Yes and Amen!

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen,

unto the glory of God by us.   (2 Corinthians 1:20)

What promise of God is your heart needing today?  Life has a way of presenting heartbreaking questions, overwhelming situations and seemingly insurmountable obstacles but God will provide a way to not only endure but to experience victory.  God has a promise that will speak to every need of your heart...and His promises are a 'done deal.'  Absolute, unwavering potential is a capstone truth for Christian living.  Victory, power, joy unquenchable, eternal blessing...in Christ, it is YES!   There is no problem, no life situation, no dilemma that is not spoken to in the Word of God.  Abundant living, eternality today, is a truth we can live.

There is a purpose for the certainty encased in God's promises.  God's guarantee enables us to embrace the privilege of unveiling God's glory in our life that others might see and long for Him too.  Can you glimpse what it is like to unveil God's glory?  It is not an endeavor designed to build up His ego; it is a journey designed for a lifetime which will open the doors of eternity!  All God is...absolute love, power, goodness, timeless...becomes ours to seek, to welcome into our lives and to share with others.  Our purpose in life is such a glorious one:  to unveil the greatness of God in the minute details of every day!  It is a purpose that can not be fulfilled without relying on the promises that are found in Jesus Christ. 

Simply reading your Bible daily will open your heart to promises that will meet you in the most incredible ways.  God's Word is living and active.  If you desire a more directed look into God's promises, you can use a ready-made list of promises.  (There are several books or if you email me, I'll send you a page from one of my favorite websites.)  When using others' compiled lists, though, be sure to delve deeply into the scripture.  Read the surrounding passage; understand the context of the promise and ask God to reveal it in your day's happenings. 

The 'let it be' of God's promises is spoken by us for His glory--and only in the name of Jesus.  He is faithful to His promises.  God will meet us in ways perfect for us...and reveal Himself in ways we can understand.   We then take that precious revelation and share it with others who need to see Him.  Embrace the purpose and privilege God has given...live with confidence in Him!

Exceeding Great Reward

Isn’t it nice to have effort acknowledged, to hear a word of appreciation or even receive a tangible reward for work? Today on our journey of exploring ‘who’ God is we have an incredible truth to embrace. God Himself, in speaking to Abram, said “I am…thy exceeding great reward.” WOW! Let your mind pause and consider all that it means to receive God Himself as a Reward.
We have spent weeks searching the scriptural depths of God’s identity that we might better understand Him. Our hearts have rejoiced as we considered how God is Wonderful; our Guide & Keeper; our Hiding Place; our Ransom; our Fortress and Victory Banner and so much more. Doesn’t your heart simply soar to consider that all of that richness is ours! We have such a generous, incredible, awesome God!

One of the great paradoxes of our humanity is that we so easily let our eyes be drawn to earthly rewards and miss out on the greatness of the Reward of God Himself. The praise of men, the pursuit of wealth or honor, the pursuit of pleasure and even our own service to God can become our misguided focus. God’s great desire woven throughout scripture is that we will know Him…and when we know Him, we can do nothing but revere His greatness.
The greatest service to God is complete devotion to Him. It is that service which will draw others into knowledge of Him as well. We must not set the eyes of our hearts on an idol; we must not fear earthly losses. If we do, we run from our Exceeding Great Reward and we may draw others away from Him as well. He is Worthy and He is ours! Seek Him today…embrace the Reward of His presence! Tell all those around about the great Reward you have received; the Reward that they can know too.

Wonderful!

Wonderful is our name for today!  We are pausing at a verse which offers so much sustenance, we could camp here indefinitely. 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

(Isaiah 9:6)

Even the verb phrase which introduces the names has depths of meaning:  "shall be called..."  The names of Christ are meant to be personal, deeply felt and understood--and called out with confidence of their truth.  The first name given in this passage is our focus:  WONDERFUL.  Jesus, indeed, fills our hearts with wonder when we fully behold Him.  The depths of "wonderful" includes the concepts of extra-ordinary, miraculous and beyond human expectation.  Take time to allow your heart to plumb the riches of Christ.  His words and His works surround us but the speed of life blurs our vision and dulls our hearing.  Our longing for "wonder" is buried in activity but never suffocated.  We were created for a relationship with God and nothing but Him will satiate the inborn desire for His grandeur.  Purpose in your heart to pause each day--especially in the days that are chaotic--to behold the fullness of His wonder.  My prayer is that every fiber of your being, of my being, will speak to those around us that the wonder of God fills us.  Jesus IS wonderful!  Enjoy Him moment by moment!

Voice!

We live in a noisy world; many sounds contend for our attention. Although the beloved disciple, John, says the voice of the Lord is ‘great’ and ‘like a trumpet,’ our ears are often distracted by the competing noise. Like the people of Isaiah’s day, we hear sounds but fail to understand Truth with our hearts. Until Truth penetrates our hearts and becomes a part of us, it is subject to theft from the enemy. Praise God, He never stops calling; His Voice is always gently, firmly, lovingly revealing Truth again and again until understanding takes root. Amidst the noise of life, His tender voice faithfully resonates.


Proverbs tells us there are two voices: the voice of wisdom and the voice of the ‘adulteress.’ There is the faithful voice of the Lord; and the deceived (and deceitful) voice of the unfaithful. The voice we heed determines the outcome of our lives; we need to hear and heed the Voice of Jesus. It is a beautiful voice with a message our hearts are longing for…choose to filter out the competing songs and listen to Him.

God’s Word is His personal letter to us. We need to read it daily and let the Words sink deeply into our heart. God always has a message just for us—a unique, personal message designed for our heart. For example, consider the passionate love revealed in Song of Solomon. Jesus’ entrancement with the beauty of the believer beckons every heart--for the truth is we all long to love and be loved. In the New Testament, Jesus reminds us that He will never abandon us. Our slowness to respond, our failures and missteps do not repulse Him. He faithfully works and waits for us to hear His voice—and heed His call. As God’s Word, His letters, draw to a close in Revelation, the Savior reminds us that He is ever at the door of our hearts knocking and longing to commune with us.

God created humanity for fellowship with Himself and He is never silent. His love speaks eternally and He longs for each of us to hear and understand His Word. Reject the competing sounds and focus on that loving Voice today.