5 Psalms to Pray that will Help When You Feel Lonely

We've never been more connected than we are today. Yet, more people say they feel lonely often. We're praying 5 Psalms that will help and give us hope. #Prayer #Hope #Loneliness #FeelLonely

We’ve never been more connected as a society than we are today.

Social media has given us more “friends” than ever before. We get clicks and likes and shares. We feel loved when something we share goes “viral” and unloved when something else is ignored.

Psychologists tell us that in spite of all the connections we have online, more and more people say they feel lonely … as we’ve replaced real-life relationships with online “friendships.”

Loneliness is something the Bible could refer to as being “common to man.”

Solomon says there is “nothing new under the sun.”

Since the first death, the first rejection, or the first time someone was left out … loneliness has been a part of our sin-infected world.

But God…

[Oh wow, those are my two favorite words!]

But God told us that He cares about the lonely … about widows and orphans and those who feel abandoned and forsaken.

So, if you include yourself among those who feel lonely today, please join me in praying…

5 Psalms to Pray that will Help When You Feel Lonely

Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
Psalm 25:16

Father, Thank you for David’s honesty. It helps me to know that my loneliness is not unique or at all unusual. Even the one You called “a man after my own heart” experienced distress … times when he felt like no one understood him or what he was doing through.

I get it! I think that’s where some of my loneliness comes from. I look around and it looks like so many others have their act together and well, I don’t even feel close to that.

I need You, Lord.

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise Him again—
    my Savior and my God!
Psalm 43:5

Father, Why is it that I have these days when it feels like no one understands. I can be standing with people who clearly tell me they love me or be surrounded by a room full of people, and still … my thoughts make me feel isolated and alone.

Please be my encourager. I need You! I want to keep my focus on You, Lord. I want to think about all You have done for me in the past. I want to remember that this feeling is temporary.

You are my hope … my Savior and my God! Thank you!

He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and calls them all by name.
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension!
Psalm 147:3–5

Father, I am not alone. You are the One who created the heavens, counts the stars and knows their names. You created me and Your Word tells me You know everything about me … even the number of hairs on my head. (Matthew 10:30) That is beyond my ability to understand.

What I do understand … the times You have comforted my broken heart, the times You have given me hope when things appeared hopeless, the times You have forgiven me and covered me with Your love.

I am not alone! You are with me. Thank you, Lord!

The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you
as you come and go,
both now and forever.
Psalm 121:7–8

Father, thank you for watching over me … for protecting me. Jesus promised to always be with those who trust and follow Him. (Matthew 28:20) He promised the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Comforter. (John 14:16)

With You, I am never alone. You are with me to comfort, guide, and strengthen me. Please make me aware that You are watching over me wherever I am … always.

You are my peace, my strength, and my hope. Thank you, Lord! Amen.

You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
Psalm 139:5–6

Father, Thank you! The truth-filled knowledge of Your constant loving presence in my life is wonderful! It is my greatest blessing.

When I’m feeling lonely, I’ll admit, I spend a lot of time thinking about myself. When I center my heart and mind on You and all You have done and continue to do for me, I experience Your hard to understand gift of peace and supernatural joy.

And then … I’m able to reach out. To look for someone else I might help or encourage and I know from experience the best way to be free of feelings of sadness, discouragement, and loneliness is to go out and bless someone who needs Your love and encouragement.

When I feel lonely, Lord, give me eyes to see those who are lonely around me, a heart that understands and cares, and the courage to reach out with Your love.

By Your grace and for Your glory. Amen.

When you feel lonely…

I love the above quote by Kay Arthur.

And this one from Elizabeth Elliot…

Loneliness comes over us sometimes as a sudden tide. It is one of the terms of our humanness, and, in a sense, therefore, incurable. Yet I have found peace in my loneliest times not only through acceptance of the situation but through making it an offering to God, who can transfigure it into something for the good of others.

Maybe their words are the perfect responses to those times I feel alone…

Rest in God’s perfect love, humbly lay my feelings at the throne of grace, and look for ways use my struggle with loneliness to bless someone else.

With God’s help … we can all feel lonely a little less often!

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlight Posts of the Week!

I Am a Soldier’s Mom – Learning to Let go

by Kim Turner McCulley
@ Finding Flowers Amid Thorns

14 Helpful Apps for Engaging the Scripture

by Deborah Haddix
@ Empowering You to Embrace God’s Design

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

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I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

[Tweet “I’m finding #Friendship and #Inspiration at #Faith ‘n Friends #LinkUp Come join the fun! “]

Deb Wolf
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You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”

I would really appreciate it if you would
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and pray over the list left by our friends.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Have you visited the Faith ‘n Friends Link Party Board on Pinterest? It’s a great place to catch up with past posts you may have missed here at the party and/or save them for a future read! If you’d like to become a contributor to my Pinterest Group Boards – email me at deb@debwolf.com with a link to your Pinterest home page.

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Know What You Believe and Why – The Logic of God

6 / 6 / 196 / 7 / 19

I jumped at the opportunity to review Ravi Zacharias’ new book, The Logic of God and I can’t wait to share it with you.

If you want to ground your beliefs on the truth and feel more comfortable sharing what you believe, The Logic of God by Ravi Zacharias, is for you. #BookReview #Faith #Christian #CountingMyBlessings

I love that Zacharias says this in his introduction…

God wants us to know Him personally and live out our faith day by day in meaningful ways, but the noise, chaos, clutter, and busyness of life so often overwhelm that we find it difficult, if not impossible. We also can just routinely go through life not even conscious of His existence and end up trapped in a vicious cycle of wrong thinking and believing…

You see, everyone has a worldview … an idea about how it all began, what it means, who and what defines right and wrong, and how it all ends.

We all want answers! We want something to believe and a reason to believe. We want Truth!

The Logic of God

The test for that truth includes three questions…

Is it consistent and lasting?
Is it relevant to my life?
Is it based on fact/history?

When submitted to these tests, the Christian message is utterly unique and meets the demands for truth.

This book will make you think … in a good way.

It’s divided into 52 chapters and Pastor Zacharias recommends that the reader take a week to challenge and stir his/her heart and mind with the text, questions and applications.

I couldn’t wait a whole week to start the next “experience.” So, I’ve been reading it more quickly but keep going back to the section I want to focus on to flesh out each truth for myself.

If you want to ground your beliefs on the truth … a truth you’ll feel more comfortable sharing as you tell your personal story, this book is for you as it faithfully points to Jesus—the Way, the Truth, and the Life … the one and only way to the Father.

Quotes from The Logic of God:

Truth can exist only if there is an objective standard by which to measure it. That objective, unchanging absolute is God, further revealed to us in the person of Christ.

There is only one place in the world where love, forgiveness, and justice come together, and that is at the cross.

Might we sit still long enough to take in what God has for us? That is the greatest investment we will ever make.

And my favorites…

The weighty differences of worldviews can separate us from others but in my work of offering a defense of the Christian faith, I know firsthand they can be discussed without compromise and without animosity, with gentleness and respect … It is critically important to know that behind every belief is a believer and behind every question is a questioner.

Christianity is not a religion or perspective; it is God’s self-disclosure in Christ!

Book Description:

Jesus Christ alone answers our deepest questions.

We all have doubts that challenge our faith. We wonder whether the Bible still matters, or whether God is truly as loving and personal as we hope. In his first ever devotional, The Logic of God, apologist Ravi Zacharias offers 52 readings that explain how and why Christianity, the Bible, and God are still relevant, vital, and life-changing for us today. To all our dilemmas Ravi says, “I am convinced that Jesus Christ alone uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds.”

With a remarkable grasp of biblical facts and a deep understanding of the questions that trouble our hearts, Ravi tackles the most difficult topics with ease and understanding. But The Logic of God is more than intellectual; it is also personal, offering thoughtful wisdom on:

when Jesus draws especially near you.

the deep ray of hope found in God’s Word.

how God transforms disappointments.

why prayer matters.

how genuine peace is possible.

making sense of suffering.

Ravi makes profound biblical truth easy to understand. And if your life is busy, this book is designed for you! It addresses 52 topics that you can read over the course of one year or slowly digest at your own pace. Each entry includes a Scripture, questions for reflection, and some practical application steps.

When you’re struggling with questions and doubts, confused, curious, or just want a clearer way to express your faith The Logic of God has answers that satisfy the heart and the mind.

How would you like to win a signed copy of The Hope of God? Click here.

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlight Posts of the Week!

How to Enjoy a Happy and Fruitful Christian Life

by Diana Abe
@ Diana’s Diaries

The Only Name that Matters

by Maryann Lorts
@ Coming to Light

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

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I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

[Tweet “I’m finding #Friendship and #Inspiration at #Faith ‘n Friends #LinkUp Come join the fun! “]

Deb Wolf
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.
You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”

I would really appreciate it if you would
Grab my Link Party Button above and link back to CMB.

Thank you so much for partying with us!
May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…

and pray over the list left by our friends.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an update.

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Thank you and God bless!

How Do You See Jesus When You Pray?

4 / 8 / 194 / 8 / 19

I have times when I am overwhelmed by God’s presence when I’m praying and I also know the feeling of loneliness as my pleas seem to simply hang heavy in the air around me.

I joined some friends to answer the question ... "How do you see Jesus when you pray?" You might be surprised by our responses. I wonder what you would say. #BibleStudy #Jesus #Prayer #CountingMyBlessings

I know God’s promises to hear the prayers of His children. Promises like…

The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them.
Psalm 145:18–19

So, I know my feelings have everything to do with me and nothing to do with God.

And that truth made me think about the way my attitudes, views, and what I’m thinking about influence my feelings about the time I spend in prayer.

Which is why I decided to ask some of my friends the question…

How Do You See Jesus When You Pray?

Here are some of their answers and the Scriptures that I believe support their thoughts…

♥ Shannon wrote – Most often I’m like Mary sitting at His feet. Sometimes he’s just sitting right beside me and sometimes I’m bombarding heaven.

Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught … There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:39,42

♥ Marva wrote – I honestly think God laughs at me sometimes. I imagine I’m gently resting my head on His shoulders as I tell him all my worries.

One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against Him, his head on His shoulder.
John 13:23 (MSG)

♥ Diana wrote – I start off in my prayer visualizing the Father seated on the throne – Almighty and Powerful. As I praise Him for who He is, as I pour my cconcerns, I picture myself sitting on Jesus’ lap with my head on His broad chest .

I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb … And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:9a,10

♥ Carmen wrote – I often picture myself kneeling before Him. My face on the ground to his feet. His demeanor is always welcoming, peaceful, and the intensity of feeling the holy spirit always makes me cry to Him in a humble manner.

“Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Mark 5:33–34

♥ Sarah wrote – When I feel anxious, I imagine God holding me securely in His hand.

From eternity to eternity I am God.
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.
Isaiah 43:13

♥ Cathy wrote – I often picture Jesus walking beside me along a mountain trail (my favorite place to be). But sometimes, I’m sitting at His feet, my head on His knees, and He’s stroking my hair like my dad did when I was little.

Jesus and His disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, He asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
Mark 8:27

♥ Ann wrote – I picture Him on the throne interceding for me at times. Other times, holding my right hand as Isaiah says.

Who then can say we are guilty? It was Christ Jesus Who died. He was raised from the dead. He is on the right side of God praying to Him for us.
Romans 8:34 (NLV)

♥ Rachel wrote – I often picture Jesus sitting beside me, or walking alongside me. Sometimes we dance, or embrace, hold hands, or I simply rest against Him. I love these times with Him. I feel so loved and protected. He truly is the lover of my soul!

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17

♥ Elaine wrote – When I pray or practice my singing, I often picture God and Jesus on their thrones.

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

♥ Joan wrote – It is different at different times. Sometimes He’s holding me like a parent would… A hug when I’m crying. But, the way I imagine Him the most when I pray is Him sitting next to me… in a chair, leaning in and truly listening.

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
Psalm 66:18–20

How Do You See Jesus When You Pray? -I joined some friends to answer the question ... "How do you see Jesus when you pray?" You might be surprised by our responses. I wonder what you would say. #BibleStudy #Jesus #Prayer #CountingMyBlessings

How do I see Jesus when I pray?

I share many of the thoughts expressed by my friends. At different times in my life, I’ve pictured Jesus sitting beside me. I’ve imagined the Father sitting on His throne. I’ve walked with Him and I’ve fallen flat on my face before Him in repentance.

But how do I see Jesus most often lately?

I imagine Him waiting for me at the well.

Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well.
John 4:6

He knows what it’s like to be worn out by life and yet … He waits for me.

And I’m a mess. Life has been hard. It hasn’t gone the way I hoped and dreamed. I tried but my failures have labeled me and I feel judged by those who have done better.

As I approach Him, Jesus doesn’t judge me although He knows the truth, not based on gossip or innuendo but fact. He knows everything about me. He’s aware of every sin … things I’ve done and things I’ve left undone. And yet, He doesn’t turn away but invites me into a conversation. He leans in and listens.

And He offers me compassion, kindness, and hope.

The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”
John 4:23–26

The Savior of the world. The Word made flesh. The Lord of lords and King of kings. The Messiah invites me to know His saving grace … to be forgiven. Not because I’ve done anything to earn or deserve it but simply because that is who He is!

Because of who He is … I can boldly pray to and worship the Father. I can approach the One who is on the throne. I can sit at my Savior’s feet and learn His will for me. I can face each day with hope knowing that I am forgiven and loved.

And I can enthusiastically tell others about Him.

Friend, Jesus is waiting for you. He already knows everything about you and everything you are are going through … He cares. He loves you.

So, let me ask you?

How do you see Jesus when you pray?

Thank you so much for joining me today.

It would bless me so much if you’d take a moment to subscribe to Counting My Blessings so you never miss an update!

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And always remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ by leaving a comment.

You can also…

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone?

Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

Day 34 – God, Thank You for the Gift of The Word Made Flesh

12 / 25 / 18

As families gather and we join together to celebrate…

I’m stopping for a moment to simply pray.

God, Thank You for the Gift of The Word Made Flesh

Father God, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Creator. Redeemer. Comforter. Father, Friend.

Thank you!

May I faithfully hold Your Word close to my heart
and cherish Your gift…

Jesus, the Word made flesh!

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through Him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:1–5

So the Word became human and made His home among us.
He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
And we have seen His glory,
the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John 1:14

In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
Colossians 2:9

Jesus, the Word made flesh
thank you for humbly entering our world.

Though He was God,
He did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, He gave up His divine privileges;
He took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When He appeared in human form,
He humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Thank you for suffering my punishment.

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:6–11

Jesus, the Word made flesh,
I join the heavenly choirs in praise.

“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Luke 2:14

Jesus, the Word made flesh,
may thanks and praise fill my life.
Not just with words but with all I do.

Please help me live out my gratitude
through a surrendered heart and overwhelming love.

I love You, Lord!
Amen.

I am so blessed that you are joining me for this journey…

You’ll want to subscribe to Counting My Blessings (if you haven’t already), to receive a link to 40 Days of Mountain Moving Prayers in your inbox each morning.

It’s true! This is the busiest time of the year but I promise this will only be a 2-minute a day commitment…

One that will ask and seek and knock through bold prayers … and watch what only God can do when we go to Him with anything is possible mountain moving prayers.

Subscribe here!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and tell us about the mountains God is moving in your life.

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone?
Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

Just imagine what God will do as His people come to Him in faith and prayer!

Day 12 – God, Please Help Me Love You with All My Heart

12 / 3 / 18

Jesus said:

“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12:29–30

If you’re like me, you want that. Oh, how you want that. But the truth is, I fall so far short of loving God the way He wants me to love Him. So much of “me” simply gets in the way.

If you relate to the struggle, will you pray with me…

God, Please Help Me Love You with All My Heart

Father, I want to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

How could I not? You have done so much for me.

You love me. 1 John 4:19
You are always with me. Isaiah 41:10 and Matthew 28:20
You gave Jesus to suffer and die for my sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21
You give me the gift of faith. Ephesians 2:8
You forgive me. 1 John 1:9
You give me everything I need. Luke 12:31
You give me Your Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 and Hebrews 4:12
You promise me eternal life in Your presence. Romans 6:23

And … Your Spirit helps me and prays for me. Romans 8:26

When I stay focused on You, when I worship You, when I’m still and listen, and when I pray without ceasing … it’s easy to love You with all my heart.

But when the enemy distracts and tempts me, when sin overtakes me, when life is hard or when I’m worried and afraid … I fall short and I’m sorry.

Your Son, Jesus said:

If you love me you will keep my commandments. John 14:15

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12

Again, I fall so far short of Your will for me. Please forgive me.

And help me…

Love You through worship and praise.
Love You through prayers of thankfulness.
Love You by making You my greatest treasure.
Love You by learning more about You every day.
Love You by obeying Your commandments.
Love You by loving others.

Loving You with all my heart is self-sacrificing service and that’s hard in a world that screams at me the importance of SELF.

I believe that by Your grace, You will help me love with a love that is patient and kind.

I believe as I surrender myself to You, You are able to give me everything I need to live free of jealousy and pride. You will help me to hold my tongue when I’m tempted to be boastful or rude. You will help me serve others, remain patient, and forgive. You will help me never give up and never lose faith. You will give me hope and the strength I need to endure through every circumstance. (Based on 1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

On my own, I can’t. But with Your help, I can and I will love You with all my heart.

Thank you, Father! Your grace overwhelms me. Amen.

I am so blessed that you are joining me for this journey…

You’ll want to subscribe to Counting My Blessings (if you haven’t already), to receive a link to 40 Days of Mountain Moving Prayers in your inbox each morning.

It’s true! This is the busiest time of the year but I promise this will only be a 2-minute a day commitment…

One that will ask and seek and knock through bold prayers … and watch what only God can do when we go to Him with anything is possible mountain moving prayers.

Subscribe here!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Remember – I LOVE hearing from you! So, please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and tell us about the mountains God is moving in your life.

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone?
Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

Just imagine what God will do as His people come to Him in faith and prayer!

Jesus’ Commandments and Why You Need to Know Them

9 / 3 / 189 / 3 / 18

Jesus said:

“If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15

Maybe, like me, you think … I love Jesus, I want to obey Him.

The other day a couple of questions came to mind that I’d never thought about before…

What are Jesus’ commandments?
Are they different from the original 10 Commandments in the Old Testament?

It’s funny. I memorized John 14:15 years ago and I really have wanted to obey Jesus but I’ve never specifically thought about His commands.

The Gospels are full of Jesus’ instructions and counsel for the way His followers should live but I wondered how many of them would qualify as actual commands.

And I found 10 verses that began with words like, “you must” or “I tell you the truth” … verses I believe are Jesus’ Commandments.

Jesus’ Commandments and Why You Need to Know Them

What are Jesus' Commandments? Are they different from the original Ten Commandments? Here are 10 specific commands from Jesus for His followers. #Faith #Jesus #BibleStudy #BlessingBloggers

♥ Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34

Jesus kind of love is more than just warm feelings. Loving like Jesus is an attitude that is demonstrated through actions.

Life Application Bible Notes say: loving like Jesus is helping when it’s not convenient, giving when it hurts and putting the welfare of others ahead of our own.

♥ “Repent of your sins and turn to God” Matthew 4:17

Repentance is defined as … turning from sin and dedicating yourself to the amendment of your life. (Miriam Webster Dictionary)

LAB Notes says that”becoming a follower of Jesus means turning away from our self-centeredness and “self” control and turning our life over to Christ Jesus’ direction and control.

♥ “You must take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

I’ll admit this one has been especially hard for me. I didn’t want any part of cross-carrying … so much so that I was afraid to completely surrender and follow.

Praise God, I’ve finally learned to believe … following Jesus trusts that God knows what’s best and that whatever He allows He will give me the strength and courage to endure.

♥ “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” and “Don’t worry” Matthew 6:33–34

When you and I seek God’s Kingdom above all else, we put Him first … we make knowing Him and knowing His will our greatest priority.

For me, worry happens when I take my focus off God and focus on my “what if” circumstances. When I stop seeking Him first. But staying focused on God is the antidote to worry! I love that!

♥ “Become like little children.” Matthew 18:3

When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus answered, “Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Being child-like involves being trusting, humble, and sincere.

Little children are comfortable in their own skin. They’re willing to be honest, knowingly dependent, and free of pretense. I want that!

♥ “Keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17

Jesus’ Commandments do not replace or change God’s Commands given on Mt. Sinai.

In fact, He summed up the original 10 Commandments in the next two commands…

♥ “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12:30

When you and I love God completely, we acknowledge Him for who He is … holy—set apart. Not one of many gods but THE I AM: Creator, Redeemer, Comforter, Father, and Friend. The One who defines Himself as “love.”

All of me loving all of Him!

How to Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength

What are Jesus' Commandments? Are they different from the original Ten Commandments? Here are 10 specific commands from Jesus for His followers. #Faith #Jesus #BibleStudy #BlessingBloggers

♥ “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

Dallas Willard defines love as, “being devoted to the good or well-being” of another.

I like that. Although I often fail at emotionally nurturing myself, I do work at taking care of myself – my “good and well-being.” I’m guessing you take care of yourself, too.

That defines loving our neighbor … doing good and taking care of each other. Looking out for the other person’s well-being. Can you imagine if everyone loved like that?! Wow!

How to Love Your Neighbor as You Love Yourself

♥ “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive.” Luke 6:36–38

Other translations say, “You must be merciful,” and others, “You must be kind.”

Compassion, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness should set us apart as followers of Jesus. Imagine what could happen if we decided to simply love each other and let God take care of the rest.

Have you noticed that when you smile at random strangers, they generally smile back? Kindness breeds kindness. Compassion leads to more compassion. Forgiveness … etc.

Not always, that’s true! But maybe we could transform our relationships if we determined to love intentionally.

Jesus' Commandments and Why You Need to Know Them by Deb Wolf @ Counting My Blessings #Faith #Jesus #BibleStudy #BlessingBloggers

♥ “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

And that’s the bottom line …

When people see what you and I have in Jesus, they should want what we have.

Too often Christians are perceived as judgmental … like they’re trying to guilt people into the Kingdom.

Who wants that?

Honestly, that wasn’t God’s plan for His people. Even when He gave the original commands to the wilderness wanderers, His desire was that His people would look different … so wonderfully different, that the people in the surrounding nations would want to know Him too.

Jesus lived His Commandments! He demonstrated His law of love!

If you’re squirming a little right now, I get it. I know I fall far short obeying His commands.

Jesus’ commandments go beyond “do this and don’t do that.” His commands go to the attitudes of our hearts and doing everything from a heart of love is hard for sinful people.

It’s really hard.

Thankfully, God offers us the help we need.

Jesus said…

“I will ask My Father and He will give you another Helper. He will be with you forever.” John 14:16 (NLV)

God sent the Holy Spirit to fill us with so much of His love that it can’t help but pour out of us onto and into others.

And we not only have the Holy Spirit…

We have Jesus, Himself, who died and rose again that we might be covered with His grace and mercy—His perfect forgiveness for the times we fall short.

That’s comforting, isn’t it?

All you and I need to do is set our hearts and minds on loving God and loving others.

That’s it!

God does the rest … giving us everything we need. He fills us with His love. He shows us where He wants to use us and He equips us to share His love with others.

When I look at the list above and think about how far I fall short, it helps to know that God is always faithful to help His children to do His will His way.

We can rest knowing that when we love God and seek Him first, He will pour so much of His love into us that with His Spirit’s help, following Jesus’ commandments will become our greatest desire and best blessed part of our lives.

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Amazing Worship Songs that will Make Your Day Better

6 / 11 / 187 / 7 / 18

Welcome to Week #2 of The Summer Sizzle Blog Hop Series.

If you missed last week’s post, you can find it here…

6 of the Best Ways to Fight Distraction and Listen to God
by Dawn Klinge

AND…

To find more posts from my awesome friends, visit The Summer Sizzle Blog Hop Series Board on Pinterest!

NOW…

I am so excited to share a post by my friend, Carmen Brown, with you this week.

I was blessed to meet Carmen in person a little over a year ago. She writes to encourage wives and mothers to build their homes on a foundation of Christ. She says it’s her “desire to express understanding, compassion, and love to all the beautiful, strong, graceful wives and mothers who visit her at Married by His Grace.

Oh, and she’s also great at helping new bloggers with tips, ideas, and lots of encouragement.

Please welcome, Carmen! I KNOW you’re going to love her! She’s kind, caring, and she makes me laugh!

Amazing Worship Songs that will Make Your Day Better

I get hooked on worship songs. Once I fall in love with a song, I add it to a playlist and will play the list over and over. In the morning when I wake up, during breakfast time with my children, while working out, and most definitely in my prayer room as I am seeking after the Lord, my playlist will play.

I love finding songs that will lift me up to His presence, bring peace to my worship time, and even clarity to how good God truly is to us.

All of this helps me have a good day as a wifey, with my children, as a full-time Blogger at home, and especially within myself. Worship music builds an intimate connection with God.

Listening to music is a form of worship that I can be on the go with. I love that I am either praying continuously throughout the day or I am singing praises unto Him. I do it so much that I even catch my children starting to sing when there is complete silence longer than a minute.

Oh, my goodness…it just melts my heart. Vision it….worshiping with your children through music. To me(deep sigh)…..Nothing beats that!

Worship music is seriously one of the best ways to shift the atmosphere. The Bible tells us, “Submit yourself unto God, Resist the Devil, and he shall flee.” (James 4:7)

Worshiping the Lord our God is the best way to completely submit yourself unto God, by doing so you will resist anything that is not of God, which then does not allow the devil to be around. 1,2,3, take the fact as it is and enjoy the worship music!

Right now my top song to play about ten times a day is, ‘Reckless Love’. I mean who doesn’t love that song? It completely describes the “overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.” Like how I added that?!!

I love the Reckless Love song because after hearing Cory Asbury live performance to this song, I received a great understanding as to what this song meant to him. He read the scriptures when Jesus spoke the parable of leaving the ninety-nine to save the one (Luke 15:4). This song is anointed and driven with a passion for the love of Christ which is all I ask for in a worship song!

There is just something about worship music; whether it’s with a slow soothing repetitive beat or a powerful anointing drumming sound to fire you up with a massive amount of energy for the day or not. Any song that represents the Lord’s love for us is an anthem to any day we have.

I encourage you to lay before Him for five minutes to just think upon the words we are listening to. Let it take you to complete solitude with Him, our Father. Let it enrich every thought you have about Him. Allow yourself to grow deeper in His magnificent love for us.

Worship Songs to add to your Playlist:

Reckless Love – Cory Asbury

The version by Steffany Gretzinger ….. is also full of absolute beauty!

What a Beautiful Name – Hillsong

Come to the Alter – Elevation Music

Break Every Chain – Jesus Culture

Good Good Father – Chris Tomlin

Oceans – Hillsong United

How Great is our God (World Edition) – Featuring Chris Tomlin

Chain Breaker – Zach Williams

Forever – Kari Jobe

Great are You Lord – All Sons and Daughters

Holy Spirit You are Welcome Here – Jesus Culture, Kim Walker – Smith

War – Pastor Charles Jenkins

Fill me up – Tasha Cobbs

Resurrecting – Elevation Worship

You paid it all – Wess Morgan

Trust in You – Lauren Daigle

Honestly….this is not even close to ALLLL my favorites but I hope you get the point: Worship music is AWESOME!

Seriously though …..Worship music is extraordinary songs sung by ordinary people just like you and me. Just people loving to praise Him with all our heart and might through expressions of words.

I am a writer and knowing the power of words is something I take very literally; especially when it comes to glorifying God.

Just for you…. I have created a Playlist of all the mentioned songs to a playlist. Click here to check it out.

Go about doing what you do…..just add some amazing music as you do it today!

Don’t forget to tell me your favorite worship song that I must have on my playlist, if not already mentioned.

Carmen Brown is the creator of Married by His Grace blog. Through her walk with Christ as a wife and mom of five, she actively writes to women who are desiring to build their home with the word of God. Her passions involve staying connected with her family, drinking an immense amount of coffee daily, and developing content that will help and encourage new Christian Bloggers. You can connect with Carmen on her blog, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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7 of the Best Verses To Inspire Your Worship of God

6 / 7 / 18

Welcome to Summer at Counting My Blessings!

I’m taking a bit of a writing break so I can fill this space with fresh new content beginning in August. So, for the next eight weeks, I’ll be sharing the Summer Sizzle Blog Hop 2018 each Monday.

And…

A Countdown of my most popular posts here at Counting My Blessings each Friday.

Of course, I’m looking forward to welcoming you here each Friday for the Faith ‘n Friends Link Party!

Today – I’m starting with the 8th most visited and most popular post here at CMB.

7 of the Best Verses To Inspire Your Worship of God

I walk outside in the morning and lift my eyes. Trees blow in the breeze as clouds drift across the sky. Birds sing as squirrels and chipmunks scurry and I stop for just a moment to watch my little world and worship the Creator.

The One who alone is worthy of my praise.

Then I start my day and busyness creeps in and my thoughts wander (not always in a good or worshipful way) and I fail again to give Him my all.

Like Paul, the good I want to do, well . . . I just don’t do it.

I know there is nothing good in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do good but I do not. Romans 7:18

I want to be completely surrendered to God’s love . . . to give Him my heart, mind, soul, and strength. But in the daily, in the living, I fail to worship Him fully and faithfully.

Look at this quote from Brother Lawrence…

“To worship God is to admit that we are entirely contrary to Him and that He is willing to make us like Himself.”

Don’t you love that?

God already knows you and I are contrary. He knows we’re not going to do life “right”not any part of it—even worship.

So, He’s given us what we need. Examples. Words of worship in the Scriptures to get us started.

Because…

“Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father.” ~Richard J. Foster

Are you going through a storm? If fear or worry making it hard to worship? These 7 verses promise to inspire your worship of God.

Psalm 103:1-4

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart,
I will praise His holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things He does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with
love and tender mercies.

Many believe David wrote Psalm 103 later in life because it is written with such humble awareness of God’s amazing grace and tender mercy.

You and I can know, like David, that no sin is too great and no sinner too flawed. God redeems broken people and that alone is an awesome reason to worship Him.

Isaiah 25:1

I honor you and praise You because
You have done amazing things.
You have always done what You said You would do;
You have done what You planned long ago.

God always keeps His promises. He always has and He always will!

You and I can count on His promises in a world where we can’t count on much.

What promise are you holding close today? You can count on God! You can trust Him!

Psalm 63:3–4, 7–8

Because Your love is better than life, I will praise You.
I will praise You as long as I live.
I will lift up my hands in prayer to Your name.

Because You are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.
I cling to You;
Your strong right-hand holds me securely.

Scholars believe David wrote Psalm 63 while he was in the wilderness running from his son, Absalom, and those who were attempting to dethrone him.

Can you imagine? Stopping and writing a song of praise while you’re running for your life from your own child.

No matter what is going on in your life . . . God is there. He loves you. His mighty strong right-hand is holding you securely and He will not let go of you.

Ephesians 3:20–21

Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul wrote this from a Roman prison. Why was he imprisoned? For preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When you are discouraged or afraid because of the way Christians are being persecuted around the world remember, God is on the throne. He is at work and able to accomplish far more than you could ever ask or imagine.

Exodus 15:1-3

“I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously;
He has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
He has given me victory.
This is my God,
and I will praise Him—my father’s God,
and I will exalt Him!
The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name!

Imagine yourself trapped next to a sea … your enemy is coming for you and getting closer. Suddenly the waters part and you cross safely to the other side on dry ground and as you look back from safety those chasing you drown when the sea returns to normal.

Exodus 15 is Moses’ “Song of Deliverance.”

Are you going through a storm? Do you feel like your enemies are gaining on you? Is fear distracting you and making it hard to worship?

God is with you. He is the God of miracles. He is able to deliver you to safety.

Psalm 100

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and His faithfulness continues to each generation.

Any collection of worship verses must include Psalm 100. It’s my favorite.

We don’t know who wrote it but historians believe it was written as a call to worship when the Temple was restored and the exiles returned to Israel.

God made you. He claims you as His own. He is good and His love is unfailing. This is a great Word to write in your prayer journal so you have it close when life’s problems make it hard to worship.

Whatever our circumstances … God is worthy of our worship and praise!

Revelation 4:11

“You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
For You created all things, and they exist
because You created what You pleased.”

And the song of worship and praise will continue for all eternity.

You were created because it pleased God to create you. He wants a relationship with you.

Imagine that . . . the God of the universe loves you and wants a relationship with you.

I can’t think of a better reason to praise and worship Him today, tomorrow and forever.

Finally, a quote to inspire you…

“Many Spirit-filled authors have exhausted the thesaurus in order to describe God with the glory He deserves. His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can’t contain Him. Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?” ~Francis Chan

I pray these verses bless your worship of God!

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlights from the Week!

It’s O.K. if You’re a Dandelion

by Jen Avellaneda
@ Rich Faith Rising

When the Lies You Believe Beat You Down

by Mari Hernandez-Tuten
@ Inspired by Family

Learning: Six Things for Spring

by Rebecca Hastings
@ My Ink Dance

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

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This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

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Thank you and God bless!

You Need to Know the Right Way to Worship God

5 / 21 / 185 / 21 / 18

You and I were created to worship.

God created us to worship Him but even those who say they don’t believe in God … worship something.

We are hardwired to worship.

So in this “hard questions” series – I’m asking…

What is the right way to worship God?

How does He really want me to worship Him?

How does He want the church to worship Him?

Since God created us to worship and He mentions it 496 times in the Bible, I believe it’s important to Him. So, I looked for answers to the what, who, and how of worshiping God the way He wants personally and in community.

I started by defining the what of worship in general.

What is worship?

Pastor John Piper defines worship this way…

The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.

The Life Application Notes define worships as – n. – reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God; and v. – to regard with great extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.

I would say it like this…

Worship is much like loving God – heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is getting to know Him with our heads, cherishing Him in our hearts, and surrendering our lives to Him … through obedience, service, gratitude, and praise.

Brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Romans 12:1

And who are we to worship?

The Triune God—Father, Son (Jesus), and Spirit.

You must not have any other God but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. Exodus 20:3–5

It’s easiest to think of these “other gods” as those worshipped by other religions . . . Allah, Buddha, etc. But you and I can make anything or anyone an idol — Celebrities. Spouse. Children. Possessions. Career. Position or Popularity. Comfort or Looks? Anything that takes God’s place in our lives is an “other god.”

So…

What is the right way to worship God personally?

Jesus summed up the how of worship when He said…

“The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23–24

Worshiping God in spirit and truth is worshiping Him with our hearts and our minds. (spirit and truth)

It begins by KNOWing God for who He is . . . not who we think He is but who He says He is.

That’s worshipping Him in truth.

Praise God, the Holy Spirit – living within us teaches us the truth and helps us worship God as He wants.

For me, it means getting to know Him by spending time with Him through prayer and Bible Study … because the more I know Him … the more I love Him and the more I love Him … the more I will worship Him.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

Love and worship go together – it’s hard to have one without the other.

What is the right way to worship God in community?

What is the right way to worship God at church?

I think God’s people disagree more about worship styles than almost anything else in the church.

There are as many worship styles as there are churches and everyone has an opinion about the style their church should practice. There’s traditional, contemporary, rock, folk, liturgical, non-liturgical, with instruments, without instruments, dancing, clapping, raised hands, bowed heads, and I’m sure I’ve missed a few.

I believe Rev and I have experienced almost every worship style at one time or another and although I have my preferences that’s all they are . . . preferences.

The Bible doesn’t give us many specifics of how God wants us to worship Him in community. A few verses that give us specifics are:

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe. Hebrews 12:28

Or as the LAB notes say — “great extravagant respect, honor, or devotion”

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

First of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 Timothy 2:1

Paul began his counsel on worship telling people to pray and…

What am I saying, Christian brothers? When you meet together for worship, some of you have a song to sing. Some of you want to teach and some have special words from God. Some of you speak in special sounds and some of you tell what they mean. Everything should be done to help those who are meeting together to grow strong as Christians. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NLV)

Whatever your church leadership decides is the best way to help its members worship – the goal should be everyone growing stronger as followers of Christ!

So, it’s not about the right kind of music or formula. Not how the service sounds or what it looks like. But about surrendering our hearts and minds to the power of the Holy Spirit as we seek to KNOW God better, love Him more deeply, and follow Him more closely.

What is the right way to worship God?

It is setting your heart and mind on adoring God for who He is and all He’s done. It is growing more and more in love with Him – until you love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Worship is focused on God – not on the pastor, the music, or your personal preferences.

So if you ever sit there during a service and think:

I hate this song.
Wow, that musician is terrible.
I can’t believe the reader wore that to church.
The pastor really didn’t hold my attention today.
Why can’t we just go back to the way things used to be?
What is wrong with this music, you can’t even sing along?

Yeah, that’s not worship!

And yes, I’m guilty!

That’s why I’m challenging myself to make true worship my goal going forward.

That means – I’m making God my focus as I celebrate Him with GRATITUDE and JOY personally and in community!

Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever.
Psalm 100:2,4–5a

And I’m making it my goal to surrender every day to God as an act of worship and praise.

I love this quote from Timothy Keller…

“God directs his people not simply to worship but to sing his praises ‘before the nations.’ We are called not simply to communicate the gospel to nonbelievers; we must also intentionally celebrate the gospel before them.”

And this one from Robert Webber…

“Worship is an it-is-well-with-my-soul experience.”

That is worship!

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and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

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Truth You Need to Know about the First Commandment

5 / 10 / 183 / 22 / 19

A closer look at the First Commandment and what having "no other gods" means for you and me. #BibleStudy #Faith #ChristianCommunity

Maybe you’re someone who reads the First Commandment,

You must not have any other god but me. Exodus 20:3

and thinks…

Whew, I believe in God as He is revealed in the Bible. I’m good on that one. That’s one commandment I don’t have to worry about.

I’m not. I’ve had times when I’ve worried about my ability or should I say, lack of ability, to obey God’s First Commandment.

Not because I worshipped the gods of other religions but because I questioned whether I loved other things more.

Did I love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

But I wondered if I could love God and put Him first “no matter what?”

I’d read Job…

Everything was taken from him – his wealth, his children, his position, and his health … and through his grief he proclaimed:

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
Job 1:21

Could I do that?!

Could I still worship and love God with all my heart. soul, mind, and strength if everything was gone? And if I couldn’t, I felt I had to ask myself if my family, our careers, our home, our positions and a long list of other things had become “other gods.”

My verse for this year is Matthew 6:33

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

And verse 34 says:

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

If I was putting my relationship with God first … I should have been able to trust Him to give me everything I NEEDed and not worry.

Oh, but I worried! Remember, I’d read the Book of Job!

I’d also read Jesus words:

“In this world you will have troubles.”

I know, I was ignoring the rest of that verse…

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

And – Take heart! I have overcome the world! John 16:33

All I could focus on was the trouble part. I was young, but I’d lived long enough to know that life was full of troubles.

Could I still worship and love God if God was all I had?

The Apostle John challenges us with the following:

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. 1 John 5:21

But our family? Career? Position? Home? Reputation? SELF?

How do we “keep away” from those things?

It’s hard, isn’t it?!

There are so many things vying for our time, attention, admiration, and affection. And the Job factor, always made me wonder at what point God’s blessings could become “other gods” in my life.

The Life Application Bible Notes say the following about God’s First Commandment:

Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things but by the amount of time we devote to them they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies.

That’s a hard word, isn’t it?

Before you leave completely discouraged, there is HOPE!

It’s the part I didn’t trust before God did His big work in me.

I had been relying on myself. I believed I had to give God first place in my life on my own. I believed it was up to me to love Him completely.

I was wrong!

In His grace and mercy, God allowed me to lose a few of the “other gods” in my life and although the grief was overwhelming … I didn’t run from God; I ran to Him.

And He proved Himself to be who He says He is. I learned I could trust Him.

Because He is…

Ready to help!

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1

Rescuer!

“Call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” Psalm 50:15

Gracious and merciful!

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

Strength!

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

The truth is when you and I believe we have to obey God’s commands on our own, we make ourselves small “g” gods.

You and I don’t have to do it alone. God is gracious, merciful, and ready to help. He is rescuer and strength. And when we fail … He forgives.

Obeying God’s First Commandment means surrendering and trusting.

Surrendering all that we are and all that we have to the One who gave everything for us. It’s trusting His grace, mercy, and love are greater than our circumstances … great enough to meet every need!

You see, it’s true!

In this world, you and I will have trouble!

God may give you more than you can handle but He will never leave you to handle it alone!

He will give you everything you need to trust and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I know! Because He’s done it for me and He is able to do it for you!

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlights from the Week!

5 Things We Sometimes Have to Do Before We Feel

by Elizabeth Spencer

@ Guilty Chocoholic Mama

Finding Beauty in the Mess

by Marva Smith

@ Sun Sparkle Shine

Being Real in Prayer Means Laying Your Heart on the Table

by Sandra J.

@ This Day – God’s Way

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

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I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

[Tweet “I’m finding #Friendship and #Inspiration at #Faith ‘n Friends #LinkUp Come join the fun! “]

Deb Wolf
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.
You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”

I would really appreciate it if you would
Grab my Link Party Button above and link back to CMB.

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Thank you so much for partying with us!
May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…

and pray over the list left by our friends.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

Thank you and God bless!

You Need to Know – Are There Many Paths to God?

5 / 7 / 18

With so many religions, how is a person supposed to know what to think?

I promised we would look for answers to the hard questions and since we talked about the Bible last week … it seemed like addressing the 1st Commandment might be a good place to go next.

The first on God’s list of commandments in Exodus 20 is:

“You must not have any other gods except me.” Exodus 20:3 (NCV)

God told His people not to worship other gods because people WERE worshipping other gods.

I believe God wired people to need more from life than what’s right in front of them. He wired us to seek Him.

Solomon wrote:

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (AMP)

In the seeking, people create their own ideas about god and truth.

But that’s nothing new.

Solomon also wrote:

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9–10

Today – there are still 5 major religions with thousands of denominations and sects.

It gets confusing?

And I believe like God’s children in Israel, people just want to get along. They want to be popular. So, it’s easier to conclude that there are many paths to the same god.

Let’s ask the hard question…

Are There Many Paths to God?

I found the following article at EveryStudent.com.

5 Major Religions in “Connecting with the Divine.”

The major world religions and their beliefs about God. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and New Age Spirituality…

The author, Marilyn Adamson, does an excellent job of explaining each of the major religions.

In looking at these major belief systems and their views of God, we find tremendous diversity:

Hindus acknowledge multitudes of gods and goddesses.
Buddhists say there is no deity.
New Age Spirituality followers believe they are God.
Muslims believe in a powerful but unknowable God.
Christians believe a loving God who created us to know Him.

Of these, only one affirms that there is a loving God who can be known now in this life.

I recommend you head over and read the rest of the article…

5 Things that Set Christianity Apart from All Other Religions

♥ God loves you.

God is love and His love shows in everything He does.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. 1 John 4:16

♥ God seeks you.

God wants a personal relationship with each uniquely created person.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! Psalm 139:13,17

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10

I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. Ezekiel 34:16a

♥ Works can’t save you.

No matter how hard a someone tries … their good is not good enough.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. James 2:10

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Romans 3:20

But God…

♥ Saved you through Jesus – the only way to God!

Jesus is the only way to God!

God’s love, grace, and mercy are so overwhelming He sent Jesus to live the perfect life you and I are unable to live, suffer death as punishment for our sins, and rise again so that through faith in Him we can live with God forever.

We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over Him. When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. Romans 6:9–10

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. John 11:25–26

♥ Simply believe (trust and follow) Jesus.

Faith in Jesus – that trusts His Word and follows His teachings builds a relationship with God that is not possible any other way.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

♥ God is with you.

And because of His great love, God doesn’t leave us to trust and follow on our own. His Spirit is present with everyone who believes … to guide, help, and bless them day by day.

Jesus said, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.” John 14:23

Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17

The difference between Christianity and every other religion…

It’s not about you and it’s not about doing it right.

Christianity is about Jesus … God in the flesh who loves you so much He would rather die for you than live without you.

It’s about the freedom to love because you are already forgiven and loved. It’s about getting to follow God’s will because He is alive and active in your life and knows what is best for you. It is about faith, hope, and love!

All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:12b–13

Christianity is not one of many paths to God – it is the path!

I know many of you reading this already trust and follow Jesus … the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Maybe you know someone who believes there are many paths to God and that all religions are basically the same. I would love for you to share this with them.

One more thing…

I know God’s command to “have no other gods” goes beyond taking a look at other religions. So, I’m hoping you’ll come back next time when we’ll take a broader look at His 1st Commandment.

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

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How to Be a Living Bible Without Embarrassing Jesus

5 / 3 / 18

I finished reading the Old Testament this week.

Each time I work my way through the books of the Law, the historical books, the Psalms, and the prophets … I am overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord of the universe wants us to know Him. Really KNOW Him!

And now, I’m settling in and sitting at the feet of Jesus.

The more I read the Bible – the more I want to read the Bible!

That’s why I wanted to talk about a comment exchange I had with another reader of David Rupert’s article – GQ Says the Bible is Overrated. Here’s What They Got Right.

I don’t comment as often as I’d like on posts because, well, I read hundreds of blogs posts each week. But this one…

As I read through the comments, I felt impressed to add my thoughts.

So, I wrote…

If the Bible is just another book then the author of the GQ article has a point. BUT – if the Bible is the inspired Word of God and used by the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts and minds of those who read and hear it, then it is the one book everyone should read. I began reading through it every year … ten years ago. This year, I’m reading it with all the Life Application Bible Notes. Every day I am overwhelmed with the message of God’s love for people who continually fail Him. It makes me want to know Him better, trust Him more, and love Him above all else. That is one life-changing book!

Later in the day, I received an email with this reply from another reader…

It’s not what you believe, its what you do that matters. that being said, most devout Christians are also some of the biggest jerks I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.

Ouch!

But she has a point.

So, I added this…

I’m so sorry you’ve had such negative experiences with Christians. Me too! We’re all flawed. Christians too! And as much as I want to live a life that honors God, I fail often. I need to say, I’m sorry to people and ask God for His forgiveness as well. I challenge you to read the Bible with an open mind. Don’t make your decisions about Jesus based on imperfect people. Our tendency to be jerks on occasion is the very reason we need Him. One more thing … some of the Christians I know are extremely kind and selfless. I really hope you get to meet some people like them, too!

What’s the point? Why am I sharing this with you?

Because dear friend, people are watching and listening.

I’m sure you’ve seen the quote:

“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” ~ William J. Toms

How to Be a Living Bible Without Embarrassing Jesus

Paul wrote:

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Ephesians 4:1–3

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Ephesians 5:1–2

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:1–2

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Philippians 2:3,5

I know there are many more verses but I’ll hold there as I’m feeling convicted; maybe you are too. If you’re like me, you know how often you’ve blown opportunities, and fallen short of loving like Jesus would have you love. I’m guilty of embarrassing Jesus!

And I’ll be honest with you, sometimes fear of falling short keeps me from saying anything at all because I don’t want to mess up.

But that’s not the answer either!

What is the answer?

Lead with love!

Before you say anything remember that everyone is someone who is precious to God and dearly loved by Him! Loved so much that…

Though He was God,
He did not think of equality with God
  as something to cling to.
Instead, He gave up His divine privileges;
He took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When He appeared in human form,
He humbled Himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:6–8

Then tell people how much Jesus, who died for them, loves them. Point them to Bible that is able to tell them all about the God who loves them, and let the Holy Spirit do the convicting on what is right and wrong.

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7–8

I know…

It’s convicting!

I don’t love the way God wants me to; so, I’m praying and asking God to help me do better.

I’m asking Him to help me…

remember how much He has forgiven in me.
stay humble … knowing I don’t have all the answers.
listen with compassion.
think and pray before I speak.
stop and think before I leave a snarky comment online.
talk more about Jesus than “right” and “wrong.”
stop condemning “big” sins while excusing “little” ones.

I’m guessing you could add to this list.

I want people to look at my life and see the spiritual blessings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When you and I focus on trying to convince someone of the error of their ideas and/or actions without loving them we fail to show them love.

Think about the way Jesus talked to the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and Zacchaeus.

With God’s help, we can do this. We can glorify God by loving like Jesus.

Father, please help us! In Jesus’ name and for His sake. Amen!

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlights from the Week!

Three Ways to Share Your Redemption Story

by Christin Baker

@ Garments of Splendor

This is How to Make Necessary Changes in Your Life Today

by Tehila Gonen

@ Women Abiding

When the Rug Gets Pulled Out From Under Your Feet

by and @ Mary Carver

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

<div align="center"><a href="https://countingmyblessings.com/" rel="nofollow" title="Counting My Blessings"><img src="https://countingmyblessings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Link-Party-Button-Pic.jpg" alt="Counting My Blessings" style="border: none; height: auto; width: 200px;" /></a></div>

I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

[Tweet “I’m finding #Friendship and #Inspiration at #Faith ‘n Friends #LinkUp Come join the fun! “]

Deb Wolf
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.
You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”

I would really appreciate it if you would
Grab my Link Party Button above and link back to CMB.

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Thank you so much for partying with us!
May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…

and pray over the list left by our friends.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

Thank you and God bless!

Praying – God, Please Help Me Love You More

4 / 26 / 184 / 27 / 18

Did you read Gretchen Fleming’s post last week?

She started it…

“Hi. My name is Gretchen and I’m a grudge-holding, fault finding, over-responsible, jealous, insecure, people-pleasing perfectionist. Oh, did I mention a know-it-all? I’m that too.”

As I read her words, I found myself smiling at her honesty and nodding my head in agreement because I could so easily replace her name with my own. (You can read the rest through the link in the features below.)

I fall so far short of God’s will every single day.

Lately, I’ve been digging into the writings of the prophets and I’m learning something…

They weren’t writing about obedience, they were writing about love. God’s love! Verse after verse God asked the prophets to tell His people how much He loved them and how He longed for them to love Him in return!

I get tears in my eyes when I think of how often I’ve gotten it wrong.

Although I need God’s forgiveness because I’ve failed to obey Him, more than anything, I need His forgiveness because I’ve failed to love Him as He wants me to.

And as I wrote the other day … I’ve even failed to love Him as I want to.

He wants our heart, soul, mind, and strength love.

Our all – not our leftovers.

So, today I’m asking Him to help me love Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength love.

I’d love for you to pray with me…

Praying – God, Please Help Me Love You More

With my all – heart, soul, mind and strength.

♥ All My Heart

When I pray to love God with all my heart – I want to make Him my greatest treasure … valuing my relationship with Him, with Jesus, over anything and everything else in my life.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:21

Father, I want to love You with all my heart but too often, I fail to cherish You as my greatest treasure. Please forgive me. Life is so busy and boisterous. I get distracted by stuff and relationships. I let my wants and wishes take priority over Your will for me. I’m so sorry.

Help me, Lord. I want my relationship with You to be the priority of my life. I need Your Holy Spirit to help me stay focused on Jesus when the world and its problems try to distract and defeat me.

Be my treasure, Lord! Be my pearl of great value and my heart’s desire. Help me love You more – with all my heart. Amen.

♥ All My Soul

When I pray to love God with all my soul – I want to love Him with all I am … with my will (attitudes and intentions), my emotions, my thoughts and feelings, and my body.

Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord. Psalm 146:1

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. Psalm 62:5

Father, That is my prayer … all that I am love!

Your Word says You know everything about me. You know where I am and what I do. You know my personality, my talents, my feelings, my attitudes, and my intentions. Every thread of my DNA is known to You … created for Your plans and purposes. (Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29, Isaiah 44)

Father, I surrender my all to You. I give You my worship and praise, my prayers, my heart. Help me love you more – with all my soul. Amen.

♥ All My Mind

When I pray to love God with all my mind – I want to love Him with my reason and intellect. I want to know Him through Jesus, the Way, Truth, and Life.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christand become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith. Philippians 3:8–9

Father, Jesus is my Way, my source of Truth, my Life-giving Savior. Jesus, the Word made flesh, showed us Your love.

Thank you, for Jesus, for Your mercy and grace. Help me trust and obey You as my humble response to all You have done for me.

When I’m confused and the world tries to pull me away … guide me by Your Word and strengthen me to trust and obey. Forgive my failures and help me recommit each day to you.

By the power of Your Spirit, help me know and love You as I read and study Your Word and come to You in prayer. Help me love You more – with all my mind. Amen.

♥ All My Strength

When I pray to love God with all my strength – I want to love Him by what I do and say. I want to honor Him with my abilities, my resources, and my service. I want to the people in my life to see Jesus and glorify God.

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8–10

Father, You have people for me to love and things for me to do. By Your grace, help me. You give me everything I need to do them. May I be generous with the blessing You give. Make me sensitive to the needs of others. Make me loving and kind.

Father, help me serve You in ways that show people how much You love them. I don’t want them to see the goodness in me … I want them to see Your goodness, faithfulness, and love. Help me love You more – with all my strength. Amen.

Through Jesus, you and I have everything we need to love God more. To love Him heart, soul, mind, and strength.

And that’s a blessing worth counting!

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlights from the Week!

Blessed 8 Ways to Sunday: Those Who Mourn

by Debbie Kitterman

@ Dare 2 Hear

What Would You Choose?

by Pam Ecrement

@ A New Lens

Bound & Crippled – Why We Need Jesus to Set Us Free

by Gretchen Fleming

@ Following Hard Blog

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

<div align="center"><a href="https://countingmyblessings.com/" rel="nofollow" title="Counting My Blessings"><img src="https://countingmyblessings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Link-Party-Button-Pic.jpg" alt="Counting My Blessings" style="border: none; height: auto; width: 200px;" /></a></div>

I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

[Tweet “I’m finding #Friendship and #Inspiration at #Faith ‘n Friends #LinkUp Come join the fun! “]

Deb Wolf
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.
You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”

I would really appreciate it if you would
Grab my Link Party Button above and link back to CMB.

Loading InLinkz ...

Thank you so much for partying with us!
May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…

and pray over the list left by our friends.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

Thank you and God bless!

2 Members – 1 Church – Helpful Truth You Need to Know

4 / 19 / 184 / 19 / 18

It’s been years, but I can still picture them well.

They were members of our small church in St. Louis.

For my story today, I’m going to call them members A and B.

Member A –

A was a slightly built man with a wisp of silver hair. He had a huge smile and a bear hug that wrapped around you and well, you just knew he meant it! Both A and his wife were humble servants … faithfully doing the unheralded jobs that few others wanted to do. They were always there early and they stayed late.

I picture A standing near the entrance welcoming everyone who walked in with a handshake or a hug and the following simple sentence:

Do you know how much Jesus loves you?

Rev remembers how he would bring his 5’8″ frame right up to his 6’6″ one, grab him by the collar, look him in the eye and say, “I pray for you every single day!” And we knew he did!

Member B –

Member B was a taller more distinguished looking man. He always held leadership positions and knew how the church should run. He liked tradition and was outspoken and unhappy about most changes. He served that church and gave generously. He was doing it right and felt it important that he should help others “do it right,” too!

I remember one exchange with B’s wife …

Rev and I had struggled with secondary infertility for 7 years. One particularly bad hormone swing day, I shared with her that I was hurting and sad. She stepped in close, shook her finger in my face, and told me I should be ashamed of myself. I was blessed with two healthy children and I should stop feeling sorry for myself and be thankful.

I was thankful for my children! Very thankful. I just had an exceptionally powerful mom gene! And at that moment, more than anything I needed love, kindness, and compassion.

Two members – One Church

One full of love the other full of ~~self~~ righteousness.

I believe A and B and their wives loved Jesus and that they were trying to follow Him to the best of their abilities.

I also believe there is a little A and B in each of us.

I wrote the following as part of Mondays’ post…

God selected Abraham and his descendants as His chosen people not to exclude the other nations but because He wanted to draw all people to Himself through them. Had the Israelites followed God’s will they would have shown surrounding nations the blessings of living as God’s children.

God wanted His people to be “holy” or “set apart” … to look different from everyone else because as He blessed their obedience, others would want what they had.

Then on Tuesday morning, I read the following in Ezekiel…

I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them. And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy. Ezekiel 20:11–12

Decrees and regulations so they could find life.

A day of rest as a sign of the covenant … that they were set apart as His. A day to refocus their priorities and remember all He had done for them.

Why?

Love!!!

God gave His commands and the Sabbath out of love. He knew obedience would make their lives better. And He set them apart so the people around them would see the blessings of living in relationship with the one true God.

And yet, time and again, like you and me … God’s people failed to trust and obey completely.

They chose idolatry, power, prestige, popularity, and personal comfort over obedience. They wanted what the non-believers had. It looked good. It sounded good. It felt good.

It was self-focused and selfish.

I want to be like Mr. and Mrs. A! I want my love for Jesus to bubble out of me all over everyone who meets me. I want to serve humbly as an offering of gratitude for all God has done for me.

Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Ephesians 6:7

Unfortunately, I recall times when I’ve been more like Mr. and Mrs. B than I’d like to admit. Times when I was critical and judgmental, and yes, maybe even a little self-righteous.

So today, I asking God to forgive me. I’m also asking Him to help me keep my focus on Jesus.

Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12:1b–2a

I’m asking Him to help me love Him through obedience … not to win His pleasure or gain His blessings but to glorify and thank Him for all He has given me and done for me through Jesus.

John the Baptist said, “He must become more important while I become less important.” John 3:30

I like to say it this way…

Less of me! More of Jesus!

I want people to see Jesus in me. I want them to want what I have. I want them to love the One I love!

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlights from the Week!

El-Roi the God Who See You in Your 7 Painful Needs

by Diana Abe

@ Diana’s Diaries

A Community that Motivates

by Nylse Esahc

@ Life Notes

Too Tired to Fight

by JD Iana

@ Dotted Lines

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

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Why You Need to Seek the Truth About Obedience and Love

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I’ve studied the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah.

And I have to admit, I feel bad for the prophets. I’ll bet they didn’t get invited to many parties! They spent their lives proclaiming God’s impending judgment on His people for their failure to trust God through obedience and love.

The more I read and studied, the more God lit this fire in my soul as He showed me verse after verse that could apply to our culture today.

A few verses that hit me hard are…

What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet bitter. Isaiah 5:20

Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me.'” Jeremiah 35:13

“Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, ‘Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much.’ But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways.” Jeremiah 44:4–5a

These and other verses like them started my spirit squirming and I felt the Lord prodding me to write about the connection between obedience and love.

This is the deal…

I know you and I live under the New Covenant. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.

Still, throughout the Bible, God says an important part of living our faith is doing our best to obey God’s commands and follow His will in loving response to who He is and all He’s done. In response to His love!

You see, the thing I keep thinking about is this…

Much of what the people were doing that brought about God’s punishment was passed down from one generation to the next. They listened to the wrong voices and when God sent them prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, they ignored them and continued to do what they’d always done — worshipping idols and ignoring the Sabbath.

And I wonder about the idols I might be serving without even realizing it and if I’m honoring the Sabbath the way God wants me to.

Because I love God and I want to love Him through obedience.

Something else Jeremiah called out – is that the people followed a worship ritual but maintained a sinful lifestyle. It was religion without a personal commitment to God. (Life Application Bible Notes Jeremiah 7:2–3)

I keep wondering if we’re worshipping God the way He wants … not only in honoring the Sabbath by going to church but by the way we spend that day and every other day of the week.

Again, remember … I’m not throwing out grace here. I am totally dependent on Gospel grace.

It’s easy to view the Old Testament as all “Law” and the New Testament all “Gospel.” But all of Scripture from Genesis through Revelation points to Jesus and He is the Gospel … obedience and love in human flesh!

God wanted His people to be “holy” or “set apart” … to look different from everyone else because as He blessed their obedience, others would want what they had.

Isn’t that what God wants for Jesus’ followers today?

When people see us enjoying the blessings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control … they should want what we have.

That’s the backstory of God’s prompting and prodding me to write this new series.

It fits with my word for the year – SEEK.

And my verse, which is…

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

There’s another one found just a few verses later:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

So, you and I are going to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK as we take a closer look at some of the hard questions facing Christians today about obedience and love.

Things like:

Is the Bible the Inspired and inerrant Word of God?

What does it mean to have NO OTHER GODS?

Does God care how I REMEMBER THE SABBATH?

How should I honor my parents when they make me crazy?

And then we’ll look at some of the hard sayings of Jesus like:

“Love your enemies.”

“Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?”

And with each post, we’re going to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK.

We will…

ASK – Ask hard questions and ask God to reveal His truth and wisdom to us.
SEEK – Seek answers by searching through Scripture.
KNOCK – Knock down lies and walk through the door Jesus opens into freedom.

You and I serve an awesome and amazing God!

I want everyone to know, love, and trust Him.

Yet, for some reason, followers of Jesus are represented as judgmental and hypocritical.

Maybe we can change that!

Shouldn’t we try?!

This is important…

I’m on this journey with you!

I don’t have all the answers. I will never preach at you. I will only ask questions with you and I hope you’ll join me as we search for answers together. You see, although you and I may not have the answers now … we know the One who does and I believe, He wants us to know them.

Also…

I need your help with a couple of things and would love to hear from you…

I want to know your hard questions. What do you want to talk about?

And… I want to know your stories about the ways God is revealing the importance of loving Him through obedience.

Why seeking the truth about obedience and love is important to me…

I spent much of my life trying to be a “good girl.” I obeyed the rules and wore myself out trying to please God and people.

More recently, I’ve realized that some of the rules I was trying to obey were based on tradition not necessarily God’s will as He revealed it through His Word.

I want to know the difference. I want to know what’s important and what isn’t. Don’t you?

Jesus said:

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. John 14:21

“All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.” John 14:23–24

And He promised:

“I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

I love Jesus. I want to know His commands and obey them.

And…

I want people to see the blessings of Jesus in my life and want what I have.

I want them to know the blessings of loving Jesus, too.

Are you ready to ASK hard questions, to SEEK God’s will, and KNOCK on the door that Jesus will open … the one that leads to blessed freedom, joy, peace, love, and so much more?

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I LOVE hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…