Gift of Sight | Thankful Thursday

 

Today I took my son to pick up his brand new eyeglasses. He tried them on and everything fit well. It was a very rainy day, so he put the glasses in his hoodie front pocket. When he was inside the vehicle, he slipped his new glasses on and said, "Oh wow! I can see!! There's the sign for the mall.... and there's the sign for Chick-Fil-A!" 

I asked him, "Have you not been able to see those signs before?"

He answered, "No," and then kind of laughed in disbelief.

I told him, "You didn't know how much you couldn't see, until you could actually see, huh?" 

Of course that reminds me of our walk with Christ. He reveals His Word to us and we learn more about His character and His goodness the more we spend time with Him. We see how much we know about Him is really not that much in comparison to how great and magnificent we know Him to be!

Having good vision is a blessing. I had Lasic eye surgery a couple of years ago. I now have 20/20 vision. I can see far away with no problem. When it rains, I no longer have to hide my glasses in my pocket and squint into the horizon. I no longer have to wear prescription sunglasses. I can wear any sunglasses I want. No more having to take off my Rx sunglasses and put on my Rx glasses to go into a store or the house. It is the little things that I am so thankful for and what I was looking forward to the most with having this surgery. What I did not expect was to have crisp vision and to see so far! It was a blessing! It still is, and I thought about how much of a gift sight really is.

I cannot imagine being born blind. I have nothing to compare it to. Once when my siblings and I were younger, my mom told us to close our eyes and try to get around the house. Well I bumped into all kinds of things. I knew where the furniture was because I was born seeing and so I had already seen it with my own eyes, but in the darkness, no vision, I miscalculated steps and nearly fell. It gave me a tiny glimpse of what it might feel like. I felt scared and helpless and nervous. Do you remember the man in the Bible who asked Jesus to heal him? You may say, which one? Good question! We are going to look at two encounters, two different men, and two different methods of healing that took place.

It is a private miracle.

Mark 8:22-26

And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him. And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that He put His hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And He sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

Jesus gets into town and as soon as he gets there, they bring this man to Him. They urgently and fervently asked Jesus to heal him. Who is the man? The Bible does not say in this text. We only know that a lot of people cared about him because they took the man to Jesus. The faith in Jesus to cause the man to see again was so great that they were waiting on Him to arrive.

We do not know why Jesus did not heal this man in public. I find it significant that he took the man by the hand and led him outside of town. Maybe it was not far, but Jesus took him by the hand and led him away. See the love there? He did not ask someone to go with them. This was personal. This was private. He took the man so they could be together apart from the crowd's prying eyes, and those who wanted to be entertained with a miracle.

Jesus could have spoken the Word and healed him. He could have made a clay mask like He did for another blind man. He could have used any method He wanted. Jesus spit in the man's eyes. We can all agree that is an unusual way to heal someone. Yet, the man is never recorded as getting upset or questioning Jesus's method. Jesus put His hands on the man and asked if he saw anything. The man's vision has returned. It is not perfectly clear, but he recognizes shapes and things. This lets us know he had sight before because he recognizes people and trees.

Jesus did not leave the man in that condition. He did not say, "Well at least you can see a little better now." Jesus loves this man so much, He wants him to have perfect vision. He put his hands on the man's eyes and made him look up, and the man was restored and saw clearly. Then Jesus gave him strict instructions to not return to that town and not tell anyone in that town what Jesus had done. It was a private miracle.

Maybe the man was wounded in his eyes by someone in the town. Maybe they had been making fun of him. We have no idea but Jesus clearly did not want him to go back to that town. He told him to go home and stay away from that town and the people there. Not everything Jesus heals us and delivers us from needs to be made public. Some things are private miracles and God will still get the glory in those times.

New identity.

Mark 10:46-52

And they came to Jericho: and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

I find it interesting that Mark identifies this man as "blind Bartimaeus." Often we read things like the man who was blind, or the woman with the issue of blood. This is indicative that Bartimaeus was born like this. He had a special cloak that he wore to let others know he was blind and he was begging because he could not work for money. He was doing what he could do with his life's circumstances, but Bartimaeus did not want to remain blind. He wanted a new identity.

