tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56747746718715855402024-03-14T03:49:33.894-06:00Bridge-ing The GapSharing strength for your journey and light for your way!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger298125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-25597380440257007112024-03-14T03:30:00.016-06:002024-03-14T03:48:53.864-06:00Jesus wants to. Jesus will. | Cleansing A Leper Miracle<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cdadacc2-7fff-087a-9271-1b630374a318"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Matthew, Mark, and Luke each share a glimpse into what happened when Jesus changed one man's life forever. Mark gives the most details on the background story. Let's look at it together.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mark 1:35-39 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with Him followed after Him. And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, All men seek for Thee. And He said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Matthew confirms Jesus comes down from the mountain where a huge following of people are gathered.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Matthew 8:1 When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Before doing great miracles or ministering to the masses, Jesus got up early in the morning a long time before the sun was coming up. While others slept, Jesus rose early to be alone and pray.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>There are so many amazing things we can do for the Kingdom of God. It is important to share our testimony, offer words of encouragement, and do great things to honor Jesus, but we must first begin our day with Him. How often do we scramble to the kitchen for a quick breakfast as we rush kids off to school and run through the morning routines without first stopping to talk with the Master?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> The disciples went looking for Jesus and when they found Him, they let Him know everyone wants to see Him. They did not ask about His solitary prayer time. Jesus did not ask how many followers there were, sign autographs and take photos with "fans." He is clear on His mission to preach the Gospel. We cannot let followers sway us from keeping our shoulder to the plow. This is not the time to get caught up in the numbers. Instead, let's remember why we are here and allow God to work through us.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Luke's account begins with one man's story. Let's read it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Luke 5:12 And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Mark shares how this man is so desperate for Jesus to heal him, he begs Him.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mark 1:40 And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying unto Him, If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> It is repeated in Matthew's account:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We do not know this man's name or how he knew Jesus and the power of His touch, but it is clear in all accounts this man has faith. He tells Jesus, "If You want to, You can heal me." Have there been times you have had such tremendous faith? Do you believe that if Jesus wants to, He can heal you, save you, forgive you, restore you, deliver you, or love you? If you ever wondered if Jesus wants to do those things, we will see what Jesus' response always is to those who have faith in Him.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Luke 5:13 And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mark 1:41-42 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will: be thou clean. And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin: 0pt 30pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Matthew 8:3 And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> “I will.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> “I will.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> “I will.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Each account, Jesus tells the man, "I want to heal you," and immediately the leprosy is gone. Jesus is saying the same thing to each one of us today. If we have faith that Jesus has the power to heal, save, forgive, restore, deliver, and love, His response is, “I want to. I will.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Jesus gives the man specific instructions on what to do according to the Old Testament law, then He tells the healed man to tell no one else. That may seem strange to us. Wouldn’t Jesus want others to know what the power of God can do? Wouldn’t the man’s family and friends, coworkers, others in his life who knew he was once a leper, wouldn’t they all know something miraculous happened? How could he keep this to Himself?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Matthew 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mark 1:43-45 And He straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to Him from every quarter.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Luke 5:14-16 And He charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But so much the more went there a fame abroad of Him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Jesus no longer had the freedom to walk into a city and preach the Gospel. Now people sought Him for miracles. Yes, it is wonderful when Jesus performed miracles and helped so many people, but salvation is not in physical healing alone. The most important thing Jesus wanted to share was the free gift of salvation for whosoever will.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting to experience something supernatural and miraculous that we forget about the most miraculous thing…salvation. We can pray for others to be healed, delivered, set free from addictions or perhaps get a financial miracle. Those are great things to pray for. How often do we pray for their salvation? How often are we asking our friends and family about their walk with God? How concerned are we about where our loved ones will end up in eternity?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I have had a lot of prayer requests this year from others about specific needs being met and just like Jesus said to the leper, He is saying to us, “I want to. I will.” How about we pray just as much for our lost loved ones and acquaintances because His answer is the same. He wants to. He will.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I pray this blog post has been Strength for your journey & Light for your way. God bless you!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bridgett Owens</span></p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-61647343001675989712022-10-13T18:33:00.001-06:002022-10-13T18:33:33.659-06:00Home Sweet Home | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71juuLXxpp_jMzKIF1ZT3RYn3x-vCZ2qVcePVljVdwULmxLgQvVnR2Y78vFrFpUquYUOajYNgMWHQAXxPFqAFkK8aVkw7U-TvQ4uIUYEi8WNZuB1wiTSJ5syfZwkp4ENTSphKtY2DSxVWerbMuN73sCO8JawbXkE57uKDQGJvmPZJAhaVW7Cat2k6/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71juuLXxpp_jMzKIF1ZT3RYn3x-vCZ2qVcePVljVdwULmxLgQvVnR2Y78vFrFpUquYUOajYNgMWHQAXxPFqAFkK8aVkw7U-TvQ4uIUYEi8WNZuB1wiTSJ5syfZwkp4ENTSphKtY2DSxVWerbMuN73sCO8JawbXkE57uKDQGJvmPZJAhaVW7Cat2k6/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Today is Thankful Thursday and my family and I have a LOT to be thankful for. On Saturday we finally get the keys to our new home. We are going to be renting a house in town and the four of us can hardly wait. Javan has an away football game Saturday, so we want to go support him and show him some love and then we can start moving in!!<p></p><p>PSALM 40:1 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”</p><p>We have been praying and seeking God for 22 months to give us a home. We had one disappointment after another. We tried to buy a house and that all fell through over and over. We tried to find a home to rent to no avail. We sought God with tears and many times in desperation. Friends and family were praying for us. Sometimes we were judged and treated unfairly because people thought they knew us and that living in a crowded environment where we were told we were not welcome was more appealing to us than having our own home. The comments were meant to hurt us. It just caused the four of us to become closer. </p><p>People will talk; let them! It may be giving someone else a break. Keep your eye on God and you will find His Word is full of promises He <u>will</u> keep! Don’t give up!!!!</p><p>Today my family and I are finally free. The shackles that held us for so long did not stunt our spiritual growth. These chains that held us much longer than we wanted are finally gone!! God has provided for us like only He can and we are blessed beyond measure.</p><p>If you’re still in the waiting season; do not give up and do not lose heart!! God is up to something!! What are you thankful for today? God bless you!</p><p>~Bridgett Owens</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-53815299644204702572022-10-12T17:50:00.002-06:002022-10-12T17:50:12.593-06:00Psalm 34 | Bible Study Wednesday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHO7-BiPSz2FWthh66O5HWQCpP9FajIzdt5wlt6UC296JwXXefURlaoO4HigMs5UTIVyrJDfZ7vYX88wkNP-8k6qcgbzUxjbJKZWjNFg55rv718CNEKFGLEN9JqQROWl6gWGVL3dFe1BWzylGwFH87DHdVB_pMC7JOtvWWeB9o74vRv2fPG9HcCls/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHO7-BiPSz2FWthh66O5HWQCpP9FajIzdt5wlt6UC296JwXXefURlaoO4HigMs5UTIVyrJDfZ7vYX88wkNP-8k6qcgbzUxjbJKZWjNFg55rv718CNEKFGLEN9JqQROWl6gWGVL3dFe1BWzylGwFH87DHdVB_pMC7JOtvWWeB9o74vRv2fPG9HcCls/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I was able to return to work last week and worked three shifts. It was exhausting but I am so thankful to God for how He touched my body!<p></p><p>Today I want to continue with our Bible study through Psalms. We are in Psalm 34. If you haven’t already done so, take a moment and ask Holy Spirit to open the Scriptures to you. Next, read through the 22 verses in this Psalm. It is a Psalm of David referring to what happened in the second half of 1 Samuel chapter 21. I encourage you to read that short chapter as well. </p><p>David traveled to a place called Nob. He goes to the priest Ahimelech. David is hungry and unarmed. He manages to get the showbread for himself and the men with him. They leave with the sword of Goliath, too. How fitting for David to receive the sword from the giant he slew in the famous battle. </p><p>Achish is the king of Goliath’s hometown and so when the king’s servants recognized David and recalled the song the people sang about Saul killed thousands and David killed ten thousands, David started to feel fear. </p><p><br /></p><p>David had to do some quick thinking on his feet. 1 Samuel 21:13 “And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gates, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.”</p><p>David’s performance was Oscar-worthy. The king believed he was mentally unstable. He questioned his servants as to why they would bring that kind of man into his home. So David was spared. And now we pick up in Psalm 34. </p><p>VERSES 1-7: David is rejoicing that God delivered him from king Achish. God saw David fearful of the king of Gath and God rescued David in a very unique way!</p><p>VERSES 8-10: David remembers how God used the priest to feed him and his hungry men. David is an eyewitness of the goodness of God.</p><p>VERSES 11-14: Much like other psalms we have studied this year; David is giving us instruction. Don’t speak evil. Keep your conversation pure. Run away from wickedness and do good things instead. Seek peace and pursue it. David says by doing this it is fearing the Lord God!</p><p>VERSES 15-22 David compares the way God responds to His children and the way He responds to those who are not His children. There are blessings for His children and curses for the wicked. Notice verse 19 says many are the afflictions of the righteous! Not the wicked but the righteous are facing many afflictions. Not just a few hard times. There will be many but the great news is God delivers us out of every single one of them! That’s something to shout about!</p><p>Friends I don’t know what all of you are going through but God is greater and stronger than anything we face. I hope you are encouraged today. I pray this is strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!</p><p>~Bridgett Owens</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-2925412097360647022022-09-30T18:28:00.000-06:002022-09-30T18:28:46.635-06:00Where’s the Good Things? | Fuel for the Weekend<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1KJuYlY5qbGVdSGx67f_mT1MvCoR1KBMHMhh1peEm7ALCDbHzguSRxUReq2NsieHEYVWcI3yZcwlpjyA8OjSAOF5I9Vg_pLMglppg9Yw_yIIbIt_s7SPHBcgc32VJjT5MQDmceDVbHBkfzS0lnjZM0MungkPj3tSKYVm8rYTM8CrnJ9uMpQZgRG2/s1080/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1KJuYlY5qbGVdSGx67f_mT1MvCoR1KBMHMhh1peEm7ALCDbHzguSRxUReq2NsieHEYVWcI3yZcwlpjyA8OjSAOF5I9Vg_pLMglppg9Yw_yIIbIt_s7SPHBcgc32VJjT5MQDmceDVbHBkfzS0lnjZM0MungkPj3tSKYVm8rYTM8CrnJ9uMpQZgRG2/s320/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">JEREMIAH 5:21-25</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fear ye not Me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at My presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in His season: He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My son has a football game tomorrow. Fall has arrived and I am so thankful! The trees are changing colors and it is a sight to behold! As you start your weekend, I want to give you something to ponder and maybe discuss with those around you!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">God is speaking in the fifth chapter of the book of Jeremiah. He is talking to those of us who have eyes but we are blind to the truth. We have ears but we are not listening to what God is saying. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">God asks, “Don’t you fear Me?” He is God! He is Holy! He is Sovereign! Will we not tremble at the presence of God? He is all around us? He made a decree that stands year after year that the sand serves for the water to be bound in its’ limits. Even when the waves throw themselves at the boundaries, God said they have to stay in the confines of His borders. Even though the rush and roar of the ocean sounds off, they are limited by God’s design. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even though God gives us boundaries and guidelines, the spiritually blind and deaf are rebellious and force their way wherever they want to go! They don’t respect God who blesses them with everything they need to be sustained.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Friends, let’s not be like those rebellious people! In fact, let’s go to them and try to help them!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Verse 25 says their sins have turned God’s provisions away, and it has withheld good things from coming to them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps we all need to look around. Are we in turmoil and distress? Are we missing out on the good things of God? Could it be He is near but we are not looking for Him; not seeking His face? Could it be He is speaking but we are so loud in complaining we drown out His still, small voice? Maybe we have slapped away God’s bountiful gifts because it did not look like we thought it should! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let’s seek God’s face this weekend! Let’s reach out to Him in love and repentance and watch how He makes all things new. Let’s take the blinders off and remove the earplugs and sit in His presence with reverence and Holy fear. I will. How about you?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">God bless you!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens </div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-38699997482779190932022-09-28T22:10:00.000-06:002022-09-28T22:10:56.489-06:00Toughest Trials | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfa1MY6rztfJAr_qXyLhEzySaVXDAXOlMQcFaeXg5QVRdjbL5USQkZi3Dt680a9IfvS_rNP_xiQtqkJ-C6ZTwB47kaP_UO5r1DGwXIdDBg_cxTQAsfhJB3b-1iyCSoYavpg1JVOABqZ3P4sECvZlNnybZ7aIQyTAZUkpnptl777RnKOXrOeqNhLhC/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfa1MY6rztfJAr_qXyLhEzySaVXDAXOlMQcFaeXg5QVRdjbL5USQkZi3Dt680a9IfvS_rNP_xiQtqkJ-C6ZTwB47kaP_UO5r1DGwXIdDBg_cxTQAsfhJB3b-1iyCSoYavpg1JVOABqZ3P4sECvZlNnybZ7aIQyTAZUkpnptl777RnKOXrOeqNhLhC/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">When I was younger, not even sure how old I was, I found myself being ridiculed, hatred spewed from an adult’s mouth, and I was hit multiple times. Screaming in my face about how worthless I was and how I would never amount to anything covered my face like a dark cloth. I collapsed to the floor, but refused to stop fighting back as I tried to defend myself. I would fall to the floor in a crumpled ball. Determined to prove my point I got back up. The adult began beating me with a belt and fists balled up. “If you get back up, you’ll get it again!” The threats were made good as I tried again to stand up for myself. God did not spare me that day. I wish that was an isolated case and not a routine part of my childhood. But I never blamed God.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today I am an adult in my 40’s. For the last three years it feels like I continue to get knocked down and kicked. I try to stand up and just get beaten back down. My family and I have sacrificed so much for God. We have tried doing all the right things and we continue to lose. Others around us who could not care less about God get so many blessings and it seems like it is really unfair. Today I asked God why. I wanted to know why we have to suffer and get attacked every time we turn around. And I actually think He told me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">One person after another said that this great suffering is for a great testimony. We didn’t ask for a testimony. In the middle of the beating and in the middle of the pain, it just does not feel like a very good answer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I do not understand ANYTHING God is doing in our lives. It feels like the very worst timing. Today I tried to remember a happy time and a good thing that happened so we could be encouraged. I even asked my daughter. She couldn’t remember one either. The past 3 years has been the hardest, scariest, most painful season of our lives. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So what am I thankful for? I am thankful for my husband who is so strong and courageous. I am thankful for my children who are kind and loving and they really want to have hope again. I am thankful they have faith because right now I do not know if I even have mustard seed faith.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Like the traumatic memory I shared earlier, I finally was weak and collapsed in a heap in the floor. Beaten into submission I laid in a ball, sobbing and so confused about why that person would not listen to me. And I feel that way now. I feel like we have no choice about what happens to us right now. We try to do what we believe is best and we suffer dearly for it. I wonder why isn’t God listening to us. I feel defeated and discouraged. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">But Jesus asked God to let the bitter cup of suffering pass from Him in the garden. Jesus said nevertheless not My will but Thine be done. God said No! to Jesus. He had to do the hardest thing in the world. He had to suffer. Jesus asked God, “Why have You forsaken Me?” I feel like asking that, too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">But unlike Jesus, I have not been asking from a place of submission to His will. I have been asking because I can’t take the pain and suffering any longer. I can’t stand to not have stability or our own home any longer. I do not understand one single thing about this nightmare that never ends. It has actually gotten worse so far and the week isn’t even over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am not thankful for the hardness of this test. I am not thankful for God telling us no when we have a fundamental need that His Word says He will supply. I am grateful that He loves us. I am thankful that there are a lot of examples in the Bible that relate to what we are going through. I am grateful for Job, David, Daniel, Joseph, and Jesus who also endured much on this earth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am choosing to believe it will not always be like this. I really hope it changes soon. My body is filled with physical pain. My husband and our children are battling various physical issues and now another blow. I am thankful that I have my own little family to walk through the fire with. And I believe God is good and Sovereign and He sees much more than I can. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is definitely an unusual Thankful Thursday and I am sorry if it is not encouraging or uplifting today. I know that life sometimes just feels really bad and that will never change on this side. But it’s important to not get it twisted. God loves us, all of His children. He never promised me a life without suffering, sacrifice, and submission. He said He would be there and fight for us. So I am thankful for that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">What about you? Are you thankful today? Are you struggling? Have you been wounded? Trust God to help you, even when you have no clue what He is doing. You may never know but just trust Him. His track record is perfect. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Psalm 23:4</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Do you know the next verse?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Psalm 23:5</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am waiting for that part. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens </div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-80305940623517490712022-09-27T22:59:00.001-06:002022-09-27T22:59:22.211-06:00Psalm 33 | Wednesday Bible Study<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNw1ipqyfaD1Lj9SE4pq5ME82D5QWOu21AKDpv8s1OlkyI_GgEdRcWJh2YqjmovsEA9RqHKmJ54YZIGsJf6uusrzuTvQxxLfrVLTNjyHAIWFt14ReddDF6esf8Hhg_Y3U0yZ3LNqpM2xqtnkIgZDonsAa097aYf93bT0kqMTnUzH7mRj0xHesn49O/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNw1ipqyfaD1Lj9SE4pq5ME82D5QWOu21AKDpv8s1OlkyI_GgEdRcWJh2YqjmovsEA9RqHKmJ54YZIGsJf6uusrzuTvQxxLfrVLTNjyHAIWFt14ReddDF6esf8Hhg_Y3U0yZ3LNqpM2xqtnkIgZDonsAa097aYf93bT0kqMTnUzH7mRj0xHesn49O/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Welcome back to another Bible Study Wednesday! I had a back injury August 13 and I have been down ever since. I have used chiropractic care, physical therapy, medication, rest, ice, relaxation, distraction, a cane, and this Friday I will see a neurosurgeon. I have been unable to sit up for long. My endurance and strength is diminished. So I neglected my blog, my Instagram Reels, and my YouTube channel. It has been a painful journey and I have been out of work with no pay all this time. But, God told me to get back to those things. He wants me to share my faith and His goodness and Holiness and Mercy and Love with the world. So, today we will jump in right where we left off. Today we will look at Psalm 33.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It is no coincidence that we are starting with this particular chapter. It is a song of hope. It is a psalm of encouragement! It is a reminder that God is not finished with us yet!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If you have not read through these 22 verses, please do. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you. Ask Him for wisdom, knowledge, and discernment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSES 1-3</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I do not know who wrote this particular psalm. The psalmist tells us in these first three verses to rejoice, to praise, to play the harp, to sing, to play stringed instruments. Verse three tells us to be loud. No timid worship. We are glorifying the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are not to make a racket but we are to play with skill. We must give our best effort in praise to God who gave us the gifts and abilities. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSES 4-7</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The psalmist tells us about God and His Word. He is right. Nothing in your life may appear to be going right but God’s way is right! All that He does is honest. He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the goodness of God. He breathed and stars appeared. He spoke and He created all that is. He gathers up the deepest oceans in a heap. What a great testament about how great and Mighty our God is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSES 8-9</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Let the whole world stand in awe of how amazing God is. Look at verse nine! God spoke and it was DONE! God commanded and it stood fast!!! What has God spoken over you? Walk in it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSES 10-11</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God brings all the wicked plots and schemes to nothing. Their plans are ineffective! Conversely, God’s plans stand forever. The thoughts of His heart for us will last for ALL generations!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSES 12-15</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">What nation is blessed? The nation whose God is the LORD! Those are the people He chooses for His inheritance! God looks from heaven to all of mankind. Up in glory, God looks way down below to all who dwell on earth. He made our hearts the same. We all have a deep need only Jesus can fill. He considers the work we do. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSES 16-17</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There is no royalty, no government official, no rich person saved by many people or by brute strength. It is ridiculous to trust in technology, horsepower, or anything else with great strength. What hope of deliverance do we have? Let’s keep reading!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSES 18-21</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God’s eye sees those who fear Him and hope in His mercy. He delivers our soul from death and we won’t starve in famine. When life is hard and we think we are done for, God helps us and protects us as we wait on Him. We can rejoice like the psalmist told us to do in the first three verses of this psalm. Why? Because we trust in Jesus! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">VERSE 21</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">May our prayer be: “Let Your mercy, God, be upon us, according as we hope in You.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Is your hope in the government, medication, science, research, education, finances, career, other people?? Where do you place your trust, in a spouse, a friend, a pastor? Friends, let us put our hope and trust in the only One able to save and deliver. His name is Jesus Christ. </div><br />I apologize for the delay in keeping up with my blog. I am using my phone to share today’s Bible study. I hope to be settled soon with my computer and physical healing but until then I will do what I can to continue to share God’s message of peace, love, mercy, and salvation in alternate ways.<p></p><p>I hope something you read on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!</p><p>~Bridgett Owens</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-5667630646228594942022-08-18T19:25:00.001-06:002022-08-18T19:25:58.762-06:00Chiropractic Care | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamcwniBxjHNslNyHC0jCbuoJwyOH-M4SNcRysy8_qRb0hNS2w4aVNV_BvnDsnBUvkkaCf17FVtndyHt02yEe8nR5kGXwmX-nsD7S2Vir9ixcsILNPQ7YpD47pgsfaUHpnTZD-ZC3HHR-1vpnh6_40HpODhj_0vk9Lna22r6h64fexLV-qfHwbbjP-/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamcwniBxjHNslNyHC0jCbuoJwyOH-M4SNcRysy8_qRb0hNS2w4aVNV_BvnDsnBUvkkaCf17FVtndyHt02yEe8nR5kGXwmX-nsD7S2Vir9ixcsILNPQ7YpD47pgsfaUHpnTZD-ZC3HHR-1vpnh6_40HpODhj_0vk9Lna22r6h64fexLV-qfHwbbjP-/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>If you read my blog post yesterday you would understand why I am thankful for chiropractic care. This was my third day with my chiropractor and he has been using various techniques and therapies on me. I am feeling a little better each day but there’s a lot of pain still. I am unable to walk upright and still need to hold onto chairs, tables, people, you name it. But I’m progressing and my chiropractor cares. I am not another chart to read. I am not getting a bunch of pain pills to mask the problem, or shuttled from one specialty to another. We even had an interesting conversation about Methuselah in the Bible. I am thankful for that kind of care and attention.<p></p><p>So, do you know how old Methuselah was? He is the oldest person in the Bible. We have to go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible to read about Methuselah. His dad was Enoch and do you remember what was special about Enoch? Let’s read it together.</p><p>GENESIS 5:18-27 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch waked with God: and he was not; for God took him. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.</p><p>Isn’t that so interesting? I love reading that it shows us that God kept people around a whole lot longer back then, huh?</p><p>So count your blessings with me and let me know what you are thankful for!</p><p>God bless you!</p><p> ~Bridgett Owens</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-49708249270020959502022-08-17T21:01:00.000-06:002022-08-17T21:01:19.505-06:00Psalm 32 | Wednesday Bible Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWVFFUUF5BE3MaW_CdZZcxoZm4Ppm0lQBhKHGhsWlaZ8UkVZUbyDjj7RBGbxmolBkvor10u0VvKWi6S2_YlQI3c_1nyp7VU2xsEKKoygU81oa17hPucrkRxwx2kQlfY8RvTNSewdNu5xNPBOBbt4v_AyYVHJoKDzDr0cHx2wLEk9325V5zBtZmFVw/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWVFFUUF5BE3MaW_CdZZcxoZm4Ppm0lQBhKHGhsWlaZ8UkVZUbyDjj7RBGbxmolBkvor10u0VvKWi6S2_YlQI3c_1nyp7VU2xsEKKoygU81oa17hPucrkRxwx2kQlfY8RvTNSewdNu5xNPBOBbt4v_AyYVHJoKDzDr0cHx2wLEk9325V5zBtZmFVw/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! Before we start our Bible study together, I wanted to make a couple of announcements. First of all, today is my baby boy's <b>15TH</b> birthday! Wow! My brother and I were talking today about where has the time gone! He used to get off work in the wee hours of the morning and take care of Javan so I could sleep for a few hours. It was pretty brutal in the beginning and I am so thankful for his love and care for my newborn. Javan is so much like my brother it is actually a little scary! But I am thankful for my brother and my baby boy, who is not a baby any longer but he will always be my baby!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh15TO_JHT7BhkLUZEyZUHGVXp8_ukAHvG6y3oTeSEUQiQ_3nftS94EjVziIU6W6ikRFk3j82leWfGQJhiUgb-kYyl-G-jnAJiQK9Ssj1taPwfUMlf52feiwOen98o9FAW749DQ60JOwMDx0tHRAAi8v148MLZrYl2fU4clNy8Bu2Ju4G-C_9gPqHm/s3088/IMG-4834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh15TO_JHT7BhkLUZEyZUHGVXp8_ukAHvG6y3oTeSEUQiQ_3nftS94EjVziIU6W6ikRFk3j82leWfGQJhiUgb-kYyl-G-jnAJiQK9Ssj1taPwfUMlf52feiwOen98o9FAW749DQ60JOwMDx0tHRAAi8v148MLZrYl2fU4clNy8Bu2Ju4G-C_9gPqHm/s320/IMG-4834.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>He loves to go fishing and this summer he did quite a bit of that with his daddy while he recovered from surgery. It was really nice to see him do something fun near the water since he couldn't get in. Paul and I picked out his birthday cake and it was just a lot of fun to surprise him with this particular cake! He loved it!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVOIx8hPAX8745CjMAU77eZ1loyIeGoWolA2JeQDt-KbvR_6nqDE_itZWAEVfaFDDwXDoOJg2umIGMQuzD-7-HOsGv5mJ6Vwv5fIX5MSjTEA5IDR-CSXhS-BQd0-tVz8-cYKp2d8QjKCbuwMuasSZPHpSNJIyI5_P448qBmp7O8mLNr6r7Sn33jqX/s4032/IMG-4933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVOIx8hPAX8745CjMAU77eZ1loyIeGoWolA2JeQDt-KbvR_6nqDE_itZWAEVfaFDDwXDoOJg2umIGMQuzD-7-HOsGv5mJ6Vwv5fIX5MSjTEA5IDR-CSXhS-BQd0-tVz8-cYKp2d8QjKCbuwMuasSZPHpSNJIyI5_P448qBmp7O8mLNr6r7Sn33jqX/s320/IMG-4933.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>In other, not so exciting news, I have injured myself. It happened on Saturday and it hurt quite a bit, but I just went on about my day. Sunday I missed church. I could hardly get out of bed, but I figured maybe I had slept wrong. I watched church online and getting out of bed was a chore! I did not put the injury Saturday afternoon together with the Sunday morning aches and pains. I got worse as the day went on. Monday I could hardly walk and I had to cancel my training for Tuesday at my new job. I was really disappointed but I could not even stand up straight.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I made an appointment with my chiropractor and he got me in Tuesday. Paul helped me from the vehicle to the office and then I literally was wheeled out in a wheelchair. The pain has been excruciating. I felt a little better Tuesday afternoon and was able to lay on some ice and take some anti-inflammatory medication and rest. My doctor said no work for me the rest of this week. I was back in there today for more therapy. I was walking a little better, but still require assistance and cannot stand up straight. It is all I can do to walk to the car and then back inside. I have an appointment tomorrow and another on Friday. I am hoping to be back to walking upright and without the pain on Tuesday and throughout the week next week. Please say a prayer for me.<br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If you have been with me on this journey this year, you know God pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 32. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 11 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 1-2</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Did you ever think of how blessed we are to have our sins forgiven? Our sins are covered by the precious blood of Jesus Christ if we have been saved by His mercy and grace. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb if we have surrendered our lives to Him, confessed our sins, and asked Jesus to be the Lord of our life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>2 CORINTHIANS 5:17-21 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Friends, we are reconciled to God, our Heavenly Father, through the blood of Jesus and His work on the cross. That is why we are blessed! That is a reason to rejoice. Our sins are wiped away and He will blot them out, never to remember them anymore.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 3-5</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David is having a hard time wrestling with his sin that is separating him from God. He has no peace. He has no pleasure. He is miserable. Sin causes us to live in a miserable state. Do you remember what David had done? He used his power and influence to have an affair with another man's wife. He got her pregnant and formed a plan to cover it up and look like it was Uriah's baby. Uriah was an honorable man and would not take the bait. He was a man of war and he would not leave the war and his men behind while he had pleasure with his wife. David ordered Uriah be put on the front lines and have the soldiers pull back which would end Uriah's life in the battle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Think of all the work David did to hide his sin, but it did not work. He says there was a heaviness on him day and night. He could not sleep it off. He could not busy himself with the affairs of his kingdom. That sin was constantly gnawing at him. He knew he had messed up. He lost his strength. He was not the man he used to be and he could not even look at his own reflection.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">2 SAMUEL 12:7-14 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-weight: bold;">*</span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">such and such </span><b style="color: #6aa84f;">(</b><i style="color: #6aa84f;">much more</i><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">) </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>Now that we have looked back in time to that instance and we see how David was burdened and disconnected from God, we also see David's quick admittance that he was guilty. He acknowledged the sin without excusing it away. He was repentant and that is why God forgave him. When we admit our guilt and we do not wish to continue in that path, God forgives us, too. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">1 JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. </b>I am so thankful for this promise.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><b><u>Verses 6-7</u></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>David gives us a prayer to pray when we need forgiveness and during a time when we need to find God. He says to pray:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto me. You are my hiding place. You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs of deliverance.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>Then David asks us to Selah, or pause and wonder.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>Isn't that fantastic? David is saying though our sins and troubles may seem overwhelming and like a flood of emotions washing over us, we can rest in the hiding place and be safe from trouble. The forgiveness of God will surround us with singing of our deliverance. What a beautiful picture of God's redeeming love, mercy, and grace for you and I.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><b><u>Verses 8-9</u></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>In response to that prayer, God speaks to us as well. He says:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse, or the mule, who have no understanding. Their mouth must be held in with bit and bridle to control them. Do not be like that!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>Friends, if we respond to the Lord as He leads us and guides us, we will walk in the paths He has created for us. He has already gone before us and the roads may be hard at times, but they build us and strengthen us to have more faith in Him. If we trust Him we will follow His lead. If we give in to fear or selfish ambitions we are like the stubborn horses and mules who must be forced to go where they would rather not. Let's follow along in obedience.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><b><u>Verses 10-11</u></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>It's hard to disobey God. It may seem easy to follow the crowd and do what we want to do with no regard to what would please the Lord, but the lifestyle is hard. Do you remember the sorrow and torment David went through? Many sorrows will be felt by the wicked. The good news is when we trust and obey the Lord and do what we know is right and pleasing in His sight, we will have mercy surrounding us. That is a wonderful blessing!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>David usually gives us instructions, or something to do -- a call to action, perhaps. The last verse of this beautiful chapter is telling us to be glad in the LORD. We are to rejoice and shout for joy. Get excited about what God is doing in your life. Great things are coming your way and it will overtake you! Another verse in Psalms comes to mind along these lines. It is one of my favorite scriptures.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>PSALM 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.</b></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>What a wonderful time in the Word this has been. I pray it has been a blessing to you. Lord willing, I will have a blog post up tomorrow sharing what I am thankful for, and some Biblical insight to think about throughout your weekend. As always, I hope that something you have read on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-82753294511350185452022-08-10T18:56:00.002-06:002022-08-10T18:56:31.561-06:00Psalm 31 | Bible Study Wednesday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8CxlBlfMEZ0bhBOJ0Tw4mniHRPjqGQ12ZO52iCRUNI0G3TZDOKpSY9Ey6_gMxLfkzMEqtiqinn-dfcGMew1p_9PfJrBYJ6Ku_HQcQvTgYzrrd0tIQaArrFrXh0566TDKWs0okYDDAJacZwB04qLzs7Zi2mNHPipcBaI1X5g4YssK7Y2XY0sRRfF1/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8CxlBlfMEZ0bhBOJ0Tw4mniHRPjqGQ12ZO52iCRUNI0G3TZDOKpSY9Ey6_gMxLfkzMEqtiqinn-dfcGMew1p_9PfJrBYJ6Ku_HQcQvTgYzrrd0tIQaArrFrXh0566TDKWs0okYDDAJacZwB04qLzs7Zi2mNHPipcBaI1X5g4YssK7Y2XY0sRRfF1/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 31. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 24 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verses 1-6</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David writes this psalm to God as he has done many times before. He starts by telling God he trusts Him. Do we tell God how much we trust Him? My family and I are in a really hard journey. We believe it is nearing the end. We sure hope so! I am telling God that even though I don't understand the process or His methods, I still trust Him. David asks for God to listen to his requests. He tells God he needs Him to be his Rock and fortress. He needs direction/guidance. He feels as though he is in a trap set by the enemy and He calls on God to deliver him because God is his strength. He makes a statement in verse five that we see again in the New Testament out of the mouth of Jesus. <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">LUKE 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit: </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">and having said thus, He gave up the ghost. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Jesus took His last breath to say this. Why would David say this? He is crying out for deliverance based on God's faithfulness. He knows how God has been there before and has no doubt He will hear and answer David's pleas. Jesus and David have this in common: their great faith in God's guidance over their lives. We see time and again Jesus praying to the Father for help and guidance and assurance. David has done the same thing throughout the Psalms and ends this block of text repeating how much he trusts God.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><b><u>Verses 7-15</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>David reflects on how God has seen him through before when he was in trouble. Instead of allowing David to be handed over to his enemies, God put him in a large space which indicates freedom of movement, ability to roam freely, and it is not the trap of the enemy that he feels like he is now. Even though he trusts God, he is still in distress, so he asks for mercy. His body is feeling the grief and turmoil. He is under great stress and emotionally he is not well. He feels the effects of a lifetime of hardships, battles, and fighting. He felt isolated, alone, even from those he was acquainted with. He felt forgotten, and useless, like a broken vessel. Have you ever been there? Yesterday was that day for me. It was torment and pain in the depths of my soul but my anchor is Jesus and I hung on with all the strength I could muster.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>David felt like he was surrounded by enemies. He could hear those slander and gossip about him. He felt fear on every side. They took counsel about David and chose death for him. I have felt the sting of harsh words and gossip. I have heard a family member say some pretty hurtful, untrue things about my family and myself and it felt like we had no one but each other. We felt abandoned and there was fear and torment in that moment. Do you know who else experienced this? It was worse than what I felt. It was worse than what David went through. Let's look in the New Testament. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">MATTHEW 27:1-2 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death: And when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.</b> We will never understand that kind of fear, turmoil, and stress as knowing you are walking to your death. Jesus knew it. He knew He had to be crucified for the people. He knew His Father's Plan.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>I love the way David says it in verses 14 and 15. "But I trusted in Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me." David reiterates that even though he sees the circumstances for what they are: evil, he still maintains his trust in God.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><b><u>Verses 16-22</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>David wants God's face to shine upon him and be merciful to him. He wants to not be put to shame for trusting God. In fact, he wants those who do not trust God to be ashamed. He asks for them to be silenced from speaking ill toward the children of God. He is encouraged when he thinks of God's goodness. David says, "Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; and those that trust You." (verse 19) We have put our trust in God so we can count on Him to show up in love and mercy and shower His goodness upon us. We are not alone. He hides us and shields us from the mouth of the enemy. David thought he was as good as dead, but he now sees God heard his prayers and came to his rescue! He will do the same for us.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><b><u>Verses 23-24</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>David ends this beautiful chapter with instructions for us. Let's read it together:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>"O love the LORD, all ye His saints; for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer." In other words, God will save and keep us who are faithful to Him. He will also give a generous reward to the proud doer, but their reward is nothing His children would ever want. We do not want to be prideful and arrogant. They will receive their reward in the end for disobeying God and not trusting Him.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." My situation did not change today from yesterday, but my sister prayed for me. My friend prayed for me and I do not know who all prayed but I can say that today I feel so much better. I have peace where I had fear. I have hope when I had despair. I am trusting God no matter how bleak things look right now. I know God is going to see our family through this adversity and we will come out stronger for it and hopefully will be able to encourage others in their times of waiting and wondering.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Friends, I started a new job and it has been a varied schedule of training and learning and working on my own, so I hope to have a better routine to get these blog posts up earlier. In the meantime, I will do my best to post as often as I can. I hope you have been encouraged and helped. I sure feel like God was telling me that He sees me in my pain and my struggling and He is not far off looking down at me, but He is near to me and walking through this valley with not only me and my family, but any of you who are experiencing trials and tribulations as well. Let's pray for one another.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>God bless you friends.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-6901490114402177142022-08-04T03:30:00.001-06:002022-08-04T03:30:00.194-06:00So Many Blessings | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kiLKdwHQy2R9OE4nI_fwF5QNLEKep1uC9NJNwpv-1Bxy2kqk0UlHdV6vhbAXOFfyrZBbV1IYiQ0KijGi9KyC_FiA-h4P91_dQLDMcslNeKp8sY4Lf1oslEGFDp6_sPpp_XdZ6S7SCiVeFtiE6U7piSALvyKyJrwa8a9JREyzwFiBfmDC2UE5Cr6L/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kiLKdwHQy2R9OE4nI_fwF5QNLEKep1uC9NJNwpv-1Bxy2kqk0UlHdV6vhbAXOFfyrZBbV1IYiQ0KijGi9KyC_FiA-h4P91_dQLDMcslNeKp8sY4Lf1oslEGFDp6_sPpp_XdZ6S7SCiVeFtiE6U7piSALvyKyJrwa8a9JREyzwFiBfmDC2UE5Cr6L/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Last week I missed my Friday blog post: Fuel for the Weekend. I also missed posting my 5 Minute Friday on my YouTube channel. I had been up late waiting on my husband to get off work around midnight Friday morning. We talked a little bit and then I went to sleep because I had a very early doctor's appointment that I absolutely needed to keep for work. I brought home some breakfast for Javan and Paul and myself and then I laid down to take a nap. I have not been sleeping well lately and my allergies are really bothering me. My sister called me but I did not realize it. When I woke up I saw a text message from her and a missed call. My brother sent me and our other sister a text message telling us that our oldest sister was in an accident with our brother-in-law.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I immediately called her and found that she was in the Emergency Room. They had been hit by another driver who was going too fast in the rainy conditions. They tried to swerve to avoid the person but was hit head on. Their vehicle flipped and struck a tree which came crashing down into their sunroof area. Glass went everywhere including my sister's hair. My brother-in-law suffered no major injuries. My sister has a fracture in her knee. God had his hands on them and the person who hit them was not injured at all. He was driving so fast because he was late for a meeting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I let my brother and our other sister know what was going on. I called my mom and she was at her friend's house, a wonderful woman of God, and we began to pray. My aunt called and had the prayer chain going in Florida, where she used to live. Other prayer chains began to go around here in Indiana. I believe heaven was bombarded with prayer for them and God was right with them all along in Tennessee. He has been doing one miraculous thing after another for them and I give God all the glory. She goes back to the doctor soon and is expecting them to not find anything wrong with her leg. They said she might need surgery to fix the fracture. But we know God heals and delivers and saves and sets free. We believe He is going to get all the glory, honor, and praise for all that He is doing! It is coming in ripples!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Please do continue to pray for my sister and brother-in-law. Their car is totaled and we all understand what a hassle dealing with insurance companies can be. She is in a wheelchair and unable to bear weight on that leg, but we know God is already working it all out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today I am so thankful for my sister and brother-in-law to be spared and for the gifts and callings on their life. They love the LORD with all their heart and are never too busy to pray for others in need. I am so thankful for them and for what God is doing in their lives and in the life of their son, my sweet nephew! He is now in the family of God, gave his heart to the Lord and is getting baptized! What a wonderful work He is doing in their lives. I am so thankful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">What are you thankful for today? I am counting my blessings and there are so many other things I do not have the time or space to write about that He is doing in our lives. I am also thankful for my new job and how God has worked out all those details and allowed me to be able to see my son off to his first day of high school. He had a wonderful day and I am so thankful. God is answering so many of our prayers!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>EPHESIANS 3:20-21 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God bless you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-71531298392768659682022-08-03T15:13:00.003-06:002022-08-03T15:13:51.302-06:00Psalm 30 | Bible Study Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtDpxHl3B7NL2fFzhXYv-wcGlaJrgFzIgHvUCEAhozy0XyN5evhU0ecR_xrxoAB1bModtTHSEvDnCRpujFqHBjc6aeS8M6GxexFZd71bc0vTMLgTkn8BziVjK9cCI8NgRqi5y1bKmSX-MHVqpk9GleWJ2GIsp_ITewea9YbroiqOzClLxXJtttxbR/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtDpxHl3B7NL2fFzhXYv-wcGlaJrgFzIgHvUCEAhozy0XyN5evhU0ecR_xrxoAB1bModtTHSEvDnCRpujFqHBjc6aeS8M6GxexFZd71bc0vTMLgTkn8BziVjK9cCI8NgRqi5y1bKmSX-MHVqpk9GleWJ2GIsp_ITewea9YbroiqOzClLxXJtttxbR/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 30. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 12 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It occurred to me that last week I jumped ahead to Psalm 40. I do not know why I did that. I remember thinking that it could not possibly be the 40th week of the year, but I was doing multiple things and ignored the Holy Spirit trying to tell me I was not in the correct Psalm for that week. So, today and each week moving forward I will do my best to stay on track and then we will skip Psalm 40 and move to Psalm 41 through Psalm 52 to finish the year. God works all things together for good to them who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I truly believe that the timing is correct for this particular psalm in my life and I am thankful to be studying it today.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 1</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Psalm 30 was a song at the dedication of the house of David. To extol means to enthusiastically praise. This particular psalm is David's excitement and great delight for many things God is doing. In this specific verse David is thankful for the victory God gave him over his enemies. What can we see in our own lives right now that looking back we see God's hands delivering us and uplifting us to victorious places? Can we, like David, extol God?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 2</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This verse is underlined in my Bible. As someone who suffers with a chronic illness, it has been a beautiful reminder that God is healing me and helping me with all that I am going through. When we call upon our Heavenly Father, He will hear us and heal us. He is the Great Physician. He is the God who heals us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>EXODUS 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today if you need healing in your body, or you know someone that does, listen to God's voice and do what is right in His sight, obey His Laws and Commandments and this promise is for you to claim! He is the God that heals you!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 3</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David was critically ill and God healed his body. He was facing death and maybe you have had a bad diagnosis or you may have suffered to the point you thought you might die; trust God to heal you and He will do it! David is enthusiastically praising God because he was facing a life-threatening condition and God healed him. He was about to die and be buried and God healed him and gave him a fresh lease on life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 4</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David wants the saints to join him in thanking God and remembering the times the LORD moved on our behalf before. How many prayers has He answered? How many big and mighty things has our great God Jehovah done for us? Can we recall how God is Holy and is not changed by what is going on in our world today? He sits high and lifted up on His throne and He is Sovereign. He is Holy. He is Mighty and Great in power! Yes, let's pause this Bible study to worship who He is and thank Him for all that He has done on our behalf. He is still working out details and putting plans together. It is incredible and we are blessed to have a Holy and Righteous Heavenly Father that loves us so much He continues to bless us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>PSALM 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation, Selah.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 5</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a familiar verse, and also underlined in my Bible. This is a character reference of God. He does get angry. He is a Holy God and when we are not living according to His holy Laws and Commands, we make Him angry. He expects us to live in holiness. But His anger does not last a long time. David says it only lasts a moment. He favors His children with love and life and even though we may cry all night and mourn in the dark seasons of life, we are promised a morning of joy. There will be a breakthrough of praise and overflowing joy in our lives as we overcome the hardships and trials in life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 6-7</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This passage reminds me of the proverb about pride coming before the fall. When we are puffed up and think we have it made, we may have our head up so high we fail to see the stumbling block in our path and down we go!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>PROVERBS 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I like the way the Message translation says these two verses, "When things were going great I crowed, "I've got it made. I'm GOD's favorite. He made me king of the mountain." Then You looked the other way and I fell to pieces."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What have we been asking God and believing that He will do something big and mighty for us? What has He done for us that we had no way of ever being able to do for ourselves? Have we taken the credit? Have we had prideful thoughts and like David thought we had it made? It's all smooth sailing from here? Be careful because God does not want us to get puffed up about our blessings. We are to be thankful and grateful but hold them with loose grips. We are loaned these things but they are not ours to keep forever. Vehicles break down. Homes need maintenance. Relationships require effort on your part to continue to flourish. Careers can end. Bodies can become weak or ill. Let's thank God for what we are blessed with but never get puffed up because of where God puts us. He can as easily bring us down low as He can exalt us in due time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 8-10</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David recognizes his mistake. He goes to God, and he cries out in supplication. Remember supplication is humbly and earnestly begging for something. David's plea is for God to redeem him. He asks what good is it if he dies? Can the dust praise God? Will the dust share God's truth? David begs for mercy and asks God sincerely for His help. You see, friends, we are nothing apart from God. He is our Creator. He is our Heavenly Father. He is our friend. He sent us our Redeemer. Jesus loves us so much that He has redeemed us with His precious blood.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you find yourself puffed up and proud when you should be meek and humble and grateful, turn to God. Repent of the sin of pride and open your heart to His love and mercy and grace. Ask for His help and trust that He will not leave you in the condition you are in. He is too merciful and too loving to do that to His children who truly are sorry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 11-12</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When our change comes, when the times of refreshing wash over our souls, may we be like David. We can say, after He cleanses us, that God has turned my mourning into dancing. I am no longer sad about what I lost because I am back in His presence, dancing before the Lord. Instead of sackcloth and ashes and fasting, God has given me a garment of praise and gladness, so that I may praise You God and not be silent. I will thank You forever!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>ISAIAH 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called the trees of Righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today's Bible study was so precious to me. I hope that you all have a wonderful day. I pray that something shared on my blog today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />~Bridgett Owens</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-29983229889336259672022-07-28T17:57:00.000-06:002022-07-28T17:57:04.105-06:00We Are Important to God | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeogdXjVgrCA-ZKZGvMEUx8Ip4uV3Ov6SL4ff7U4KdbnMxLh2keQ4TiOccRbbURxxcTHQ0wmfkB1cIoiaorhhZt-fNNQatxvsXHnF2nClg3FyRDlzZQlqAtiVnwUTtgKthBLmaluz3PaGMav7tJjyor9TZkFuRofjeGjbv3hm4ltkoqZ2CxHtMkMWL/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeogdXjVgrCA-ZKZGvMEUx8Ip4uV3Ov6SL4ff7U4KdbnMxLh2keQ4TiOccRbbURxxcTHQ0wmfkB1cIoiaorhhZt-fNNQatxvsXHnF2nClg3FyRDlzZQlqAtiVnwUTtgKthBLmaluz3PaGMav7tJjyor9TZkFuRofjeGjbv3hm4ltkoqZ2CxHtMkMWL/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is the final week of summer vacation for my son! He has had an eventful summer and did a lot of things on his summer bucket list, but we just couldn't get to everything on there. It's hard to believe we are enjoying the last few days of July. Monday we start August and three days into next month Javan starts high school. Time is just gone! But I had to take some time this evening to count my blessings with all of you. Are you ready?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I wanted to thank God for loving me so much that He thinks about me. I am not an afterthought. I am not forgotten or ignored. God literally thinks about me and has included me in His amazing plan for this world and for His Kingdom. Do you know that you are important to God? You and I are always on our Father's mind! That makes me feel so good to realize I am on His mind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpScz9DPDLRwkxtQFPuVykAsULROsY83yCNIOHxCOfeE-1Db2d4lTDlQNdCmJ1yqlpgL30DfLtLl47Rk8XYFSrpkwbRrR4Mm0mp9WuM_Y2tSM1Whx0N5yB6r6ChttOGEWVjO9qjfRnmlP1bj5Bu8vYqIaiLI17J_5uaWJ1V-95vvglmPjFvFWv7BdL/s4032/IMG-4657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpScz9DPDLRwkxtQFPuVykAsULROsY83yCNIOHxCOfeE-1Db2d4lTDlQNdCmJ1yqlpgL30DfLtLl47Rk8XYFSrpkwbRrR4Mm0mp9WuM_Y2tSM1Whx0N5yB6r6ChttOGEWVjO9qjfRnmlP1bj5Bu8vYqIaiLI17J_5uaWJ1V-95vvglmPjFvFWv7BdL/s320/IMG-4657.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQx_CQ7gSl89-xh3GMgN3MHHcrZW0t5sbgr7gerg7T7E1-gALwGMrhuM-XoiKGvlEFBq6DfDc5jQ5N99KlmDyOs1EUmEldkoplUydio8x5DLPSgLdwh1LjF0mGDflfUhCDpP2wWFH9bkTtAfFe6uZ7mMa9gEYK874ONc_qKk495Ltt4v0EYgnVKu3X/s4032/IMG-4658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQx_CQ7gSl89-xh3GMgN3MHHcrZW0t5sbgr7gerg7T7E1-gALwGMrhuM-XoiKGvlEFBq6DfDc5jQ5N99KlmDyOs1EUmEldkoplUydio8x5DLPSgLdwh1LjF0mGDflfUhCDpP2wWFH9bkTtAfFe6uZ7mMa9gEYK874ONc_qKk495Ltt4v0EYgnVKu3X/s320/IMG-4658.