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"God is the Great I AM"

2/24/2020

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Good morning ladies. How was your weekend? What great weather we had here! Sunny and around 40 degrees.  Yes, here in Minnesota, we start getting excited when it's in the mid-30's, especially in February. Definitely something to be thankful for. I hope you were able to get out and enjoy some of that springlike weather.  Of course, I got out because I had to take Molly out for her two walks a day.  It felt so good to get some fresh air and vitamin D. 

Such a wonderful devotion today! I will be reading this one again and again. Have a Magnificent Monday ladies!

"God is the Great I AM"
CBN Ministries, Nina Keegan

God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14)

Two small words, three simple letters, "I AM."

The Lord tells us repeatedly in His Word that He is the great "I AM." I wondered why He never added anything else to the statement. I felt like God was being vague and leaving out all the important details and awe-inspiring adjectives He could have used to enhance His own resume or curriculum vitae. Yet, He chose not to. At no better time do the words "less is more" or "simple abundance," hold more truth. God's unvarnished, powerfully simplistic, two small words say more about this most awesome God than a whole novel ever could. They assure us no traits defining our God could ever be left out. "I AM," says it all. The magnitude of that is amazing - HE JUST IS!

If the scriptures had added the enormous sum of greatness necessary to define those two impactful words, the Bible would have tripled in size. The possibilities are infinite. You simply cannot list everything that God is!

Those two words are profoundly meant to be followed by whatever we need. We get to continuously fill in the blanks. There's no limit on how many chances we get to fill in those voids. We can unceasingly call on Him. God is what we need when we need it. He is never on vacation, never asleep on the job. He is not too busy with more important things. He is never too tired, too angry, too frustrated, or too overwhelmed to be whatever it is we need. His customer service ranks the highest of all. He never puts us on hold or lets our message go to voice mail. What do you need God to be today?

"... His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV)

When we are sad, depressed or lonesome, God is our loving, kind, edifying, friend, savior, and counselor. He is our bountiful provider when we fall on hard times. God is our divine healer when we are sick. He is our mighty protector who guards us and keeps us safe and free from harm. He is the teacher who fills us with knowledge and wisdom and orders our steps. He is the architect who draws plans for our lives. He anoints us with talents, abilities, ease, and purpose. God is the prince and author of peace. He will go to battle for us and fight for us. He is our deliverer. He is our dwelling place, our secret safe haven of hidden security. He is our unbridled joy. He is our towering strength. He is our restored energy when we are exhausted. He is our motivator when we need encouragement. He is a shoulder to cry on and our stoic voice of reason. God is the master of miracles and the supernatural creator of everything.

He fulfills our dreams. He validates us. He is our hope and our future. God is our infallible guide on this path of life. He is the very essence of our being and He is the definition of pure love. He is, after all, our Father, the great "I AM."

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58, NKJV)

In Hebrews 13, The Word says that God will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. So I like to follow the words I AM with the word Here. God is here, now. Always. God is everything and anything we will ever need and He is always with us. He will never leave, never! 

Imagine God being with us wherever we go, through thick and thin, through the good, the bad, the blessings, and the storms. No matter what, He is there. He is a shield of armor in the face of adversity, hovering over us providing safety and His masterful protection. He follows us everywhere. He will not forsake us. That is God's sweet promise. The Word of God does not lie. It is our personal guarantee and every word is gloriously still alive today.

God is The Great I AM.

​"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, NIV)

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"What Doesn't Scare the Devil"

2/19/2020

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Good morning ladies. How is your day going so far? Unfortunately, I'm on my second day of what seems to be the stomach flu. I actually felt better this morning when I woke up than I did yesterday, but I still can't keep anything in me. Ugh. I'm just glad we made it home from our trip before this hit. And I would appreciate your prayers for healing, and that Kevin won't catch it. I've been spraying Lysol and washing hands diligently. Are there any requests that I can be praying about for you? I do have a lot of time just resting. 

Today's devotion is a good reminder that our actions are even more important than our words when we want to be a testimony for Christ. Go out and "do!"

Have a Warm and Wonderful Wednesday ladies! 


"What Doesn't Scare the Devil"
Christian Broadcasting Network Ministries, Paul Dailey

I was on my way to prayer this past Sunday, and as I rambled down the street in my little black Ford Ranger, thinking about my life and my spiritual walk, I had a revelation. As I write this, it occurs to me that it seems sort of strange I would get a revelation on my way to prayer. I thought I was supposed to get revelations while I was in prayer, but hey, He's God and He can do what He wants, right?

I have become increasingly dissatisfied with what I see as a lack of effectiveness in my Christian walk. I want so much to have an impact on this world for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so when I die, I will leave behind me a trail of people whose lives have been enriched as a result of God working through me. And it was there, in the comfort of my vinyl bench seat, while listening to some quiet worship music, the Lord started to reveal to me the solution to my problem. And just like the Lord, He made it very clear to me. He said, "You know, words don't scare the devil. The devil isn't even afraid of My Word. It's when words translate into action and change a life that he becomes afraid."

At first, I was taken aback. "What do You mean, Lord, that the devil isn't afraid of Your Word?" Then He reminded me of one particular instance in the Scriptures where Satan actually quoted the Scripture quite casually. The most famous instance would have to be when Satan was tempting Jesus to throw Himself from the highest point of the temple.


He reminded Jesus that it is written,


... "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" (Matthew 4:6 ESV)


(Not that Jesus needed any reminding!) There are many other Scriptures that support this as well. Psalm 119, a beautiful piece of literary genius, is chock-full of praise and adoration for the commands, precepts, and statutes of the Lord.


But David doesn't stop short of relating to his readers the effect that the Word has on his life. The Word turns our eyes from worthless things (Psalm 119:37); it gives us an answer for those who reproach us (Psalm 119:42); it restrains our feet from every evil path (Psalm 119:101); it causes us to detest falsity (Psalm 119:104); it keeps us straight in the midst of persecution (Psalm 119:157) — just to name a few.


God's message to Israel through Joshua was this:


This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8 ESV)


Furthermore, Jesus said,


If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15 ESV)


In this hour, God is renewing His call to the church for purity and passion. If we are going to be the pure and spotless bride He desires, we must let the Word take its course in our lives. It is not good enough to sit in church, sing the right songs, memorize Scripture, wear the right clothes, and know all the Holy Spirit catch-phrases if we are going to turn right around and live our lives as if God doesn't exist.


There is a process to interacting with the Word. First, we must receive it. That is done through our spirits. Secondly, we must reflect on it. That takes place in the mind. Finally, we must respond to it. That takes place in the flesh -- with our bodies. If we never get up and GO (as we've been commanded), we have embraced a form of godliness but have denied its power. 


Revelation 12:11 ESV says,


And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.


The blood portion has already been taken care of by Jesus on the Cross. The testimony is up to us. And the testimony isn't just a 15-minute speech someone gives on Sunday morning about how God delivered them from drugs and alcohol. Your testimony is your changed life. It’s the evidence of a life that has allowed the Word to do its work to the point that you and I will not shrink from even death itself.


Remember: the devil isn't scared by all the Scriptures you've memorized. A life of mere words will soon be forgotten. But if today you will embrace a spirit of get-up-and-go, you can impact this world in a way that will continue to reverberate for generations to come. People may be reading books about you when you've turned to dust. But most important of all, you can be sure that your name will be written in the one book that matters most: The Lamb's Book of Life.

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