Bartimaeus sat near a busy road. His hearing was sharp, and from what we know about the human body, it was probably a little sharper with his sense of vision gone. He undoubtedly heard people talking about the miracles of Jesus along the road. He must have had some knowledge of the Scriptures because he connects Jesus as the Son of David. When Bartimaeus finds out that Jesus is going to be walking right past him, hope came alive in his heart, like it never had before. He was desperate for a touch from God.

He has no idea where Jesus is in relation to where he is sitting, so he lifts his voice as loud as he can, and he starts begging Jesus for mercy. He is getting on the nerves of everyone around him. They start saying things like, "Blind Bartimaeus, be quiet!" They keep labeling him what he does not want to be. He refuses to hold his peace. This is his chance, his opportunity, and he is not going to miss it. He refuses to be hushed by those around him.

Jesus stops. Sometimes we can cry out with great faith and need and it will stop Jesus in His tracks. He tells them to call the blind man to Him. Now the annoyed people who once were shouting at him to shut up are the very ones who are comforting him. "Be of good comfort. Rise because Jesus is calling for you." They don't call him blind Bartimaeus now. He has the attention of the Master so they are starting to look at him differently.

Bartimaeus immediately shed his identity as a blind beggar. He removed what told the onlookers that he was a blind man. He threw that robe from his shoulders in eager anticipation to see. He stood up, no longer in a posture of begging. He was about to get an answer to his prayer. He came to Jesus. Can you imagine the intensity of this moment? He is in the final moments of being without sight.

Jesus knew Bartimaeus was blind. It was no secret. He saw him at the side of the highway begging. He knew the man's need but Jesus asked Bartimaeus, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And this is finally the moment he had been waiting on. "Lord, that I might receive my sight." What is your need that Jesus knows you have? He is asking you, "What do you want Me to do for you?" This is your moment. Ask him for what you need.

Jesus does not use any of the other methods of healing blind eyes. He says to Bartimaeus, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole." Bartimaeus did not have to wait for the healing to come. He immediately received his sight and followed Jesus in the way. He was made whole and another translation says he was saved. He followed Jesus. What will you do when Jesus gives you what you have been praying for? Will you follow Jesus in the Way?

I am so thankful for the gift of sight. I am grateful for glasses so my son can see clear, sharp images and words. I am thankful that not only can I see in the natural but I can see in the spiritual. My eyes are open to the truth of God's Word. I once was blind, but now I see. What an awesome God we serve!

What are some things you are thanking God for today? I pray something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 21 | Wednesday Bible Study

School is officially out for the summer here and the weather did not get the memo. I am not complaining because it is still spring for another month and I do not particularly care for heat and humidity. It has been in the 60's and very rainy! The bad part about so much rain is that I have heard many of the farmers have not planted crops yet!!! It has been too wet. What is the weather like where you are?

I hope you are ready for another Wednesday Bible study session. We are jumping right in to the twenty-first psalm today. There are only 13 verses in this psalm of David. As usual, if you have not read the text, please do so. Remember to take some time in prayer to ask Holy Spirit for insight, wisdom, and understanding. If you want to take notes, grab a notebook and something to write with. I encourage you to keep your Bible open during our study. Feel free to leave me a comment below sharing your thoughts on today's lesson!

Verses 1-2

This is a psalm of rejoicing. David is taking great joy and pleasure in God's strength and salvation. He is happy that God has given him the desires of his heart and not withheld anything from him that he spoke. 

Psalm 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

To fully understand the joy that he feels, we must turn back a few books in 2 Samuel chapter seven. David wants to build God a house of cedar and God said, "Shalt thou build Me an house for Me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, Why build ye not Me an house of cedar?"

David is in a good place. His enemies are at peace with him and he is in a place of rest. God tells David He took him from shepherding sheep to ruling His people. He says, "I was with you wherever you went, destroyed your enemies, and made you a great name, like other great men known in the earth." He gives David a vision of what He will do for His people, the children of Israel, and even a promise of what is to come after David dies. God said this of David's son, Solomon, "He shall build an house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever." That's a lot to shout about! 

