But if

My faithful friend sent me lots of pictures of animals and nature - God's creation and these really touched my heart,

 

and made me think of this verse:

 

"No man has at any time [yet] seen God.

But if we love one another,

God abides (lives and remains) in us

and His love (that love which is essentially His)

is brought to completion

 (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!"

~1 John 4:12 AMP

 

Lord, let this knowledge - If we love one another, God abides - help us to love one another, so You will. Let that give us the strength to love those that are not so easy to love all the time.

 

Lord, help me to see these images every time I don't feel like loving...let me see unconditional love. Let Your love be brought to completion, to its full maturity, run its full course, be perfected in me. May I see You and the love You have for me and let me feel You close as these creatures are to their "parents", for I am Your child.

 

Keep CZECHING IN!

Choice

C H O I C E
By Petra Budarz 

You gave me a choice

You left the choice to me

And if all it takes is choice

I give the choice to Thee 

You gave me a choice

And I try to understand

What You’d have me do

To make Your will come true 

You left the choice to me

And I’m often overwhelmed

Trying to decide

And to keep You on my side 

If all it takes is choice

I need You to help me

To know the wrong from right

To be blameless in Your sight 

You gave me a choice

You left the choice to me

And if all it takes is choice

I give the choice to Thee 

 I give my choice to Thee

                                                Written on the sixteenth day of June two thousand and five

Lord, I surrender. I surrender to You. Because You know best and have the best in mind for me. Guide me.

"The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup;

You hold and maintain my lot." 

"You, Lord, are all I want! You are my choice, and You keep me safe."
 

"My choice is You, God, first and only. And now I find I'm Your choice!" 

~Psalm 16:5 AMP, CEV, MSG

"No longer do I call you servants,

for the servant does not know what his master is doing;

but I have called you friends,

for all that I have heard from my Father

I have made known to you.

You did not choose me,

but I chose you and appointed you

that you should go and bear fruit

and that your fruit should abide,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name,

he may give it to you.

~John 15:15,16 

Lord, thank You for choo-choo-choosing me. I choose You. And if all it takes is choice...

I give my choice to Thee...

Keep CZECHING IN!

EOY

I do not know what to do. Lord, what would You have me do? I am reminded of people who had a similar problem in second Chronicles chapter twenty.

"We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

~2 Chronicles 20:12

 

In this chapter the king told his people: "Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; sing and praise and say, "Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.""

And this is what God said to them: "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed."

Lord, help me to believe; let me sing and praise and give thanks to You. And let me hear You say, "You will not need to fight in this battle."... because You fight for me.

I do not know what to do. But my eye are on You...

Keep CZECHING IN!

Glory

glo·ry (from dictionary.com)
/ˈglɔri, ˈgloʊri/ Show Spelled [glawr-ee, glohr-ee] 
noun, plural glo·ries.

1. very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent;

2. something that is a source of honor, fame, or admiration;

3. adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving.

4. resplendent beauty or magnificence.

5. a state of great splendor, magnificence, or prosperity.

 

"Let them give glory to the Lord,

and declare his praise in the coastlands."

~Isaiah 42:12

Lord, I give You glory, I glorify Your name, I worship you. Take my life and let it be all for You and for Your glory; take my life and let it be Yours.

 

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Delight

I like verses that tell me about God and tell me what I can do. Again, this is one of them. I was "delighted" to find it, and to find out what delights God.

"Thus says the Lord:
“Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom,
let not the mighty man boast in his might,
let not the rich man boast in his riches,
 but let him who boasts boast in this,
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love,
justice, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”"

~Jeremiah 9:23,24 

 

Lord, let us not boast in our wisdom, let us not boast in our might, let us not boast in our riches, but let us boast in this, that we understand and know You, that You practice steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things You delight.

Keep CZECHING IN!

Glorifies

I "discovered" this verse last October and just read it again. I remember how excited I was to find it back then. It told me what glorifies God and I felt that it is something I can do. So that's why the delight.

"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;"

~Psalm 50:23

Yay! I know what glorifies God! Something Paul is asking of us often. Thanksgiving.

"...everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made."

~Isaiah 43:7

We were created for God's glory. We were created to give glory to God.

Lord, thank You for loving us. Thank You for Jesus, for enduring the cross for us, for saving us, for interceding for us. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, for strengthening us, for guiding us, for leading us.

Thank You for my husband and children. For my family and friends.

Thank You that we are Your beloved.

Thank You that we are the Apple of Your eye.

Thank You for setting us free.

Thank You for redeeming us.

Thank You for making us unique.

Thank You that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Thank You that nothing compares to the promise we have in You.

Thank You that we shall be like You.

Thank You for offering Your yoke to us.

Thank You for being our all in all.

Thank You that we will receive the crown of life, when we remain steadfast under trial.

Thank You for being our hope.

Thank You for removing our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west.

Thank You that Your steadfast love never ceases, that Your mercies never come to an end.

Thank You that Your grace is greater than all of our wrong choices; that You understand and sympathize with us, that we can fearlessly, confidently, and boldly draw near to the throne of grace.

Thank You that You keep Your promises.

Thank You for my Faithful Five and their encouragement.

Thank You that You uphold the universe by the word of Your power.

Thank You for making a place for us.

Thank You that You satisfy us with Your love.

Thank You that there is nothing greater than grace; for strengthening us by grace.

Thank You that You have a plan to prosper us and to give us hope; that You care for us.

Thank You for the race that was set before us.

 

And Lord, thank You for the cherry tree.

 

Lord, I offer this thanksgiving as a sacrifice. May You be glorified!

Keep CZECHING IN!

One month

One month has passed since my P40 began.

 

Like a runner I am out of the starting gate, the initial rush and high of beginning the race has passed and now I must gather my strength to run a race of endurance. Pace myself and nourish myself along the way. 40 is approaching but that isn't the end of this race; it's still the beginning because this is a race that lasts for eternity. I am considering this time till my 40th as a training for the race that will last for the rest of my life. I am gaining strength as my P40 continues.

 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by

so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us also lay aside every weight,

and sin which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance

the race that is set before us..."

~Hebrews 12:1

 

Lord, may I run with endurance the race that You've set before me... 

 

Keep CZECHING IN!