Generosity, is it part of who you are?

My thinking is this as I read Matthew 25 from 14 through to 30 I am reminded that God is in the position to make each one of us wealthy.  The parable is told of 3 people who have been entrusted with an amount of talents.  The first person is entrusted with 5 talents, the second person was entrusted with 2 talents and the third person was entrusted with 1 talent.

As I read these passages I see that each person did as he felt was the best and it was clear the one with the 5 talents worked at creating another 5 talents, the second chap did his best and also accumulated another 2 talents.  What amazed me was the third chap, he took the 1 talent and buried it.  He felt it would be safe in the ground and didn’t worry about it anymore.

Now to my mind I believe the two other chaps were probably working hard and had the ability to think ahead, I also believe they must have cared about their master and wanted to impress him.  I think they also may have been people that were generous and would probably help other people in need.

The third chap made me think he was someone that didn’t take chances and he didn’t give freely to others and was tight fisted.  He also said to the master that he knew the master as a hard man, harvesting where he didn’t sow and gathering where he didn’t scatter seeds.  I think this guy was selfish and thought to himself “the master has so much why; must I give him anymore?”

I think being generous is something we should practice and with the little that we have we should bless people around us each and every day.  You have heard one day when I am rich I will give to this charity and that charity.  Ha ha, that’s just not going to happen, you aren’t giving now why then?

To my mind giving freely God will make you wealthy.  Trust in God He knows best!

Heavenly Father, Lord teach each one of us to give freely, we aren’t able to take what we have accumulated on earth with us into heaven.  Let us not be attached to our worldly belongings but be concerned and worried about our friends, neighbours and people in need.

Thank YOU Lord for blessing me with a job, I am so grateful that I am able to start work again.  Thank YOU LORD Jesus.  Amen

With God all things are possible

http://bible.com/1/mat.19.26.KJV

do not lose your 'mojo'

Today it felt like I lost my mojo.  Everything was just in slow motion, I just couldn’t do things the way I normally do and it was a drag.

My husband reminds me that I am not as young as I think I am and it drives me nuts.  I have so much to do and so little time to do it.  I think my day didn’t work out as well as it would have if I done what I always do. 

Spending time in God’s presence, I thought let me just do this, that and the other and before I know it the day is over.  So what went wrong?  Well I think its because I didn’t spend time with God today, I wanted to quickly do the washing, clean the house and then go to the shops and then sit down and relax with the LORD.  Guess that didn’t happen, yip your right I was too busy.

So its late and I want to spend time in God’s presence and I hope it not too late for me.

Oh LORD, forgive me for not being the person I am supposed to be, I keep on losing myself in not important things.  Forgive me LORD, in Jesus Name. 

Pray for Mercy

Isaiah 63 : 15 ~ 19

'Look down from heaven and see from your lofty throne, holy and glorious.  where are your zeal and your might?  Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us.  But you are our Father, through Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; You, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.  Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you?  Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance.  For a little while your people possessed your holy place, but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary.  We are yours from of old; but you have not ruled over them, they have not been called by your name.'

How to change my thoughts?

Psalm 139: 14 ‘I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.’ (NIV)

I struggle with negative thought patterns and it really brings me low, I would be doing something all of a sudden a really bad thought would pop up.  Something like ‘ag, you are just no good, who would like you?  Look at you!’  Before I have complete my task at hand I would really think that I am just not good enough and yes ~ I must be all bad.

I have been thinking about this and decided I am not allowing these thoughts to pester me anymore.  I speak words of faith in my life and I want to change my thoughts to positive and create thoughts.  I say to myself out load “Lord I praise You because I (Yvette) am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  Even if it is all I say for the whole day, I stay focused on the fact that God is perfect and I am made wonderfully.

Then I also think that because I am wonderfully made I deserve the very best and on the very best is coming to me now, because I am wonderfully made.

I now make a point of shielding my head with my God, by asking that the Lord will give me mercy and would shield my head in the day of battle and not grant the enemy their desires.

I plead the blood of Jesus over my life and know that I am safe.  Keeping this up until I have won the battle I believe I am changing my future.  To a big bright future God has for me.  Amen

Daily reading

http://bible.com/1/eph.1.17.KJV

Today I put it all in God’s hands

I have come to the point in my life that I realise that I keep on asking the Lord to take care of this, that and the other.  Before long I go and collect it back from the Lord and see if I can just fix it.  The harder I try to fix it the bigger the mess.

I was talking to one of my friends and she said, “I see you sitting with your hands in your hair, you feel that you are worthless and that no one really cares about you.”  She also said “that is a lie from the devil, you are worthy and most of all you are loved.  God said that He has called you by your name and that you are His. Isaiah 43:1”  I burst out in tears.

So today I have committed so much into the LORD’s Hands because I just cannot do it on my own any more, I keep on messing things up.

In the meantime I need to relax and learn to take care of myself. 

Father, Abba Father, give me the grace to allow the oil I pour on others, to be poured on me.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen

Pleasure

            Colossians 4: 2 (TLB)

            ² Don’t be weary in prayer; keep at it; watch for God’s answer, and remember to be thankful when they come.

I think of my own three beautiful adult children and two beautiful little granddaughters and two stepchildren.  God has blessed my life with beautiful children and they are truly a blessing to me.  It pleases me when I see them; the children have turned out to be God fearing children. 

I treasure the thoughts and I devote my time in prayer and I am watchful and I am always thankful for the grace God has put into my life.

I keep praying for my family, friends and loved ones – never forgetting that the Lord Jesus loves me first.

Prayer

Abba Father as I pray and thank you for the pleasure of being a mom and grandma, thank You for the blessings You bestow on me with my children.  Thank You for answered prayers, they are blessed and You are keeping them safe.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Teach me how to live

Psalm 27: 11 ‘Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.’

I was thinking that each person’s live is almost like a garden.  In the beginning when we are born its clear and there aren’t many plants in this garden.  As babies we are nurtured and we learn about love, comfort, happiness, kindness, compassion, a sense of being important and cared for.  As we grow up we start learning and in the learning we become the people we are today.  Some of us are positive as we were taught to stay positive and look on the bright side of live and some of us are negative because that is how we were taught. 

As I view life right now I need the LORD to teach me to live.  I want to follow in HIS ways, I want to become more like Jesus and less like me.

People can be disappointing but God knows that and that is why He instructs us to lean on HIM, follow HIM, and trust in HIM.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, please will You teach me to live and help me to follow You in a straight path, my life isn’t as simple as I thought.  I ask this in Jesus Name.  Amen

God has not given us a spirit of fear.

2 Timothy 1: 7 (NLV)

⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of fear.  He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind.

Many people do suffer with ‘fear’ and it is created out of an experience or a feeling.  Today I want to encourage you, do not fear.  Something I have learned over the years is to face my fears.  I will stand up and be scared inside of me but I won’t let other people see that I am fearful.

The minute I face my fears, I believe God is faithful and will be there with you, His spirit of power is with you and me and that gives way to love and a good mind. 

We all experience difficult times and because we do not understand or know the outcome we sometimes give into fear.  May the Lord God touch your live and lift the spirit of fear off of you. 

Prayer:  Dear Father God, please will you teach each one of us that we do not have to fear, because You have given us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind.  We are your children and we can call on you in our hour of need.  In the name of Jesus, Amen

Mr. and Mrs. Un-forgiveness

Ephesians 4:30-32 (MSG)

³⁰ Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

^31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

         Now do you agree with me, ‘Don’t grieve God?  Don’t break his heart.’  Of course you do, I don’t want to break my God’s heart, and I definitely don’t want to grieve my God.  ‘His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself.’  Did you see that God’s Holy Spirit is moving, breathing in my life?  Yes we have the Spirit of God Himself living within us.

         Let us practice gentleness towards each other, be sensitive and forgive each other quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave us.

         Ridding our lives of Bitterness and its mate un-forgiveness.

Thought for the day:

Learn to be sensitive and forgive each other quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave us.

Prayer:  Abba Father, humbly we pray help us through the Holy Spirit to become sensitive and to forgive each other quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave each of us.  Amen

Style, do you have a style?

² Those who follow the right path fear the Lord;
    those who take the wrong path despise him.  Proverbs 14:2 (NLT)

Some people have style, they just seem to look stunning in whatever they dress and others really need a tutor in helping them get a better look.

Proverbs is reminding us that we should follow the right path fear the LORD.  Each morning when I wake up the first thought that comes to mind, is Good morning Abba Father.  Thank you for today.  

Later on I sit down with my bible and read my daily scriptures and then I pray.  I think I want to cloth myself each day with the LORD Jesus Christ.  I also feel that I need to cloth myself in putting the full armour of God on.

My style is plain I am at home and cleaning house, doing washing and ironing.  Cooking meals for the family and just being here.  When I get the opportunity I sit down and write my thoughts for the day.  I try and focus on the Word of God and I strive towards becoming right with the LORD.

I confess ‘I am the righteousness of God in Christ’ every day.  Well, do I have style?  I am sure I have style a different kind of style to people that live in the world.  My style is clothing myself in the Blood of Jesus, clothing myself with the Lord Jesus and wearing the armour of God.

Though for today:

Follow the right path fear the LORD

Prayer:

Humbly LORD I submit myself into Your hands today, I do want to follow the right path fear YOU LORD.  Help me and draw me back into YOUR presence.  I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen

My Little Voice

^18 ‘Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do.’ Hebrews 13:18 (NLT)

 

As a Christian I believe the Holy Spirit lives within me and because He does live in me, I think of Him as that ‘little voice’ warning me not to sin.  The thing that is interesting is my obedience.  So this is how I come to realise that obedience to God’s voice is very important. 

The little voice is like an alarm, when a burglar comes into your house and the alarm goes off, you have a chance to catch him and have him arrested.  Now that is when you take note of the alarm and carry it through.  You can also ignore the alarm and switch it off and pretend you didn’t hear it and the burglar can rob you blind.

My little voice speaks to me mostly when I feel irritated with people around me, I will feel uncomfortable and not happy with my reaction towards them.  I will also feel regret and before I realise it I will repent there and then.  I normally pray and ask “Please Lord, forgive me I have sinned.”

I am of course working on my attitude towards people in the sense that I don’t want to be offended constantly by them, that I should try and accept them for who they are.

Thought for today:

You have to become obedient and listen to ‘your little voice’ and it will save you from going under.

Prayer

Father God please help me to always strive to have a conscience without offense towards God and me.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen

"God, here I am, speak to me."

¹³ ‘You (Yvette) will seek me and find me when you (Yvette) seek me with all your (Yvette) heart.’ Jeremiah 29: 13 (NIV)

I was about 14 or 15 years old when I was sitting in my bedroom knitting, I used to love sitting on the carpet in my bedroom on the floor.  I heard my mom calling me “Yvette, Yvettie”.  I jumped up and ran over to her.  “Yes, Mommy” I said.  My mom looked up from her reading and answered me “I didn’t call you.”  I said: “Mommy I heard you, calling me.”  She smiled at me and said “No, darling I didn’t.” 

Well I turned around and left her and went back to my knitting, I was knitting dolls jersey and my concentrations was on the pattern at hand.  I just got started when I hear my Mom calling me again I heard her calling me “Yvette, Yvettie”.  It was clear as day light and she called me twice.  I put my knitting down and ran over to her in her bedroom.  “Yes Mommy” I stood in front of her expecting her to tell me what I was supposed to do.  “You are such a darling.”  She said and then she said “Go off and make us a nice cup of coffee.”

 

Later on in life I realised that the Lord was calling me and that I should have just answered “here I am Lord, speak Your servant is listing.”  Now, it is my heart’s desire to hear God’s voice, I want to listen and hear Him calling my Name.

I currently am seeking the Lord my God with my whole heart and I am fine tuning my ears, I want to hear God’s voice.  I know that God is here with me, I just need to pay attention.

Thought for today:  

To hear God’s voice, I need to build my relationship with God and keep on praying.

Prayer 

Heavenly Father, Lord here I am, I am listening and waiting for You to speak to me.  I open my heart, soul and mind to Your word, Holy Spirit come in and fill my life, in Jesus Name Amen. 

Wellness

Job 33:17; 21 (AMP)

¹⁷ That He may withdraw man from his purpose and cut off pride from him [disgusting him with his own disappointing self-sufficiency].  ²¹ His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.

            Job was going through a lot and it is apparent that Job started to feel disappointed in his self-sufficiency.  It is understandable that he had no pride left any more as everything dear to him as he knew it was stripped away from him. 

            Job must have been so sick that he didn’t eat well and because of his malnutrition one could see his bones through his skin.  That tells me he was wasting away.

            Job’s testing was server and I don’t believe we as normal Christians could understand what he went through.  God’s mercy is new every day and we can come to Him when times are tough. 

            Prayer  Lord as we think about our wellness we pray that You will guide us and help us to follow YOU.  We want to steer our lives into Your presence, in Jesus Name.  Amen!

Growing Older and Trusting in Jesus

Psalm 118: 17 “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.”

Something I realised is that I cannot fight aging, I see new little wrinkle lines under my eyes, I notice that I cannot shed the weight like I used to and I don’t seem to have the strength I used to have.  

Being young has the advantages of being able to do many things and not feel tired and you can do even that little more.  As you grow older live changes, you will do two or three chores and then you need a rest.

I need to go to bed early so that I can rise early but I realise I seem to be awake around 5h00 am each morning.

In the early hours I speak to God and thank Him for the new day.  I believe God hears my prayers and I pray for my children and family.  I bring each member in my family before the Lord asking for the blessings they need for the day ahead of them.  I call each person into the Kingdom of God.

I believe that Psalms 92: 14 reminds me that “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”  I will still bear fruit in my old age and I will stay fresh and green.  God is so good to me that I still have the ability to read, write and mediate on God’s word day and night. 

I will stay focused on my goals, my purpose and my dreams.  God never forsakes me and He loves me, I am the righteousness of God in Christ, no weapon formed against me shall prosper.  I am a child of God through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Amen