2 Samuel 7:26-29 And let Thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee. For Thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying, I will build Thee an house: therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee. And now, O Lord GOD, Thou art that God, and Thy words be true, and Thou hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant: Therefore now let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee: for Thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever.

Verses 3-7

David is elated and in these next few verses he is honoring God with his praise. He says God met him with the goodness of His blessings and put a gold crown on his head. He asked for life and it was granted him. God established the kingdom of David forever! In verse seven he says, "For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved." My Bible says the word MOVED means SHAKEN. So, David is saying through God Almighty's mercy nothing will shake David! He is immovable! Can we say that today? Yes!! We can say the world can come against us, surround us and make us feel afraid, but we have a strong and high tower to run into and we are saved. Jesus is our refuge and through His mercy and grace we are unshakable!

Verses 8-12

These verses leading up to the chapter wrap-up is all about God's ability to find, destroy, and annihilate David's enemies. We have an enemy, too. His name is Satan and God is much stronger. He knows where the enemy is and when we call upon God we are helped, saved, and victorious over our foes!

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

These verses are encouraging to us, because like David, we are fighting an enemy of God, and we know God will bring us the victory! 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (Amplified Bible) Isn't that a beautiful picture of what God does for us?

Verse 12

David ends this psalm magnifying God like he does so often in this book. "Be Thou exalted, LORD, in Thine own strength; so will we sing and praise Thy power." Yes, let's exalt the name of Jesus. Let's magnify Him and lift Him up. Let's end this Bible study in praise and worship adoring our King Jesus and all His goodness and love.

I am sure this song pleased God so much. What are we singing to God? Are we lifting our voice in praise and adoration? Will we remember the blessings God has given us and rejoice with David today? We have so much to be thankful for. It's not Thankful Thursday, but we should be counting our blessings every single day. God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24), and He has daily loaded us with benefits (Psalm 68:9), so His praise needs to be continually in our mouths (Psalm 34:1) (Luke 1:64)!

I hope you enjoyed today's Bible study. I enjoy sharing what I have learned and each week I am gleaning new hope, new inspiration, new joy, and new strength as we study together. I hope something you learned today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

An Abundance of Great Rain | Fuel For The Weekend

Here in southern Indiana, where I live, it has been raining a lot! I was thinking about how much I love rain and thunderstorms. To me, it makes perfect napping or sleeping weather. I love the relaxing sound of the rain falling and I like to watch as the buckets of rain pour over the vehicles and soak into the ground. We can get encouraged about the rain! Remember when Elijah had caused it to not rain on the earth for 3 1/2 years? JAMES 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. Imagine how much the people on the earth at that time wanted rain! Their crops could not grow, water holes dried up, and just think of the impact of a three and a half year drought.

When there was no rain in sight, ground dry and dusty, Elijah said he heard the abundance of rain. In his spirit, he could sense the rain was coming. 1 KINGS 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. Elijah is a prophet and Ahab is a wicked king. He knew what God had done through Elijah and so he obeyed. He got up to eat and drink. Elijah went to the top of Mount Caramel and he prayed. Just like it took earnest prayer to stop the rain, it was going to take a fervent prayer to bring the rain!

JAMES 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

He told his servant to look toward the sea and the servant said, "Nothing is there." He told him, "Go, look again!" seven times. Six times there was no sign of a cloud in the sky, a drop of rain in the air, or even the darkening of the sky. Elijah knew what he heard and he did not give up.

1 KINGS 18:44-46 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, and say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

The seventh time the servant saw a cloud so tiny coming from the horizon. It looked like the size of a man's hand. That was all it took. Elijah said, "Go tell the king to prepare his chariot and get out because the rains are coming." Elijah was not expecting a sprinkle or tiny rain shower. He was expecting abundant rain! Once the man of God spoke it out of his mouth, then it was materializing in the natural. All of a sudden the sky turned dark with clouds and the wind started to pick up, and the Bible says there was a great rain! Not a little rain storm, not just enough to wet the ground, but a great rain! And God was with Elijah so much that he literally outran the chariot taking Ahab to Jezreel. This is the king's ride. It would have been pulled by the fastest horses they could find. Yet, God has His hand on Elijah and he outruns the king's best attempt to get back to the city before the rains washed out roads and made travel impossible.

