Remembering the Sacrifice | Fuel For The Weekend

The last Monday every May is a federal holiday in the United States of America. Each year, on Memorial Day many Americans gather with family and friends to have cook outs and events as they enjoy the day off from work. Flags flying and graves decorated with red, white, and blue flowers remind us of why we should honor this special federal holiday. We honor the brave men and women who courageously gave their lives for our freedom while actively serving in the United States Armed Forces. May we never take our freedom for granted, nor forget the great cost that was paid on our behalf.

Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Today, let's say a prayer for the families left behind. Let's weep with those who weep and mourn the loss of their loved ones who died in battle. Matthew 5:4 says, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Jesus promised us this when He walked on the earth, and the promise is still good for us today. His Word will never fade away.

When I think of the sacrifice these incredible heroes of war made for me, I get choked up. It moves me! I feel so much gratitude in my heart and I am so thankful for the freedom I have. I am thankful for what the flag stands for. I appreciate all the blood, sweat, and tears shed for me. And it reminds me of what Jesus did so long ago for all of us. It was the supreme sacrifice.

ROMANS 5:7-8 (7)For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (8)But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 is a familiar verse to so many of us. I have heard some quote it so fast I hardly heard the words. But it is a wonderful verse that sums up who God is and what He has given to us. It says that God loved the world so much that He freely gave up His very own Son: His one and only Son. Jesus came to save us. He came to love us. He came to free us. He came to forgive us. And the offer still stands. The offer is to whosoever will. Let's read that verse again, slower this time, and ask Holy Spirit to show you what He has truly done for us through the redemption of the cross of Calvary.

JOHN 3:16 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.

It is a free gift. You cannot earn it. You will never be good enough to obtain it. You do not have the power to save yourself. You cannot free yourself from the bondage of sin. You need a Savior if You do not know Jesus. God loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for your sins. You just have to believe in Him. He will save you when you call upon His name. This is the greatest decision you will ever make in your life and if you choose Jesus it will be the best decision you will ever make.

I hope you have a safe, happy, healthy, and blessed Memorial Day weekend. Let's honor the fallen men and women who bravely gave their lives for our freedom! Hold up the families left behind in prayer. Thank God for the sacrifice He made through Jesus, His Son, and love one another! Jesus is coming back very soon! We want to be ready!!!

I hope something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Thankful For God's Peace | Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday! What a favorite time of the week for me! I enjoy counting my blessings. There is so much to thank God for. When we focus on God and His goodness we will feel the joy of walking with God. When we think every good thing we have is from the things we do ourselves then we are taking the credit that truly belongs to God. He is the source of all good things. In Romans it talks about the ones who knew God but did not glorify Him and were not thankful. It says they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart turned dark. Being grateful is so important and remembering to thank God from Whom all blessings flow will keep us from turning away from God.

ROMANS 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Without God governing our lives, shepherding our souls, leading us and guiding us we will be filled with worry, fear, anxiety, and great sadness. But we do not have to live like that when we are walking in fellowship with Christ. Jesus is the way to perfect peace. I encourage you to read the third chapter in Colossians. We discover characteristics and behaviors we are to remove from our lives and to start fresh by walking in mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love. As we allow God's ways to shape our lives and minds, we will become more like Christ. The peace of God will overtake us and we will no longer operate from a place of scarcity, fear, anger, and loss. We have security in Jesus. We can trust Him. We can depend on Him. And that, my friends, gives us so much to be thankful for.

COLOSSIANS 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

What are some of the things God has done in your life this week? Let's spend some time today in His presence thanking Him and praising Him for all the wonderful ways He answers our prayers, protects us, provides for us, and heals us. He is so worthy of all praise. Let's magnify His great name together.

I hope you're counting your blessings with me today. Be sure to stop by the blog tomorrow as we kick off this holiday weekend! I hope you were encouraged with today's post. God bless you!!

~Bridgett Owens

Ezra Chapter Six | Bible Study Wednesday

It's that time again! We are back in the book of Ezra this week in chapter six! Last week we wrapped up the first half of this book. In today's study we are breaking this chapter up into four sections. If you have not taken the time yet to read this chapter, please do so. This is not a line by line study, so it will help you if you have read through the chapter already. I am excited to dive deeper into this book today!