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">John 3:16 </span><span style="color: red;">For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>What a promise! Jesus said this and it is true. We know God loved us so much that Jesus, God's own Son, stood in the gap between us and God and with His precious blood, Jesus paid for our sins. He could have pardoned us and that would have been enough! That was the ultimate sacrifice! But, Jesus did not just come to bail us out of sin. He came to give us life more abundant.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>A more abundant life is not the addition of material possessions. It is the addition of peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, meekness, gentleness, goodness, and faith. It is not having the absence of problems, but living in God's presence where there is fullness of joy! What a blessing!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>Friends, I am thankful that you and I matter to God. If we will turn our hearts toward Him, we will live an abundant life like we have never known. Trust Him! He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. I hope you will count your blessings with me today. What are you grateful for on this Thankful Thursday?</span></div><br />God bless you!<p></p><p>~Bridgett Owens</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-37404310522710745642022-07-27T16:21:00.000-06:002022-07-27T16:21:22.617-06:00Psalm 40 | Wednesday Bible Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSGeVmog6zLpuu7hBTlkkz9-RoNaqqN7xsQkf4BHNa4BRwp5nrSVAqY1FzOMXm9-sTdNY2s4SAgJv6bFdRrJ7YFcI9HLyip9k8elol6p4L1UlSm5_6dET9nMrb4LtwcwlMmGnOjQO2U-PruqBd82XQAgbrW511D6-5na8udDa4Jy8iOMiWhqSzdv8/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSGeVmog6zLpuu7hBTlkkz9-RoNaqqN7xsQkf4BHNa4BRwp5nrSVAqY1FzOMXm9-sTdNY2s4SAgJv6bFdRrJ7YFcI9HLyip9k8elol6p4L1UlSm5_6dET9nMrb4LtwcwlMmGnOjQO2U-PruqBd82XQAgbrW511D6-5na8udDa4Jy8iOMiWhqSzdv8/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 40. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 17 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">This particular Psalm of David is about how God has answered his prayers in the past and a request for God to be faithful again. It is a testament of God's goodness and mercy. David knows he can trust and rely on God because God has never failed him. God has been faithful and just and Holy all through David's life. He knows that God is with him and helps him. Before we dive in fully to this study today, let's reflect on what we are asking God to do for us, and let's not forget the times He came through for us when we had nothing and no one else.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><b><u>Verse 1</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Are we patiently waiting for God to answer us, or are we impatiently waiting? There is no middle ground here, but one day can vary from the next. Some days I am waiting patiently for God to work everything out so we can have our own home again. I am content in knowing that I am in a temporary situation and it will soon end.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Other times, I am impatiently waiting. I have been guilty of going to God in prayer and in exasperation. I submit a list of good things I have done that should somehow hurry God up to get us to our intended destination. Yet, my works and my good effort has nothing to do with how God is working things out. He is moving things and changing things and rearranging things so that it will all fall into place up to the very smallest and last detail. How could I possibly be of any help to Him?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">I have grumbled and complained and tried to change my circumstances on my own. God allowed me to try. He knew the outcome would not be what I wanted but it would show me that He is in control and I am not; and He has a far better plan than I do. He wants me to have a wonderful, blessed, and full life, but it includes storms, pain, suffering, and hardship. That is not what I had in mind at all, and yet the toughest valleys and darkest days were some of the best times of training and learning the character of God.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">The last part of this first verse is God listened and heard David's pleas. He is listening to us. We are His children and He loves us. Of course He is listening to us, but David was patiently waiting. It is something for us to pause and think about. How are we waiting for what we asked God to do?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><b><u>Verses 2-3</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">David said God brought him up out of a horrible pit. Sometimes the pits we fall into are despair, suffering, lack, hunger, loneliness, and anger. What horrible pit has God pulled you up out of?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">David said the pit he was in had miry clay for the bottom. Mire is deep slushy mud. I do not know about you but I deeply dislike getting dirty, and that includes getting mud on me. I will walk out of my way to avoid mud and dirt. This pit David says he was in is not a physical pit, though it could have been. Think of the situations that felt dirty, chaotic, disorganized, unpleasant, and where you felt like you were on a merry-go-round or roller coaster spinning out of control. Maybe you felt like nothing you did gave you any traction. David said he was there and God took him out of that environment and set his feet upon a rock.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">There's something comforting about standing on a solid rock. I was at the ocean in Alabama and I had been on some uneven rocks and sand and it was hard to walk on. I was slowing down my pace so I didn't hurt myself or fall. But once I felt the cold rock beneath my bare feet I felt secure and steady. I smiled and I could hold my head up again and look at the beauty around me. I was no longer so careful to stare at the ground in front of me and watch each step I took.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHmC6i6K494vkB0PofvypEGLzhQid65PDGIlayIDfxczEpaZCu2HtuDxiXwp6KEqgVVK73RnQv9MKZfrDPu8LNL9g9JjsbM8sQMgij6HdgEYSna6GoJLZoWKVgYolaV2ZhDnILyqgI8wOo0GdbbtnG8RJkRh3zrXO2JboEruiT8EVtKCmhGguM053/s3024/2A9781C2-962B-429B-84E7-F009C89BAFDA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHmC6i6K494vkB0PofvypEGLzhQid65PDGIlayIDfxczEpaZCu2HtuDxiXwp6KEqgVVK73RnQv9MKZfrDPu8LNL9g9JjsbM8sQMgij6HdgEYSna6GoJLZoWKVgYolaV2ZhDnILyqgI8wOo0GdbbtnG8RJkRh3zrXO2JboEruiT8EVtKCmhGguM053/s320/2A9781C2-962B-429B-84E7-F009C89BAFDA.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu9-8nDqy7yYtEQYGRv0DiKf3WjT0zrODbFQIBo831_n-0JeDFfaDv8hc5gDp9EjeHUnme-oAFQhrfcHx6JQCcrhq_w9hiy5L2Q4A1LDAWHm6L9lllRojE3rC53x7Zil_K9gJGDQVPqGST6fc53PT9KHlM9DmanAjWQDFd_K-SMMOOQCvzcCgtOuV/s4032/IMG-2732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu9-8nDqy7yYtEQYGRv0DiKf3WjT0zrODbFQIBo831_n-0JeDFfaDv8hc5gDp9EjeHUnme-oAFQhrfcHx6JQCcrhq_w9hiy5L2Q4A1LDAWHm6L9lllRojE3rC53x7Zil_K9gJGDQVPqGST6fc53PT9KHlM9DmanAjWQDFd_K-SMMOOQCvzcCgtOuV/s320/IMG-2732.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7M5bV5sEpc5elGwfy8-4EUoMAlpOV0fDf4kjVQcdfy7M4waGlPqd34Ro3nDAvIAfVFAFH1X3hNnU9pziB27Vr6ICPNodPhiYHH5lWXV2Xh4ysNIMMwLhjQbq3JEKxBHZ7wZDaEB5l-XyJYjnNRP7GwIE5WSZI5Wiza6AgA_ObowyO0roA85Dd_XL/s4032/IMG-2747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7M5bV5sEpc5elGwfy8-4EUoMAlpOV0fDf4kjVQcdfy7M4waGlPqd34Ro3nDAvIAfVFAFH1X3hNnU9pziB27Vr6ICPNodPhiYHH5lWXV2Xh4ysNIMMwLhjQbq3JEKxBHZ7wZDaEB5l-XyJYjnNRP7GwIE5WSZI5Wiza6AgA_ObowyO0roA85Dd_XL/s320/IMG-2747.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">David said God established his goings once he was on the Rock. The Rock is the revelation of who Jesus Christ is. Jesus asked His disciples who He was. Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">Matthew 16:17-19 And Jesus answered and said unto him, </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.</span><span> Not only did Jesus change Peter's identity and give him a new name, but He gave him the power to bind and loose things on earth and in heaven. David was granted his requests when he went to the Rock of Ages with his petitions.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">God never blesses us for us alone. It is always so we can bless others. We can encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling along that we can make it with God's help! We can witness to unbelievers and tell them of the goodness of God. Like, David we will have a new song to sing. We will praise God so that many will see it and fear God and come to trust in Him.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><b><u>Verse 4</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">David tells us that those who trust in God are blessed. When we do not put the prideful and arrogant on a pedestal, or think highly of dishonest and corrupt leaders, we are blessed. There is no benefit to walking with those who dishonor God. There is no blessing tied to their lifestyle or beliefs. We are to trust in God alone to help us be successful and kind and share the message of His Kingdom with everyone we know.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><b><u>Verse 5</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">How many answered prayers have you received from God in your lifetime? How often has God turned bad situations into good for you? How many times has He healed your body or your loved one's body because you prayed and asked? Think of all the times God protected and rescued us from dangers we never saw coming! I love this verse. David says, "MANY are the works of You God and they are WONDERFUL and Your thoughts toward us are so plentiful that if we began to count them and put them in order, they could not be numbered for the bountiful blessings You have given us!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">I used to sing a song at church called I Have Been Blessed and part of the verse says:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>If the pen of a writer, could write everyday</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>Even this world could never contain</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>How I've been blessed.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">The chorus says,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>I have been blessed God's so good to me.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>Precious are His thoughts of you and me.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>No way I could count them.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>There's not enough time.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>So I'll just thank Him for being so kind.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><i>God has been good, so good, I have been blessed.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Verses 6-8</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">God is not asking us to sacrifice everything and offer up special gifts to Him. He enjoys when we give and do things for Him, but He wants our heart. He wants our attention and our time. David says, "I delight to do Your will God, and Your Law is within my heart." I want to echo that. May my life be a love story to God about how much I adore Him and serve Him. He is worth loving. He is worth getting to know and to understand His ways as best as we can, David says God has opened his ears. Are your ears open to the voice of Holy Spirit? Are you tuned in to His still small voice? Are you hearing His instructions?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Verses 9-10</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">David preached Righteousness in the great congregation. King David had BIG influence and the people loved him. He has an opportunity to promote himself but he chooses to promote God and His power and love and goodness. He said, "God You know I have not refrained my lips from speaking the truth." We must ask for boldness to witness to our unsaved coworkers and neighbors. If David can share the Good News with a whole nation, we surely can share the goodness of God with those we come into contact with. David says, "I have not kept Your faithfulness, salvation, lovingkindness, and Your truth a secret. I shared it God." Can we say that? Let's pray that we have a desire to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Verses 11-13</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">David makes a plea to God for deliverance. The situation he is in feels overwhelming and he feels outnumbered. Have you ever been there? Has the problems seemed to outweigh the good? Run to God. Let your prayer be the same as David's. "God, let it please You to deliver me. Hurry to help me God." Yes, I pray that today.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Verses 14-15</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">David wants his enemies to be ashamed and confused that try to destroy his soul. We have an enemy who is trying to destroy our souls, but God has placed us in the palm of His hand and we are untouchable from the enemy. The devil can wear us out and beat on us in this world, but he cannot destroy our soul! One day he will be banished forever! <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.</b> One day it will be all over for the devil.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Verse 16</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Do you love God? Is Jesus your Savior? If so, then this verse is for you! Let's exalt His Name on high. Let's say, "The LORD be magnified!" I exalt the name of Jesus. I praise Him for what He has done for me. I thank Him that He saved me and chooses to use me. I am nothing apart from Him. He is the reason I am here today. I love Him so much. I praise Him and I could not even get through today's Bible study without a praise and worship session of how wonderful God is to His children. He is wonderful in all of His ways. Even when we are in circumstances we can't see how we will make it through, we can worship Him and love Him because He is worthy of all praise and honor. Our situations don't change God's worth and as we worship Him and thank Him for all He is doing in our lives, we will see the miraculous happen as He begins to turn around all the evil for good in our lives! I have seen it happen over and over again.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">Verse 17</span></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;">I love the way this psalm ends. I am poor and needy, yet You think about me, God. You choose to think about me and love me. You have not forgotten about us. God when the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months, and the months into years, may we never forget that You have Your eyes on us and You are working everything out. Thank You Jesus for thinking about us and being mindful of us. What a wonderful and kind Risen King You are!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friends, I hope this has been a thought-provoking study. I want us to take away from today's study that God sees us and loves us and is blessing us. He is going to make all things new and sometimes it hurts to go through the pruning process but in the end we will yield so much more fruit. Let me know in the comments if you are enjoying studying the Psalms with me this year. I always appreciate your feedback and love studying with you each week! My prayer is something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />~Bridgett Owens</span></div></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-3796345474900190662022-07-22T20:18:00.003-06:002022-07-22T20:18:36.162-06:00The Anatomy of Healing the Blind | Fuel for the Weekend<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXNJH8acVePqLETQqdOsV9joIaL9AAKiaIa4-ZiPZ4S0h1iQEaGhnoKYXUTeWnNmg_1yMG7Nj3vBUJf0tswVUmd-cNS3sroaLmPFmBQKao6sp9Zns8BD4BmMo9SKrdTcwArY6pQSeljhWqcPD6LHwDilZfeq8UnR69NPJNmdXc9zifXmefmOEqw0h/s1080/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXNJH8acVePqLETQqdOsV9joIaL9AAKiaIa4-ZiPZ4S0h1iQEaGhnoKYXUTeWnNmg_1yMG7Nj3vBUJf0tswVUmd-cNS3sroaLmPFmBQKao6sp9Zns8BD4BmMo9SKrdTcwArY6pQSeljhWqcPD6LHwDilZfeq8UnR69NPJNmdXc9zifXmefmOEqw0h/s320/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel for the Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. If it leads to discussions with your family and friends, even better!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Have you ever thought about how miraculous it is for a person blind from birth to see? It is mind-boggling. We have an account in John chapter nine that I want to dissect. I broke this chapter into ten parts and I could do a ten week series on it but since this is in written form, I want to just keep the points only in this post and you can then study it on your own and chew on it a little longer, if you want.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Healing (verses 1-7)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So to get started, we are going to look at the first seven verses. The text starts out with Jesus seeing a man as He passes by and the man was blind since birth. The disciples, much like many people today, were quick to ask which parent was the sinner that caused him to be born blind. It was a common thought that if a child was born with an infirmity it must be the mom or dad's fault. Jesus was quick to say that it was neither the blind man, nor either of his parents that sinned. This particular man was born blind and grew up in that manner so that God could do a miracle in his life and help others to believe in God. Jesus states that He is the Light of the World and in the next two verses He spits on the ground, making a clay eye mask, and places it on the man's eyes. He then tells the man to go to the pool of Siloam, which is interpreted to mean Sent and the man did that and he came back with eye sight! It is incredible! That could have been the end and that would have been a wonderful account of God's goodness, love, and mercy and miraculous power, but we have so much more to read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Doubting (verses 8-9)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Imagine the neighbors the blind man grew up around. Many knew him and could attest that he was blind. Now that he came back seeing, it startled everyone. People started to doubt. Some said, "This is the blind man that sat and begged." Others said, "No, it is not him, but it sure looks like him." There was doubting and people going back and forth. Finally the man said, "Yes, it is me. I once was blind, but now I see!" What an incredible testimony he had!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Questioning (verses 10-15) </u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">They did not rejoice with the boy. There was no celebration. The interrogation began. Everyone wanted to know how he got his vision when he never had it before. He told them how Jesus made clay, anointed his eyes, sent him to the pool called Sent, and that he went and washed and received his sight!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">They demand to know where Jesus is. They were not seeking Him out to thank Him for healing the man. He said he did not know where Jesus went. So they drag the young man to the Pharisees. You see, this was no ordinary day, it was the Sabbath and the Pharisees made up a bunch of impossible-to-follow rules about the Sabbath and even they were not able to avoid breaking the rules.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Accusing (verses 16-18)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The Pharisees demand to know how he received sight. The young man rehearsed it all over again so they could hear it. They immediately speak lies against Jesus. They said, "He is not of God because He does not keep the Sabbath." But others spoke out and said, "How could he be healed if Jesus is a sinner? Sinners do not have this kind of authority and power." So there was a division among them. They could not even agree whether or not God did this powerful, miraculous deed. Who else opens the eyes of the blind but God?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">They want to know what the man thinks about Jesus who has healed him. The man said, "He is a prophet." The Jews heard that and decided the man was making the whole thing up and that he was not even blind until they asked his parents.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Fearing (verses 19-23)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">They asked the parents if this was their son and they confirmed it was. They asked them how the man was able to see now, even though he was born blind. The parents said that he had indeed been born blind but they had no idea how he was able to see now. They said, "Further we do not know the man that did this but our son is of age, so let him answer himself."