What are you praying for? What are you expecting God to do for you? Do not ask for a rain shower, ask for the abundance of rain. Speak it out of your mouth that it is coming and the abundance of rain is here! Even when the circumstances do not seem like it. Six times the servant came back with a negative report. "There is nothing!" Sometimes we look at our situation and we say, "There is nothing there!" But we must not give up or lose heart. Let's remember the God we serve is more than enough to meet any need we have! He can answer any prayer we pray. We must believe it and speak it out. If friends say they don't see a change and begin doubting, just say to them, "Go look again!" God is up to something and He wants to move for those who will not stop believing even when it looks like there is still a drought, remember the abundance of rain is on the way! In fact, it is here! Let's start speaking it into the here and now. The great rain is here and soon friends, we will see it to be so!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Graduation Milestone | Thankful Thursday

What a wonderful, blessed day! My baby boy graduated from 8th grade and this is a wonderful milestone in his life. He has been in a really great school environment for the past two years and we are truly blessed. It has been the stability and consistency Javan has needed. We have moved so much in his little life span and when God called us to move back up here, in Indiana, stability was one thing I prayed for and God granted it.

Javan received an AB Honor Roll award and a Citizenship award. His teacher chose a boy and a girl from each class and Javan was honored. Such a proud Mom moment. I do not think it is because of me, but I do know it is all because of Jesus. Javan loves Jesus with all of his heart and he makes decisions based on what would honor God. I am grateful because we can pour things into our children and hope it sticks, but we cannot always predict if they will take hold of those things. We must train them up in the way they should go because the Bible tells us when they get older it will not leave them. They will remember the mother or father who prayed, who encouraged with Scripture, and who read the Word of God to them.

PROVERBS 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

EPHESIANS 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Javan is in a great youth group, learning a lot, and has only missed a few times, mostly due to sports schedule conflicts. He does S.O.A.P. Bible studies and even shares them here on his blog. He has been studying the Bible like this since he was 6 or 7 years old.

We had a special breakfast for the 8th graders today. They had scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, biscuits and gravy, doughnuts, and fresh fruit. They had chocolate milk, white milk, orange juice and bottled water to drink. They all enjoyed it!

I am so thankful that God worked things out for me to be at his graduation today. Paul and Kadesia had to work and could not be there. I was able to share photos and videos with them though and they sent messages to him of how proud of him they are. My sister, niece, and nephew came and that meant a lot to him. They took us to eat at a local Chinese restaurant and that was so nice to get to talk to them and spend some time laughing and sharing together.

God worked it out so I could help serve breakfast to him and his classmates. Some of the sweet boys from the track team he was on said hello to me and that was special. One of Javan's teachers wrote a touching letter to the students and gave it to them in their envelopes. She read it aloud to them and it definitely had me choking back tears.

Here he is, so grown up! He is 14 years old, but will be 15 in August. He is a sweet boy, a kind and compassionate person. He came out of his shell a little and one of the guys on his track team took him under his wing and taught him about Shot Put and Discus. It helped Javan much more than his friend realizes. We watched Javan bloom where God planted him and that is so awesome. This evening that same friend had Javan over and they went fishing. Javan said he caught six fish!

Please say a prayer for Javan. While kids are swimming, running, playing, doing all the things this summer, Javan will have a different experience. He is scheduled for surgery May 27 and he will spend his summer recovering. We have prayed and trust God to help Javan through this tough transition. We know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Amen?

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

As you can see, there is so much we are thanking God for. What about you? Have you counted your blessings today? If you want to share what God is doing in your life, feel free to leave a comment below. We would love to count our blessings with you! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 20 | Wednesday Bible Study

 

Hello friends. Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible Study. We are continuing our series through the book of Psalms this year and we are in Psalm 20 today. It is a short chapter, only nine verses. This is another psalm of David. If you have not taken the time to read today's passage, please do so. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear what He wants to teach us. Let's allow Him to plant this precious Word in the fertile soil of our hearts. As I typically do, today I will break the verses down and share what God is giving me to share with all of you.