Verses 1-12 Darius's Decree

The first twelve verses are so awesome! I love when things like this happen in a story, only this time it is a historic, true story that actually took place just as it reads here. Remember Governor Tatnai wanted king Darius to search Babylon to make sure it was okay for the builders to work on the project they had been working on for years? King Darius did so and he found in the palace at Achmetha in the Medes' province a roll that recorded all king Cyrus had ordered to be done. In verse six king Darius addresses Tatnai and his companions that they are to leave the workers alone who are rebuilding the house of God. He goes further to say, "And you Governor Tatnai will pay tribute to these workers and they are not to be hindered from working on this building!" He keeps going! He says, "If they need anything, young bullocks, rams, or lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, let it be given to them without fail every single day!!!" Verse 10 says he wants them to have enough to offer sacrifices of sweet savour to God in heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. He knows what the God of heaven can do! And he wraps it up in a neat little bow by adding that if anyone tries to change what the king has decreed, their house is to be torn up so they can create gallows to hang them on and then their home will become a pile of dung. Finally in verse 12, king Darius says what God will do to anyone who tries to interfere and he ended with LET IT BE DONE WITH SPEED! Enough said!!

Verses 13-15 Completed Temple

The temple was finally completed about 70 years after it was destroyed. They were no longer a nation but they were able to establish their identity as the remnant of Israel in this region as the community of the Jerusalem temple.

Verses 16-18 Temple Dedication

Verse 16 says they kept the house of God with joy. For the dedication of the temple, they offered 100 bullocks, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. For Israel's sin offering they offered 12 male goats: one for each tribe of Israel. They did everything according to what Moses had written regarding the priests. I can only imagine the jubilee in the hearts of those who saw the project finally come together. The offerings for dedication and to sacrifice for sins must have been so special in this rebuilt temple of God. They all chose to keep the house of God with joy. No one was doing it because they were made to. It was a choice to participate and it was a choice to do so with joy. Are we choosing good things to honor God? Are we doing so with joy?

Verses 19-22 Passover Celebration

The children of Israel did what God had asked. They completed the project and they separated themselves from the pagans that were in that area. In order to worship the Holy God of heaven the Jews were to be Holy too and they could not be Holy if they joined in sacrificing to idols, participating in child sacrifice, telling fortunes, talking to the dead, and practicing witchcraft. The Jews had the choice to join others who did these things, or to abandon any such ways and follow hard after God. The ones who wanted to do both or were unwilling to let go of the idolatry practices were excluded from this community. The choice was theirs.

Today we have a choice to make. We can follow other people, copy their clothing choices, decorate our houses like them, cook the same foods, and believe society's lies that we are enough on our own. We can buy into the notion that we make our own destiny and that we have so much power and we don't need to serve God when we have everything we need right inside of us. The lies are subtle enough that even Christians are repeating some of the same things. I saw a picture of a woman and her beautiful children and she said she was a Christian. She said, "We are not meek. We are called!" Friends, Jesus was meek! He says so in Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Yes we can be bold for Jesus and we are definitely called if we are in the family of God, but we are to be meek. We are to learn who Jesus is and live like He did. We have nothing to prove to the world. We do not need men or women's applause! We need God in heaven to look down upon us and see that we are working toward His goals, His plans, His designs and then we will hear Him say, Well done!

I am so tired of seeing things like "Girl Power," "Believe In Yourself," "Trust Your Heart," "You Are Enough." If we had the power then what would we need to trust God for? If we believe in ourselves then we are not believing in God. Our hearts are not to lead us. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Please do not trust your heart and do not follow it. Trust Holy Spirit and follow Jesus. I am not here to make anyone feel bad about themselves. I am not here to make anyone believe a lie, either. You are not enough. I am not enough. If we were enough then Jesus died in vain. He died because we all had a debt too big for us to pay. Sacrificing animals did not cleanse us. Nothing could ever expunge our debt but the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Make no mistake we are not enough! We will never be enough. We cannot earn salvation. We are saved by grace. God's great love and tender mercy purchased our redemption through the blood of Jesus. The truth is we are NOTHING without the Savior.

Most of us have read enough of the Bible to know that the sweet spirit of obedience the children of Israel were walking in did not continue long. Soon they were led astray because they wanted what the world around them had. For those who refused to surrender to God's authority and love, they perished in their sins and were forever separated from God. We don't have to be like them. We can choose to follow hard after God. If we lose some friends, then we lose some friends. If we don't get invited to certain events, it is okay. If we are called names and rejected, remember, they are not rejecting us: they are rejecting Jesus. Please do not let this world's fake beauty blind you to the wonderful treasures that await God's people! Mark 8:36 says, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Thank you for joining me for another Bible study. I always enjoy taking a deeper look into scripture. Leave a comment below if you are joining along. I always appreciate the texts, emails, and comments I hear about ways this blog has encouraged you in some way. Check back in with me tomorrow as we count our blessings and then again on Friday as we kick off the weekend with something to ponder! Have a wonderful day! Hope something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

5 Things To Do In The Waiting Season | Fuel For The Weekend

I am thankful for another weekend to spend with my family. I am a nurse and before that I worked in the medical field for decades and mixed in retail as well. Many weekends were spent working and while I am thankful for the opportunity to help provide financially for our family, it is a big blessing when I have a job that allows me to be off Saturday and Sunday. This particular job I currently have allows me to have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, but like I mentioned yesterday this week has been crazy so I was able to work today to make up for some missed time and I am grateful.

