Refreshes
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes. Psalm 19:6-8
Certain times of the year can be draining, both physically and spiritually when we sit around and think we have to please everyone or do everything to make sure everyone else is pleased. I know many times we can get caught up in what other people are doing and how they are seemingly in a position that we wish we were in spiritually, but let me remind you that not everything is as it seems. Each person is at different stages in their life, and there are roller coasters even for the most outwardly spiritual. We have to remember that it is not us who make ourselves more spiritual, but it is our perfect Lord in Heaven above who makes us this way. Living with joy in our heart is the most simple way to start and one way that makes our spirituality flow, because God is refreshing and provides that which we need. So when you are not feeling refreshed, lean into God and have Him guide you spiritually, instead of chasing the perfect holiday season that tends to lose our focus on the Lord.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, December 29, 2023
Friday, December 22, 2023
Fantastic Friday #920 - Darkness
Darkness
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
Do you find some days are darker than others? We all have moments during the holidays where maybe something tries to remove our focus from the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. God can work in miraculous ways, just like the story in 1914 where British and German soldiers stopped fighting on Christmas Day and crossed trenches to talk, exchange food and gifts and sign carols together. If God can make miracles happen like these with man and many others, then God can bring light to the darkness you might be suffering from time to time. Take a moment to remember how many times God rescued the Jewish people, and know that sending His Son to rescue us is the ultimate love for us from Him. He cares deeply for us and His light shines brighter than any darkness can cover.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
Do you find some days are darker than others? We all have moments during the holidays where maybe something tries to remove our focus from the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. God can work in miraculous ways, just like the story in 1914 where British and German soldiers stopped fighting on Christmas Day and crossed trenches to talk, exchange food and gifts and sign carols together. If God can make miracles happen like these with man and many others, then God can bring light to the darkness you might be suffering from time to time. Take a moment to remember how many times God rescued the Jewish people, and know that sending His Son to rescue us is the ultimate love for us from Him. He cares deeply for us and His light shines brighter than any darkness can cover.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, December 15, 2023
Fantastic Friday #919 - Stars
Stars
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:3-5
Why do we put limits on what God can do for us? Every day there are people who groan and complain that they don't have what they need, but it probably turns into that they don't have what they want. A simple thought one might share with these people is they have everything they need, if they only placed their faith in God and His plan for their life. Even those of us with faith in God can be truly shortsighted in our hearts and requests to God. I am sure we often forget that our God is mighty and He has no limit, so why try to limit Him in our own mind. As we enter this Christmas season, is there something that you need, that you truly need? I can only assume that if you reflect long enough, you will want more of God and find out that you only truly need Him.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:3-5
Why do we put limits on what God can do for us? Every day there are people who groan and complain that they don't have what they need, but it probably turns into that they don't have what they want. A simple thought one might share with these people is they have everything they need, if they only placed their faith in God and His plan for their life. Even those of us with faith in God can be truly shortsighted in our hearts and requests to God. I am sure we often forget that our God is mighty and He has no limit, so why try to limit Him in our own mind. As we enter this Christmas season, is there something that you need, that you truly need? I can only assume that if you reflect long enough, you will want more of God and find out that you only truly need Him.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, December 8, 2023
Fantastic Friday #918 - Grieved
Grieved
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. Psalm 73:21-26
I have recently seen a number of people who have passed away, and it made me reflect on my close friends and family who have passed on. I reflected on how I reacted when these individuals passed, and I know that I grieved terribly. In fact, I still grieve at times and ask a lot of questions. I have found in the past few years that the only thing that fills that hole is our Father in Heaven. There are so many things that we deal with on a daily basis that can be challenging and frustrating, but I always have to remind myself that God is the answer. You would think that it would be easy to remember this, but the enemy is lurking around trying to make you think that you need to consistently feel bad or grieve for whatever is missing or lost in your life. We need to remember that there is nothing in this world that we should desire other than our Father. As long as we continually set our eyes on the Lord, our grieving will be limited and we can count on His presence in our life.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. Psalm 73:21-26
I have recently seen a number of people who have passed away, and it made me reflect on my close friends and family who have passed on. I reflected on how I reacted when these individuals passed, and I know that I grieved terribly. In fact, I still grieve at times and ask a lot of questions. I have found in the past few years that the only thing that fills that hole is our Father in Heaven. There are so many things that we deal with on a daily basis that can be challenging and frustrating, but I always have to remind myself that God is the answer. You would think that it would be easy to remember this, but the enemy is lurking around trying to make you think that you need to consistently feel bad or grieve for whatever is missing or lost in your life. We need to remember that there is nothing in this world that we should desire other than our Father. As long as we continually set our eyes on the Lord, our grieving will be limited and we can count on His presence in our life.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, December 1, 2023
Fantastic Friday #917 - Shepherd
Shepherd
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3
Who do you have in your life that watches over you carefully like a shepherd? It gives me pause to think of who I have, and sometimes I reflect on this scripture that the Lord is my shepherd and shouldn't that be enough. It certainly is enough, but God puts people near us to help us in our daily walk with him. The reason for this is we need each other daily to support each other. These times are hard, and while we can rely on the Lord for guidance, there are others that can help guide us back to God when we stray. Take a moment to see who you can help shepherd and make sure you have someone that can provide the same support to you.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3
Who do you have in your life that watches over you carefully like a shepherd? It gives me pause to think of who I have, and sometimes I reflect on this scripture that the Lord is my shepherd and shouldn't that be enough. It certainly is enough, but God puts people near us to help us in our daily walk with him. The reason for this is we need each other daily to support each other. These times are hard, and while we can rely on the Lord for guidance, there are others that can help guide us back to God when we stray. Take a moment to see who you can help shepherd and make sure you have someone that can provide the same support to you.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
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