Verses 1-4

David begins this chapter, in the first three verses, telling us about God. He says this:

1. God hears us in times of trouble.

2. By His name He defends us.

3. He will send us help.

4. God will strengthen us.

5. He will remember what we offer Him.

6. He accepts our burnt sacrifices.

7. He will grant our heart's desire.

8. God will fulfill our purpose, or another version says He will make our plans succeed.

In verse three, it tells us to pause and think about that. I think this is a great time to stop and reflect on all of these things. How many of us can honestly say that we have experienced these blessings as we walk with our Savior, Jesus? I know that I can look back over my life and see God doing all of these things for me. I have not offered burnt sacrifices but I have sacrificed as much as He told me to do.

Verse 5

What will we do about this knowledge of what God is doing for us, has done, and will continue to do? David says we will rejoice and set up our banners. We will praise God and lift up the banner proclaiming He is our Savior. Then in this same verse it says, The LORD will answer all our prayers. What a promise! What encouragement! This is awesome!

Verse 6

Now David is convinced and has confidence that God will save His anointed people. He will hear our cries from His Holy heaven and will save us with the strength of His right hand. Isn't this such a rich message today? We know God is listening to us, answering our prayers, helping us and delivering us in the day of our distress and times of trouble! What peace that comes from knowing that!

Verse 7

I was walking last night and I was praying; just asking God for an increase of faith and wisdom about some things He told me. My life was not matching up with what He said and I know that life is crazy and God is never wrong, so I needed Him to help me make sense of some things. It is not something I can understand in the natural with logic and reasoning. I said this as I was walking, "I will not trust in chariots, or horses, because I know You are with me and will deliver me with Your righteous right hand." And when I read this verse I had such joy in my soul because I did not know this verse was going to be in this particular chapter that I would be studying with you all today.

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! In Isaiah we see that God says woe to them who trust in the strength and force of other humans and things that seem like they are secure. Why? They are not looking to God, the Holy One of Israel to fight their battles and bring them victory.

It may seem scary when we see the enemy in great numbers against us. We may not be popular because of our faith and morals, but God gives us a word of encouragement in Deuteronomy. He tells us not to be afraid of them. Deuteronomy 20:1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. We do not need to fear because God is with us and He has delivered us from trouble and distress before.

Verse 8

The things the world puts all their trust in will be brought down and fall. We will rise and stand because God is with us and He cares about us. Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.

Why would God do this for His children? Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Keep working for God and keep honoring His name. He will not forget the things we give up, sacrifice, or let go of for the cause of Christ. He will not forget the work we do in love to further His Kingdom on this earth.

Verse 9

David ends the chapter with hope. "Save LORD! May the King answer us when we call." He will absolutely answer us when we call and I am so thankful for that.

I have been strengthened and encouraged with today's Bible study. I hope that you are blessed and encouraged as well. It is my prayer that something you read on this blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Reprobate Silver | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It is my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

During my Bible study time this morning, God led me to Jeremiah chapter six. What a timely passage of scripture for this day and age we are living in. The word reprobate means rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. It is crucial that we understand that those who are called reprobate silver is a terrifying title that none of us should ever hope to have. I have created a video about this today. I usually do not share a lot of videos here because I enjoy the writing process, but the anointing of God was upon me on this video and I felt compelled to share it here.

Please watch this video, open up your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter six and read along with me. Share this blog post, the video, or scripture reference with those you think might need to hear this message. Allow this video to start a dialogue with you and those around you this weekend. May it create a desire inside you all to pray for this nation we live in and for the world. It is a wake up call for the wicked and a word of encouragement for God's people. I hope and pray that something you heard me say will be strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Answered Prayer | Thankful Thursday

It's Thankful Thursday; time to count our blessings. What has God been doing in your lives lately? What blessings are you counting today? I read a really encouraging passage this morning. I opened my Bible and there it was on the page. Don't you love how God does that? I want to share the verse today.

1 JOHN 5:13-15 (13)These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (14)And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us; (15)And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of Him.