I have been wondering what Holy Spirit would have me share for this week's Fuel For The Weekend blog post. I learn as much as I teach many weeks as Holy Spirit opens my eyes to hidden truth found in God's Word. I hope you are learning and growing as you join me on this blog each week. For those of you who check back each Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: thank you so much.

I want to offer five things we can actively do in the waiting season. We do not have to sit and wait, we must be doing something while we wait on the promises of God to come into fruition. Let's look at what the Bible tells us to do while we patiently wait for God to answer our prayers.

#1 BE BRAVE

PSALM 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

The dictionary definition from Oxford Languages defines courage as "the ability to do something that frightens one," and "strength in the face of pain or grief." Often we do not know how or when God is going to answer our prayer. While we wait we must be brave in the face of the unknown. It requires a spiritual strength when we have lost something to keep hoping and believing. You can be in a place of provision, where God clearly has His hand on you and your situation but it can still feel like loss and grief because the promise is not fulfilled yet. We are waiting on our home. We have no idea when we will get it or where it will be, and honestly we are praying for guidance as to where to look, but we know God has the perfect home for us in mind and it is reserved for us. He has promised it to us so we will have good courage and press on.

The beauty of this scripture is the promise that when we wait on the LORD with good courage God will strengthen our heart. He will give us the strength to face the pain or grief. He gives us the ability to do something that scares us. We wait and trust and continue to hope and He strengthens us to have the courage we need to keep believing when our circumstances do not change. Are you willing to do this? I am!

#2 KEEP PRAYING

ACTS 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me.

ACTS 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.

In the book of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus had commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. They did not know exactly when the promise would come. They were told to go and wait. Later in the same chapter we know that 120 were gathered in the upper room waiting for the promise. The Bible says they continued, so that means they did not pray once or twice and give up. They continued with one accord. If you are praying with others get into the same accord. If you are praying by yourself, then get into accord with Holy Spirit because no matter who all is praying, you must agree and have the same mindset: not doubting, but believing. They continued in one accord in prayer and supplication.

Prayer and supplication are similar but different.  Prayer is asking God for something or thanking Him for something. It is when we request something for ourselves or make intercession for others. Supplication is more urgent. It is like begging, pleading, urgently requesting, in an earnest, humble way.  We know God heard our request for a home. We still pray and ask God to order our steps, lead us to the right bank lender, the right realtor, the right home. Every step we take we are asking God. Sometimes we are praying for His favor and His help, and other times we feel so desperate we begin in prayer and it turns to urgent seeking God in supplication for our home. We must not stop praying. We must continue to not only ask, but wait for the promise.

Everyone is waiting in the upper room in the same mindset in prayer and supplication. They continued day after day seeking God and waiting on the answer. We must do this, too. Do not give up or think that your prayer didn't matter to God. It does matter and the answer is on the way. Keep praying and keep seeking the answer, with expectation that the answer is coming!

#3 EXPECT IT

JAMES 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

It is springtime and many people have started planting seeds for their gardens. Some plant flowers, but many have been showing their plants for lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The Bible says we are to be patient like a farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it. This is some long waiting, some long-suffering. We are told to wait a while on some things. Yes, this is encouraging us to wait on Jesus to return, but it can also be true of waiting a while on things God has told us He would bless us with and we just don't see it yet. 

Let's think like a farmer for a moment. The farmer has to get the ground ready first. There is some plowing that goes on. The ground is turned over, the rich soil revealed and things get messy. Anyone following me? Has things in your life got messy as God is turning over the rich soil buried beneath the crusty core of the surface? He is about to plant some seeds and it's going to be amazing! The seeds go into the fertile soil. The farmer does not spend any length of time planting and get up the next day only to throw his hands up and walk away in disgust that there is no harvest! He knows it is going to happen. He knows he has to wait. He knows it is going to take some time for the seed to take root and then burst through the surface of the ground and then be taken care of so weeds and pests do not destroy the crop. God is giving us blessings that take a lot of work and God is the worker! He is doing a lot of things behind the scenes, underneath where we cannot see what is going on. In the spiritual realm He is lining things up, moving some things, strategically placing things in order so He can give us what He promised us. Will we wait with patience? Will we continue to expect the answer, or just walk away when God's calendar and ours don't line up? I promise you, His timing is best!

#4 BE CONFIDENT

HABAKKUK 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

What an incredible verse! The promise God gave us is for a specific time. God knows the house is not for us right now. It is coming soon and I believe that with all of my heart, but this is not the right time. This verse is saying to wait for it. That was such a popular saying on television a few years ago, "Waaaait for iiiiiit!" That is what we are being told now. Wait for it! It is going to happen just like God promised and we have to keep on trusting that it will. We can have confidence because the Bible says it will surely come. It is going to happen. It is not delayed. It is strategically planned by God for an appointed time to happen. If it has not happened yet then we have to just keep waiting with confidence knowing it will come soon! God is keeping His promises to His people. He is not a liar. He is not being mean. He is not overlooking us. He is not forgetting us. He is not changing His mind. He is not giving the promise to someone else. We will have what He has in reserve for us when it is the right time. His timing is not ours, but it is always right on time!

#5 HAVE HOPE

ROMANS 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

How do we wait well in this season? I think this verse spells it out perfectly. If we hope for what we do not see, then we wait patiently for it. We must not lose our hope. The devil comes to discourage us. He tells us lies that we are forgotten, or we misunderstood the promise God made to us. He distorts the truth until we lose our hope and give up. Friends, let's not lose hope! If you have lost hope, then get your hope back! Hope in the Lord! Psalm 38:15 says, "For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. He hears us and we can keep our hope in Him. It does get tiresome waiting, but we must not faint. We must not grow weary in well doing, according to Galatians 6:9. And one final scripture that I want to add is in Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Yes, we hold to hope and wait on the LORD to answer our prayers. We know He hears us when we have become His children and earnestly seek Him. He is listening. Do not believe the lies of the enemy. God is for us and not against us. He is making good on every promise He has given. Trust Him and keep hoping! Get your hope back if you lost it. Just meditate on the scriptures and the hope will rise up in your heart!

Father God, I want to pray for all of us in this season of waiting. God I know that many of us are in the long-suffering season, but as the farmer waits for the good crop in time, we know we can wait with expectancy, too. God I ask that You strengthen my brothers and my sisters as we wait on the promises we were given. We thank You and praise You for hearing and answering our prayers. May this blog post uplift and encourage my brothers and sisters who read this message of hope and encouragement. God we know the waiting season is long, but that only means we have a wonderful season of harvest just beyond the horizon and it's going to be so worth the wait! Thank You for being patient with us and for strengthening us! Thank You for the refreshing and renewing You are doing in our hearts and lives. Thank You that the answer is on the way! In Jesus' precious name! Amen!!!

Friends, I hope you have a safe, fun weekend. I hope you are able to enjoy it and get some time to be alone with God. I will be doing these five things as I walk out this tiring season of waiting. It has been fruitful and productive and oh, so necessary! I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Encouragement From God | Thankful Thursday

We are edging our way to the weekend. I don't know about you but this has been a crazy week for me. I have not had a normal day since Sunday! But I am so thankful that even in the crazy times God will meet us where we are and get us back in a good spot. Amen?

Many of you know that I have been in a season of waiting and expectancy since Thanksgiving 2020. I mentioned it here on my blog before and in some videos, but I was really battling the past couple of days and so this morning I took some time to be still and opened my prayer journal. I just asked Him to speak as I was listening. I didn't know what else to say that I had not already said. He blessed me so much and I am excited to share with you the scriptures He gave to me!

I will share the scriptures below. If you need more encouragement, feel free to watch the video I will include at the bottom of this blog post.

PSALM 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

MATTHEW 28:29 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.

DEUTERONOMY 31:8 And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

JEREMIAH 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

PHILIPPIANS 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

PSALM 56:4 In God I will praise His Word, in God I have put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

JOHN 10:27-28 (27)My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: (28)And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. 

PSALM 1:2-3 (2)But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law doth he meditate day and night. (3)And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall propser.

JEREMIAH 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14 (13)Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14)I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

EPHESIANS 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

In this video, I spent some time sharing about my spiritual journey, explaining where I am, and in the middle of recording this video I received a text message and wow! God is turning things back around. He is helping me to not only go forward, it felt like I was launched forward a lot! I am so excited about what He is doing in my life and I am hoping that something I share in this blog post or in that video will be strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Ezra Chapter Five | Wednesday Bible Study

Hello friends. Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. We are continuing our study in the book of Ezra. Let's turn our attention to the 17 verses in chapter five. If you have not read through this chapter yet, please take a few moments to do so. I will be breaking the chapter up into three sections and giving a brief synopsis of each. I highly encourage you to take your time when reading through the Bible and as you read my blog post, pray and ask Holy Spirit to minister and teach you what you need to know. I will be doing the same. I pray that this Bible study will be a blessing to you!

Verses 1 & 2: Work on the Temple Resumed

Haggai 1:9 "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of Mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house." Haggai and Zechariah were prophets sent to the Jews in Judah from God. Zerubbabel and Jeshua began working on the house of God in Jerusalem and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah joined them. After the work had been ordered by force to stop, the Jews lost interest in God's house and instead turned their attention to building and improving their own dwellings. This was not God's plan and He was not pleased. Look at Haggai at what the LORD said. God allowed a drought to come to the land. The corn, wine, and oil did not do well. The land, mountains, and cattle suffered. There was nothing good coming from the work of their hands because they were busy doing something other than what God assigned them to do.

Friends, we must be so careful to keep our mission in front of us. What has God called us to do? Are we doing it? Are we distracted with other things that are keeping us busy? We must be about our Father's business. We have to get Kingdom minded and think of eternity, not just the here and now.

Verses 3-5 Attempt Made To Stop Work

Again we see the enemy is upset with the children of Israel for obeying God. So trouble is stirred up but we will see a different outcome this time. The governor of Tatnai questioned, "Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?" Verse five says, "But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius." God was fighting for them and even the governor was powerless to stop the rebuilding of the temple.

Sometimes people stand in our way. They see the good we are doing. They see the hard work and the faithfulness to God, but they want to halt our efforts. When God gives us an assignment to do, He will stand with us and for us and no enemy will stop us from completing the task God gives us.

Verses 5:6-17 A Letter To Darius

The governor of Tatnai was over the area west of the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea, which included Judah and Samaria. During the reign of Darius I, it became a province of its own. This governor sent a letter to king Darius and started off peaceably. He stated that all were hard at work, making rapid progress. He goes on to say that he investigated who authorized to build the temple again and he took names of the men involved. In verse 11 it reads, "And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up." It goes on to talk about how the children of Israel rebelled against God and in His wrath, they were carried away into bondage to Babylon. The letter continues with reiterating how the Babylonian king Cyrus decreed to build the temple, and all the vessels of gold and silver Nebuchadnezzar took from the house of God was to be returned. The governor explained about the foundation being laid by Sheshbazzar and that the work continued since that time but was not finished. He requested king Darius search the treasure house at Babylon for a decree made by king Cyrus to build God's house in Jerusalem. Then they wait for the king's reply.

It may seem like the governor was just doing his due diligence to ensure everything was in order. To a degree, I suppose he was. We know the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy according to John 10:10. He does not want the house of God rebuilt. He does not want people to worship God. He does not want holiness to be a way of life for the children of Israel. He is causing delays and hardships every time he can, but God is in ultimate control. He will reign and be victorious. His plans will succeed. His Word will not return void according to Isaiah 55:11. If God has told you something: given you a promise, be very sure it will happen. It may not be when we think it will happen, but it will come to pass. We will see it with our own eyes just as He promised. Stay encouraged!

That's all of chapter five. Ezra is a quick study chapter-by-chapter. I enjoy reading through it and it certainly has given me encouragement today. We have been waiting on a promise from God since Thanksgiving 2020. It is hard to wait. It is hard to see the days turn to weeks.. then months and it's frustrating but we know God has a plan for us. I know He has a plan for your life as well. Stay strong. Stay encouraged. Keep going! God is in control and He will never fail!

I hope something I have shared in this study today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Scriptures For Tough Times | Fuel For The Weekend

We have made it to the end of another week. I don't know about you, but I am ready for the weekend! My daughter has an appointment this morning and she will be getting some results back. We are praying for good results but we know that this is a serious health issue and so we are praying and trusting God. Have you been worried or stressed lately? Do you have a health issue that has you concerned? Are you praying for a loved one? Is there more month than money left over? Are you asking God for something special and it looks like it might not happen? I want to share some scriptures on how to combat fear and stand on the promises of God. These are some of my favorites to stand on and a few I have found that I am going to start standing on. I hope you will join me.

PSALM 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

1 PETER 5:7 Cast all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.

1 JOHN 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

2 TIMOTHY 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

ISAIAH 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.

DEUTERONOMY 3:22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God He shall fight for you.

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.

PSALM 30:2 O LORD my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.

PSALM 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

PSALM 107:20 He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

PROVERBS 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

ISAIAH 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

JEREMIAH 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise.

JEREMIAH 33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

3 JOHN 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

PHILIPPIANS 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

PSALM 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

PSALM 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.

PSALM 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my helper and deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

ISAIAH 41:17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

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. 

What are your favorite scriptures? What helps you the most when life is scary or the unknown is staring you in the face? We do not have to be afraid. As Christians, we have hope and we have Jesus. There is nothing more we need than God on our side. Amen? 

I hope this post has encouraged you and helped you. I am holding on to God's Word to get me through this life, with the highs and the lows. How about you? I pray something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Prayer Journal | Thankful Thursday

This Thankful Thursday post is very special to me. God told me to start a business called Blue's Blessings and that is what my family and I did. God guided me as I designed a prayer journal for women. It is truly beautiful and I do not say that to boast. It turned out so much better than I ever could have imagined. I have created a video flip through of this beautiful prayer journal and I want to share it with you. I am so thankful God allowed me to be a part of this wonderful tool for Christian women.

As we take a look in the pages of this prayer journal, you will see that there is a page where you can customize this prayer journal for free. We sell these prayer journals in our Etsy shop here and if you want one, they are only $10 plus shipping. I am so proud of these prayer journals and I get so many great testimonials from those who have purchased one.

Please do not misunderstand me. These prayer journals are simply a tool. You can pray without a notebook anytime, anywhere. There is something special about recording your prayers. You literally can look back at past prayers and see God's hands all over your requests. I am simply amazed at my personal spiritual growth as well. You can use any notebook you want but we have put a lot of thought and attention to detail into these. I think you will enjoy yours. Take a look at this video and if you want to pick one up, allow me to thank you in advance. 

Thank you for spending some time with me this week. I enjoy counting my blessings with you. There is always so much to thank God for. What are some of the things you are thankful for?

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what I share in our Fuel For The Weekend blog post to help us kick off the weekend! God bless you friends!

~Bridgett Owens

Ezra Chapter Four | Wednesday Bible Study

 

Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. We are in the book of Ezra in the Old Testament. It is sandwiched between 2 Chronicles and Nehemiah. Today we are in chapter four and if you have not taken some time to read this chapter, please do so and then come back for this study. I am going to break the chapter down into three sections and will give some information on each of those sections to aide in your personal study. If you are enjoying this particular study, I would love to hear from you in the comments section. Many have sent me texts and messages stating how much you enjoy these blog posts and I appreciate any feedback I get. I want to honor God with my blog and point others to the cross of Christ. Let's begin.

Verses 1-5: Adversaries' Help Refused

As you may know, adversaries are the enemies. These are not friends and they do not have pure intentions. The enemy of Israel has heard about the children of Israel building the temple of the LORD. They offered to help but they were rejected. Why? The heathen of the land had incorporated the worship of the God of the Jews along with a variety of false gods. They said, "Let us build with you because we seek your God just like you." The truth is they did not have a true worship and devotion to God, Yahweh. These pagans were rejected by the people of God which shows how important it was to have a pure faith. The children of Israel, God's chosen people, replied, "You have nothing to do with us building a house unto our God." They let them know they would build it without their help. So instead of stepping out of their way and leaving them in peace to work, they frustrated things. The adversaries began to discourage the people of Judah and tried to scare them from building the temple. They even hired propagandists to drain their resolve. This torment and harassment lasted about 15 years during the reign of Cyrus king of Persia to when Darius took the throne as king of Persia.

Verses 6-16 Letters of Opposition Written

The devil is always busy, but so is God. Make no mistake about it, when you do something good for God, something important, the devil always comes along to try to discourage and dissuade us and when that doesn't work, he starts lying and causing problems in higher powers. These men have nothing better to do than try to slow the progress on the building. They clearly never wanted to help build the temple. They have done everything they could to stop the men from building and now they have written a letter to king Artaxerxes. These hired counselors the adversaries paid to help stop the building of the temple were trained in psychological warfare. They knew the king would not listen to their rejection of this project unless they brought up money and power and how the children of Israel would strip him of that, so that is what they said. Verse 16, "We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side of the river." In other words, they claim that this building project threatens the king's reach. The false accusations are that the city is rebellious and bad and they won't pay toll, tribute, and custom. 

Verses 17-24 Artaxerxes' Decree

We see that the enemy thinks he has won. King Artaxerxes has looked into this building project and the people of Israel and decided they could be a real threat. He halts the project by royal decree and the adversary is quick to read the letter in Jerusalem to the Jews. They were made to cease working by force and power. The work stopped about 16 years after the project began.

This may seem like a disappointment and a major blow in the project, but God is still in control. We will read what happens next week. If you have a setback and you are made to stop working on something God told you to do, please do not give up and do not get discouraged. He still has a plan and He is still in control. Take it to God and ask Him to guide you in what to do next. He will order your steps and give you instructions.

Thank you for joining me this week for Bible study. I truly enjoy diving deeper into the Scriptures with all of you. I hope and pray that something I have shared has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

The Truth About God | Fuel For The Weekend

Some people still believe there is more than one way to heaven. Some people believe in many gods. Some worship statues and idols. Even though the intricacies of nature, the miraculous human body, and the awesome wonder of the constellations shout His majesty, many people refuse to believe in the one true God.

There is no other religion that has ever existed that compares with God. He is love. He is light. He is pure. He is holy. He is righteous. He is perfect. He is just. He is merciful. No other religion can say that about the false gods they serve. What other religion has the God of all creation, so in love with His creation, that He pursues them relentlessly with His love and power and grace. He gives blessings to us daily and yet many do not even know Him.

