Daughter of Grace

For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name;
and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth
shall he be called.

-- Isaiah 54:5


THOUGHT:
"For God so loved the world..." "The Father, from whom every
family on earth derives its name..." God is not just the God of
Israel. The LORD God, ruler of heaven and earth, is the God of all
nations and one day "every knee will bow and every tongue will
confess... that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father."

PRAYER:
Great Redeemer and Father of all nations, I humbly come before
your throne and offer my thanks and praise for all that you have
done to bless us, your people. Please let me know you and be aware
of your daily presence in my life. Forgive me, dear Father, when I
haven't been a suitable place for your grace and name to dwell.
Thank you for redeeming me from the sin that once entangled me.
Guard my heart and rescue me from the deceptive lies of the evil
one. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Daily Devotion

Habakkuk 3:17 &18 - "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall no herd be in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." (KJV)

My favorite character in the Bible is Job. A lot of people talk about the "patience of Job", and yet there was more than just patience at risk. One after another, messengers brought news, "While he was still speaking....". And yet, after losing his herds, his home, his servants, and finally his family, he still praised God.

Satan's one desire is to break us Christians, troubles and trials are always coming our way! It seems that sometimes the more we follow God's plan for our lives, the harder things get.

And yet, God is the God of circumstances, too. No matter how bleak it seems, He is in control.

How we face the trials and troubles that come our way determine whether we win or lose the battle. The war is already won, but the battles are ours.

It's easier to face today when we know that God has promised us tomorrow.

Isaiah 64:4 says, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prapared for him that waiteth for Him."

Fight on, Oh Christian, remember that our God reigns, He has already determined the outcome. Hold fast, O Warrior, keep your eye on tomorrow, and Praise the Lord.

It's Not an Easy Road
by John W. Peterson

It's not an easy road we are traveling to heaven, For many are the thorns on the way
It's not an easy road, but the Savior is with us His presence gives us joy every day.

It's not an easy road - there are trials and troubles And many are the dangers we meet
But Jesus guards and keeps so that nothing can harm us We'll rest in peace over there.

Tho I am often footsore and weary from travel, Tho I am often bowed down with care
A better day is coming when home in the glory We'll rest in peace over there.

No, no, it's not an easy road. No, no, it's not an easy road;
But Jesus walks beside me and brightens the journey, And lightens every heavy load

My dear Lord, sometimes it seems as if I can't keep going under the pressures of the world. Lord, sometimes it seems as if my shoulder are bowed with loads that are put there by the Destroyer. Help me to remember, Father, that although You allowed the devil to throw his worst my way, Lord, help me to remember that You are in control, that no matter what happens, YOU have already won. Help me to keep my eye on the Cross, hold my head up, and press on. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your grace. Thank You for fighting the battles before me and for me. Amen

Be blessed

LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD

But when it pleased God...

Galatians 1:15
But when God, who had set me apart {even} from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

As workers for God we have to learn to make room for God -
to give God "elbow room."
We calculate and estimate, and say that this and that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses.
Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never looked for Him to come?
Do not look for God to come in any particular way, but look for Him.
That is the way to make room for Him.
Expect Him to come, but do not expect Him only in a certain way.
However much we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in.
We are apt to over look this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way.
All of a sudden God meets the life - "When it was the good pleasure of God. . ."

Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left.
Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.

James 1:4
"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

We may come up against a problem that seems to have no resolution. Many years may even pass, before we see a glimmer of God’s plan unfolding in the midst of them. As frustrating as it is, all our problems don’t have the instant resolutions we desire and it is hard to be patient as we wait and trust. Understanding God’s ways and timetable is not the same as ours and His word and His promises are true and unchanging, gives us hope as we wait. Patience is a virtue, it isn’t something that comes naturally, but is imparted to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Patience isn't obtained instantly, but is a process, which sometimes, seems to be leading us one step forward and two steps back. Waiting does not mean God has not heard our plea and that nothing is happening in the situation. It simply means the time is not right and even when it seems we are traveling on the slow but steady path, we will still arrive at our destination right on time. It may be ten minutes away or ten years, but always on time.