This encouraged me when I read it because it tells me that I have assurance in Jesus that if I ask anything in line with God's will He will give me what I am praying for. Why is this so important to know? It is important to know that when we pray for things that God wants us to have, we will get them because it increases our faith. We do not have to doubt or fear that God will say no or ignore us. The enemy likes to torment us and say that our requests are trivial and God is too busy to be bothered. He makes us believe that God does not care about the cares and passions we have but that is a lie.

Today I am excited to know God loves me. He hears my prayers and He is going to answer me! That is something to be thankful for!! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 19 | Bible Study Wednesday

Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 19. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 14 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!

Verses 1-6

The heavens declare God's glory. What is glory? It is the Hebrew word kabod and it literally means "heavy" indicating a weightiness. It is His signature on our world. Like any artist that signs their work, God's glory is His name on all He created. When we see God's magnificent creation, we should pause and praise God our Creator. We should not worship idols, carved figures or nature itself. Why worship the creation when the Creator deserves the credit?

ROMANS 1:20-25 (20)For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (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. (22)Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23)And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (24)Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (25)Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

JOB 12:7-9 (7)But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: (8)Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee: (9)Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

JEREMIAH 5:20-25 (20)Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish (proclaim) it in Judah, saying, (21)Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: (22)Fear ye not Me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at My presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? (23)But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone (departed). (24)Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in His season: He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. (25)Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

It is very clear throughout the Bible that God deserves praise, honor, and glory. He alone is our Creator. We know that when we read the first book of the Bible. Genesis begins with God as our Creator. We must not forget that He made us and fashioned us to be like Him and to serve Him. We should appreciate the beautiful things He made but we are not to worship the sun, moon, and stars, or the planets and all that dwell therein. Let's remember God is Holy and worthy of all adoration and praise.

Verses 7-11

God's Law is perfect. It provides protection and help to us when we heed the warnings. God is a loving Father and He wants to protect us, so He gave us rules and mandates to tell us how we should conduct ourselves, interact with others, and fellowship with Him. When we veer off the path He has placed us on, we will get into trouble. There is danger and evil lurking on the sidelines and when we stray away from the road God wants us to walk on, we are vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.

DEUTERONONMY 29:14-29 (14)Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; (15)But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day; (16)(For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by; (17)And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:) (18)Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; (19)And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: (20)The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. (21)And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the Law: (22)So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it; (23)And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger, and in His wrath: (24)Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? (25)Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their father, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: (26)For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom He had not given unto them: (27)And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: (28)And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. (29)The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law.

David says this about the Law: it is perfect, restoring the soul; sure, making wise the simple; right and makes the heart rejoice, pure and enlightens the eyes; clean, endures forever, true and righteous; more to be desired than fine gold, and sweeter than a honeycomb. By these laws we are warned and when we keep the law we are rewarded.

The psalmist says in chapter 119 verse 72, "The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." Wow! What a great verse. The statutes and ordinances found in God's Word is worth more than all the wealth in the world. Why? Because it brings life and blessings and promises. In the same chapter, verse 127 he says he loves God's commandments more than fine gold. Do we love God's Law that much?

Verses 12-14

David ends this chapter with a prayer. It is something I believe we all should pray. He says:

Cleanse me from secret faults.

Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins.

Don't let sin have dominion over me.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight God.

You are my strength, my rock, my redeemer.

Secret faults are those things hidden away. We may have forgotten about them or maybe we did not think they were that serious. They are secret faults that can separate us from God. David said, "Cleanse me from them." Lord cleanse me today from these secret faults as well.

Presumptuous sins are arrogant, bold, brazen wrongdoings that will most certainly send us to hell if we are not forgiven of them. These are things done intentionally and most likely driven by emotions. David said, "Don't let these sins have control over me."

Lastly, David wants God to look at his words, his thoughts, and his heart. His desire is that it would be acceptable in God's eyes. He recognizes God is his source of strength and the One who delivers from sin and frees from captivity.