PSALM 14:1-3 (1)The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (2)The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. (3)They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

It says the foolish person says there is no God. The people who make these claims have done detestable things. None of them do good. One may argue that not believing in God does not mean that they do not do good things. I argue that how could they even know what is good? God is good. He alone is good. We have a sinful nature. The core of who we are is sinful. Eve wanted to be like God so she ate the forbidden fruit and shared with her husband Adam. Together they violated God's law and sin became our nature. We were born and shaped in iniquity, which is sin.

PSALM 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

We are lost and undone without Jesus saving us. If we have not come to God the Father through His precious Son Jesus then we are not saved and we are not good and we can never be good enough. Jesus had to be our sin sacrifice because none of us were ever good enough. We could not even keep the law of God. Jesus fulfilled the law. He did not break the law. He did not do away with the law. Look what Jesus said in Matthew.

 MATTHEW 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

And then read His words in John.

JOHN 17:1-5 (1)These words spake Jesus, and lifted us His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: (2)As Thou has given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou has given Him. (3)And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. (4)I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. (5)And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.

Jesus did everything God sent Him to the earth to do. He fulfilled the law. He loved, healed, forgave. He sacrificed His very life for the sin of the whole world. He says in verse five how that He had shared the glory with God, His Father before the world was. So, now the people on the earth, that was created by God, who say there is no God, have no idea what they are saying! God is Elohim. He is our Creator. He made everything and nothing was made without His design. He did it all. He is real. He alone is the true God.

God is not in competition with anyone. ISAIAH 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. God has no equals. He has no rivals. He alone is God. He is all powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. There is no place where God is not.

JOSHUA 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

I am with Joshua. You can choose today whom you will serve. It can be a statue, a dead person, a false god, an idol, but my choice is to serve God and the risen Savior Jesus Christ. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. We do not need to stop and think about it. We do not need more evidence. We do not need to have a meeting. We serve God and we will serve Him until the day we die. He is all we need. He is all we want. He is our all in all.

In the book of Acts, after Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison, which was unlawful to do because Paul was a Roman, and they rocked the jail house with their praise and worship service. God set the captives free LITERALLY! The jailer was going to kill himself thinking all the prisoners escaped but there was not one who left. Let's read:

ACTS 16:29-31 (29)Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, (30)And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (31)And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

It is that simple. Salvation is a gift from God but it is not truly free. It cost a lot more than we can ever imagine. Jesus paid the price of our salvation with His blood. We will never know what that felt like. We will never know what He endured because of our sin, our unbelief, our disgrace. He paid it all. No one made Him. He laid His life down and He had the power to pick it back up again. He is the risen Savior. He did not just die and that's the end of it. He died and rose again so we can have eternal life. Choose life. Choose Jesus.

1 PETER 2:21-25 (21)For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: (22)Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: (23)Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: (24)Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (25)For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Father God, I pray for every single person reading this blog post today. LORD God, I know that You love us so much. You demonstrated Your love by giving us Jesus, Your only begotten Son. Jesus did not love His life to the death. He was obedient even to the cross and with His precious blood we are saved. We are made new in His death. We are born again. I pray for every person reading this today that they may know You and come to You through Jesus Christ. I pray that today would be their day of salvation. I pray for the ones who know and love You already. I pray You would strengthen them for their journey, and equip them unto every good work. I am confident that You who have begun a good work in us will continue until the day of Jesus Christ. I ask a special blessing for all my readers LORD God and pray that all would come to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. May something I have shared today be strength for their journey and light for their way. In the precious name of Jesus, amen!

God bless you! Have a wonderful weekend friends!

~Bridgett Owens

God's Word For Today | Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to another Thankful Thursday. I always enjoy counting my blessings here with you all. One of the things I am thankful for is free Bible study materials. My church provides free devotion booklets called God's Word For Today. These booklets are such a great resource when studying the Bible. The devotional booklet is free to anyone who wants one and it has a three month devotional plan. As you can see this devotional booklet is for June, July, and August 2021. There is a beautiful photograph on the cover and a scripture in the NIV translation. As you all know I am a KJV girl so I look up the scriptures in my Bible and I never have a problem with that. The summer issue's scripture is:

JEREMIAH 17:7,8 (NIV) Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord....They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots into the stream.

JEREMIAH 17:7,8 (KJV) (7)Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. (8)For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding her fruit. 

This is Volume 75, Number 4 but honestly it does not matter which devotional you get. You can even get an older volume and number and the material is so good to work through. This page (below) shows the dates in one column, the name of the writer and their title in the middle column and then the pages of those devotions in the column on the right. This is nice because if you like a particular style of writing, you may be able to look up more information on the writer.

These next two photos are of the summer issue introduction pages, a Quicklook excerpt, and a Daily Prayer Emphasis. I am so excited to jump in to this starting in June because we are going to read Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and finish up other historical books of the Old Testament. Since we are studying Ezra here on this blog every Wednesday, I think this is the perfect timing!

The devotional content begins on Tuesday, June 1. Beneath the title lists the scriptures to read. Then at the bottom of the devotional is the Thought for Today, a Quicklook reference, and Daily Prayer Emphasis. I love that each day it gives a different geographical location to pray for the residents there. This is going to be a great devotional to work through and I am so thankful this is a free resource at my church.

Inside the front cover there is contact information for ordering God's Word for Today. If you visit their website here you can order this devotional. It looks like it is $4.39 at the time this blog post is published. You can visit www.MyHealthyChurch.com or call 1-800-641-4310 for more information.

I am thankful this organization offers this amazing resource. If you are just starting to study God's Word, this would be a great way to dive in. If you have been an avid Bible reader and enjoy these types of studies, this would be a wonderful addition to the studies you are doing. I am not sponsored or affiliated in any way with this organization. I just wanted to share something I am going to be using this summer to study God's Word and wanted to let you know how to get your own copy if you are interested.

Thank you for spending time with me today as we count our blessings on this Thankful Thursday. Let me know if you get a copy of this! I have had other devotional booklets from them before and I am excited about starting the summer issue. Have a wonderful day! Be sure to come back tomorrow for some Fuel For The Weekend! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Ezra Chapter Three | Wednesday Bible Study

We are in chapter three of the book of Ezra. Today we are going look at this chapter and see what we can learn together. I have been enjoying the book of Ezra a lot. It is very interesting and I hope you think so, too. Let's divide this chapter in half and discuss what is happening in each half. If you have not read chapter three yet, please take a few moments and read these 13 verses and come back to this study.

Verses 1-7 Worship Restored at Jerusalem

The people gathered together in Jerusalem. They built an altar to offer burnt offerings on according to the law of Moses, "the man of God." The law of Moses is found in Deuteronomy 12:5-6. They also kept the feast of tabernacles and followed the same protocol that was originally done. After this they offered the continual burnt offering of the new moons and all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and for those who willing offered to the LORD. They started the burnt offerings on the first day of the seventh month but they did not have the foundation of the temple laid at this point. Nehemiah had been given provision from Cyrus king of Persia to assist with rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. The king of Persia ordered cedar trees to be delivered from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa. Money was given to the masons and carpenters. They gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Zidon and Tyre for bringing the cedar logs. The rebuilding of the temple and sacrificial system was returning to Israel but it never held the same significance after the Exile as in times past.

Verses 8-13 Temple Foundations Laid

Time has now past and they are in the second year during the second month. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they had priests in their apparel with their trumpets and the Levites with cymbals to praise the LORD after the ordinance King David set when he reigned over Israel. And they sang together in course in praising and thanking God because He is good and for His mercy that endured over Israel. They were so happy they all lifted their voice and a great shout was heard a great distance away. Many were rejoicing and were happy and they shouted for joy! Others were weeping for the former temple and the former glory. Something was different about this temple and the sacrificial system. It was not the same as before and many cried out in sorrow. The noise of the weeping and the rejoicing was so loud, no one could tell who was crying and who was laughing.

My take away from today's reading is that when we have a strong bond or relationship with the Lord and we stray, after we come back even though we have a strong bond again, it is never quite the same. It is sad when the hymns are no longer sung in some churches. It breaks my heart to go to churches with no altar to kneel and pray. We may think we are progressing when we change so many parts of worship but we must be careful to keep God as the most important focus. Many of us mourn the loss of these parts of worship because there was great significance in them. I remember grown men weeping at the altar, crying out to God, and the power of God would just fill the church. It was incredible! Miracles, signs, and wonders followed and now many churches do not even have an altar call.

I want to remember the former things with joy and continue forward keeping God as my focus. The people in Exile did not practice the traditional ways of worship so coming out of it, they had to learn what to do and what not to do, and when to do it. Let's not forget the old paths. It reminds me of the passage in Jeremiah.

JEREMIAH 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Sounds familiar right? Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to Him and find rest for our souls. And how often do we say, "We are too busy. We cannot. We will not walk therein." Friends, let's search out the old paths. Let's remember not tradition for tradition's sake, but the traditions that bring us closer to God. The old hymns that remind us of Scripture and the old rugged cross, the blood of Jesus, and His cleansing power still ring true today. The time to humble ourselves and kneel at an altar is just important today and as it was thirty, forty, or more years ago. The most important thing we can do is search out the old paths, the Old Testament words and remember why the sacrificial systems were in place. What did they signify? Why were they done in the first place? What were the things God wanted His people to do? What would separate them from the rest of the world? We must find those things today and do them. We must go back to our First Love and serve God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. He loves us so much. He does so much good in our lives. He blesses us and keeps us. Let's seek the Giver more than the gift. Take some time and just be in His presence, loving Him and following Him. We don't have to mourn the loss of the old ways if we continue to walk in them. And we are blessed with rest for our souls.

I hope that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens