’d like to share with you before the year ends.

Last night I pulled my covers up tight, tucked myself in and began to thank the Father for the many wonderful gifts He has blessed me with over the years. As I was thanking Him for filling my life, I heard myself say “thank you for making each day a gift”.

For 10+ years I have been sharing daily the goodness of God on Facebook and the last 5 years I have also been writing this blog. Each day I wake up knowing that there will be something in the day that I can embrace, each day is a gift of His love.

“Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.” James 1:17 CEV

But my life wasn’t always filled with this awareness.

I grew up in a Christian home and gave my heart to Christ when I was very young. However, as a teenager my relationship with the Lord lacked relevance. I became more concerned with pleasing people and being accepted by them than I was with the Lord. My first year in Bible College I became so despondent that I attempted to take my life.

That’s when the love of the heavenly Father became real to me. That’s when I came to know that each day is a gift from God. He wasn’t just some stories I had been told in Sunday School and the Bible wasn’t just words on the pages of a book.

“…’Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. 69 We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.’” John 6:68-69 CEV

My relationship changed. I saw myself the way He saw me. With all of my faults and my failures, my Father loved me unconditionally. There was nothing I could do to earn His love and there was nothing I would do that would keep Him from loving me.

Each day His word gives me the gift of life!

“ I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13  You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you” Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEV

Each day is a gift – a gift of hope and a gift of help!

As this year ends and we look to 2023 we have no way of knowing what things will come our way but we have the Father’s promise that our future will be filled with hope.

Each day is a gift from the Father – a gift filled with love!

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A View from the Top

Dave and I have gone to the woods to cut our Christmas tree for many years. However, the last few years if wasn’t practical, we lived too far away and the drive would have been too long.

I remember one year when we lived in Montana. It was getting toward mid-December and we still hadn’t gone to get our tree. Dave wasn’t available for several more days and Kaci’s work schedule had her busy so our little dog, Glory, and I went to the mountain by ourselves.

Dave had given me strict instructions to follow. My vehicle was a 4×4 so I wasn’t concerned with the snow on the roads but he was. I had the saw and knew how to use it but I could see he was apprehensive. I was determined to go and I assured him I would be safe.

It was a wonderful day!

The sun was shining, the air was crisp and I was on top of the world, or at least the mountain. (The picture I used today is from that outing.) I took my time and found the perfect tree – tall, well-shaped with no sparse sides. Glory was having fun playing in the snow and running from place to place with me. A good day indeed.

Looking out across the valley, I spotted our house. It was so tiny. I gained a new perspective.

“The Lord is constantly watching everyone, and he gives strength to those who faithfully obey him.” II Chronicles 16: 9 CEV

The Lord is constantly watching for those of us who need help and strength.

“The Lord is high above all nations. His shining-greatness is above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God? He sits on His throne on high. 6 He looks down upon the heavens and the earth. 7 He raises the poor from the dust. He lifts those in need from the ashes.” Psalm 113:4-7 NLV

He lifts up those of us who are in need!

We are not insignificant dots on a map, we are His children and He watches over us diligently.

“But the Lord watches over all who honor him and trust his kindness. 19 He protects them from death and starvation.” Psalm 33:18-19 CEV

It’s important that we remember to view things from His perspective.

“I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13  You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you”. Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEV

Our Father sees the beginning and the end of all things. He sees each step, He knows when we get up and when we lay down and He has established a plan for our lives.

The joy and the peace of Christmas is that God came to be with us. His name Emmanuel means just that, God with us.

From His viewpoint, He saw that we were a people in need of a Savior and so He came to earth. Thank God for His insight and oversight. Thank You Father, for Your view from the top!

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The Right Call

The last couple of weeks I have spent quite a bit of time on the phone making appointments. When we’re in the mountains all summer, time and distance prevent us from standard visits, i.e., dental appointments, physicals, eye exams, banking appointments, etc.

First, it’s the scheduling and then it’s the actual appointment – all of it takes time. Now with Thanksgiving coming up and then the activities in December before Christmas I’m beginning to feel a little rushed.

That’s why I enjoy my mornings. They are quiet, unhurried, and they set the tone for my day.

No appointment necessary! No busy signal or voice mail, no press 1, enter your account number, and hold. That’s how God the Father designed it.

“Call on Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you don’t know.” Jeremiah 33:3 Kristi’s version

I have this picture as my screen saver. It’s one of our granddaughter’s with her play phone. She was calling her Besta. It reminds me to be present when the kids call. To listen to their conversations, to slow down and be attentive just like the heavenly Father is with me.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 ERV

“With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

“I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer.” Psalm 18:6 CEV

I love my mornings. The Lord and I can have uninterrupted conversations. I love this time and I have felt for many years that I NEED to start my day in the Father’s presence so that I get His guidance for what’s ahead.

Maybe you’re a night owl and you have more “quiet” then or maybe you’re a parent who has quiet after the kids are gone to school. You might find quiet time when you run or workout. You might find it at the clothes line or the ironing board. Is it possible to find quiet when you mow the lawn or are out on a ride?

Whenever it is, where ever it is, it’s the right time to call. You have a standing appointment, you move to the head of the line. The Father is there waiting for your call.

I’m thankful for open communication with my heavenly Father. It’s always the right time for Him.

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Good Reception

This past summer our communication, both cell and internet, greatly improved. Those of you that spend most of your time in the city probably don’t understand not being able to communicate efficiently but it’s very frustrating.

But no more. We purchased the Starlin link system and things started coming in without interruption. We finally had good reception.

More important than advancements in technology is my ability to communicate with the Father. He has provided each and everyone of us with our own “heaven-link”. The band width is massive and the upload and down speed top the charts.

“‘Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.’” Jeremiah 33:3 NLV

When I think about God’s goodness one of the things that I appreciate is His ability and desire to communicate with us. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden, He wrote His laws on tablets of stone, He came in visions and dreams to men like Joseph and Daniel and He used men to write His love letter, the Bible, for generations of people to read.

The communication lines with heaven are always open. Never any down time.

“I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah” Psalm 3:4

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears” Psalm 18:6

“O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.” Psalm 30:2

“Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.” Psalm 107:6

“I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.” Psalm 142:5

I think of Dave’s relationship with our kids. There was never a time when they cried out “Daddy, I need you” that he didn’t respond. He was there for them, and our Father is here for us too.

The writer of Hebrews told us to come BOLDLY to the throne of God’s grace and find help in time of trouble. (Hebrews 4:16)

And Jesus said for all those who are weary and weighted down to come to Him and find rest! (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus invited ALL to come so that includes well…everyone! He’s there to help!

Our Father is the master communicator, and His reception is always good! For that I am grateful.

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When Things Go Wrong…

God is good and has a plan. This is the story of Joseph’s life.

Most of us experience things that go wrong. Troubles with our family, losing a job, being falsely accused, some even face imprisonment. How do we handle the adversities of life? Do we get angry with God? Do we blame him? Or do we keep our eyes and heart focused directly on God and His goodness?

Joseph was a young man with a purpose. God had given him a dream when he was just a teenager. He shared that dream with his family and he was ridiculed, even hated by some. Here’s how his life went for the next 13 years.

His brothers sold him to slave traders. They sold him to a captain in the Egyptian army. The captain’s wife accused him of rape. He was sent to prison. While in prison he met the baker and the butler for the pharaoh. They had dreams and Joseph interpreted the dreams. The butler returned to the palace but the baker was hanged. The butler had promised to tell the pharaoh about Joseph but he forgot, for 2 years. Then he remembered…

The pharaoh brought Joseph to the palace and promoted him to second in command of all of Egypt. Joseph ruled wisely through the famine. Enter his brothers asking for food. What did Joseph do? They had sold him into slavery 13 years before.

“Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am not God! I have no right to punish you. 20 It is true that you planned to do something bad to me. But really, God was planning good things. God’s plan was to use me to save the lives of many people. And that is what happened. 21 So don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And so Joseph said kind things to his brothers, and this made them feel better.” Genesis 50:19-21 ERV

What do we do when things go wrong? In all those years Joseph never turned his back on God and apparently, he never let his heart get bitter toward his brothers. He kept his heart pure.

God is good and His plans for us are too.

“ I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13  You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEV

We may not feel things are going right but God is working. His plans are for our success. He hasn’t planned for us to fail!

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