Sin is a suffocating cocoon. It wraps around us and holds us hostage. We are no longer free to come and go as we please. We are enslaved to sin and must serve it until we are freed by the power of God. It leads to spiritual death and eternal separation from God. John 8:24 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (slave) of sin. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I hope that as you joined me in diving deeper into this spectacular chapter of Psalms, you would be encouraged, enlightened, and empowered to live a life that honors God. I hope something you have read on my blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Show Up Anyway | Fuel For The Weekend

Each Friday God wants me to share my faith in such a way that it causes you to think, ponder, consider, and reflect on all weekend long. My desire is that each Fuel For The Weekend post is so thought-provoking that you begin a dialogue with your family and friends and discuss the ideas further. I may never know on this side of heaven if I am making a difference in anyone else's lives, but these blog posts strengthen me, stretch me, and encourage me to keep going in this race.

A friend asked me to do something for them recently. At first, I hesitated. I have not been feeling the best and did not want to do it, but I did not say no. I thought about it and was just not sure how to politely decline. I did not have any good reason not to do what was asked of me. So, I finally said I would do it. I was fasting at the time and that really takes a lot out of me physically. It is really draining and I already was not feeling well. I knew agreeing to do what was asked of me would be a good thing to do, but I did not fully understand the impact I would make.

I was able to minister to my friend, share about something deeply personal, and watch as tears filled their eyes. They found hope again and a different perspective than they had before. Sometimes it helps when someone who has walked in your shoes before gives you a glimpse of how your story could end.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-7 (1)Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: (2)Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (3)Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4)Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (5)For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. (6)And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. (7)And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

Paul, Javan, and I went out to look at some land. We thought it might be a good option for us and we were full of hope and excitement. We saw the property and it was nothing like we saw in the photos online. It was a disaster and even though our hopes were dashed for that particular property, we knew it was a definite "No" from God. That is encouraging because we got our answer immediately. We continue to believe there is something coming for us very soon. Until God answers, we will keep trusting and hoping.

PSALM 31:24 Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

PSALM 71:5 For Thou art my hope, O LORD God, Thou art my trust from my youth.

What do you plan to do this weekend? Who do you hope to bless? Whose situation can you speak life into? What encouragement can you give? Have you asked God to make plans for you this weekend? It is Mother's Day weekend. Some have lost their mothers, others are estranged, and some have toxic relationships with their mother. Not everyone has a Hallmark experience and I understand that. I hope that you will celebrate this weekend, thankful for a good mother, or a good mother figure, in your life. Was there a neighbor, friend, grandparent, or elder at your church you looked up to? If you are a mother, I want to wish you a very happy Mother's Day. Some have wayward sons and daughters. This Sunday may be hard for a lot of mothers who mourn their children in one way or another. I pray that God allows you to feel honored and loved like you deserve. Remember Jesus loves you so much. He will be your anchor, strength, refuge, Mighty Fortress to run to when times are overwhelming and hard. Don't miss the chance to bless someone else this weekend. You never know when your words can speak life into a dead situation and cause someone to hold a little tighter to God's unchanging hand.

EPHESIANS 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

National Day of Prayer | Thankful Thursday

Hello friends. Today is National Day of Prayer. It is a time of fasting and prayer for many of us. Some may have prayed in a group before work or school; others may have a special ceremony at church or elsewhere. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. That is very possible to do. It is to have a direct line of communication with our Heavenly Father who will meet our every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus according to Philippians 4:19.

In our world today, we have so much to pray about. There are issues in our cities, states, our country, our government leaders, and in our world. We have personal issues we are dealing with as well. There is no shortage of things to pray about.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus. Whatever we are facing, we can, and should, take it to God in prayer, asking our Heavenly Father, with gratitude. We are promised that when we take our problems to God and spend time with Him in prayer, we will receive the peace of God to keep our hearts and minds through Jesus. What kind of peace is it? It is the peace that does not make sense. It is peace that will cause others to look at you and wonder, "How can you go through all that and still have peace?" It is only peace that comes from God. Jesus said in John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. We may be facing some scary situations and we begin to allow fear to take up residence in our hearts, but Jesus is telling us not be worried or afraid because He gives us His peace.

We can confidently go to our Lord Jesus and ask anything we need and we know that He is listening to us and will help us in our time of need. 1 John 5:14-15 reads, And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, we know that we have the petitions that we desired Him. The key to this verse is that we ask according to the will of God. We cannot ask for selfish requests so we can be popular, have more money to spend on vain things, or to promote ourselves. We are here to carry out God's plan for the world and if more money or material possessions will cause us to stray or glorify self then we already know we are not going to receive those things. We must be in line with God's will.

A very popular verse, one that many of us have heard and/or quoted many times is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. I feel that it is so important to include in today's blog post. It says, If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. It is no secret our land needs healed. If we take the confidence we just read about and humble ourselves, pray, seeking God's face and not His hands, and repent of the evil and wickedness then God in heaven will hear us and forgive us and heal our land. America is a very sin-sick nation. It is time we return to our Savior Jesus Christ and repent of the wicked ways we have done and allowed in this nation. It is time to honor and bless God as a country. We must become humble again. We need to seek the face of God, not to get more blessings and things from Him, but to spend time with Him and honor Him and love Him.

I am so thankful there is a day set aside to pray and fast, for those of us who will do that. I am going to spend time praying and seeking God about some big needs in my life and in this world. I know He will hear and answer me. I have confidence that He cares about us and the things we care about. I hope that you will be praying, too.

There is nothing like praying to God and Him answering prayers. I love to prayer journal because there are so many things that we can look back on and see God's fingerprints all over. We see how we struggled and how God answered and how we grew. Many of you know that we, at Blue's Blessings, have three prayer journals available on Amazon now. You can see the Men's Prayer Journals here. We have a Women's Prayer Journal here. And we have Youth Prayer Journals which is an interactive workbook with devotionals, prayer prompts, memory verses, SOAP Bible study pages and room for note taking, plus so much more. It is a wonderful gift for graduations, Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, or anytime.

This Thankful Thursday I am thankful for the gift of prayer. I know God hears and answers the prayers of His children. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 18 | Bible Study Wednesday

We are 18 weeks in to the study of Psalms. Today we have a long chapter to cover! Have you read it yet? There are 50 verses and we are going to divide it up into six sections. If you have not read it, please do so and be in prayer to ask Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. I know it is a long text today but it is so important that we dive in deep to glean everything we can from today's passage. Let's get started.

Verses 1-5

David is celebrating the victory. This is a psalm he sang the day the LORD delivered him from the hand of Saul. He says in verse three, "I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." What has God delivered you from? I can feel the jubilation David is singing this psalm. He is elated that God spared his life.

Verses 6-19

David remembers that he called upon God to deliver him and God answered his prayer. He says God swiftly went to David's side to rescue him from danger. In verse 19 he says, "He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me." Can we say the same thing? Can we say God is delighted in us?

Verses 20-29

David shares about his lifestyle, his character, and his walk with God. He says, in verse 23, "I was also upright before Him, and I kept myself from iniquity." He stayed away from sin. He lived a life to honor and please God. He obeyed His laws and statues because David loves God. Are we doing the harder right or the easier wrong? David did not wait for trouble to come before he got his heart right with God. He did not wait for danger to surround him before he chose to obey God. In David's obedience and disciplined lifestyle, he was ready for God's protection and provision to be granted. He was in fellowship with God.

Verses 30-39

This section of scripture is David bragging on God. He is giving God the credit and the glory for strengthening him and teaching him what to do to be successful in battle. He says in verse 32, "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." He wants everyone to know that this victory was nothing David did. He glorifies and honors God with this incredible answer to prayer.

Verses 40-45

David recounts the victory. He says in verse 40, "Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me." We have the full armor of God according to Ephesians chapter 6 to battle our enemies. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We claim the victory over enemies today, too. Our victory was won by Jesus!

Verses 46-50

In verse 47 David says, "It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me." It is God. That is the key to the whole thing. It is only God that can bring us the victory. In Zechariah 4:6, the Word of the LORD came saying, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." It is not anything we can do in our own ability. Our victory is comes from the God!

Whatever we face in our lives; the struggles, the challenges, and difficulties, God is able to conquer it all. He gives us the victory and like David we can sing His praises and be glad that He has delivered us from the hand of our enemies.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens