If you sat down and made a list of how you actually spent your time for one week and the hours in each day, would that list reflect that God is first in your daily life? Communion with God, seeking His Kingdom first and loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength is His deepest desire for us.  Jesus Christ made us first in His life on earth, then He became the final sacrifice for sin, and now He is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  Glory be to God!

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A refuge from the storm.  That is what the little boy needed when it began to pour and the thunder and lightening frightened him so badly that he hid under the bed in the dark.  His parents were not home, and this babysitter was new.  As tears rolled down his tiny cheeks, the little boy prayed, "God, please keep me safe."  God's arms are mighty to save us when we encounter difficulties in life.  The Lord is our Shelter from the storms.  A shelter is a covering for protection, a place outside ...
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The Lord protects us from all evil as we trust in Him.  The details of Psalm 91 declare that God will shield us from harm and hide us in the shadow of His wings.  We must believe and put our faith in His great love and mighty power. This  requires action - trading all of our anxiety, worries, doubt, and fear, no matter how difficult the circumstances, for His peace and love as we rest secure in Him.  A safe haven from the storms of life, God is a loving Father.  Like a sleeping baby in their ...
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This praise song says it all: 
"Jesus said, Come to the water, stand by My side.  I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied.  I felt every teardrop when in darkness you cried.  And I strove to remind you, that for those tears I died.  . . .
(Jesus) I know You're here now, and always will be.  Your love broke my chains, and in You I'm free."
    Jesus shares our pain and sorrows and has our future in His hands.  Come to Jesus, the Living Water, and drink freely, be set free, and live your lif...
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Lifes ups n downs and all arounds require a strong foundation with the One who created us as joy turns to sorrow and mourning back to joy then days that are mellow and uneventful, but still the One who watches over you deserves your praise as you entrust explicitly your life into His hands. Want stability?  security?  peace?   God provides all things as our Creator and loving Father.  By faith we trust the love and power, the grace and mercy He extends to us so that we are building our houses...
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A sleepy mind makes for an ungrateful heart. Focus on the gifts God has given you and be thankful. Be grateful for the people He has brought alongside you. Even the ones that annoy you. Remember to be thankful every day and not take things for granted. God is so good and faithful even when we are not.  If we take a few moments to write down or tell God what we appreciate and who we are thankful for in our lives, our attitude will change because we are focusing our minds on what is worthy of p...
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Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.... life is but a dream.  Or is it?  Sometimes the difficulties of life throw us into an emotional tailspin.  Sometimes we feel like we're on the mountain top.  Being happy is not based on our emotions, but on our spiritual walk with God.  The Bible says that the "joy of the Lord" is our strength.  So avoid the ups and downs and focus on the Lord through worship and prayer.  Read the promises of God and let your heart be thankful.  A cheerful heart does good...
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Waiting can be difficult at times.  Waiting in a long line at the DMV, waiting in traffic knowing you'll be late, waiting for answers to prayers....  God gives us times of waiting knowing that we will be filled with joy as His purpose unfolds in our lives.  The Most High God knows the outcome and keeps us steady when we fix our minds on His promises.  Believe He is good when you can't see it.  Believe in His immense love when you can't feel it.  Trust Him.  God is not always in a hurry.  Howe...
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As I was reading Psalm 37:34 "Don't be impatient for the Lord to act!" it made me think of the prayers that I have been waiting on for God's answer.  Sometimes we doubt that God hears us, or we feel like He doesn't answer fast enoug,h and we get discouraged.  But God's timing is always perfect.  Patience is the ability to perservere without giving up in spite of pain, troubles, or difficult circumstances without complaint.  That sounds like a tall order.  Thankfully the Holy Spirit increases ...
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Jesus meets our needs moment by moment as a loving Shepherd and Giver of Life with every provision necessary for us to have a good life on this earth.  When the faithful Shepherd meets our needs, His blessings bring joy to our hearts expressed in praise and thanks to Him.  Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not lack."  The One who cares for and protects us also provides generously for every good thing.  When there is a lack in your life, no matter if it is peace, provision of fina...
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Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.  Psalm 30:5  Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.  That means that the Spirit of God is full of joy.  When we are in His presence, the joy of the Spirit touches our hearts and fills our minds.  Joy in the Holy Spirit is not worldly but jubilant, supernatural bliss.  There is joy that makes you want to sing and dance before the Lord like David did when God gave him victory over his enemies.  Soak in the love of God's Spirit.  Rejoice in ...
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God is our help, always there to assist, encourage and support us.  Psalm 28:6 & 7 reveals the characteristics of one who knows and rejoices in His wonderful works.  Read these two verses.  Then start giving praise to the Lord.  Thank Him for His wonderful mercy-love.  Remember the good things He has accomplished for you.  Praise Him for being your strength.  Thank the Lord who shields you from every danger by faith in His promises.  Trust Him with your whole heart.  Acknowledge that the Grea...
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El Roi is God's Name in Hebrew which means "The God Who Sees Me".  In Psalm 139:7 David declared, "I cannot escape from Your Spirit!  I can never get away from Your presence."  As our loving heavenly Father, God sees all the circumstances of our lives. El Roi sees, and He cares about us deeply.  "Can anyone hide from Me?  Am I not everywhere? ... says the Lord."  Jeremiah 23:24  Our thoughts and secrets are not hidden from God. 
Open up your heart and understand that you are never alone; God'...

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    Are you battle weary from trials and struggles that have come into your life?  Even the strongest, most courageous soldiers become fatigued during heavy attacks from the enemy.  When the battle is long and fierce, call out to the Lord for strength and endurance.  God will give you victory, and He understands your weaknesses.  He even promises that in each affliction, there is deliverance available because of His mercy and love.  The Word is your sword to use with confidence, and your fait...
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     Did you ever get into a rut and feel like there is no way out?  That's what happened to Jabez, who felt the pain of rejection from his family (see 1Chronicles 4:10).  But Jabez decided that he wasn't going to go through life without God's best.  One day he cried out to God because he'd had enough.  Jabez cried out to the Lord God asking, 'Oh that You would bless me indeed and make me fruitful and multiplied and enlarge my territory, increasing my borders, that Your hand would be with me ...

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Conquer or be Conquered?   How can we win in daily life?  The enemy seeks to destroy, and to divide and conquer, deceive, wreak havoc, plunder, weaken, and steal from us.  But he can be stopped dead in his tracks.  We have a safe haven, a hiding place, a shelter in the storm, a rock of refuge whose name is Power, whose arm is strong, who wins every battle.  His mighty name is Jesus.  Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed are those who take refuge in Him.  Go to the place of ...

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     Don't answer the door when discouragement knocks.  When difficulties come, we must face them with courage and boldness remembering that God is on our side.  We must move God into the center of our lives and confidently trust that His love, grace, and power are available to us at all times.  Through prayer we are able and euqipped to carry out God's will and purpose for His Kindgom and His glory.  Our future is in God's Kingdom, and our journey on earth is a fleeting moment compared to et...

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   Psalm 62:11,12 "One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard, that to you, Lord, belong power and glory."  David wrote these words.

  God sent David, a shepherd boy, on a mission, but David thought it was just a simple task.  A mission is much greater than a task, and it has an ultimate purpose.  David's father was a catalyst.  He gave David a simple task, "Go!  Take this cheese to your brothers, and tell me how they're doing".  Dad was worried about his sons and wanted to know how ...

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   Do you ever lose your confidence in God?  Sometimes life can be overwhelming and troubles or demands on our time can cause us to lose our focus.  That's what happened to a few good men who knew a real miracle working man first hand.  It was a fine, clear day with blue skies and calm waters when Jesus and His closest friends decided to get in their boat and cross the lake.

   All of a sudden a terrible, wind-ripping, sink-your-boat storm came out of nowhere.  There was panic, screaming, an...

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Think on it...

   When we change our perspective, everything changes.  We may be carried in the beginning of life and at the end, but what happens in between is the real measure of our lives. 

   Psalm 1:1-2 "Blessed are those who do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit with the mockers, but they take great delight in God's law and meditate on it always.  They are like trees by the streams whose leaves never die; they produce sweet fruit and all th...

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JOYFUL, PEACEFUL, LOVING  -  These words describe Jesus and they should describe our lives because we are free in Him.  Free to love, free to give... He came that we might have abundant life.  Come and make your home in my heart Jesus forever.

Rhet Peterson

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