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We need to understand what is going on here. They were about to be kicked out of the synagogue. They were scared of the religious leaders at that time because they had boasted, "If any man confesses Jesus is the Christ, they will be put out of the synagogue." This was especially meaningful because of the power that came with the religious leaders of that day. They were too scared to answer anything, so they throw their son under the bus and say, "Ask him!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Interrogating (verses 24-26</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Now they are trying to intimidate the man. They demanded, "Give God the praise! We know that this Man is a sinner." The man spoke up, "I do not know if he is a sinner or not, but one thing I know, that I once was blind and now I see." That should have been cause for jubilee and celebration! No one was moved by the boy's answer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Now they are applying the pressure. "Who was He? What did He do to you to cause you to see? How did He open your eyes?" They wanted to find something amiss, or shady, that they could say, "See? I told you He was a phony!" But they could not do it. They were speaking despicably of the Son of the Living God.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Enlightening (verses 27-33)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You can feel the tension in the air as these men demand answers and the former blind man is telling the same thing over and over and over and they refuse to believe it. They want to find a reason to hate Jesus more. They want a reason to kill Jesus and they are not able to find anything against Him because Jesus is the Son of God. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The healed man said, "I have told you already, and you did not listen. Do you want me to repeat myself? Are you interested in being His disciples?" This man has had enough. Something incredible and marvelous has happened to him and instead of enjoying his sight and being able to look at things he has never seen before, he is being berated by these religious, heartless men.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">They countered, "You are His disciple. We are Moses's disciples. We know God talked to Moses, but we do not even know where this Man comes from." They opened their mouth and openly confessed that because they did not know enough about Jesus, they were going to condemn Him. They felt they had the authority to judge King Jesus!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I have no idea what religious teachings this man had heard or studied, but watch his reply to the religious leaders.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">"This marvelous thing happened, and you don't know where He comes from, and yet He has opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners: but God does hear from those that worship God and do the will of God. Since the world began it was never heard that any man could open the eyes of one that was born blind. If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I don't know about you, but I want to stand up and start cheering. Yes! This is wisdom. This is truth! But for those who would rather have rules and rituals than a real relationship with Jesus Christ, they will never be convinced.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Casting Out (verse 34)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Now they look down their nose on this man. They insult him and banish him from their clubhouse. "You were born in sin and you dare teach us?" Such arrogance! They refused to even listen to the man who has been transformed and given the gift of sight. What a shame!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Saving (verses 35-39)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's okay if others kick you out of their church, their Bible study, their cliques. Let them! They are doing you a favor. Watch God put you in higher places because of it. He has not forgotten you. Watch how He treats the man who now can see and is an outcast.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />The Bible says Jesus heard they kicked him out of the synagogue, and Jesus went looking for him. Jesus did not stop until He found him and this is what He said. "Do you believe on the Son of God?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The man said, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Jesus answered, "You have both seen Him, and it is He that is talking to you."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />The man said, "I believe." He worshiped Jesus. He was thankful for the sight; not just the physical sight, but the spiritual sight as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Jesus's beautiful reply is, "I came to this world for judgment, so that they that do not see might see, and they that see might be made blind."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />What a beautiful expression. He came to open all of our eyes to His wonderful truth. But He knew that some would profess to see truth, and would remain blind. They refuse to hear what Jesus has to say. They failed to trust what they saw Him do. If it did not match their cookie cutter mold of what religion should be, they did not want any part of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>The Clarifying (verses 40-41)</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Of course there were some Pharisees that watched this whole thing. They asked Jesus, "Are we blind, also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you should have no sin: but now you say, 'We see,' therefore your sin remains."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If we go to Jesus and we think we are good enough, kind enough, religious enough, then we are blind to our need of a Savior. We will miss out on having our sins washed clean by His blood. If we can open our eyes to see that we are wicked and inherently evil creatures and left to our own devices we would destroy one another; and if we can see we have flaws and failures only Jesus can fix, then we will go from blinded eyes to seeing clearly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">How is your sight? I hope you are like our friend in today's text: I hope you once was blind but now you see!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God bless you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-89151108652351387232022-07-21T03:30:00.002-06:002022-07-21T03:30:00.177-06:00Thankful For My New Job | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia38IuqL54teD2lAyiT4D6fxcANFeqxvOAOYcU3WGfd1Kx6vmg7sErTKQvfRmHrW_GhSU4vtfpXJR4MErE8IiaLY3UQtEX4oyDzSd8A52sFBzKeYGRC3N4YPKL8F2urA_9xnIIk1Fx1t5wvpwSI_oh0Mv-07mANjIG5g3SkgyzEeGQJbV62TTIIhV1/s4032/IMG-4424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia38IuqL54teD2lAyiT4D6fxcANFeqxvOAOYcU3WGfd1Kx6vmg7sErTKQvfRmHrW_GhSU4vtfpXJR4MErE8IiaLY3UQtEX4oyDzSd8A52sFBzKeYGRC3N4YPKL8F2urA_9xnIIk1Fx1t5wvpwSI_oh0Mv-07mANjIG5g3SkgyzEeGQJbV62TTIIhV1/s320/IMG-4424.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am thankful to be a licensed practical nurse. The journey was long and hard, but it was also full of learning and gaining friendships. Many of you may know that in the middle of my nursing program my daddy went home to be with the Lord. He encouraged me so much. I spent many late night/early mornings with my dad because he did not want to be alone. I would stay until he would finally be comfortable again and then I would go home and get ready for my clinicals and do it all again. It was God and God alone that sustained me through that time. I do not regret one moment staying with my dad or any sleep lost.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My dad never introduced me to others as anything other than, "This is Bridgett, my daughter. She is going to be a nurse." Sometimes he would say, "She is a nurse." This was what got me through the times when Dad was gone and every patient I was given had colon cancer and was around my dad's age. I felt like it was a cruel joke. My nursing instructor told me it would make me a better nurse, more compassionate, and that, she told me, was something that could not be taught.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnTA0TONF4sH23uf57S42NEPbHJfyxLsKP117tOkOKTchJ9icdfd4SOHX8XcbF7cjAWxocY4VZT_WwziGhILp17E3qOpGuUURrswpqgIY5bLj59nDS4-YcVLLgUjqqIUpcDUn3XXyoZzJfuDy-TIk5-NMmGr53npTsKegoDirBvbdDN-QTxZQRTes/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnTA0TONF4sH23uf57S42NEPbHJfyxLsKP117tOkOKTchJ9icdfd4SOHX8XcbF7cjAWxocY4VZT_WwziGhILp17E3qOpGuUURrswpqgIY5bLj59nDS4-YcVLLgUjqqIUpcDUn3XXyoZzJfuDy-TIk5-NMmGr53npTsKegoDirBvbdDN-QTxZQRTes/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div>I am going to orientation again tomorrow at my new job. I thank God that I was able to find my nursing notebook and mini happy planner so I could take notes and do all the things tomorrow that I need to do. I am thankful for my new job, the income, and the bonus, and the opportunity to be the best nurse I can be for the families I will work with. What are you thanking God for?<div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>COLOSSIANS 3:22-24 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God; And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.</b></span><br /><p></p><p>~Bridgett Owens</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-7912235722667837052022-07-20T03:30:00.004-06:002022-07-20T03:30:00.180-06:00Psalm 29 | Wednesday Bible Study<p style="text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 29. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 11 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB1_7ORP5HU3dEMne_eEQZMq0T5e50WAdVCHGsKDvE8QdmszFrbg7FPpOyAO8t5jq81NpAbPfSKDIq8V72fuc7JtaAt_dyg2_zzEUFIwlX70QH-VLNdCXNhiryOqlb-ZWEtS1MH7_43eYuCvP4MLzveJTCSuDqlhr9L5MWCk7UXLBVwb6FKX12WGY/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB1_7ORP5HU3dEMne_eEQZMq0T5e50WAdVCHGsKDvE8QdmszFrbg7FPpOyAO8t5jq81NpAbPfSKDIq8V72fuc7JtaAt_dyg2_zzEUFIwlX70QH-VLNdCXNhiryOqlb-ZWEtS1MH7_43eYuCvP4MLzveJTCSuDqlhr9L5MWCk7UXLBVwb6FKX12WGY/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This particular Psalm of David is about the voice of the Lord. Have you heard the voice of the Lord? So many that say they have heard the voice of God describe it as indescribable. I agree. David creates a beautiful ode to the Lord's voice in the powerful thunderstorm. I love thunderstorms!! The streaks of lightning zipping across the sky, lighting it up like noon time; the rolling thunder that seems to go on and on and the shower of rain, it all makes me relaxed and desiring to sleep.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 1-2</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David compels "o ye mighty" to give the LORD glory. This is a song of worship and adoration for the Great God Jehovah! What is worship that David is asking be done unto God? Might it be submission to the plan and purpose God has for our lives? He says, Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. There is none holy but God. We can try to be holy and strive to be like God in His holiness, but there is no beauty of holiness apart from God's holiness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's a beautiful passage connected to this in the Old Testament book of First Chronicles. It reads:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>1 Chronicles 16:23-36</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Declare His glory among the heathen; His marvellous works among all nations.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Fear before Him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations: The LORD reigneth.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because He cometh to judge the earth.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to Thy Holy Name, and glory in Thy praise.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know that was a lot to digest but it pairs beautifully with this particular psalm of David about the beauty of God's holiness and how we ought to worship Him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 3-9</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David says the voice of the LORD is:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*upon the waters</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*powerful</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*full of majesty</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*breaking the cedars of Lebanon</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*divides the flames of fire</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*shakes the wilderness of Kadesh</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*makes hinds to calve</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*discovers the forest, strips it bare</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Do you remember what the Bible says about the sound of God's voice in the book of John? This is the time of Passover, and there were certain Greeks that wanted to see Jesus. In fact they asked Philip to make the connection. So Philip told Andrew and the two men together told Jesus. This was His response, and watch what God says and how it was described by others.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">JOHN 12:23-33 And Jesus answered them, saying, </span><span style="color: red;">The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to Him. Jesus answered and said, </span><span style="color: red;">This Voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This He said, signifying what death He should die.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Some said the voice was like thunder. Others heard it and said it was an angel speaking. Jesus said the Voice was heard for the people's sake. God did not have to speak to Jesus where others could hear. Jesus was in communication with the Father often, but this was a sign and a wonder that God was speaking directly to Jesus. The people still missed it. David is telling us in these last few verses what the voice of God can do!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><u>Verse 10</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>David paints a beautiful picture of the King of kings sitting upon the flood. Floods damage homes, crops, create destruction and discord. Floods are disasters. David tells us that God sits on the flood. When the waters rise, God rises higher. When the water surrounds us and it seems like we may go under, our Savior and Lord is sitting high on the flood waters. He is in control of the storms of life. He is lifting us up and out of the deep waters threatening to take us under and He allows us to overcome the stress and the strife. What a beautiful and awesome reminder!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><u>Verse 11</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David said there is two things God will do in the storms we are facing. There are two gifts God gives us when the battles are hot and we cannot see which way leads to safety.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*God will strengthen His people!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*God will bless His people with peace!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Friends, no matter how dark the night may be, hold on to this promise! You may think you are on a never-ending roller coaster of emotions and events that are out of your control. Don't worry, it is not more than God can handle. It is not out of His hands. It is not out of His control. Hold on to the hand of the Master and He will give you strength. Hold on to the unchanging hand of God and He will give you His peace. In the middle of the disaster God will be your anchor, your hope, your strength, and your peace. Listen to His voice and follow His instructions. He wants to help you!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hope you are encouraged by today's Bible study. It is a wonderful picture of God's love and kindness to His children. I know some people dislike storms, the thunder scares them, and the lightning sends them running for the covers. Not everyone will enjoy a good thunderstorm like I do, but regardless of how you feel about natural storms, there are supernatural storms that come and I do not like those! God promises to give us strength and peace as we trust and rely on Him. How about you? Will you trust Him and allow the King of Glory to guide you through the floods of life? He sits on top of the flood. He is not going under. He is in control!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I pray that something I shared on the blog today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-10875282276972946252022-07-15T11:17:00.002-06:002022-07-15T11:17:36.215-06:00Relabel Yourself | Fuel for the Weekend<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbGCMcW2kN9D79GQooKgjooevssLpbImVyAtGPK3ZtLQtYLFILz75f3ruQoDOlvZDNDFMBpqVXk0uj41ecq3wYzbF-S7L_dsLFb8VzcjyvfGsMN3arUBfsCmeJesV6_71HZqXuI6YFu77YAXdFLL0wRKfsjaNaXuCBNukxnIyQ22wsiI3Ww8yEitU/s2000/jabez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbGCMcW2kN9D79GQooKgjooevssLpbImVyAtGPK3ZtLQtYLFILz75f3ruQoDOlvZDNDFMBpqVXk0uj41ecq3wYzbF-S7L_dsLFb8VzcjyvfGsMN3arUBfsCmeJesV6_71HZqXuI6YFu77YAXdFLL0wRKfsjaNaXuCBNukxnIyQ22wsiI3Ww8yEitU/s320/jabez.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIJc-Al1hLnm1y8Me0vrcAwjGvDLXoIy8HLGnVeh-zLfC6L8LoA7nOleIfeLwyApyqqzaN2l0xJVg4hh1t-uHY0G3X0ei0Noy9UMq8A8oR2ehv4Qcg3IHRLhgKZONQNSnqUB_NE1Crc92lU41uMGtZRhD5DF36tlR-r6MSCW-V_Mq1MyNZOGRArcT/s1080/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIJc-Al1hLnm1y8Me0vrcAwjGvDLXoIy8HLGnVeh-zLfC6L8LoA7nOleIfeLwyApyqqzaN2l0xJVg4hh1t-uHY0G3X0ei0Noy9UMq8A8oR2ehv4Qcg3IHRLhgKZONQNSnqUB_NE1Crc92lU41uMGtZRhD5DF36tlR-r6MSCW-V_Mq1MyNZOGRArcT/s320/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" width="320" /></a></div>God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel for the Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. If it leads to discussions with your family and friends, even better!<p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">1 CHRONICLES 4:9-10</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many are familiar with this short passage in the Old Testament. It is quoted often, books have been written surrounding this account, but it is worth looking at again. In the middle of the THIS ONE begat THAT ONE and THAT ONE begat THIS ONE.... we see God just carved out a little space to tell us about an honorable and upright man before Him. The man is Jabez.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jabez literally means He Will Cause Pain. Imagine everyday of your life from birth, when someone called your name, they were literally saying, Hey You That Causes Pain, come here. One Who Will Cause Pain do this or that or the next thing. Everyday of his life was a reminder that he caused his mother pain when she delivered him at birth. Not only did she mark him for life because of the experience she had giving birth to him, but anyone who called him by name was labeling him the same way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What things has society said about you day after day?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Not Smart Enough*</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Never Be Tall*</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Least Likely To Succeed*</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Too Tall*</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Too Skinny*</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Clumsy*</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Larger Than Life*</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*Broke For Life*</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What images do you see that make you think your nose is too big or maybe it seems crooked? Who are you comparing your bank account with? Where are you going for advice when life seems bad and you walk away depressed and discouraged more than before you talked to those people?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Friends, God wants to relabel you. Let's start in the beginning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>GENESIS 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>GENESIS 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>GENESIS 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>GENESIS 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>GENESIS 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>GENESIS 1:31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is what God said about Jabez in 1 Chronicles, that he was more honorable than all his brothers. The one child his mother named HE WILL CAUSE PAIN is the best child she had. In fact, he probably did everything he could to not live up to his name. Meanwhile, his brothers probably caused a great deal of pain to others but they did not have that title. That tells us that what people think of us, including friends and even our own family, is not definitive of who God says we are. God says he is a man of honor and He chose to answer his prayer!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">God made us in His image and in His likeness. We look like our Heavenly Father. We are made like Him. That is why the devil hates us. Satan does not like the constant reminder that we are created in the image of God and His identity is seen throughout His created people. Why would he choose to attack our identity so much? Look at our culture in America? From a small, innocent child to an older adult we are being challenged about our identity! Babies are being slaughtered in the womb because the devil has created confusion and chaos about the identity of what a baby is!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">God immediately gave us purpose when He created us. He made us males and females to have dominion over the creatures in the sea, the creatures in the air, and creatures on the earth. God blessed the males and females that He created. He made us, gave us purpose, and blessed us. What else does the text say? God gives us an assignment. He wants us to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. God wants us to have babies and fill the earth with His people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He wants us to subdue the earth, which means to bring it under control. The devil hates that and wants to fight us in this purpose every single day. He wants to bring chaos and confusion and division to the world. You and I, and all of God's people are to bring peace, love, joy, and hope found only in Jesus to the world.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And I love that God gave us food. He provided things to eat that would benefit our body and keep us strong. And what did God say after He created the sun, moon, stars, the ocean, and land? It was good. When He made light and night He said it was good. But after He made humanity, He said it was very good.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Whatever someone else labeled you, does not have to define you. You are who God says you are. You are not less than that and you are not more than that. Apart from God we are nothing. He is our Maker. He is our Creator. He is our God. He is our Heavenly Father and He has a plan and purpose for every single person on the planet. Who does God say you are? I challenge you to spend time this weekend praying and pondering that question. Read the Bible and ask Holy Spirit to show you in the lens of scripture the way God sees you. Do not let anyone call you anything else.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hope today's post has challenged you to not conform to the ways of this world. We must not become like the world. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>ROMANS 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let's strive to be more like Jesus Christ. He is the Great Example and Pattern for us. It is my prayer that something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-8243088273472433872022-07-14T10:19:00.000-06:002022-07-14T10:19:35.473-06:00Other People's Judgment | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLDmQrR2X56BCba48Isw9Cn_WhhjlLD_jSe0B0YzgeyAh0mAiJJWpL-Q7R8TYg5ZpiF8TGW8bRwNYWOHtMr2EhxGFVSnYiwfCO3J3xHCW20Jg_uhpJS8zg1EVCKz4VD7EZ4hYsDOvM7WJ_jTWvl6btcqUlROAaigTbJ6k-RlbkA3didJZh184Sgl_/s1316/IMG-0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="1241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLDmQrR2X56BCba48Isw9Cn_WhhjlLD_jSe0B0YzgeyAh0mAiJJWpL-Q7R8TYg5ZpiF8TGW8bRwNYWOHtMr2EhxGFVSnYiwfCO3J3xHCW20Jg_uhpJS8zg1EVCKz4VD7EZ4hYsDOvM7WJ_jTWvl6btcqUlROAaigTbJ6k-RlbkA3didJZh184Sgl_/s320/IMG-0315.JPG" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh97L_mcUA0LkhivmJkPHwzNWrwfCS658wse0MiqjmzPVGl3WFT8SHjAaCXleRJOAt1HwO95LD1IsD8Gqo5WUlNzO2J11GEizqesibXHegzcWpvbmKHFe_ChKmXQ1jk_wMMv8IEfV5L9GEC8vzaAjQyY1EFSgi-0zMvccFCP8_32-htEpJZ4b2mus/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh97L_mcUA0LkhivmJkPHwzNWrwfCS658wse0MiqjmzPVGl3WFT8SHjAaCXleRJOAt1HwO95LD1IsD8Gqo5WUlNzO2J11GEizqesibXHegzcWpvbmKHFe_ChKmXQ1jk_wMMv8IEfV5L9GEC8vzaAjQyY1EFSgi-0zMvccFCP8_32-htEpJZ4b2mus/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Today is Thankful Thursday. Time to count our blessings. I am back in my Traveler's Notebook today studying "Famous Last Words" devotional from </span><a href="https://www.bythewell4god.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">By The Well 4 God</a><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVal468IG9sRdXfqKOpv982lAj1U66XMkx44cWdvSkgizXqUlnRo4pHHnPFf7ID2JQ2HCW4As6pLCbal1rT16ZEkJtQaCEzgUyvoVL1_n-JUBg3h8kTDvECII-qmp7M_SP5R5I_pLLwNyzvRHxQqmFdD7fa_DRX0Oz0ewmp-H3-PDu1jkoFIhToIY/s4032/IMG-4057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVal468IG9sRdXfqKOpv982lAj1U66XMkx44cWdvSkgizXqUlnRo4pHHnPFf7ID2JQ2HCW4As6pLCbal1rT16ZEkJtQaCEzgUyvoVL1_n-JUBg3h8kTDvECII-qmp7M_SP5R5I_pLLwNyzvRHxQqmFdD7fa_DRX0Oz0ewmp-H3-PDu1jkoFIhToIY/s320/IMG-4057.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgHS4XUTJMlkPSUvMWggFyvRIBo-nY1Aow8bZ0fcOSPWk-6lcLME-anK_Ka0DNP35YTBRCjqCGGKhQePZNPsbLKIAoJwX2g_JKsZFqqXxV6RbcoB4MuxsrUjICmsRlntoKpGOwEJHYn_Sb0RWzbtSNm8yUa423zoldtyW1YFPb0VDxmAwE0r55z1J/s4032/IMG-4058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgHS4XUTJMlkPSUvMWggFyvRIBo-nY1Aow8bZ0fcOSPWk-6lcLME-anK_Ka0DNP35YTBRCjqCGGKhQePZNPsbLKIAoJwX2g_JKsZFqqXxV6RbcoB4MuxsrUjICmsRlntoKpGOwEJHYn_Sb0RWzbtSNm8yUa423zoldtyW1YFPb0VDxmAwE0r55z1J/s320/IMG-4058.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghDC23btHGl22HJvVcIcbDY8oXDK0rVGSBJrApQ7QA_H8w70TkvmlY2NH3sKFwrfakeRq9cldKl6CIUVPlAJHPDWMfP8uwksJWr6EOHTcz8U-6zQ6TBtAW0t7C1xz14XRf25_NDFGd1oSyyVky9KWDYOElFdGGXvO4IHb9RhsgkV0mV7QV8k098hJ/s4032/IMG-4059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghDC23btHGl22HJvVcIcbDY8oXDK0rVGSBJrApQ7QA_H8w70TkvmlY2NH3sKFwrfakeRq9cldKl6CIUVPlAJHPDWMfP8uwksJWr6EOHTcz8U-6zQ6TBtAW0t7C1xz14XRf25_NDFGd1oSyyVky9KWDYOElFdGGXvO4IHb9RhsgkV0mV7QV8k098hJ/s320/IMG-4059.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA5MKoTBfZKMKztiwCo7n6KSIW8PmwKfO6OwwYagVn-XH2APftngIk2RafndFYu95357cI6PKl0QScdxixBKLyXSFmWdf9xseboCrSB4Q2iu8tOuvvyIB8nwuWfYNYvmMmFPrEkwvRtGYGPdfwxlKvc1DWgoghYvRbVGsHNGe0iLcCO8uiWPe0_GV/s4032/IMG-4060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA5MKoTBfZKMKztiwCo7n6KSIW8PmwKfO6OwwYagVn-XH2APftngIk2RafndFYu95357cI6PKl0QScdxixBKLyXSFmWdf9xseboCrSB4Q2iu8tOuvvyIB8nwuWfYNYvmMmFPrEkwvRtGYGPdfwxlKvc1DWgoghYvRbVGsHNGe0iLcCO8uiWPe0_GV/s320/IMG-4060.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is today's Bible journaling entry. I learned about king Agag's last words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0lYbc6Oqbdgp3U0CiHwLUztFgsBPH76MF2ovYtG_u32F31XkbHTFUxm4BQTQjGWFOUE4KTs-qmPJaMhkBJGm-joC_YVTEr9IlYLpek3tynr0gfC-JCcGlmETxReeGrWGx3VVy7pHzJ7v89SJ8-T1JTGj9A1T6aKR727DojH1SCHuMQa25K6wRcsK/s4032/IMG-4276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0lYbc6Oqbdgp3U0CiHwLUztFgsBPH76MF2ovYtG_u32F31XkbHTFUxm4BQTQjGWFOUE4KTs-qmPJaMhkBJGm-joC_YVTEr9IlYLpek3tynr0gfC-JCcGlmETxReeGrWGx3VVy7pHzJ7v89SJ8-T1JTGj9A1T6aKR727DojH1SCHuMQa25K6wRcsK/s320/IMG-4276.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMfSERi1fVPgxoIIOja26AX8os5d_bDwOVboyvfOM1RIP8UpamqGtgOys3x1PmAFXEk9fkP0IJfmWaH_JfSiAKtbmxBC-TTkf6bpGTSHrd_M8dbrWkDH34x1tPwXzhMxe9hS1m0_-0xXH5Yf6PYb3eQ-p7fMZhuJs4otHlZC-tXy_wwvmMnd8Zu8s/s4032/IMG-4277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMfSERi1fVPgxoIIOja26AX8os5d_bDwOVboyvfOM1RIP8UpamqGtgOys3x1PmAFXEk9fkP0IJfmWaH_JfSiAKtbmxBC-TTkf6bpGTSHrd_M8dbrWkDH34x1tPwXzhMxe9hS1m0_-0xXH5Yf6PYb3eQ-p7fMZhuJs4otHlZC-tXy_wwvmMnd8Zu8s/s320/IMG-4277.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I remember reading what happened to Saul when he did not kill king Agag and all the livestock and destroy the Amalekites. I did not remember what Agag's last words were, but it is found in <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">1 Samuel 15:32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately </span><span style="color: #04ff00;">(<i>cautiously</i>)</span><b style="color: #2b00fe;">. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.</b> It reminds me of the warning in <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Proverbs 16:19 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">God wanted the king of the Amalekites dead. King Saul was supposed to do it and he disobeyed God. So, king Agag thought he was getting another chance to do battle again. He was thinking he had escaped death but the prophet Samuel did what God wanted done and in verse 33, Samuel cut him to pieces before God.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am thankful we have these true accounts of history so we can be learn from what others have done. I am sure we have all justified sin in our lives at one time or another. We may have had prideful hearts and thought we had escaped the wrath of God, but I want to be like the prophet Samuel in this situation and do what would please God. King Saul was removed from the kingdom. King Agag was violently murdered in Gilgal. We do not want to be like these wicked men. We want to be like the prophet Samuel who did the will of the LORD.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thankfully today we do not have physical enemies to slay. We know the devil is our adversary and we can suit up in the full armor of God to defeat him. We must do the harder right than the easier wrong. I thank God for the warning of God's Word. What are you thankful for?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you for joining me today. I hope you count your blessings all day. God is worthy of all praise and honor. Be sure to thank Him for the great things He is doing in your lives. I will do the same. God bless you!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-48268972899793450312022-07-13T09:58:00.000-06:002022-07-13T09:58:40.577-06:00Psalm 28 | Wednesday Bible Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ610AS5awxSq8PoVB23vxZd9WeOeG17yQCrovgyTfXZIupAUS5e3E4Z8IYYPtQk4qT9m1-H0JlmlpzAmeRud3Z0gE2jX-s--Fs_krlgnCOd_8I8HdaNPx05meGicggY_hWIWDNRjXVwWdzIwbrrq8d5f42_w5DH5Y_6_rgWxfRHS3Of20M8dfpbt/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ610AS5awxSq8PoVB23vxZd9WeOeG17yQCrovgyTfXZIupAUS5e3E4Z8IYYPtQk4qT9m1-H0JlmlpzAmeRud3Z0gE2jX-s--Fs_krlgnCOd_8I8HdaNPx05meGicggY_hWIWDNRjXVwWdzIwbrrq8d5f42_w5DH5Y_6_rgWxfRHS3Of20M8dfpbt/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 28. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 9 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 1:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David is praying to God, asking Him to hear his heart's cry. David always begins addressing God. David wants to hear from God. He says if he does not hear from God, he will be like those who have no hope. Today, you and I have hope if we are in Christ Jesus. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">EPHESIANS 2:11-13 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. </b>David is desiring to be in close fellowship with God. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>JAMES 4:8 Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye doubleminded.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 2:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David wants God to hear his supplications. Supplication means to ask or beg for something in earnest and in humility. David knows God is Sovereign and in charge. He humbly comes to God begging for him to hear and answer his prayers. We see that Daniel did the same thing. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">DANIEL 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.</b> Sometimes we pray to God with thanksgiving, and other times we ask what we need in humility, and yet other times we come with supplication and thanksgiving because our need is so great. I love that Daniel says it isn't because we are good or holy that we make these supplications, but we ask because You God are so merciful. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>DANIEL 9:18 O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear; open Thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by Thy name: for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousnesses, but for Thy great mercies. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 3:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David does not want to be in the same category with the wicked. He has separated himself from those who willfully sin and say one thing but then do another in deceit. David says, "They speak peace to their neighbors but mischief is in their heart. So often in our society we see the same thing coming from political leaders, religious leaders, world leaders, and it needs to stop. God is not pleased with this work and it will not go unpunished. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">GENESIS 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. </b>You may think that verse could have been written today in 2022. These were the days of Noah. What does the Bible tell us about the days of Noah? <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>LUKE 17:26-30 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 4:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David wants God to punish the wicked. He is asking that they reap what they have sown. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">JOB 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. GALATIANS 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.</b> This sowing and reaping principle is in God's Word to teach us to not be like the wicked but to sow things in the fertile soil of the Spirit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 5:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In this verse, David gives the results of disbelief in God. Those that do not care for the things of GOD and do not see His hands at work are going to be destroyed. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">ROMANS 3:3-4 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. </b>Whether humanity believes in God or not does not change who He is. It does not erase Him from existence. Jesus is still God whether we choose to see it or not, but one day all will see and acknowledge Him for who He is. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>PHILIPPIANS 2:8-11 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 6:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God heard David's requests and now David honors God. Friends God is listening to our prayers. He hears us and He answers us according to His Will. He has a purpose and plan for all of us. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">ECCLESIASTES 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:</b> His desire is to save humanity from our sins and to gather as many sons and daughters as are willing to join His family. You and I are here to help with that purpose. If we do not get some things we ask for, it might be because it would hinder our walk with the Lord. We can be assured He does answer us and we ought to be like David and bless God for doing so.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 7:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David says God is his strength and shield. As a man of war, David understood the value of a shield. He knew how important it was to be strong in battle. Our lives are one battlefield after another and we must draw strength from God and allow Him to protect and shield us from the enemy. David says his heart trusts in God. I am sure David did not trust a great deal of people. His children rebelled against him. His father-in-law tried to kill him. He had a lot of enemies but He trusted God because over the course of his life, David could see God's fingerprints all over his life. David said God helps him and that gave him a reason to rejoice and sing praises to God. Have we appreciated the things God does for us, or are we taking it all for granted? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 8:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God is not just the source of David's strength. Look at this verse again. It says that for those who are anointed, God is our saving strength. What a beautiful promise. Do you remember when Paul said he was going to get the crown of life? He said it was stored up for him, but not just for him only. No, he said we all get one. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">2 TIMOTHY 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. </b>If we are looking for Jesus to come back with expectancy and jubilee, then we have a crown of righteousness waiting for us as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 9:</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David's ends the prayer with a final request. Save, bless, feed, and forever lift up those that are Yours God. We belong to God if we are a servant of the Most High God. He will save us, redeem us, bless us, care for us, and meet our every need.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I hope that as you studied today's passage with me that you will see how good God is. He is a loving, protective Father and He wants to be in relationship with every single one of His children. If you have been encouraged please let me know. I appreciate all the feedback. I pray that something I have shared on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-88662274207232412252022-07-08T03:30:00.002-06:002022-07-08T14:33:26.938-06:00Sand Castles | Fuel for the Weekend<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScdcwBYzL_swfha3rwIVFgG1iMeAI_7mraqgSnwYZohn29HPAgl1AP9s5CstBSPR2CuZ5lLF4tYtMdWetHls8CwvQUgDH8FKb-5-OTnAGz_cXZPcuSnaBtCKU7r7BCnyk9-fZzPlk_JWagatYLWyxIuXqpDSokg1Sit94-DKcR-TKgs19YFB8kjPq/s1280/Orange%20and%20White%20Minimalist%20Trip%20Vlog%20YouTube%20Thumbnail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScdcwBYzL_swfha3rwIVFgG1iMeAI_7mraqgSnwYZohn29HPAgl1AP9s5CstBSPR2CuZ5lLF4tYtMdWetHls8CwvQUgDH8FKb-5-OTnAGz_cXZPcuSnaBtCKU7r7BCnyk9-fZzPlk_JWagatYLWyxIuXqpDSokg1Sit94-DKcR-TKgs19YFB8kjPq/s320/Orange%20and%20White%20Minimalist%20Trip%20Vlog%20YouTube%20Thumbnail.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uCzlkTLlWjSy4dqOL_B7542aTe8YyayLWmETs69KT9Q-3ZwEhUFQo1E5L2Bs2dwguhwPLQ76XpY--auujU7YFy_mSTObOCaIKlgeC94CXhtIIlAsnDK1__aCYhpYTVlKtWw-RSOU_BZ8JDIL10uW-O1MQWb2NJ9KmEHQPxTgqwhVl01kM0r2GiEA/s1080/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uCzlkTLlWjSy4dqOL_B7542aTe8YyayLWmETs69KT9Q-3ZwEhUFQo1E5L2Bs2dwguhwPLQ76XpY--auujU7YFy_mSTObOCaIKlgeC94CXhtIIlAsnDK1__aCYhpYTVlKtWw-RSOU_BZ8JDIL10uW-O1MQWb2NJ9KmEHQPxTgqwhVl01kM0r2GiEA/s320/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel for the Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. If it leads to discussions with your family and friends, even better!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Have you ever gone to the beach? The ocean is stretched out in front of you all the way to the horizon. The sandy shore is full of sea shells, beach towels, and people basking in the rays of the sun. Have you ever made a sand castle before? They are so pretty, especially when someone sculpts the clay and uses intricate tools to design a wonderful piece of art. The problem with sandcastles is they are unstable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sand is washed back and forth on the shore with the water. If you ever stand at the edge of the shore and allow the water to rush past your ankles and legs and sweep back, it will literally pull you toward the ocean. You will feel yourself sliding away from the shore and the sand beneath your feet is like a conveyor belt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">MATTHEW 7:21-27</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">You see friends, the rain is coming. The storms of life will blow hard against our vessel. The bills will pile up and the finances will dwindle down. You may try to find a job and yet no one will call you back. You may get a poor report from your doctor, and your world may turn upside down. You may stand at the graveside of a loved one and wonder why they were not healed. Storms are coming. It will not be sunny and beautiful always. What will happen to you when these trials and storms rage?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">These three keys will aid you through the battles of life that seem to never end at times:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1. <u>Build upon the firm foundation of the Rock of Jesus</u>. Know who He is and trust Him. Jesus asked His disciples who they say He is and Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matthew 16:16) And Jesus said upon that Rock, or the revelation of who He is, He would build His Church.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Matthew 16:17-19 And Jesus answered and said unto him, </span><span style="color: red;">Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>2. <u>Be a hearer AND a doer of the Word of God</u>. It is not enough to go to church and hear a sermon. It is not enough to attend a Bible study. You must think of the Word of God like lotion. Apply it and rub it in. Do not just layer it on top of the skin and hope it will absorb over time. Something will happen and the lotion will be knocked off your arm and then you will have a big mess and your skin will not get the nourishment you need. The same is true of life. If you do not apply the principles of God's Word, then you will get knocked down by the storms of life and it will be a big mess and you will not have what your soul needs to survive. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>JAMES 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span>3. <u>Continue to pray and commune with God</u>. In Luke chapter 18 it begins with Jesus giving a parable that men should always pray and not lose heart. We have to talk to God in prayer. It is essential. It is not only how we thank Him and praise Him for everything He has done in our lives, but it is how we obtain forgiveness, how we petition Him for what we need, and friends it is how we hear Him answer us. Jesus said this in <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Luke 21:36 </span><span style="color: red;">Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>Storms will come. Trials will never cease. We must not be taken off guard by them. Use these three steps to keep you anchored to Jesus, our Savior and you will be able to overcome any obstacle in your way. I hope you will study these scriptures deeper on your own. Talk to your friends and family about these things and discuss practical ways you can do these things in your daily walk with Jesus. I pray that something you have read on the blog today will give you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span><span>~Bridgett Owens</span></span></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-13614576131742032462022-07-07T03:30:00.001-06:002022-07-07T03:30:00.140-06:00Creative Outlets | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zq0vAUsKu1Ff0E9LlCRZVfzLbZjwTocPKssx73Eb51Wj-u0BST6XG5EsErP3bs2bnJ4jgEnGOP7vR9YcDraiWxIgQD5XIqSzFp8bkY8l8siDDlig2aaY5a8aTB0LeWppwCtI4m4zs0WyPCQZd3_Z3tYMkt4pqi-XWNiOf7aewJmraXCNnmhkSRaX/s4032/IMG-4058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zq0vAUsKu1Ff0E9LlCRZVfzLbZjwTocPKssx73Eb51Wj-u0BST6XG5EsErP3bs2bnJ4jgEnGOP7vR9YcDraiWxIgQD5XIqSzFp8bkY8l8siDDlig2aaY5a8aTB0LeWppwCtI4m4zs0WyPCQZd3_Z3tYMkt4pqi-XWNiOf7aewJmraXCNnmhkSRaX/s320/IMG-4058.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgembBdxgzC1DzFlZYjFp_2NZbE5ECtD4z7ZK0005_e5nCJwboyqG_MexSOcYjIct5rDsJ72JNgYKqLY-loM3HQXz-iD5zZTqnyjnnFgl0ONSCti0_UZCs-NyTvxS1jH4YSz4FUp6U1DPM4PNPMLajGklr0fRqeKuUgKRhnAD5pt5OVdmUq_DqgmNwU/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgembBdxgzC1DzFlZYjFp_2NZbE5ECtD4z7ZK0005_e5nCJwboyqG_MexSOcYjIct5rDsJ72JNgYKqLY-loM3HQXz-iD5zZTqnyjnnFgl0ONSCti0_UZCs-NyTvxS1jH4YSz4FUp6U1DPM4PNPMLajGklr0fRqeKuUgKRhnAD5pt5OVdmUq_DqgmNwU/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My daughter and I enjoy creatively journaling our faith. We use traveler's notebook inserts instead of our journaling in our Bibles and we have a great time. We are currently working on a kit from <a href="https://www.bythewell4god.com/" target="_blank">By the Well 4 God</a> called Famous Last Words. We are not going through this devotional study kit as fast as others we studied before but things are different now in our lives, too. Hopefully when we find our own home we will be able to have all our study materials out and can work on devotionals more often.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA32M_Rbk8pBSM6Y-pu1OICdEKO4b6jO0ZN5bck3hEoFG0xflQxzht7YrqxF6n_p1jB30JvSxQm0CGj-LPtFSpPVR6upp9i1_EFhAjd2eu2xW68ydjqKiu39K0reLdARLDIR1XPQ0JAtDW25M5yw6hZuokqh-P57f-7hTzTA61R9-InmasvQV2KTbY/s4032/IMG-4057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA32M_Rbk8pBSM6Y-pu1OICdEKO4b6jO0ZN5bck3hEoFG0xflQxzht7YrqxF6n_p1jB30JvSxQm0CGj-LPtFSpPVR6upp9i1_EFhAjd2eu2xW68ydjqKiu39K0reLdARLDIR1XPQ0JAtDW25M5yw6hZuokqh-P57f-7hTzTA61R9-InmasvQV2KTbY/s320/IMG-4057.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Each devotional study kit comes in a linen/canvas type drawstring bag with the name of the kit on the outside. It makes it a great way to find the kit we are working on and when we are done with the devotional book, we can put it in the drawstring bag along with our traveler's notebook insert to store it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tXuoL2GruDZzVUkQBFLolUrLV8_3o5Njxn2mvN9eJ-5Ppp3ts5zCM2B1pgobVOYku5eJ6QcERXvOEPq_pKYxk6Giyr4LldumpZf2-slYqdoxd_Z8cUo4xR7xMfKRJakq9voV_JREpDb2oT5WRNuFCTMt5P3h0zuJSMZfr0eASOHLLzHXHag9pcbQ/s4032/IMG-4059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tXuoL2GruDZzVUkQBFLolUrLV8_3o5Njxn2mvN9eJ-5Ppp3ts5zCM2B1pgobVOYku5eJ6QcERXvOEPq_pKYxk6Giyr4LldumpZf2-slYqdoxd_Z8cUo4xR7xMfKRJakq9voV_JREpDb2oT5WRNuFCTMt5P3h0zuJSMZfr0eASOHLLzHXHag9pcbQ/s320/IMG-4059.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This is a look at the devotional book. I love the typewriter on the front and it has been so nice to work our way through the kit at our own pace. I like having Kadesia work on the kit with me but sometimes I work on it as I get time, by myself.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoRDYh6r357zYiVAuwdmvx7s065J-yCwYrLQlRiNo8C7r3Wwj7BWw2gU4x9uC1PE8_wKPAf_B7VxuJm6Zbge8tvyD2qjndKRpy3c6johOVBmbXw8r4wLY91WtyrUCbFQBop_Sr_EfnTWVzvaSciKtVwSsRE3Qd-m5y14dPA1WFgQv5CWRW6HaoOgg/s4032/IMG-4060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoRDYh6r357zYiVAuwdmvx7s065J-yCwYrLQlRiNo8C7r3Wwj7BWw2gU4x9uC1PE8_wKPAf_B7VxuJm6Zbge8tvyD2qjndKRpy3c6johOVBmbXw8r4wLY91WtyrUCbFQBop_Sr_EfnTWVzvaSciKtVwSsRE3Qd-m5y14dPA1WFgQv5CWRW6HaoOgg/s320/IMG-4060.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is the insert I am using for this kit. I used stickers from the kit to decorate the front and remind me which kit it belongs to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdXUrktgBroXWBElPbCX-7jsZaC5THn6sAR6mA9STdX9k7ASssI9nktsiMZqs7AFmefVWMCuVHQ3zXz12b_33Hp_SJ07jtyolqq-sR73UtsxtaRdvIUcyKVVXRK_UUrOqakCtmXwWy_Vn8PzCc-EAV1rp9G8PtY1fEccCt5651WMeS-qCZu7LNae8/s4032/IMG-4061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdXUrktgBroXWBElPbCX-7jsZaC5THn6sAR6mA9STdX9k7ASssI9nktsiMZqs7AFmefVWMCuVHQ3zXz12b_33Hp_SJ07jtyolqq-sR73UtsxtaRdvIUcyKVVXRK_UUrOqakCtmXwWy_Vn8PzCc-EAV1rp9G8PtY1fEccCt5651WMeS-qCZu7LNae8/s320/IMG-4061.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I prepped all the pages the same way. On the left side, I have a piece of decorative paper in this marbled/watercolor design. I add a piece of cardstock at the bottom to look like it could be an identification card. I use pictures from magazines to place in the small square box and then I write the name of the person, their title or a description about them, their famous last words scripture, and the name of the devotional kit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPs9Ppi-Qu5U06gl2dULFHhUNqJMMEowvuKu_MAxVxRLoxAALTWU9Y8gU3RuWeOyL2dByGyxhNzppScZKviNN1Ic1p7-Q4ZGX1mJZS03e_NmlB8ocOa8bicChqrjHJv2UI-L_H7-TWgp61xfz27WIhH_q1qr_4Lallkbsl0QfN7PcjazWoTXNRVR-7/s4032/IMG-4062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPs9Ppi-Qu5U06gl2dULFHhUNqJMMEowvuKu_MAxVxRLoxAALTWU9Y8gU3RuWeOyL2dByGyxhNzppScZKviNN1Ic1p7-Q4ZGX1mJZS03e_NmlB8ocOa8bicChqrjHJv2UI-L_H7-TWgp61xfz27WIhH_q1qr_4Lallkbsl0QfN7PcjazWoTXNRVR-7/s320/IMG-4062.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On the right side is where I do my journaling, answer questions from the devotional, or write a prayer. I used some washi to frame the page. I used my label maker to type out the question, "What great things has God done for you?", and then I used some transparent dots as bullet points. My response was:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*Salvation and sanctification. He has never given up on me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*A family that loves God and me. My husband, Paul; my daughter, Kadesia; and my son, Javan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*Hears and answers <u>all</u> my prayers even if I have to wait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*Provided a house for us to stay in until He gives us our own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>This is not even a drop in the bucket of the great things He has done for me.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I completed this particular page on June 19, 2022. I do not have time to work on it today, but maybe this weekend I will have an opportunity to work on the next profile. I have three more to go and then I will start another Bible study devotional. I have some Illustrated Faith kits, and others I want to use as well from different companies. I love to creatively journal my faith in my traveler's notebook.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">What Bible study are you working through? Do you creatively journal your faith? Do you do Bible journaling? Today I am thankful for the men and women who share their faith and knowledge with those of us on the journey towards Home. I am counting creatively journaling my faith as one of the things I am thankful for today. What are you thankful for?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />I hope you have been encouraged and inspired to dig into God's Word today and count your blessings on this Thankful Thursday. God bless you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-5045867103957039962022-07-06T03:30:00.090-06:002022-07-06T03:30:00.161-06:00Psalm 27 | Wednesday Bible Study<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eHLoBaM4Zek19b0th2qQtTk_SR5NNeeYt-3Cn9SfF7fPjYAs3Vol9e8avPhOYBmCvRMZQ0KAXxoSQpcACkXoGfGyftL_hZtpAAVHjCiX2OPrXx2MmunpMJN4Xijl9LnpfVfHFZyLV3G8Wqx3aV2FqLLYUPMml1PTJfkA4KOMhEFmjJ0gOY4a4qRk/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eHLoBaM4Zek19b0th2qQtTk_SR5NNeeYt-3Cn9SfF7fPjYAs3Vol9e8avPhOYBmCvRMZQ0KAXxoSQpcACkXoGfGyftL_hZtpAAVHjCiX2OPrXx2MmunpMJN4Xijl9LnpfVfHFZyLV3G8Wqx3aV2FqLLYUPMml1PTJfkA4KOMhEFmjJ0gOY4a4qRk/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! We are doing our first Bible study this month. God pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms this year. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 27. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 14 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 1</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David's psalm begins with a question he asks in two ways. Whom shall I fear, or whom shall I be afraid of? Those questions are in direct comparison to the characteristics of God.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*God is my light.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*God is my salvation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">*God is my life's strength.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Since God is light, salvation, and strength, there is nothing to fear. David cannot fear darkness when he is walking in the Light. David is never lost when he knows his Salvation is in God alone. David does not fear powerful people, because God has all Power, all Strength and He will never fail or lose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 2-3</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David recalls times past when enemies came at him to kill him, but God caused them to stumble and fall. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">ISAIAH 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.</b> David had this promise. We have it, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David said even when a multitude of people surround him to harm him, he will not be afraid. He said he will keep his confidence even if war breaks out against him! <b style="color: #2b00fe;">HEBREWS 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.</b> We can stand firm on the solid rock of Jesus regardless of how many bad things happen to us or come against us. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">ROMANS 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?</b> That verse alone is one we can stand on and proclaim with confidence knowing God will prevail over all our enemies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 4</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">What was David's greatest desire? What was his heart's longing? What is the biggest thing He asked of God? It is in this verse. David didn't just ask God for this, but he sought for it. He longed to dwell in the house of God for the rest of his life. To see God's beauty and to ask for His help. David didn't have God on an emergency hotline, only to be called on when he wanted something. No, God called David a man after His own heart. He loved David and David loved God. They had a relationship. David delighted in God. This is why ten chapters later we see David pen these words, "<b style="color: #2b00fe;">Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (PSALM 37:4) </b>What are we delighting in?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse5</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David had nothing to fear. God will hide him in His pavilion, in the secret place of His tabernacle, and set David upon a rock. He had sure footing. He had protection. He had provision. There was nothing that David would face that God couldn't and wouldn't handle! We can have that same confidence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 6</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David said now he can hold his head up high, give joyful sacrifices to God, and sing praise to the LORD. Why? Because everything David needs is found in relationship with God. Everything you and I face in this life is found in the promises of God's Word. All our hope, strength, protection, provision, and blessings are found in God alone. We have nothing to fear or dread and when we get to the point of recognizing that, we will be no match for satan because then we will walk in confidence of who our Father is and what He is doing in our lives. We will be undefeated because Jesus has already overcome the world. <span style="color: red;"><b>These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 7-8</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David says to God, "Hear me when I cry. Have mercy upon me and answer me." Then he says, "When You said to seek Your face God, I did so." Have we been seeking God's face or His hands? Are we more interested in what God can do for us, or are we more concerned about doing something for Him? What does our prayer life look like? Are we using our prayer time to only petition the LORD and never praise or thank Him? What is our heart posture like? Are we like David and we want to seek the face of God? We want to know Him intimately. We want to be in fellowship and communion with God?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 9-10</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David understands what it means to be left out and forgotten. He begs God to not hide His face from him. He asks God to not put him away in God's great wrath. Why? Why would David say that? Because God has been His help. He says leave me not, neither forsake me. He needs God. God has always been there for David. When David called, God answered. David could not even get that kind of response from his father and brothers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">When Saul was rejected by God as king over Israel, God sent Samuel to anoint a new king. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">1 SAMUEL 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided for me a king among his sons. </b>Samuel tells Jesse to bring all of his sons. Jesse lines up all his children except for David. One by one God rejects each son to be king. Samuel knows what God told him. Something is wrong when none of the sons are the new king. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">1 SAMUEL 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. </b>His father was ashamed of David because he was a keeper of the sheep. His dad counted him out because he was the youngest and was ruddy. He was forgotten and forsaken by his own father at one of the most crucial times in his life.<b style="color: #2b00fe;"> 1 SAMUEL 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. </b>Now we can see why David would say when his own father and mother abandoned him, God will choose him. God picked David. God said, "David you are Mine!" at a time when he was being hidden and counted out by his own father. Others will fail us and let us down. Some will be ashamed of us and not want to include us, but God will never forsake us. He will never leave us. He will never abandon us!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verses 11-12</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">David is praying that God will show and teach him the way to go. He wants a smooth path when his enemies are against him. Do you know how hard it is to navigate rocky, uneven paths? It slows you down. If you have someone chasing you to kill you, you want the advantage of a smooth path where you can get away faster. David knew he must be taught these things because doing life on our own is a dangerous, foolish adventure that ends in failure. David asks God to protect him from the liars and cruel enemies rushing toward him to harm him. God will give us the protection we need, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 13</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is a verse I have outlined in my Bible. It is one of the verses I quote often in 2022 when I look around and see violence, turmoil, division, confusion, chaos, and frustration everywhere I turn. It is on the news, social media, reels, videos, tweets, texts, posts, you name it! Everyone has the freedom online to say and do whatever they please and they take their liberties. It is a wicked, vile world we live in and it is just becoming more wicked and vile as the days go by. I, too, like David would have given up if I had not seen God's goodness all around me. I may see the enemy at work everywhere I turn, but I also see the Mighty hand of God providing, protecting, and uplifting His people. He is our shield, our strength, and our help!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Verse 14</u></b></div>This verse is also underlined in my Bible. This verse is David speaking from experience. He is giving you and me advice. He is telling us what has worked for him over and over again. He is giving us the blueprint to be successful in this journey where it can be discouraging and even depressing to keep going. I want to repeat it here today. This is David's instruction to us; let it bless you.<p></p><div>"Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."</div><div>*Wait on God.</div><div>*Be of good courage.</div><div>*Wait on God.</div><div>And the promise? He will strengthen us.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are not promised He will remove the problem. We are not promised a bed of roses. We are not told we will never have another issue. We are not promised that our loved ones would never die, or our bills would never pile up, or that we would be the most popular person on the planet. We are told God will strengthen our heart.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why did David say this? Because when our heart is strong, we can keep running. When we get our strength back we can fight. When we have strength we do not have to worry which leads to sickness and disease and sometimes death. God is giving us His power to strengthen us when times are hard. If we feel like we have slowed to a snail's pace, we need to wait on God, be of good courage, and wait! He will get us through!</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope something in today's study has spoken to you. Feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to me via email, on social media, or text me if you have my phone number. I pray that something I have shared on the blog today has given you strength for your journey and light for you way. God bless you!</div><div><br /></div><div>~Bridgett Owens</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-6320076067196457852022-07-01T09:16:00.000-06:002022-07-01T09:16:02.861-06:00Use Your Oil | Fuel for the Weekend<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGXBY3Tt8znF0buhLByXUDs5vpxfdVYgfkHG8XMaowmk1gVyYp8LcNqXQCTjdDzpqTKOAyS3O5pKcSsQgFclnXyST6_o3CXt5kNiqCQ4xMLNC5cAoCyXGtrZJaYVOMTGvc7uCpjjKlcxBGf05-aX08rD26NdRHDY1kablDMLr4NZVvLNLdPXU4yA4/s1080/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGXBY3Tt8znF0buhLByXUDs5vpxfdVYgfkHG8XMaowmk1gVyYp8LcNqXQCTjdDzpqTKOAyS3O5pKcSsQgFclnXyST6_o3CXt5kNiqCQ4xMLNC5cAoCyXGtrZJaYVOMTGvc7uCpjjKlcxBGf05-aX08rD26NdRHDY1kablDMLr4NZVvLNLdPXU4yA4/s320/FUEL%20FOR%20THE%20WEEKEND.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel for the Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. If it leads to discussions with your family and friends, even better!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today I want to talk about a woman in the Bible who had a God-fearing husband, and two sons. Her husband was one of the sons of a prophet and he went into debt. Many of us can relate to that. Most Americans have a car payment, a house payment/rent, student loans, credit card debt, or medical bills. The Bible does not tell us how much was owed or to whom, but it was time to pay the debt and the widow had no means to do so. The creditor decided to take her sons in order to pay off the debt. She was distraught after losing her husband, her provider, the father of her children, her companion; and now her only two sons were to be taken from her as well. She would be alone and destitute. Her heart simply could not stand the loss of all the men in her life at once.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>2 KINGS 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Elisha is a respected man of God, a prophet, and since the widow here could not go to God directly, she had to turn to the prophet for answers. He asks the widow what he could do for her. He wants to know what she has in her home. He is not asking for an inventory. He simply wants to know what is something of value she has in her home. She tells him she has nothing except for a pot of oil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It makes me wonder, had she already sold everything of value and it was just not enough to cover the debt? Did she feel like she had squeezed every penny and was simply out of options? She could not just go get a job to earn money. Surely she thought I have oil but what good is one pot of oil? She says, "I have nothing." Have you ever been there? I know I have.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;">2 KINGS 4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The answer may seem strange, but God was telling Elisha how to solve this woman's problem. He told her to go to her neighbors and borrow a lot of empty vessels. Can you imagine what went through this woman's head? What good are empty vessels? Why should I bother my neighbors? I don't want others to know how bad things are. Why can't God just cause the creditors to write off my debt? Why can't God just give me the money I owe? But God has a plan and the widow was desperate. She was willing to obey.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;">2 KINGS 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">He gives her strict instructions. When she enters her home after gathering all the vessels she can, shut the door, and pour into all those vessels, and set aside the ones that are full. Why close the door? This is pertinent because it keeps the doubt out and the faith in. It is up to her to believe the prophet and trust God to do everything she had been told, or to doubt this would work and let fear and dread overtake her. We have a choice to obey God even when it doesn't make sense, or to sit in the comfort of our fear and dread. Fear can be comfortable. Obeying God can be uncomfortable. But God does not seek to make us comfortable. God is building our faith with every trial and every struggle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>2 KINGS 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The faith is in the house. The woman is acting in faith. She has faith with works. Faith without works is dead, according to <b style="color: #2b00fe;">James 2:20.</b> In faith she gathered the vessels. Now she closes the door. This is a private miracle because if she had left the door open, others may interrupt her. "<i>How long will you have my vessel?</i>" or "<i>What are you doing with all these vessels?</i>" The door is shut to keep faith in and doubt out. Sometimes we have to close ourselves in away from prying eyes and doubting words so God can move on our behalf.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The act of pouring into these vessels is an exercise of faith. She has one pot of oil: just one! She takes what she has and begins to fill up the first vessel. One son carefully takes it away as the other son brings an empty vessel. One by one the vessels are filled. Can you feel her excitement as she watches each vessel fill up? Can you imagine the boys eyes widened with wonder as they watch their mother fill vessel after vessel after vessel? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;">2 KINGS 4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel, And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed </b>(<i style="color: #01ffff;">ceased</i>).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The oil did not stop flowing until there was nothing left to fill. That alone is a miracle! But, now what? She did what she was told to do. The debt was not paid. The only thing she could see that was different was that her empty house was now full of pots of oil. It looks like her oil multiplied but that was all. The instructions she had been given were followed to the letter and now she stood there with her sons and all these jars of oil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If the widow had stopped here, she would have missed the blessing. If she would have said, "<i>Gosh I am really tired. I poured out all of this oil. I cannot explain how that happened, but I did the work. I did what I was supposed to do. Where is God? The creditor wants his money.</i>" She did not do that. She did not give up. She did not become weary in doing well. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Now is not the time to stop or give up. She knew what she had to do. She needed to talk with the man of God for more instructions. God does not give us all the details at once. He gives us steps to take and when we have taken those steps, we can go back to Him and ask, "<i>What will You have me do next?</i>" God is going to do something wonderful in her life but she has to go back to the man of God and find out what that is. Today, you and I are able to go boldly to the throne and ask God ourselves. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>2 KINGS 4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The widow wanted God to help her pay her debt. God did that and so much more. She not only had enough oil to sell and pay off her debts.; she was able to live with her sons on the rest of what the oil sold for. God made her an entrepreneur for a season so He could set her up to be debt-free and not rely on anyone else for help to feed her family and herself. Isn't God awesome like that? We don't always know how God is going to do it, but He promises to meet our needs. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I do not know what needs you have, but take them before the LORD. Lay your hands on your stack of bills, or on your empty wallet. Ask God to meet your needs. He may send money to you unexpectedly. The debt may be canceled and cleared from your name. He may give you a job, a promotion, or make you an entrepreneur for a season. Whatever He is asking you to do, just do it in faith and watch God do the miraculous. He will do it again! He will do it for you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I hope this gives you something to think about this weekend, something to share with your family and friends. Hopefully it inspires you to pray with faith to God to ask Him to meet your needs. Whatever He puts in your heart to do, do it with joy and watch Him do the rest. God bless you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-43772389270708572052022-06-30T18:33:00.001-06:002022-06-30T18:33:23.477-06:00Marco Polo Bible Study | Thankful Thursday<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7FCPeopPxAM8EdeZh1LXX-_4m-HnxeDtnstWS87Hk60Shnr2oeSsYkFa8FTh9IQ7VFrYe6yPRZ-nwuzb9V64wN3ZuH3BosWJ9TCzX8mJ-qytqAmG-I2obGfuOMcQ5au9AoGpy2zFLJiSAZCFz1uScDUCBtrtmNuBpe-7cvAPBGiO2Lkt09PW4k3W/s4032/IMG-3766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7FCPeopPxAM8EdeZh1LXX-_4m-HnxeDtnstWS87Hk60Shnr2oeSsYkFa8FTh9IQ7VFrYe6yPRZ-nwuzb9V64wN3ZuH3BosWJ9TCzX8mJ-qytqAmG-I2obGfuOMcQ5au9AoGpy2zFLJiSAZCFz1uScDUCBtrtmNuBpe-7cvAPBGiO2Lkt09PW4k3W/s320/IMG-3766.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0Ny9C2ugsePojcMtyZyHzid84mGRrQae-UPmXO-5bxSi4W-Jjj1DfunLUGCNfSYrK9R78RJBNPlCHGEJYOIhr7zghWX5fBxGY1-sU0hk2e4EWUIZEJ1fJAqZwYMVEjYyWlNG8ANluNxKmzZKCruLHUU1VdugJXaCAroG_v4o_7-qoDLX79TIVow-/s1080/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0Ny9C2ugsePojcMtyZyHzid84mGRrQae-UPmXO-5bxSi4W-Jjj1DfunLUGCNfSYrK9R78RJBNPlCHGEJYOIhr7zghWX5fBxGY1-sU0hk2e4EWUIZEJ1fJAqZwYMVEjYyWlNG8ANluNxKmzZKCruLHUU1VdugJXaCAroG_v4o_7-qoDLX79TIVow-/s320/Thankful%20Thursdays.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ9lYnj8wwE_60GGICXmcJEA-SqDd4IF3N2tXxQxuQ8u6_vuN8RfLQ3Qfae2wAW3i85LUmdPzfmtsT6uXfWYuG9GkYw9d6k8gCYV9e-CwDRS7kuTxhBy0sKRXgC7Jo4G3c-PFTl--BZtnuHWlGlS7fKP_TggZ4nJteJwHjQCAumPynbaoVK2_Jpkh/s2560/image_6483441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ9lYnj8wwE_60GGICXmcJEA-SqDd4IF3N2tXxQxuQ8u6_vuN8RfLQ3Qfae2wAW3i85LUmdPzfmtsT6uXfWYuG9GkYw9d6k8gCYV9e-CwDRS7kuTxhBy0sKRXgC7Jo4G3c-PFTl--BZtnuHWlGlS7fKP_TggZ4nJteJwHjQCAumPynbaoVK2_Jpkh/s320/image_6483441.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Welcome to another Thankful Thursday! It is so crazy to think tomorrow is the first day of July. This year has been whizzing by! This morning, my best friend and I had Bible study. We live in two different states, hundreds of miles apart, but through an app called Marco Polo, we have been able to have an awesome, interactive Bible study.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Heather is an amazing woman of God. She is my encourager and supporter. She cheers me on and tells me the truth in love, and she shares her love of Jesus and her life experiences to help not only me, but so many others around her. What a gift she is!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I have studied the Bible with lots of other people. I always learn something, but with Heather, it's different. She picks up on details and loves to unravel them to see how everything is connected. I love joining her. It is richer and deeper when we can truly see beyond the words on the page and transport ourselves back into another culture, another time, and yet we see so many similarities in our world today. We are studying Obadiah and I am loving every single minute of it!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Do you have a friend you can study with? It is such a treasure to study with others. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. </b>I thank God for my friend and Bible study partner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I hope you will join me today in counting my blessings. I am so thankful for the many blessings He has given to me. He is a good, good Father and I love Him so much! God bless you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />~Bridgett Owens</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674774671871585540.post-78468478886540760712022-06-29T15:16:00.000-06:002022-06-29T15:16:31.616-06:00Psalm 26 | Wednesday Bible Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QYwwaRd90jefa4dR99M3y3ATSU6RsjZEMRDT9fqkBCcai0ZPv-5zr2GeEJo2hh1o4DVN8sKimrFAnLmG6hZ0BIkRQ6FbvPJ_WXskm-nOht9kObADqNv29fZ2H4NiBK8yuUZSznVe0N3Uz11cCGQdsx-Wln6Hb9_DRewCYwA9FU0xidgLGNv8ki0m/s1080/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QYwwaRd90jefa4dR99M3y3ATSU6RsjZEMRDT9fqkBCcai0ZPv-5zr2GeEJo2hh1o4DVN8sKimrFAnLmG6hZ0BIkRQ6FbvPJ_WXskm-nOht9kObADqNv29fZ2H4NiBK8yuUZSznVe0N3Uz11cCGQdsx-Wln6Hb9_DRewCYwA9FU0xidgLGNv8ki0m/s320/Bible%20Study%20Wednesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 26. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 12 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!</div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 1</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David is asking for God's judgment. Do we feel confident enough in our walk with our Savior to ask Him to judge us? David did. He said he kept his integrity and has trusted God so he would not slide. The key to not slipping up in our walk with God is to hold on to our integrity and trust God. It is an easy principle but the practice is sometimes hard. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 2</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Again, David asks God to examine his heart. We know out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">Matthew 12:34 </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.</span><span> David is asking God to test him according to what is in his heart. He says, "Try my reins," which means "Test my mind." <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Romans 8:5-6 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things that are of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.</b> </span>If we have our mind on earthly things, carnal things, we are going to die spiritually. We must have our minds on the things of God and that gives us life and peace. This is how we can do a test to see the condition of our heart: what are we speaking and what are we seeking?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 3</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David said he kept God's mercy in front of his eyes and walked in God's truth. Two things here we must do. We have to keep God's Word in front of our face and the good things God is doing. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He. </b>Everything God does for us is perfect and right. He has no wickedness in Him so He is unable to do us wrong. Let's meditate on that truth today. How can we walk in God's truth? <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>1 Samuel 12:24 Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart: consider how great things He hath done for you. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 4</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David has kept away from those who serve idols and are hypocrites. Today we are seeing a lot of distorted beliefs in the church. We are seeing a lot of people call themselves Christians and deny Christ by their lifestyle. We must be careful friends. Remember how the Psalms start out? <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in seat of the scornful. </b>Jeremiah refused to have company with such people either. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Jeremiah 15:17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand: for Thou hast filled me with indignation.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 5</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David refused to be part of the popular crowd if it meant veering from God's Word. We must make the decision that we are not going to entertain the world either. David would not sit with them, or congregate together. We must draw our lines in the sand. Yes we can love and pray for them. We must do that! But we do not need to wallow in the filth and the mire with them. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">James 4:4 Ye adulterers, and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.</b> Friends, it does not get more plain than that. We must not join hands with the world, because the moment we do, we have turned our back on God. I did not write that. I did not come up with that. Ask the Author if you disagree.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verses 6-7</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David chooses to wash his hands clean of any wickedness. Instead of gathering in the tents of the wicked, he is choosing to congregate at the altar of God. He is proclaiming the Good News with thanksgiving in his heart of all the wonderful works of God. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Psalm 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!</b> Can we agree that we will stay near the altar, communing with God in our hearts? The altar is not a physical location. This is referring to the solitary place of prayer we can go and find God. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.</b> Jesus gave us this example of how we should start our day. He got up before He started the day and He went alone to a deserted place. No audience, no followers, no distractions, no noise...just Jesus alone praying. What are we doing?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 8</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The key to getting up early to spend quiet time with God is loving His presence that much. Instead of seeking God's hands all the time, we must have times where we just love being in His presence. We need to seek hard after God's heart and to please Him. Next week we will read this, but it is a great place to showcase one of my favorite verses. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple.</b> David's desire was to be where the presence of God was. This is why God said David is a man after His own heart. He was quick to praise, quick to worship, quick to repent, and quick to brag on God. Are we able to say one of our biggest desires is to be in His presence? If not, we need to check our hearts. What takes our time and attention? Social media? Politics? News? Sickness? Gossip? Busy work? Where are we spending most of our day?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I once heard it said if you want to check your heart, look at your bank statements. What do you spend the most money on? That is where your heart is. I do not know if that is true, but I can see their point. I think if you truly want to check your heart, look at your time. Where do you spend it? How much time do you spend facing a screen? How much time do you scroll mindlessly but are secretly interested in what everyone else is doing? What kind of time do you have invested on your knees in prayer? How much time do you spend reading the Bible, picking it up and choosing to read it on your own to learn more?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verses 9-10</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David is asking God to not count him with the wicked. He does not want to be numbered with those who have no part in God. They are doing sinister schemes and evil deeds. David wants nothing to do with that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You would think the prophet Samuel, who anointed David as king, who heard the voice of God when he was a young child, a man of integrity and walked in God's truth, would have sons who patterned after him, but that is not so. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">1 Samuel 8:1-3 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of the firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. </b>Friends, we have a choice to make. We can follow after God, our Heavenly Father, and obey Him, or we can do what we want to get ahead in this life and enjoy sin for a season, but the eternal punishment that follows will not be worth one second of that "pleasure."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Do you remember when Moses' father-in-law came to see him? Jethro saw that Moses was wearing himself out trying to judge the people and teach them what to do and what not to do. Jethro had a great suggestion. <b style="color: #2b00fe;">Exodus 18:19-22 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. </b>It is good to have wise counsel. And as you can see, the criteria for being a good judge, is to fear God, walk in truth, and hate greediness/desiring other people's things.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 11</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David made a choice for himself. He chose to walk in integrity. We have the choice in front of us as well. What will we do? Will we choose to please others and compromise so we can get ahead in this life, unconcerned for the eternity that awaits us? Will we be like David and choose to walk in our integrity and to live according to the Truth of God's word? <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth the hearts.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Verse 12</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">David ends this psalm with stating he is standing in a good place; an even place. His foot is secure. He has made up his mind to bless God in the congregations. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>1 Timothy 6:16-19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">I pray that this Bible study has been fruitful for you. I know I have been strengthened and encouraged by God's Word today. I never know where all He will take me and today we have had a lot of Old and New Testament verses which I love. I pray that something you have read on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">~Bridgett Owens</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0