shadow

hope

Inextinguishable Light

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“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” 

John 1: 5, NLT

Tree“I don’t know if I’m really going to like it here. “I don’t know anybody. I don’t know my way around. There’s no sun, surf, and sand, anywhere close by. And, it’s been dreary, windy, and cold for the last several days! I really miss Hawaii. It always seemed bright and shiny there!” These were some of my thoughts as I settled into fall on the East Coast after three years of basking in the sunshine of “Paradise”. I was moping for sure, and life just seemed kind of dreary to me. My hope for the new place was waning and any appreciation for where and how to fit in was too. Perhaps, I just needed a little sign. “Help me, Lord”, I managed to pray, weakly; “just give me a little light in my darkness, here, please!”

Then, one morning, as I looked out, I witnessed a beautiful autumn sight! The sun was out! And, not only was it out, it was shining on a tree in a way that made the tree look almost fluorescent! After moping through several days of darkened skies, I really appreciated the brightness! It was just the sight I needed to bring me out of my period of mini-gloom.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe the light is there on days when the sky is full of clouds, rain, and endless gray. But even on those days when the sun seems to hide so far beneath the clouds that we can’t see it directly, we know it’s still there. God is like that.

When we belong to Him, we have assurance, through faith in him and his grace that he is always with us in every aspect of our lives, even when we feel like he’s not there. I’d forgotten that God said He’d always be with me through every change, doubt, fear, and darkness. I’d forgotten that the very Light that made the world has the power to make a new life from the pieces of my darkness and fears.

The light of hope to start over in a new place, and learn to appreciate its beauty and offerings was still there. It had not been extinguished. I needed that reminder to simply believe what God said about never leaving me.

Jesus is our light in the darkness of life. He shines through our darkness more magnificently than the sun through that tree.

By grace through faith,

Rita

Change: About Those Plans!

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There’s an old saying, “If nothing changes, nothing changes.” As believers in Christ Jesus, we are called to change. Join me this week and consider some aspects of change in our lives as we walk with the Lord. Is there anything that you need changed?

 

About Those Plans!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” 

Jeremiah 29:11, NLT

Yesterday we considered God in the ways we think; today let’s consider Him in our life plans.

Thursday_Day_Four_Pic_#2-snailOne hot day I saw a snail trying to make its way across the sidewalk. I suspected that it was planning to get to the coolness of the grass on the other side. I watched for a while and it was taking a long time because it was, well … a snail!  It was a snail moving at a snail’s pace. But, I knew that if the snail continued with its plan, to move at a snail’s pace across that big sidewalk, it was likely to get crushed. A group of children were racing up and down the sidewalk across the snail’s path, unaware that it was even there. I wanted to help the snail move out of the danger zone, so I reached down and attempted to turn it in the other direction.

Have you ever tried to move a snail along? It dug in and became rigid and hard to move. I actually had to pull it up to move it in another direction. It was like lifting a suction cup! And, it left a slimy smear on the ground as evidence of its resistance to change! Aren’t we like that with our plans sometimes? We’re doing what comes naturally to us, unaware of potential danger, and don’t know or consider that God has good planned for us. And, if we’re prompted to change our plans, we delay that altogether or move at … a snail’s pace to accomplish them!

Thursday_Day_Four_Pic_#1-Jeremiah_VerseRead today’s Dose verse. It refers to God’s plans for the Israelites; He had plans that they’d be brought back to Him and they could have hope in knowing that He has a future for them. God has plans for us too; good plans for our future, which He reveals when we adjust our life plans to be aligned with His. We can stop going our own way and turn to follow His direction. But, like the snail, we can find it very uncomfortable to realign our plans. It may initially feel as though we’re leaving parts of ourselves behind, like that slimy little smear from the snail, but we’ll be headed to a better future than we ever even dreamed of—a future which God specifically tailored for us.

Sister, be encouraged today in knowing that God has made good plans for your life. Are you willing to change your plans for His?

By grace through faith,

Rita

DISCERNING GOD’S VOICE TO FIND GOD’S VICTORY: THE LEAST OF THESE

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“God thunders marvelously with His voice; 

He does great things which we cannot comprehend.”

JOB 37:5

Sometimes the best encouragement comes through a true story, especially one that shows the mighty hand of God to be at work among us. Instead of the usual format, I’d like to encourage you this week with a true story. Each day the Encouragement will continue as the story unfolds. You don’t want to miss a single day!

 

THE LEAST OF THESE

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Matthew 25:40

THURSDAY_#1Yep. God had great plans for this mission—Nicaragua 2015! The enemy tried to stop those plans, because many people were about to hear the truth for the first time. Many were about to accept that truth, love, and forgiveness, and to be forever changed and forever set free. And that’s exactly what happened.

In churches, on ball fields, in prisons, police departments and politicians offices. God had the victory. Nicaraguan people found victory.

Police women, burdened with the task of keeping the peace in an often-violent society, found freedom in Christ. The lost souls they had cast into prison for their crimes were set free in their hearts and souls … for eternity.

Women without any viable means of support not only found hope for their spiritually starved souls, they found a new way to earn food for their family. And this time it was an honorable way, in the Solidaridad church, sewing kits that provide monthly health care for poverty-stricken women. And, the workers get 100% of the profits!

Yes, God had a plan—a Master plan to restore families with His principles for men and women and their marriage relationships. Children are blessed when husbands and wives find the truth that changes lives. And they were.

He had a master plan to bring redemption to the battle ravaged sinner who previously knew no hope existed.

He had a master plan to put shoes on the feet of poverty-stricken children, and provide bags of rice and beans, flour and oil, for those with no food. He had a plan to place antibiotic ointment and hydracortirzone crème into the hands of mothers with no way to treat a skinned knee or bug bite, and toothbrushes and toothpaste to care for the teeth of their children – as well as their own.

THURSDAY_#2He had a plan to give the gift of hair bands to little girls whose hair hung as strings in their faces. Those little girls stood in line waiting for a hair band for 30 minutes and went away with huge smiles, excitedly winding them into their hair.

We could only imagine what they said as they ran to their huts calling for their brothers and sisters saying,

“Come and see…the church has clothes for us, and new shoes to keep our feet dry when the rain comes. Come and see…the visitors are hugging us and kissing our cheeks as if they love us. They play with us; give us hot dogs, cookies, kool-aide, and candy. And bags of food for our mother to cook for the next two weeks. They’ve brought baseballs, bats, gloves, and shirts for our boys to have a baseball team, just like the rich kids. And they’ve told us the reason they came. Because their God – and His Son, Jesus, told them to come. They said that their Jesus loves us too.  And their God asked lots of others—people who couldn’t come this time—to show His love for us by sending the gifts.” 

In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said – from His lips to our ears,

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Praise the Lord! Be sure to join me again tomorrow and I put the icing on the cake of this story. Our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we can ask, or even think to ask!

Until Tomorrow,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda