Thankful For Wisdom | Thankful Thursday

Hello friends! Today is Thursday and it is time to count our blessings. Do you keep a gratitude log? Sometimes I make a list in my gratitude journal, sometimes I write in a gratitude journal my friend sent me, and other times I simply reflect on things I am grateful for in my prayer time with God. It is so important to take time to remember the goodness of God. It not only encourages us in the moment, but when we have a rough day, we can go back and see how faithful God has been to us when we read through those lists of things the LORD has done.

This week I want to thank God for wisdom. I do not always understand how to do certain things God is calling me to do. I know how to write, but getting all the pieces to fit in the puzzle in regards to publishing my book is sometimes a challenge. I know that God promised to give us wisdom if we ask Him. JEREMIAH 33:3 Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. We must ask God, He promises to answer us, and to reveal great and mighty things we do not know. I am so glad He does that.

Sometimes He sends help through a friend, a book, an acquaintance, a video, or other various forms. What are you needing God to show you? All we must do is ask. JAMES 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. God promises to give us wisdom generously if we will ask Him. He upbraideth not, which means He is not going to rebuke us or severely scold us. He wants us to have wisdom because the end of that verse says that when we ask, wisdom SHALL be given to us! What is something God has recently taught you to do?

In DANIEL 6:3 it tells us something about Daniel's character: Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.  Why did Daniel have an excellent spirit? He communed with God. He sought God. He prayed and fasted and had a relationship with God. That translated into everything He did. You and I are to do the same thing. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. MATTHEW 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Daniel was not born with this knowledge; he did not study to get this great wisdom; rather he asked God to give him wisdom and God did so. He will do the same thing for us.

Do you remember reading in the second chapter of the book of Daniel, how that the king had a dream and could not recall what he dreamed? It troubled him so much that even though he could not remember the dream, he knew it was significant. So he asks the impossible! DANIEL 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. He asks for the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to come and tell him what he dreamed but they could not do it. They had no power to tell anyone what they dreamed. God alone can do that! He did not call on God first. We must be careful where we seek our wisdom from. The world cannot help us. Social media cannot help us. The government cannot help us. There is no other source to turn to for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding but God. 

PROVERBS 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

PROVERBS 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

PROVERBS 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

PROVERBS 19:8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

Throughout the book of Proverbs we see the importance of obtaining wisdom.

The king was upset that the magicians and soothsayers could not tell him what he dreamed. He was so angry that he decided he would destroy them all. This dream was so disturbing in his spirit that he was not even willing to think reasonably beyond wanting something no one had ever asked of another human being before. They answered the king, "If you tell us your dream, we will give you the interpretation of it."

DANIEL 2:5,6 (5)The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. (6)But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

The king told them he cannot remember the dream. He wants them to either tell him what he dreamed and what it meant, or he will cut them in pieces and destroy their households. That is a desperate king! They answer the same way they did before, asking for him to tell them the dream so they could interpret it. He tells them they are just stalling for time and he will kill them if they will not do what he says. They are shocked and perplexed. This does not seem fair to them and they tell him that he is asking something impossible; something no other ruler would dare ask.

DANIEL 2:12, 13 (12)For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. (13)And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. That escalated pretty quickly! Now the king decides to annihilate all the wise men because those who used witchcraft were unable to do what he asked. Now they are coming for God's chosen man, Daniel and his fellows. Arioch, the king's captain told Daniel why he was in such a hurry to execute all the wise men, so Daniel went to the king and asked for some time and then he would give the interpretation. That is great faith that God will do this. Daniel knew this was something only God could do. The king granted him the time to seek the answer.

Daniel went to other wise and faithful men unto God: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, or as we know them: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It is important to seek out others with integrity and a heart for God when looking for wisdom and knowledge about a matter. These four men begin to pray and ask God to do the impossible and He showed up in a big way!

DANIEL 2:20-23 (20)Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: (21)And He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: (22)He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. (23)I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of Thee: for Thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

What Daniel did not do was brag about how he figured it out. He did not tell others what God revealed to himself. He asked for wisdom and prayed with other believers and God came through. It is so important that we never take the credit for something God did. He alone gets the honor and glory! Look how Daniel handled the situation.

DANIEL 2:27-30 (27)Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; (28)But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; (29)As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. (30)But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

Daniel revealed the king's dream and then gave the meaning of the dreams. He gave God all the glory. God gives us wisdom to do things and be successful in life. We must not take credit for things He has done. It is vain and foolish for us to take credit for something only God can do.

I am so thankful for wisdom. I am grateful that I serve a God who cares so much about His children that He wants to help them succeed and do well in life. He wants us to come and ask Him for this wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

I hope you have been reflecting on how good God has been to you. We are living in a season of uncertainty with so many conflicts around the globe, so much persecution, wars, rumors of wars, and sickness, but God is in control. He is on the throne and He is not upset, nervous, or scared about what He sees taking place. Run to Him and ask Him to give you wisdom if you lack it and He promises to give it to you generously.

Thank you for joining me on this Thankful Thursday to count my blessings with me! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 13 | Bible Study Wednesday

We are in the book of Psalms all year. We have studied 12 psalms so far. Today we turn our attention to chapter 13. If you have not done so, I encourage you to take a few moments to pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to what He would have you to know. Read through the text and then with your Bible remaining open, come back to this post and we will study it together.

David has written many of the psalms, and this is yet another one that he penned. In six short verses he goes from being distraught and sorrowful to trusting and singing to God. What happens in verses three and four that change David's song? Let's find out.

Verses 1-2

David spends both verses asking God questions. "How long will You forget me, O LORD? Forever? How long will you hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?" Those are some big questions. David is desperate for answers. Have you ever been there? Are you there now?

David feels a distance between himself and God. He feels like God has forgotten about him. We read later in Psalm 27:8 David says, "When You said, Seek My face; my heart said unto You, Your face, LORD, I will seek." We see this happening here in verse one, David is seeking God's face and he feels like there is something in the way where he cannot press in like he wants to. The fellowship he has with God feels strained and he just wants to know how long this will last. 

In the margin of my Bible I wrote this on October 3, 2021, "I relate to 'how long'? waiting on our house." You see, Thanksgiving Day, November 2020 God told my husband and me to move back to Indiana and that He had a beautiful home for us there. We were living in Alabama at the time. We received further instruction to move before the end of the year and everything fell into place so quickly and smooth that we knew it was God's provision. We left our wonderful home in the Gulf of Mexico on my daughter's birthday, December 27, 2020. So when I wrote that statement it had been almost one full year since God made us that promise and each time we tried to rent or purchase a home of our own, the doors were slammed in our face month after month. I was weary of waiting. April 27 will be 16 months since we moved back. We were in Alabama for 16 months so I am hoping that something breaks for us soon because it is a challenge to live with other people for so long when you have your own family and you just want your own life back. I have more determination now but the waiting is hard. I try to remind myself we are much closer now than when we moved back. God never promised the home would be available as soon as we got back to Indiana, but we certainly hoped it would be that way. What are you waiting for God to do that feels so long?

David is saying in these first two verses that he is seeking God's face. He is not necessarily asking for God to do something for him, but he longs to be in fellowship with God. He wants that connection he felt before. As we went from month to month, we were seeking God's hands for a home, and now we are seeking God's will and His fellowship. We know He has not forgotten us, like He had not forgotten David. Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. What a beautiful promise!

Verse 3-4

David says, "Consider and hear me O LORD my God." This is personal. He wants God to think about him. In other words, he is asking God to concern Himself with David; to give careful thought to him and his situation. Is that not our prayer as well? Lord God remember me. He asks God to allow him to see His face again. He is asking for life from the Life Giver. Life is not worth living if we do not have close communion with God.

In verse four he says he wants God to vindicate him and protect him so his enemies will not be able to mock him and taunt him while he is down. He does not want them to celebrate his failures. None of us want the world to see us fail. None of us want to lose face to our friends and loved ones. David is asking for God's grace and mercy.

Verses 5-6

David starts to get his strength back. He remembers something. He says, "But I have trusted in Your mercy, or loving kindness." What are we trusting in? Are we trusting in God's mercy to sustain us? Are we truly remembering that His mercies are new every morning? (Lamentations 3:22-23) Are we drawing strength from knowing God is fighting for us? David said his heart rejoices in knowing God has saved him. Do we rejoice in knowing we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? Are we rejoicing in what God has already done for us?

The last verse in this chapter, David says, "I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me." David sees how God has generously given him all things. The Message Bible translates this to say, "I've thrown myself headlong into Your arms --- I'm celebrating Your rescue. I'm singing at the top of my lungs, I'm so full of answered prayers." How full are we of answered prayers?

Last Sunday I went to the altar to ask God yet again, to open the door for us to get our own home. I told Him I was coming to Him with all the faith I had and if it was not enough, I asked Him to give me more. I was so broken because I really want our own home again and I know that is not a selfish desire. It is a basic need and He said in His Word that He would provide for us. Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I memorized that one long ago. I love that He promised to meet our needs according to His riches and not mine; and He does it through Jesus Christ, not through me. I could not pray for a house anymore, and I just fell to my knees at the altar and poured out my heart in tears. I uttered no word, just wept and wept and wept. I felt as though God was pouring something out of me.

A woman was singing in her heavenly language softly in my left ear. My face and ear grew so hot that I felt it might catch fire. It was a beautiful song, a sweet expression that melted my heart and so much was poured out. Another lady was summoned to pray over me and God began to heal my broken heart. It took some time and they were patient with me. They allowed Holy Spirit to complete the work. I got up from that altar, lighter and happier than I have been in a very long time. I thought I was going to pray about a specific need but God saw the greater need and met that one instead.

I know that God has promised us a beautiful home. I do not ask for anything fancy or elaborate. I want a home with my husband and our two children. I want to clean my own home, cook our meals, have a place for everything, see all our clothing, important papers, and possessions anytime I want instead of having to drive to the storage unit to try to locate something. It is a challenge, but we do have a roof over our heads and God has supplied many needs we have had. He continues to provide. I do not know when He will choose to free us from this situation and allow us to enjoy our own home again, but it is so hard on this mama's heart to see her kids live a life I never wanted them to experience. I do trust God and I know He knows best. His ways are not mine and I certainly do not understand all the steps we are taking right now, but maybe one day I will. For now I choose to keep my hand in God's hand and trust Him with every twist and turn this life might throw at us.

I hope you have been encouraged today with what I have shared. I know it has encouraged me. I hope it has done the same for you. Do you have a need I can pray for? Please reach out to me and I will pray for every request I am given. 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!

~Bridgett Owens

Don't Put It Off | Fuel For The Weekend

I like spring cleaning. I know it is not for everyone, but there is just something so satisfying about sweeping away the cobwebs, shaking out the rugs, and polishing the wood furniture. It is so refreshing to open the windows and allow the fresh air to blow through the house. I miss having my own home and being able to do all of those things.

Tonight I was able to do some deep cleaning. My kids have been lax about putting away their clothes and things. There was so much stuff that it was impossible to neatly organize it. I feel bad that my children do not have their own rooms and we are still not in our own home. But, that does not mean we should not be good stewards of what we have been given. So, this evening I helped my children sort through clothes, art supplies, memorabilia, hygiene products, you name it! We have bags full for donations, some bags full for the landfill, and bags for the storage unit. We briefly had the window open and the fresh air was much needed. It was so nice to see the room transformed before my eyes.

As satisfying as it is, deep cleaning is a lot of work. My kids both have medical conditions that cause pain and hinder them from doing certain movements easily. More than once I heard complaints and groans and sighs of exasperation. I allowed some breaks but I reminded them we must stay on task and focus. It is similar to how we must be on our Christian journey.

We are to daily take up our cross and follow Jesus. Do you remember reading that? LUKE 9:23 "And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." The first part is to deny ourselves. Deny ourselves what? EPHESIANS 2:1-3 (1)And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: (2)Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3)Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Let's deny ourselves conversations that lead us to envy, or desire what others have. Let's deny our flesh the desires that will cause us to be distracted from following the laws of God. We must deny our thoughts to creep in that keep us thinking about what the world is doing. Are we worried? Are we anxious? What is the status of our mental health? We were once just like the world. The first part of falling in step with Jesus Christ is to let Him do the leading.

Step two in walking with Jesus is to daily take up our cross. We must put on the mind of Christ. PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8 (5)Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6)Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7)But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8)And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The mind of Christ is humility and obedience to His Father. He obeyed all the way to the cross. He knew who He was and He knew who His Father was. He was willing to do anything the Father asked Him to do, including lay down His life in a sacrificial offering on the cross. Daily taking up our cross is carrying the burden the Lord gave us to do. It is not hard. 1 JOHN 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. He did not ask us to do anything that He didn't do Himself. His commandments are not hard. He does not give us heavy crosses to bear. MATTHEW 11:28-30 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (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. (30)For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. What an invitation! We can rest and learn about Him and draw strength from Him. How often? Daily! All day long the invitation stands. We must not just take up our cross when others are looking, or if it is convenient, or if we want to that particular day. We must make a choice every single morning before we start our day that we are going to pick up our cross and carry it wherever He says to go.

The third and final step to walking with Jesus is to follow Him. He has to be the leader. We cannot run ahead and hope He follows along. We cannot just go out and do our own thing and think He should bless it and honor our own way of doing things. No, Jesus said to follow Him. MATTHEW 4:19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. Jesus does not want us to play a childhood game of Follow the Leader. No, He wants us to follow Him so we can know Him and know His will for us. He wants us to be fishers of men. I like the phrase I read once, We catch them, He cleans them! We are to go and make disciples so we can reach the whole world in telling them about Jesus. Remember the young man who had kept all the commandments from his youth and asked what else he lacked? MATTHEW 19:21-22 (21)Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me. (22)But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.  Follow Jesus and do not work for money and chase the purse all the days of your life. Jesus is able to meet our every need and we only must trust Him and love and serve Him. 

So often we have comfort in our riches and in the things we possess and we do not want to get out of our comfort zone. We are afraid we will be poor and destitute. The rich young man had no idea that serving Jesus would give him a richer life than his fortune ever could, and the rewards are eternal. MATTHEW 10:37-39 (37)He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (38)And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. (39)He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it. Jesus made it very clear, we need to deny ourselves, daily take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Let's not put it off and procrastinate. Let's not wait until we feel like it or everyone else is doing it. We may be the only one doing it but if we love Jesus we will want to.

My daughter was ready to give up when we had accomplished so much. She only had a little work left to do. I pushed her gently because I knew she would feel so much better when that stuff was all cleaned up and put up nicely. Afterward she admitted she was glad it was done. She saw the effort paid off in the end. We may be struggling along on our journey with the LORD. We may not see a break coming up and only see the overwhelming work everywhere we look. Do not give up friend. You can keep going. Take a break with the Master. Rest in Jesus and learn about Him. Then go set the world on fire for His glory. He is so worth serving and loving. He is such a good and wonderful King. He is helping you. Will you do it? Don't put it off. The rewards are coming.

I hope something I have shared today has made you take a look at your daily walk with Jesus. I was procrastinating on sharing a post today. I told God, "I just don't think I have anything to say." He said to me, "You're right. You don't have anything to say, but I do." I understood and grabbed my laptop and my Bible. I am so glad I did. This was like a deep cleansing of my soul. I am so thankful for the nudging of Holy Spirit to help me hear and obey. I hope as you start your weekend you think about what I have shared today and that it gives you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! | Thankful Thursday

These are some of the TOP HEADLINES today on ESPN: 

• Sources: NYC mandate to be rolled back Thu.
• Masvidal booked on battery, mischief charges
• Sources: U.S. snowboard accused of interference

From USA TODAY some news stories include:

• US to accept 100,000 Ukraine refugees; Zelenskyy calls for worldwide peace rally at NATO summit: Live Ukraine updates
• Russian elites, Duma: Updates
• 'Awful senseless mess': Russian journalist killed while filming in Kyiv
• Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State, dies at 84
• Citing neglect, Florida increasingly removes kids from poor families
• Hospitals needed help in COVID crisis. Trump and Biden fell short.
• Latino college students dropped out at highest rates during pandemic
• North Korea test-fired suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, Japan says
• 6 students killed in crash were in car that seats 4, officials say
• See damage after tornadoes hit New Orleans area

The News. This is where we are expected to get our information from. Those who absorb the news think they are well-informed. I get my news from another source: the Bible. It is God's Holy Word. It is anointed and powerful on it's own. I do not need to add to it or take anything away. I am not telling you to never watch the news, but I am also not telling you to watch the news and soak in every word that is spoken. Unfortunately, much of the news we see is propaganda and many times it is false information. Hebrews 4:12 says this about the Bible, For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. That is quite impressive! One book, the Holy Bible, written Word of God is alive and active. It is divisive, slicing between things others cannot separate. It distinguishes between what we think and the motives of our hearts.

Today on this Thankful Thursday, I am excited about the future. I am looking forward to the time that will come to pass that we can read about in Micah chapter four. Let's read this GOOD NEWS together.

MICAH 4:1-5 (1)But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. (2)And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (3)And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn of war any more. (4)But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. (5)For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of our God for ever and ever.

I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to times of peace and not of war; times of joy and not sorrow; times of healing and not pain. I do not want to bury another loved one. I do not want to part with another friend. I am ready for God to rule and reign forever and ever. He is the Holy One and the Righteous Judge who sits on the throne forever more.

Think of what a wonderful transition that will be: from a life of hardships, sorrow, loss, suffering, and lack to one day living at peace and in harmony. It reminds me of the promise we have in Revelation. That particular passage brings me such comfort and strengthens my faith and hope that one day it will be like the Word of God says.

REVELATION 21:1-7 (1)And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (2)And I John saw the Holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3)And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. (4)And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (5)And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new, And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (6)And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7)He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.

These are the news headlines over my day today. I am choosing to meditate on the Word of God and what He has promised for His children. It is okay to know what is going on in our world, but look at everything through the lens of scripture and do not be deceived. Soon this old world will pass away. We will be facing eternity sometime and there are only two options: You prepared for it and are ready; or you put it off and chose not to believe, and you are not going to inherit the promise of Revelation 21:7. The choice really is ours. What will you do?

I hope you will count your blessings along with me on this Thankful Thursday and enjoy the GOOD NEWS headlines I have discovered among the pages of God's Word. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 12 | Wednesday Bible Study

Hello friends. Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. We are in the book of Psalms all this year. If you want to go back to see the other Psalms studies, there is a search box you can type in Psalm and the number and see what all we have been studying. If you are on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on VIEW WEB VERSION. It should look like this:

When you click View web version as shown above, it will take you to a page that looks like this:

On the right sidebar you will see a search box and Blog Archive. You can either type in the blog title in the search box and click on the search button, or you can scroll through the blog archive and click on any title you want to open up. You can see a close up of that below:

Today we are going to cover Psalm chapter 12, which was written by David. This is a psalm of lament. If you have not done so, please take a few moments to pray and ask Holy Spirit to open up your understanding to what He is saying in this passage. Read through the eight verses of this chapter and then come back to this study with your Bible still open, so we can discuss it today.

I will not be writing out this whole chapter for today's lesson, but I am going to break down these eight verses. It is important to take our time and carefully observe what is happening in each verse and watch the transition from lamenting and sorrow turn to hope and promise.

Verse 1

David begins the verse by saying Help, or SAVE, LORD. David is in distress. He does not see anyone around him honoring God, loving God, or doing things that would please Him. Have you ever been there? Maybe you feel like you are the only one in fellowship with God on your job, in your family, or in whatever situation you might be facing. Are you looking around to find the faithful and instead see others claiming to be one thing and yet living their lives to please themselves?

David is not the only one who looked around and felt like he was the only one saved by God. Do you remember Elijah? He has been threatened by Ahab's wife, Jezebel to kill him so he ran for his life. He went to Beersheba and left his servant there, but then he went on to the wilderness a day's journey away. He wanted to move as far away from Jezebel as he could because he knew she did not make idle threats. The angel of the LORD strengthened him there and he was able to go 40 days and 40 nights on that one meal. He went to Mt. Horeb where he found a cave and he stayed there. God asked him what he was doing there. Remember this? 

1 KINGS 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

Do you remember what God told him? Here he is hiding out in a cave, talking to God our Creator, and instead of asking for a miracle or thinking back to how God had moved before, he was distraught. He tells God that he is the only one left that will serve God. God saw it a different way.

1 KINGS 19:18 Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

In other words, God is saying you are not alone. You are not the only one left to serve Me. I have 7,000 others in Israel who have not compromised, have not served the idols of Baal. You know Jesus told us in the New Testament that He has other sheep. The chosen ones were of Jewish descent, but they rejected Him, and it was opened to whosoever will. Now, Gentiles, like you and I are able to freely come and join the flock of God.

JOHN 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.

David says here in verse one that he is the only with faith in God that he can see. He looks around him and the people are compromising, serving themselves, and dishonoring God. Are you in the same situation? Do you think there are fewer people God has redeemed than who are living for themselves?

ROMANS 11:1-5 (1)I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (2)God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, (3)Lord, they have killed the prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. (4)But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (5)Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Make no mistake about it, God has a reserve of people that belong to Him. Throughout every generation, in every nation, and every tribe, God has carved out His own. Even if it gets hard, and the journey seems long, and the battle hot, trust and believe God has His people saved back for His purpose and His plan.

Verse 2

David gives us a clear picture of what it is like in his culture. The people are full of cursing, deceit, fraud, false flattery, and wrong motives. They speak one way to your face and they are trying to sabotage you behind your back. Does this sound familiar in our culture? Do we know people who will lie to our face, looking us straight in the eye, and find nothing wrong with that? I know I have seen this very same type of behavior in my little corner of the world. It is true today as much as it was in the day David wrote this psalm.

Verse 3 and 4

In the third verse, David makes a proclamation of what God will do to these people who speak great things against God's people. They make their bold statements of how they will prevail against the ways of God. Inverse four they say, "Our lips are our own: who is Lord over us?" They will soon see and I pray they see it now and can repent, then wait and find out in the day of judgment!

Verse 5

The first part of this chapter is a plea for God to help and save or deliver. David felt that there was no good or faithful people left on the earth. Now God is going to make a statement. He reassures His people that He is going to stand up against the evil men in the land. He will set His people in safety and security. We do not have to fear the naysayers. God is going to fight for us. This is God's promise to all of us facing adversity in our lives.

Verse 6

David describes God's words as silver tested in a furnace and purified seven times. Seven is the number of completion. We know God's Word is true and He will bring it to pass. Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. That is a beautiful picture of God's love for us. He is protecting us, shielding us from the fiery darts we keep reading about. We must keep our confidence in God and what He can do about our situation. His words are pure. There is nothing defiled about what He says. He has stood up and is coming to the aid of His children.

Verse 7

I want you to underline this verse in your Bible! Claim this promise for yourself and for your children and your family. This is a beautiful promise of God. It reads, Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. So do not let anyone tell you that just because this is in the Old Testament it does not apply today. The Word of God says from this generation, when David was speaking this out of his mouth, until forever! That covers us in this season of our lives. Claim that promise! You are not alone and even if you were the only one believing God for anything, He has you!

Verse 8

David ends the psalm with saying the wicked walk wherever they want. The vilest of men are exalted. We live in a day and age where sin and abominations are praised and celebrated. Men and women are compromising because of a twisted theology leaders in the churches are spouting out. The things that are wrong and go against God's Word are seen as alternatives to the way God ordered things to be. Instead of standing up for truth and sharing God's love and wisdom with the world, many use their influence to further confuse those who hear their messages. God is not pleased. He does not want it to be this way. In closing, let's read what the prophet Isaiah said about this very thing.

ISAIAH 5:20-24 (20)Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (21)Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (22)Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: (23)Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! (24)Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.

We will see that one day God will set all things right, but until then, we must keep following God and doing those things that are right and pleasing in His sight, even if we feel like we are the only ones doing so. Keep shining the light and being the example and witness God wants you to be in the dark places He calls you to.

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

~Bridgett Owens

No Compromise | Fuel For The Weekend

 

We have made it to the end of another week friends. I am delighted to share with you all today something God put on my heart. We are in the book of Daniel, chapter one. For a brief background, Daniel was deported to Babylon at 16 years old. He is handpicked for government service and we will see throughout the book of Daniel that he is God's prophet, interpreting dreams and visions. Daniel had strength and courage to do the right thing even when it was unpopular or against the law. Today's passage takes us to where King Nebuchadnezzar tells Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs to bring certain children of Israel, and children of the king and princes. There was a condition, though. These young men needed to meet specific requirements: no blemish, well favored, skillful in wisdom, cunning in knowledge, and understand science. These handpicked young men would then serve in the king's palace and learn the language of the Chaldeans. We see the same thing happened to Moses, another great leader and mighty man of God. Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Daniel was chosen along with Hananiah, who was later renamed Shadrach, Mishael was renamed Meshach, and then Azariah was renamed Abednego by the prince of the eunuchs. Daniel's new name was Belteshazzar but we will know and remember him by the name Daniel. Now Daniel was a young man, very talented and gifted, but he also knew the law of God given to Moses. It must have been at the forefront of his mind what it says in Leviticus about what to eat and what not to eat. Leviticus 11:43-45 (43)Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. (44)For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (45)For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Daniel did not want to compromise and even though he was just a youth, he still had the strength and courage to stand up for what is right. Let's read it.

DANIEL 1:8-17 (8)But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (9)Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. (10)And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink; for why should he see your faces worse liking (looking) than the children (young men) which are of your sort (age)? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. (11)Then said Daniel to Melzar whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, (12)Prove (test) thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse (vegetables) to eat, and water to drink. (13)Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. (14)So he consented to them in this matter, and proved (tested) them ten days. (15)And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat (food). (16)Then Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse (vegetables). (17)As for these four children (young men), God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

I know it is hard to go against the grain sometimes. We may be afraid of what others may think of us. We may be afraid of rejection or being told no. Daniel was willing to risk it and God allowed him to have favor with man. Why? Because Daniel was willing to obey the strict rules of what to eat and not eat that God had given Moses. Daniel was willing to stand out and be different for the sake of being holy.

Is there something God is asking you to do or not to do? Have you been worried what your peers might think? Daniel's peers may not have liked vegetables and to know that they had to give up meat and wine for vegetables and water may have made them upset. Daniel was not taking votes, he simply obeyed God. It might feel uncomfortable but the cross was uncomfortable for Christ. It was excruciating! Jesus said this in Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in glory of His Father with the holy angels. This is so serious, friends. We choose to live holy lives, free of compromise, because it will please Jesus. It honors God. Why would we choose to please this wicked world and be ashamed of our relationship with Jesus Christ, our Redeemer? If we are ashamed of Him and do not want to stand up for the right things and the holy things, because we are ashamed to admit we love God then just know that in glory, Jesus will be ashamed of you and say He does not know you in the life to come. Sit with that for just a minute!!

Friends, as we go about our day, and head into the weekend, let's be mindful of the decisions we are making. Let's choose wisely and not compromise. May we honor God with the words that come out of our mouths this weekend. Let's choose to magnify God and speak about good and praise worthy things. Let's allow our minds to meditate on God's Word so that we might not sin against God. (Psalm 119:11) Let's purposefully act in ways to please God and not compromise or give in to things we know are not going to glorify God.

I pray something I have shared on this blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Happy St. Patrick's Day | Thankful Thursday

Hey everyone! It is 8:12 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022. I wanted to post this morning but time got away from me and I had to squeeze a lot of work and an appointment for my daughter in to a short amount of time. It all worked out and I was able to finish work at a decent hour, but I am exhausted.

PSALM 23:1-3 (1)The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2)He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. (3)He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 

Some of you may know that I suffer with chronic pain in my colon and after many scans, tests, scopes, medications, etc., I have no answers and much pain and weakness from bleeding. I hope that is not sharing too much. So, suffice it to say that today was an "on again" pain day and God allowed me to power through it and even though at times I was so nauseous I thought I would actually vomit, I did not and so I am very thankful for that.

Today the weather was 75 degrees! It was beautiful, blue skies, fluffy white clouds, a warm ball of sunshine, and some very cool breezes. It was a perfect weather day. I was thanking God all day for the beautiful views and amazing day He gave me. At one point I was wondering around trying to find a client's home and was so thankful that it was such a gorgeous day for all that walking. It was far better than traipsing through snow piles and ice, or pouring down rain.

I was greeted by several text messages on my phone from someone who really enjoyed my video on YouTube. She said it encouraged her and strengthened her. Her words of kindness were so welcomed and it encouraged me to keep doing what God has asked me to do. It is to God be all the glory, honor, and praise. I can do nothing apart from Him and He truly is teaching me as I share here on my blog, on Instagram, or even my YouTube channel. I learn right along with you all and it is an honor to serve God in this way.

I have one more work day this week and I hope to get done at a decent time tomorrow as well. I am saying farewell to that chapter of my life, as short as it was, it was definitely not sweet. I am disappointed in how things were mishandled there but I trust God will restore to me what is rightfully mine and as I walk in obedience to leave that job, I know he has something far better for me. I just do not know what that is yet. Patience!

So, Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you have had a wonderful day. I have enjoyed being so close to God. This valley experience is very different than I have ever had in the past. I feel much closer to Him and I feel safer, more secure in this valley, knowing that each day I am climbing up the next mountain and I will have more blessings and joy waiting on the other side of this. I am content. I am at perfect peace. I have my hand in His and I refuse to let Him go. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Psalm 11 | Wednesday Bible Study

Welcome back to the blog. I am so glad you are joining me today. We are turning in our Bibles to Psalm chapter 11. This is a Psalm written by David. There are only seven verses in today's passage. If you have not already done so, please take the time to read through the passage and we will jump right in.

Verse 1

David makes a declaration at the opening of this chapter. He proclaims in the LORD God David trusts. Who have we trusted? The expected answer is God, but we must carefully examine our hearts. Do we trust God? Some trust the news, some trust social media, some trust religious leaders. We can trust in our spouse, our friends, our parents, our families, but we should be trusting God. We are told to not lean on our own understanding, but rather we are to trust God. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. We read later on in Psalms where the psalmist had been taken by the Philistines at Gath and this is what he said: Psalm 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. It's time for us to read our Bibles more than we watch the news; to sit and talk with God in prayer more than we talk to friends and loved ones about our problems. It is time to fill ourselves up with God's Word and God's truth instead of blindly believing everything we hear and not bothering to check the Word for ourselves.

David says in verse 1, "How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" Isn't that like the world's message today? If something is uncomfortable, run! Indulge your flesh, follow your heart, and trust that everything will work out in the end. No! We must run to the Rock of Ages, the stone that the builders rejected. We do not run to the mountain; we run to the Mountain Mover!

Verse 2

This verse is saying that the wicked are preparing their bows and arrows to hurt us. They secretly do this, or the Bible says it literally means in darkness. They are not in the light. They are the ones in this world who live for themselves, seek to please themselves, and desire others to tell them how wonderful they are. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." The shield of FAITH. That is your trust in God. That's how we put the fire out of the darts and arrows slung at us from the enemy. You may say what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is made up of what you are expecting God to do for you. It is not an idea that it might happen. It is a surety, a strong confidence that God is going to come through. It is proof of what you cannot see. You may not see it now, but you are trusting God to come through in His time and in His way and you are not backing down from that. You are trusting God.

Verse 3

David poses a question here. He says, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" In Psalm 82:5 it reads, "They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course." In other words, the world does not know God, they cannot understand His ways, they walk in darkness, or ignorance. The very foundations are crumbling. We must build on a sure foundation. Do you remember the foolish man and the wise man building houses? Matthew 7:24-25 (24)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: (25)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. The rock is Jesus! When we hear His words, read His Words, obey His words, we will no longer be in the darkness. We can suit up in our armor and hold high the shield of faith and quench every fiery dart of the wicked who are in the darkness shooting at us.

Verse 4

David says God is in His holy temple, and God's throne is in heaven. He is watching all of us and he examines the hearts of men and women, boys and girls. He sees it all. Nothing gets by the watchful eyes of God. He is seeing everything that is going on all at once and no one is getting by with anything! Revelation 5:6 in the Amplified Bible says this, "And there between the throne (with the four living creatures) and among the elders I saw a Lamb (Christ) standing, [bearing scars and wounds] as though it had been slain, with seven horns (complete power) and with seven eyes (complete knowledge), which are the seven Spirits of God Who have been sent [on duty] into all the earth." So we know that God's watchful eyes are everywhere. The enemy thinks it is hidden and that it is doing something in secret, but God knows what the devil will do before he even does it.

Verse 5

There are two categories of people: the righteous (those who love God and follow in His statutes) and the wicked (who love violence and revenge and pleasing their flesh). God tests the righteous. We face circumstances we do not like but it is to show whether we trust in God or not. Remember how God had tested the children of Israel in the wilderness? There was purpose in the journey. Deuteronomy 8:1-2 (1)All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. (2)And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. If you continue to read this passage, it is a beautiful recounting of God's faithfulness to this rebellious group of people. God made them a promise and He planned on keeping it. God has made us a promise too, and when we do what He instructs us to do in His Word, we will receive all the promises of God.

The second part of this verse is that the God hates the wicked. He hates the violent and those who enjoy hurting other people. This goes against the nature of God. God is love. He loved us first. He loved us in our sin but He hated what we did. The same is true here. God hates the wicked ones. The book of Ephesians reminds us we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against these evil forces and that is who God despises. They will receive their reward: hell. God loves all of the people He created, but some choose to live for the devil and allow him to influence their lives. It was never God's will for anyone to die lost and undone, according to John 3:16.

Verse 6

This verse tells of what will happen to the wicked. They will not always slide by like they think they are doing. No, one day the judgment of God will fall on the earth and the wicked will receive the judgment coming to them. Matthew 25:41 Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The devil was kicked out of heaven when he tried to be like God. He wanted to overthrow God's Kingdom and power. That is impossible and he lost! We know he goes around the entire world trying to block God's message of love, freedom, and forgiveness. The devil wants everyone to be separated from God because he knows he has lost his chance. He will suffer greatly one day and all his minions with him. We do not want to find ourselves on the left hand hearing Jesus tell us to depart from Him and cursing us to the pit and everlasting fire. Friends, we want everlasting life with Jesus our Savior. But we know the wicked will have their judgment in that awful place. 

Verse 7

What a sweet picture of God in this verse. It is a wonderful way to end this chapter. "For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright." God is righteous and He loves righteousness. Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines righteousness as, "acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin." We know Jesus was without sin according to, 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 (deceit) 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 (overseer) of your souls.

If you are going through a valley right now, it can be so hard and feel so lonely, but remember God promised to never leave us or forsake us and He will keep His promise. He is walking beside us. We are never alone. Ask God to reveal Himself to you and He will do it. James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Draw close to God and He will draw close to you. Let's ask Him to cleanse us and purify us and then let's make up our mind to trust God, regardless of what the circumstances look like. Circumstances can change, God does not. Put your hand in His and never let go!

I hope you have enjoyed today's Bible study. He has truly encouraged my heart and helped me with some things I have been facing lately. God is so wonderful and I love serving my King. He has blessed me so much and lifted the heaviness from me. I hope something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Fuel Up For Free | Fuel For The Weekend

Happy Friday, friends. We have made it to the one day of the week most of us long for. I am working today and will be busy but I wanted to hop on here and share a little Fuel For The Weekend. Do you

have plans this weekend? Our family has a very important meeting scheduled tomorrow and it's exciting and scary all at the same time. We are looking forward to church on Sunday, too. Whatever you are doing and however you spend your weekend, I pray that it is a blessed time and productive in advancing God's Kingdom on the earth!

Have you ever been in a situation where you know you did something you shouldn't have, or said something that you should have just been silent about? Was someone upset with you? It does not feel good to have someone angry with me and especially when I have done something I knew I should not have done. The relationship changes a little and distance creeps in. The same is true when we sin and God is upset about the intentional sin we have committed and we start to feel distance in our relationship. It feels like God is not as close. Why? There is now something between us and God...it is the sin that we have in our lives.

Now going back to the original question where a friend or family member or coworker is upset with us for what we have said or done in error; doesn't it just feel so good to apologize to that person and get back in right standing with them? When I am willing to humble myself, acknowledge I messed up, and vow to do my best to not repeat that same mistake, the other person often softens, too. The wall comes down and we are able to fellowship again. How much more wonderful is it when our Heavenly Father hears our repentant prayer, accepts our apology, cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and we are now free to commune with God intimately that we were unable to before? I am so thankful that He is so loving, kind, and forgiving.

I want to give you some fuel for the weekend. There is a really short chapter in the book of Isaiah and it really speaks to me about the benefits that follow reconciling with God. I do not know if you have ever read this before but it is so beautiful and I want to share it here today.

ISAIAH 12:1-6 (1)And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me. (2)Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. (3)Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (4)And in that day ye shall say, Praise the LORD, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. (5)Sing unto the LORD; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. (6)Cry out and shout, Thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

I absolutely love this passage. "I will praise You God, and though You were angry with me before, now Your anger has turned away from me and You comfort me!" This is such a beautiful illustration of the way our Heavenly Father lovingly holds us and comforts us after a time of separation. He longs to be in fellowship with us, too. He misses the closeness we once shared when I strayed from Him. The same is true with how He feels about you.

I will trust You God and not be afraid. No matter what my situation looks like, no matter how bleak things may appear, I am trusting You God and I will not let fear have a place in my heart. JEHOVAH is my salvation, my strength, and my song. Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

With joy we shall draw water out of the wells of salvation. We will gladly go to the Living Water and enjoy times of refreshing. Amen? What an exciting idea that we can freely receive a cup of fresh life anytime we desire! This life can leave us dry, depleted, and disappointed but we have the opportunity to come anytime and draw water from the wells of salvation. When we come with joy we can receive the thirst-quenching, life-renewing water that will never run dry. We have an unlimited resource in our Heavenly Father! Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Let's praise Him today. Let's tell others what He is doing in our lives. Let's be encouragers to those around us and make mention that His name is to be exalted. We must decrease so that He can increase. John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. All the praise, honor, and glory are due Him. He is worthy of it all! He is great and greatly to be praised. Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. I magnify His great name and honor my King Jesus. He is daily working on our behalf, working all things together for our good and blessing us in ways we cannot even imagine. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. 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.

Whether you can sing well or not, it does not matter. Lift your voice and start thanking God for all the wonderful things in your life. Thank You Jesus for waking me up this morning, clothing me in my right mind. Thank You Jesus for refreshing me at the wells of Your salvation. Thank You for the breath in my lungs and that I can use my arms and legs without assistance. I thank You that my body is no longer racked with pain. I thank You Jesus for giving me joy down in my soul bubbling over and the peace that does not even make sense with the things I am facing and going through. You have done excellent things my King and it is known in all the earth! I adore You Jesus! Psalm 100:1-2 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We are to be loud about it! That may be out of some people's comfort zones but it is okay to be excited about our relationship with Jesus. The scriptures say, "Cry out and shout!" Why? For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of where? In the midst of thee! He is in our midst. He is in our presence. He is going through the fire with us. He is in the lion's den with us. He is in the court room, the board room, the class room, the bedroom, the vehicle....wherever we are, He is there! He is Holy. He is Righteous. He is to be glorified and praised. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.

No matter what plans you have this weekend, and no matter if they happen or not, let's not get caught up in the trivial matters of this life. Let's choose to magnify the good and not the bad. Let's choose to honor our King Jesus with our time and efforts and actions this weekend. Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Let's use these six verses to navigate the upcoming weekend. Fill your tank up for free! Gas prices here in southern Indiana where I live are $4.25 and it seems that they increase toward the weekends. This fuel is FREE! It has been paid for by the precious blood of Jesus and it was PAID IN FULL. So, come to the wells of salvation and take your fill. Get satisfied. Let it quench your thirst. John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

I pray something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

God Uses Anyone Anytime | Thankful Thursday

 

When I was growing up, we were daily spending time with extended family. Our house was full of family and friends. My parents had four of us kids, my aunt next door had four girls, and my aunt who visited often had three boys. Most of my cousins and two of my siblings were older than me. I heard this phrase often, "No, Bridgett. You're too young." That was so frustrating because I did not think I was too young to participate in the conversation, the activity, or to watch the tv show or movie. I was one of the youngest granddaughters and so I was constantly told, "Not yet. Someday you will. It's just not time yet. Be patient, Bridgett."

After years of being told things like that, it is easy to start believing it. One day turns into weeks then months and even years. God has asked me to do so many hard things through the years and I might say things like, "I can't God because I am too young, too inexperienced, not educated enough, not popular enough, not (fill in the blank) enough." But God did not ask me to be enough. He is Jehovah Jireh God my Provider! He is the God of more than enough! So, on October 31, 2021 God gave this passage of scripture to me: Jeremiah 1:4-9. We are going to discuss it today and if you feel inadequate maybe you will be strengthened and empowered by the same verses God has given to me.

1. GOD MADE YOU WITH A PURPOSE.

Jeremiah 1:1-2 (1)Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2)Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Before you were formed in your mother's womb, God already knew you. Before you were ever on the face of the earth, God knew all about you and sanctified you. He set you apart for His glory and His purpose. He made Jeremiah to be a prophet unto the nations. He has created me for a specific purpose and He has done the very same thing for you. You may be older now and look back and think of all the things you have done for your personal glory or satisfaction. Maybe you have regrets, but there's a Bible verse for that!

Isaiah 49:1-5 (1)Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name. (2)And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver He hath hid me; (3)And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. (4)Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet, surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. (5)And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. 

This reminds us that God named us, called us, and equipped us before we were ever born! Everything He has called us to do, He has already made provision for it. No matter if we used our strength for nothing and worked in vain, God is able to turn it around and get the glory. He is the single source of our strength! That is good news!! And when we ask for guidance and direction, He will give that to us like He did Moses.

Exodus 33:11-14 (11)And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (12)And Moses said unto the LORD, See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou also hast found grace in My sight. (13)Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people. (14)And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

Isn't this a beautiful glance into a very special moment of Moses and the LORD GOD? They speak together face to face like friends. Moses tells God, "Even though You have not said who You will send with me to do everything You are calling me to do, I will trust You because You know me by name and You said I found grace in Your sight. So if I have found grace in Your sight, please show me Your way. I just need some direction." (I paraphrased here.) God said to Moses, "My presence will go with you and I will give you rest." What a beautiful promise! And we know in Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus promises to give us rest, too! But, just in case you think God only called Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Moses and so it must just be an Old Testament thing for a select few, let's read what Paul has to say about this.

Galatians 1:15-17 (15)But when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother's womb, and called Me by His grace,  (16)To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (17)Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went unto Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Paul is talking about his track record; how he persecuted the church and then God revealed to him the purpose and plan He had for Paul. Paul realizes it was when he was born and called into God's grace and plans that he had been destined to preach and teach about Jesus Christ. When Paul realized it was his destiny and purpose, he did not ask men their opinions, did not go visit the apostles who walked and talked with Jesus for three and a half years, but went to Arabia and came back to Damascus and if you continue reading this text he will speak about the rest of his journeys and eventually going to see Peter and James, the brother of Jesus. So, when God calls you to do something, do not go ask a bunch of people. In fact, do not even ask your pastor for confirmation. Ask God to bring you confirmation and He will do it, but often flesh and blood will fail you and cause you to miss your destiny and purpose because it often won't make sense to other people. Trust God and His plan for your life.

2. BREAK FREE FROM LIMITATIONS.

Jeremiah 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. (youth) We hear God tell us to do something that seems too big for us to handle, too spectacular for us to be successful, and we say to God, "I can't do that God because I am too young, too old, too quiet, too loud, too (fill in the blank). We have to remember that God is not looking at our credentials, our bank account, our location, our immediate situation. He knows all of that but none of that is influencing His decision to use you for His great purpose. We are not alone in thinking that we are not qualified. Jeremiah did not give God a resume of all the reasons he should be picked, but rather was astonished God wanted to use him and he thought he should remind God he was so young. Moses did the same thing: gave God a reason to not want to use him but it did not work.

Exodus 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O  my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. The truth is that God already knew Moses was not an eloquent speaker, that he had a speech impediment. That did not disqualify Moses. Think about it, it only gives God more glory and honor and praise when He uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. Moses would never be able to say he did any of the great feats he accomplished apart from God. So it is with you and I. So, Moses overcame the insecurity about his speech over time right? Uh, not quite.

Exodus 6:12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 

Exodus 6:28-30 (28)And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt (29)That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. (30) And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Moses questions God, "If the people You sent me to deliver do not listen to me, what should make me think Pharaoh will hear me? I speak slow and I am unskilled and inept." Have you ever thought about the things God is telling you to do and felt unqualified? I know I have. God told me to write books and I thought about it and was not sure I had it in me. Even after writing books, how can I publish them? I did not go to school for journalism, I went to nursing school. I do not have the money to pay someone to do the work for me: to publish my books. How can I do this big, hard thing when I do not know how to navigate these uncharted waters? But like God did for Moses, He will surely give me what I need and bring people beside me to help me do what He has asked of me. What big thing is God stretching you to do?

3. YOU ARE NOT GOING ALONE. GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH YOU.

Jeremiah 1:7-8 (7)But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. (8)Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 

What a beautiful example of God meeting us right in our fears and insecurities and lovingly promising to not only give us success in all He is calling us to do, but then pledging that He will never leave us or abandon us. We are not out on a journey to do this hard task for God and left to fend for ourselves. No, God meets us where we are and is with us every step of this journey. Remember Jesus saying this in the Great Commission we just talked about?

Matthew 28:19-20 (19)Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20)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.

It is not God's plan to send us out into the world and then not give us protection or provision. That would be a very unloving thing to do to His children and we have a perfectly wonderful Heavenly Father who loves us way too much to ever do that. But sometimes we are afraid of what God is asking us to do. God was sending Ezekiel to a rebellious house and so the work was going to be tough but God did not require Ezekiel to convert them. It was not Ezekiel's job to make these people repent, it was only Ezekiel's job to tell the people what God wanted them to know. Let's read about that.

Ezekiel 2:6-7 (6)And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. (7)And thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. 

God just wanted Ezekiel to be obedient to Him and to say what He wanted Ezekiel to say. It was not up to Ezekiel to force them to believe what he said, it was only up to him to speak the truth.

Ezekiel 3:10-14 (10)Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. (11)And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the LORD GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. (12)Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place. (13)I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. (14)So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

We may not like the situation God is putting us in, or we may be upset about the sins of the people we have to go to, but no matter what God is asking us to do, we are promised that God will be with us and like Ezekiel we can feel God's strong hand upon our lives and know we are in His capable hands.

Exodus 3:12 And He said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou has brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

God is reminding us that we will know He is with us when we accomplish what He has asked us to do. He said to Moses and He says to us today, "Certainly I will be with you." We will know He is with us every step of the way because we will find ourselves saying and doing things we did not even know to say or do otherwise. God will equip us to do everything He is asking us to do. We must only trust and obey. It may not always be easy but Jesus did not have everything easy either and He is the Son of the Living God Most High.

4. GOD PROVIDES WHAT YOU NEED.

Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.

God is putting His words in our mouths, too. He is putting the tools in our hearts and is placing inside of us everything we need to be successful on the mission He is sending us on. Maybe we need to be healed of a speech or hearing issue. God is able to do that. Do you remember how He healed the man in Mark?

Mark 7:31-37 (31)And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. (32)And they bring unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech (begged) Him to put His hand upon him. (33)And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue; (34)And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. (35)And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue (impediment) was loosed, and he spake plain. (36)And He charged (commanded) them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal (widely) they published it; (37)And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: He maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb (mute) to speak.

Sometimes God does not do the miraculous to heal, but He will give you someone to help you, like He did Moses. Do you remember that?

Exodus 4:11-16 (11)And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? (12)Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. (13)And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send. (14)And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. (15)And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. (16)And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

God promised Moses He would be with him to help with the speech impediment. Moses had zero confidence in his own ability to do anything that important. He asked God to send someone else. God was angry with Moses because Moses not only had no faith in himself, but he had no faith that God would be able to use him. God knows the purpose and plans He has for Moses and He does not change His mind. He simply gives Aaron to Moses as a spokesman to be in the place of Moses' mouth and Moses is to Aaron in the place of God. In other words, God tells Moses what to say, and then Moses tells Aaron what God wants said and Aaron says it.

Friends, God always asks us to do things out of our comfort zones to bring glory to His name and to build up the Kingdom of God. God knows our limitations and our shortcomings, but He chooses to use us in spite of these issues. He does not throw us away and pick the stronger, the better, the wiser. Why? Because He made us with a specific purpose and whether we will run from it, or embrace it, is up to us. I hope this has helped someone today. It sure has been an encouragement to me. I am learning right along with the rest of you. Today I am thankful that God will use anyone, anytime, including me! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens