Sand Castles | Fuel for the Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel for the Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. If it leads to discussions with your family and friends, even better!

Have you ever gone to the beach? The ocean is stretched out in front of you all the way to the horizon. The sandy shore is full of sea shells, beach towels, and people basking in the rays of the sun. Have you ever made a sand castle before? They are so pretty, especially when someone sculpts the clay and uses intricate tools to design a wonderful piece of art. The problem with sandcastles is they are unstable.

Sand is washed back and forth on the shore with the water. If you ever stand at the edge of the shore and allow the water to rush past your ankles and legs and sweep back, it will literally pull you toward the ocean. You will feel yourself sliding away from the shore and the sand beneath your feet is like a conveyor belt.

MATTHEW 7:21-27

Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.

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.

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.

And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

You see friends, the rain is coming. The storms of life will blow hard against our vessel. The bills will pile up and the finances will dwindle down. You may try to find a job and yet no one will call you back. You may get a poor report from your doctor, and your world may turn upside down. You may stand at the graveside of a loved one and wonder why they were not healed. Storms are coming. It will not be sunny and beautiful always. What will happen to you when these trials and storms rage?

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

These three keys will aid you through the battles of life that seem to never end at times:

1. Build upon the firm foundation of the Rock of Jesus. Know who He is and trust Him. Jesus asked His disciples who they say He is and Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matthew 16:16) And Jesus said upon that Rock, or the revelation of who He is, He would build His Church.

Matthew 16:17-19 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

2. Be a hearer AND a doer of the Word of God. It is not enough to go to church and hear a sermon. It is not enough to attend a Bible study. You must think of the Word of God like lotion. Apply it and rub it in. Do not just layer it on top of the skin and hope it will absorb over time. Something will happen and the lotion will be knocked off your arm and then you will have a big mess and your skin will not get the nourishment you need. The same is true of life. If you do not apply the principles of God's Word, then you will get knocked down by the storms of life and it will be a big mess and you will not have what your soul needs to survive. JAMES 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

3. Continue to pray and commune with God. In Luke chapter 18 it begins with Jesus giving a parable that men should always pray and not lose heart. We have to talk to God in prayer. It is essential. It is not only how we thank Him and praise Him for everything He has done in our lives, but it is how we obtain forgiveness, how we petition Him for what we need, and friends it is how we hear Him answer us. Jesus said this in Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Storms will come. Trials will never cease. We must not be taken off guard by them. Use these three steps to keep you anchored to Jesus, our Savior and you will be able to overcome any obstacle in your way. I hope you will study these scriptures deeper on your own. Talk to your friends and family about these things and discuss practical ways you can do these things in your daily walk with Jesus. I pray that something you have read on the blog today will give you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 10 | Wednesday Bible Study

 

Friends we are ten weeks into studying the Psalms. Each week I have learned something different in each Psalm. I have read these Psalms so many times but it is so refreshing to slow down and dissect each verse to really understand the heart of the Psalmist and to understand the heart of God. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. Today we turn to the tenth Psalm. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through the entire chapter and then join me in this study. It is so important for you to read the Word first. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to unlock these spiritual truths to you so you can hear and understand what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

The Bible does not state who wrote this Psalm. I am not sure if it was David, Moses, or someone else. What I do know is that this Psalm could describe the world today in 2022. It begins with a question to God. "Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?" Does that sound familiar? Oh, we may say it differently now in our modern language. We may say something like, "Where are you God?" or "Where was God when these bad things happened?" We may even speak harshly to God, "Why did you let this evil thing happen?" When times get tough and things seem to go wrong, we want to know where God is. Jesus asked something similar. Do you remember? He was hanging on the cross to pay for your sins and my sins, not His sins. He felt the separation from God. Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

Why would the Psalmist want to know where God is? Why would they feel the separation from God? The Psalmist wants to know why God feels so distant. Sometimes we face hardships in life and we say things like, "I just can't feel God's presence like I used to." "I do not hear as clearly as I once did." We mistake the feeling of separation for God's abandonment but we know that He will not do that. Jesus gave us the Great Commission in Matthew and He made us an incredible promise. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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.

The motive behind verses 2-11 is oppression. The wicked is prideful and they persecute the poor. The wicked boast of all the things they will accomplish. The wicked bless those who covet. The wicked do not think about God or even consider what God would want. The wicked cause grief to others. The wicked think they are invincible and unshakable. They do not think bad things will ever happen to them. Look at verse 7: His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under is tongue is mischief and vanity. The Psalmist goes on to say the wicked lurks in villages and in secret places murders the innocent, and secretly sets his gaze on the poor. The wicked is like a lion waiting to catch their prey; the wicked preys on the innocent and the poor. The wicked strong-arm the poor and then after all that will think to himself, "God hath forgotten: He hideth His face; He will never see it." They think they are getting away with the evil doings but they will not. God is always watching. 

1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 

Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He pondereth all his goings.

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

The rest of the Psalm is directed to God. Verse 11 reads, "Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Thine hand: forget not the humble." Here we see the request for God to raise His hand of authority against the wicked and as a shield for the humble and meek. I just love how verse 14 says, "Thou hast seen it; for Thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with Thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art the helper of the fatherless." That is so good. Abba Father is our Daddy God. He is helping us, the orphans and widows, and the poor. He is speaking up for the oppressed and shielding them from the wicked ways of the world. In verse 15, the Psalmist tells God just how he wants God to handle the wicked ones. And the final verse is one of triumph and deliverance. "The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land." Our God is King and He rules and reigns for ever and ever and without end. He will bring to nothing all the plans and wicked schemes of the enemy.

If you are struggling with situations that you feel are out of your control, or you feel oppressed and trapped by the enemy, do not despair. God is right there with you. He is not far off. He is not somewhere in the distance. He is right beside you and He will never leave you. He is going with you through the whole journey. Do not worry about the ways the wicked seem to prosper. Focus your eyes on King Jesus and let Him lead you to the Promised Land. He will lead you by still waters, take you into the lush green meadows, and will feed and sustain you in the presence of your enemies. He will help you and comfort you and protect you and fight for you! Be strong and courageous. Do not give up!

I hope today's Bible study has been an encouragement to you. It sure had strengthened me. I have a hard task in front of me today but I am reminded that God is with me and is helping me and going before me. I have nothing to fear or dread. I hope this has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Look What Sin Does | Ezra 10

 

We are wrapping up the last Wednesday in June as we wrap up the book of Ezra. Next month I have something fun in mind to do for the Bible studies. I hope you will enjoy it and even try to participate with me.

If you have not finished reading the last chapter of this book, please take the time to do so now. There are a lot of names listed but please do not skip over them. It is listed for a reason and we can see the big impact those names have on what has happened. As a reminder, I do not do a line by line study in this series. I am sectioning off the chapter in two parts. Let's begin.

Verses 1-11 Israel Repents

Ezra prayed. He confessed. He wept. He threw himself down at the house of God in humility. Something happens. Ezra is no longer the only one aware of the great sin and the consequences. Ezra is not alone. Men, women, and children came out in great numbers, weeping and wailing. Shechaniah confessed, "We have sinned against God." He admits taking the pagan wives was wrong but he announces that hope is not gone. There is still hope for the people of Israel. Shechaniah knew the nature of God and he comes up with a plan to get into a covenant with God and divorce all the wives they took that were not of their own nativity.

Let's sit with that for a moment. It seems cruel to rip families apart just because they were not Israeli women. In our society, we shake our heads and wag our fingers. Yet, remember God had the rule for them to only marry within the community He gave them. His rule was for the protection of His people. His rule was for the protection of His covenant with them. His rule was for the sanctity of their relationship. He is God and we are to serve Him. These women worshipped other gods and did not serve God. It cannot be both.

In today's "if it feels good, do it" society we think we can do whatever we want and live however we want with no consequences. That is simply not true. We are not to mingle with the world, and date just for fun, then get entangled in problems and drama that we could have simply avoided if we would hearken to the voice of God. Learn from the Israeli people in the book of Ezra. God has these mandates in place for a reason. It is not to exclude the world, it is to protect His children.

Divorce is common in our American culture today. In the Old Testament times it was not so. This suggestion for a massive dissolution of marriages was unheard of! This drastic measure gives us a glimpse of what desperation the people must have felt. Not only were the wives sent away, but their children were sent away as well. Sin never impacts one person. What one person does, good or bad, will always impact others. We must think before we act. There is too much at stake. 

For more clarification and education, I am going to quote some notes straight from my study Bible. "The Christian is not to leave an unbelieving spouse but rather to live in a manner that may win that spouse to the faith (1 Cor. 7:12-16; 1 Pet. 3:1-7). At the same time, the Bible warns the believer not to enter marriage with an unbeliever for one of the reasons that the Jews were not to do so--because it can weaken the faith of the believer. What is valuable and essential to a believer cannot be shared with an unbelieving spouse (see Neh. 10, Interfaith Marriage; 2 Cor. 6, Husbands). 

Sin is not pretty. I wish more churches would preach and teach on what sin is, how ugly things get when we choose to sin, and the real consequences of what we jeopardize when we disobey God's law. Jesus did not do away with the law. He came to fulfill the law and so we must not believe that God's law is no longer effective. Christian brothers and sisters, it is time to take sin seriously. Let's find the roots in our own lives and ask God to help us get rid of it. We cannot continue in sin just because God's grace is bountiful. Rather, let's turn away from doing those things that are wrong and sinful. 

Verses 12-44 Putting Away Wives

In verse 12, the congregation is unified in their decision to divorce their wives and send them away with their children. They must have all felt sad and great regret. All of the damage to these women and children would never have happened if they would have obeyed God in the first place. 

As usual with most sinful situations, it is complicated and multi-faceted. Now, the people have another issue to deal with. It's the rainy season and there are so many people that this cannot be done in just a couple of days. They see now how big this sin problem really is. The solution? They appointed officials to represent the people. Anyone who married a foreign wife would come at a set time with the elders and judges of their city and the process would continue until the unholy unions were dissolved and God was no longer angry with the people.

From verse 20-43 we read names of families and see the plural word: sons. Verse 44 says, "All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children." The book ends there.

Let that sink in. Marriages were destroyed. Families were destroyed. Sin caused the destruction. Who do you think enticed them that the grass was greener on the other side? The devil! He is a thief that only comes to steal, kill, and destroy according to John 10:10. We must be careful. The devil is clever, but God did not leave us to fend for ourselves. His Word, the Holy Bible is here for us to learn from. He tells us everything we need to know. Friends, life is an open BOOK test! We are without excuse. Let's be careful moving forward to not let pride, envy, greed, lust, or the love of money to rule our hearts. Instead let's operate in the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians teaches us that when we do so, there is no law to prevent us from being loving, kind, patient, gentle, faithful.... Let's walk with God and be aware of what we are allowing in our lives.

You may say, "Bridgett, I'm not living in sin. I am not married outside of God's will." That's great! But, there may be hidden sins we must ask God to reveal to us. Sin comes in many forms. It can be that we want what others have. FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out has been a driving force for people to go into debt to obtain things they do not need to impress people they do not like. Let's be real! We have enough stuff! What are we watching? If we are watching movies, tv programs, news, infomercials, or follow accounts of people who are always buying more stuff, we will soon want more stuff. Whatever we keep before our eyes, sooner or later will materialize. Trust and believe that!

What kind of music do we listen to? Songs about cheating and people leaving their husbands or wives, destroying other people's property, killing, and worse... those messages get into the minds of those who listen and before you know it, you begin to act out in ways that reflect what you listen to. Where do you go? Are you watching movies that have profanity and sex scenes? How is that honoring God? I am not saying stop up your ears, close your eyes, be a hermit, and never live in the real world. The Bible says in the words of Jesus, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:18,19) We are not of the world when we have been blood bought by Jesus. If you accepted Him as your Savior then you do not belong to the world. You won't ever fit in like the rest. You were made to stand out so you can be a light and a witness to the world about how good and wonderful God is.

Jesus loves us so much He died for us. He hated sin so much because He knew what it would do to us. Look what it did to Him when He took our sins upon Himself? The good news is there is not a sin that is too big or too bad for Jesus's blood to cover. He paid it all. He paid a debt that was not His and He does not ask us to pay Him back. He just wants us to love Him and serve Him and be obedient. When we do what He says we are not being restricted; we are being protected! 

David says in Psalms 139: 23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." We can pray the same thing. He will do it!

We can learn so much from the men and women in the Old Testament. I did not even do an in-depth study of this book this time and yet there was so much to glean from it. In Romans 15:4 it reads, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." The things we read in the Bible are for us to learn from. When we practice the ways of righteousness, we develop patience and find comfort in the Scriptures. That comfort gives us hope that we, too, can overcome. I know the men that were estranged from their wives were never the same. They may have thought about fun times they had with their ex-wives, favorite meals they cooked, or memories they made with their children. We, like Moses, can choose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25). It may seem fun for a while to embrace the world and follow their example, but the end is destruction and we will suffer the consequences.

I hope you have enjoyed this study. It has been a sobering study and honestly I never expected to get this much from one book. It is incredible the encouragement and lessons packed into ten short chapters. I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Scriptures For Tough Times | Fuel For The Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EXODUS 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HEBREWS 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

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

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

~Bridgett Owens

The Truth About God | Fuel For The Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then read His words in John.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God bless you! Have a wonderful weekend friends!

~Bridgett Owens

In the Garden | Wednesday Bible Study

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! I love this holiday. Our family tradition is to make cookies, cake, or cupcakes with green frosting and then we talk about what the holiday means. I love everything about Ireland, shamrocks, and rainbows. I don't believe in luck. I know we are blessed. I don't believe in leprechauns or magical creatures. I do believe the rainbow is a sign of God's promise and the real pot of gold is knowing He loves us! I think of three leaf clovers and am reminded of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. But today I want us to study a different topic. I want us to study John 20. There's a lot to unpack so let's begin!

John 20:1-2 (1)The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. (2)Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him.

Let's take a look at what has already happened. Jesus has been brutally crucified at Golgotha, The thieves on either side of Jesus had not yet died so the soldiers came and broke their legs. Jesus was dead so they did not break His legs. One soldier took a spear and pierced our Lord's side; blood and water flowed. There was no doubt Jesus was dead. 

One of Jesus's secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathaea had begged Pilate for the body of Jesus and Pilate granted him permission. Nicodemus, another secret disciple of the Lord, brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes and the two men wound the body of Jesus in these spices and linen grave clothes according to the Jewish tradition of burial. 

John 19:41-42 says, "Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." In this garden was a new grave that no one had ever used before. The grave was nearby so they chose to lay the body of Jesus there.

Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James and Jesus and other women had gone with spices to the garden tomb that held Jesus' body. They may have gone while it was still dark so they were not seen. This was a very tumultuous time.

Jesus was so young, only 33 years old. He had loved well, taught well, healed well, and forgiven well even on the cross. The Bible tells us Jesus' back looked like an open plowed field and now these women who have suffered shock and grief like none other are going in mourning and deep sadness to anoint the body of Jesus with these special spices but when they got there they were in for a shock!

Pilate had ordered soldiers to place a boulder at the entrance of the tomb. Soldiers stood guard to make sure the tomb was not disturbed. Pilate knew Jesus said in three days He would rise again and they wanted to prevent anything from happening that might cause people to believe in Jesus and lead to a revolt. They hoped that since He was dead things would settle down and people would forget about the things Jesus taught.

There were no soldiers standing guard when the women arrived and the stone was rolled back. They did not see the body of Jesus. What must have been in their minds? Grief, shock, anger, disbelief, fear! Any of those emotions and maybe all of them could have flooded their minds. What have they done with Jesus? Where is He? What is going on? Hadn't they done enough when they crucified Him? Is this some cruel joke? Where is Jesus?

Mary Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and the disciple Jesus loved. She must have felt panic rise in her throat as she told them what she saw and what she did not see. She told the men that someone had taken Jesus's body but she did not know where.

Sometimes in our own lives we think things will be one way, and as we walk in grief, pain, and loss we believe that nothing could feel worse than what we are going through, until we encounter another set of circumstances that leaves us reeling. I can understand the fear and uncertainty that must have filled their thoughts. The confusion and questions that started to form. Who did this? Why? Where is Jesus now? What could be done about it?

John 20:3-10 (3)Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. (4)So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. (5)And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. (6)Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie. (7)And the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. (8)Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. (9)For as yet they knew not the scripture that He must rise again from the dead. (10)Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

The two men run to the grave. They didn't believe Mary. There was no way it could be possible. They saw Jesus die on the cross. They saw the tortured body hanging there and heard His cry to the Father as He gave up His Spirit. They knew He was buried with a stone rolled in front and guards at the entrance. 

Peter lagged a little behind the other disciple but once at the grave he went straight to the place Jesus should be laying. He wasn't there. The grave clothes were in one spot in a bunch but the napkin that would was around Jesus's head was folded neatly in a different place. Who would have taken the time to fold the napkin? If this was the job of a grave robber, why wasn't the linen clothes and the napkin all in a pile together?

The significance of the napkin and grave clothes was steeped in Jewish tradition. According to Citizen Times, the Jewish boys would set up a meal for the master and they would wait, out of sight, for the master to finish eating. If the master left the table the servant would know they could clean up if the napkin was wadded and tossed aside. This meant, "I'm finished." The grave clothes indicated what Jesus had declared on the cross, "It is finished!" (John 19:30)

If the master needed to leave the table but was not done eating, the napkin would be folded and the servant would know not to disturb anything on the table. The folded napkin implied, "I'm coming back!" And so we realize the folded napkin was Jesus telling us that He is coming back!

John 20:11-16 (11)But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, (12)And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13)And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. (14)And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. (15)Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. (16)Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

To recap, Peter and the other disciple left and Mary stayed behind. She was crying. The grief was more than she could take because she did not know where Jesus was. Sometimes in our grief and pain, we can honestly question where is God. We may wonder are we supposed to suffer alone? The answer is no. Jesus knows how we feel and He is with us in our suffering, offering a way of escape. She stooped down to look in the grave one more time. Sometimes we get so low and we have no hope but we think maybe I need to look again. Maybe He is near!

Mary looked inside the grave, the place of death, the shattered dreams and hopes, and she saw two angels dressed in white. They were not in dark mourning clothes because He was no longer there. One sat at the head and another at the feet. It was to let her know Jesus was resurrected but she didn't see it. 

In her grief and despair, she did not even realize she was speaking to angels. She was so distraught and undone that she could not even be comforted at their presence. They asked her why she was crying. She said it was because someone took her Lord away and she doesn't know where they put Him. She doesn't even ask them if they knew anything about it. Have you ever had such despair and loss that you miss important clues that God is in the midst of your circumstances? Have you been so upset that even those who are there to console you are unrecognizable?

Mary stopped looking in the tomb: the place of death. She stopped looking at the finality of everything she hoped for and believed in. She turned around and saw Jesus, but she did not even know it. When tragedy strikes in our lives, and we have more questions than answers, and we feel lost and hopeless: Jesus is there. He comes to our rescue and if we will turn around we will encounter Jesus.

Jesus asked her the very same thing the angels had. She thought he was the gardener. She is in the garden after all: a place where things bloom, blossom, flourish, and thrive; a place of beauty, hope, and peace. She did not recognize his voice in that moment. Sometimes God will take us into a place of transformation that is so incredible, we do not immediately recognize what we see and hear. 

She feels hope spring into her heart. She doesn't tell Him why she is crying. She has hope and she says if you know where they took Him, please take me to Jesus. There is something about being in the presence of God that you just need to be where Jesus is. You have hope. You don't rehearse your problems. You request something from Him because you have hope that it just may happen.

She must have turned aside looking for Jesus. He says her name: Mary. That is all He has to say to us. He simply says our name and immediately we know! We know the voice of our sweet Shepherd and immediately the problems, worries, doubts, and fears all fade away. Mary knew the gardener was Jesus! 

Rabboni means teacher and she was respecting Him. She could have called Him a thousand different things but she chose to call Him teacher! 

John 20:17-18 (17)Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God. (18)Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.

Mary Magdalene started to embrace Him, but He could not let her do that yet. He sends her back with a message. She was to go back and tell the others the incredible news that Jesus is alive! It must have been all she could do to not run and cling to Him; so thankful and grateful to see Him again.

John 20:19-23 (19)Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (20)And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. (21)Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father has sent Me, even so send I you. (22)And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; (23)Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Imagine the mixture of emotions. Relief, gladness, joy, peace, hope all springing up in the hearts of all who saw Him. He enters with a blessing of peace. His sudden presence in the room must have startled them. The door was shut and secure.

Jesus offers proof that He is the same Jesus who took the nails in His hands and feet and the spear pierced side. He was wounded for our transgressions. He spoke peace to them again; the nail scarred hands and pierced side must have reminded them of the cruel way He died just a few days prior. The emotions still so raw, and so He gave them His peace. He then breathed on them and gave them His Spirit. He empowered them to forgive or retain sins. What a special view we have of the Savior. He has been resurrected and now He empowers His disciples to do a special work for Him. Can you imagine the celebration?

Jesus gives us His peace, too. No matter what we are going through, He will speak peace over us and breathe His precious Spirit over us. We have Holy Spirit inside us leading us, guiding us, and comforting us.

John 20:24-29 (24)But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. (25)The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe. (26)And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. (27)Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. (28)And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. (29)Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Thomas had not been with the others when Jesus came to them and breathed His Spirit on them. The others told him what they experienced but Thomas did not have the faith to believe it. He remembered the Lord being crucified. 

The circumstances may not match what others are telling you. Maybe you have praying family or friends and they are telling you Jesus can help. Maybe you are reading this blog and I am telling you Jesus is a way-maker, a promise keeper, a hope giver, a healer, a friend that is closer than a brother and it may not feel like that's true. Maybe you struggle with having enough faith to believe God is going to do everything He said He would do. Friend, don't be like doubting Thomas. He said he would doubt unless he was able to have proof he could actually touch and see. He did not believe hear-say; it seemed too outrageous, too impossible. Friend, don't doubt; only believe.

Eight days passed and Thomas had no encounter with Jesus. Day after day he never saw Jesus face to face. He may have replayed the conversation over in his mind. Maybe he hoped they were telling the truth but he just couldn't believe it for himself.

Eight is the number of new beginnings. He gave Thomas a fresh start. Eight days later He revealed Himself to all the disciples and spoke directly to Thomas to feel the wounds in His hands and shove his hand into His side. Thomas was face to face with Jesus and declared My Lord and My God. 

One day all will proclaim My Lord and My God, but not all will enter heaven because they wanted to see it before they believed it. Look what Jesus said to Thomas. He told him to believe and not doubt. He said you believe because you see it, but blessed are those who believe and cannot see. He is talking about us. We cannot see Jesus in the natural right now. We cannot touch His nail scarred hands and feet. We cannot see the holes where the sword pierced His side or the thorns were shoved into His precious head. We can choose to believe anyway.

Maybe things are really bad. You may have lost your job, lost a loved one, had sickness and a bad diagnosis yourself, but Jesus is with you! He loves you. He will help you through the tough seasons. He will carry you through the grief. Maybe you received bad news and feel like it's out of your hands to fix it. Give it to Jesus and He will fix it for you!

John 20:30-31 (30)And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: (31)But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing ye might have life through His name.

What a precious end to this chapter. For us, it is not really the end, but simply the beginning. We read about the events at the empty tomb to remind us that whatever grave markers are in front of us, we still have hope when we have Jesus. We may have lost some things in the past year, but God is walking with us. He sent His only Son Jesus to die for our sins and then raised Him from the dead so you and I can have life through Jesus. 

I know the waiting season can be so long. The winter season is so hard with death, frozen dreams, impossible circumstances, loss, grief, pain, discomfort, and sorrow, but spring is coming! The ground will thaw. Everything the enemy stole from you will be returned in better condition than it was taken. God is a giver and a lover. He is a good, good Father and He cares about us. He tells us to cast our cares on Him because He cares about us. (1 Peter 5:7)

Next month is Resurrection Day! We celebrate the grave could not hold our Savior. Jesus is alive! But let this truth be ours every single day! No power is stronger than the power of God. Is Jesus in your heart? Is your heart His home? Have you called on His name? Have you believed in Him? If you haven't, now is the time!

Are you struggling in your faith? Is the season you are going through hard and long and feels like it never will end? Take hope in knowing Jesus is with you.

He loves you.

He helps you.

He protects you.

He equips you.

He provides for you.

He wants to fix what is broken and all we have to do is ask and believe He will do it.

Genesis 2:8-9 (8)And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden: and there He put the man whom He had formed. (9)And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

It all began in the garden of Eden. Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested. He was buried in a garden near the place He died. Jesus appeared as a gardener after the resurrection. We are still in a beautiful garden, tended to by the Master. He plants us, waters us, makes us grow and thrive, and when we have done everything we needed to do, He gently removes us from this earthly garden and takes us Home.  

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

~Bridgett Owens

Compassion | Wednesday Bible Study

Merriam-Webster defines compassion as, "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Have you ever watched a commercial featuring starving children in a third-world country with flies swarming their bony bodies and bloated bellies? Or have you watched a commercial showing animals who have been abused and tortured, missing limbs or eyes? It's heart-breaking. If you thought it was awful and went on about your day, you were not moved by compassion. It doesn't mean you aren't a caring person. But for those who scribbled down the phone number and grabbed their debit card to make a donation to help save the children or the animals, they were moved by compassion. They saw the distress of others and it motivated them to fix the problem, or meet the need. It's a great trait to have.

My grandmother taught me to pray for compassion. I have done so since I was a young girl, long before I fully understood the concept. Throughout my life I have felt bad about situations for others, but when I was an adult I was moved with compassion. I wanted to fix the problems or meet the needs in whatever way I could. 

Starvation, poverty, abuse, neglect, addiction don't go away regardless of the prayers that go up, the money raised, or the things we do. Some say why even bother, but we might make a difference in at least one person's life. We must have compassion! In Mark 14:7, Jesus said, "For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but Me ye have not always." He said this to Judas that later betrayed Him. Judas was angry the expensive perfume was used for Jesus. Judas said it should have been sold and the money given to the poor. He was actually greedy and held the purse, so he was thinking of all the money that could have made him wealthy. Jesus said there will always be those in need and we can help them whenever we have the means to do so, but this was a special anointing for His upcoming death.

We can read the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament and find many passages on compassion. The Psalmist wrote many times of the compassion and mercy of God. He had made mistakes in his life, committed adultery, had her husband killed, numbered the people out of pride, and yet he would repent to God and was always pardoned. That compassion and mercy God showed David was so appreciated David proclaimed it over and over throughout the Psalms.

PSALMS 86:15 But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

In  Lamentations we are reminded that we are not consumed in our wickedness because of God's mercy. His compassion does not fail. He looks at us in this sinful state and moved with compassion He sent His Son Jesus to come to this old, cruel world and die for our sins. He wanted us to be in His family that much!

LAMENTATIONS 3:32 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

Jesus healed a lot of people while He walked the earth. He saw people in great need and He didn't think, "Gosh, that's too bad. I hate that for them." He was moved with compassion to feed them, heal them, restore their sight, and to save them!

MATTHEW 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Peter speaks of compassion in his letter. He tells everyone to get into agreement, have compassion for each other, love as brothers, be pitiful and courteous. What kind of world would it be if all did that? What if each person on the planet came together in agreement, having the mind of Christ, feeling compassion for their brothers and sisters, and were courteous? Wow! I can only imagine it would be a wonderful place to live! 

1 PETER 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

We are supposed to have compassion. The question John asks in this passage is how can we say we have God in our hearts but we do nothing about the needs around us even though we have the ability to help. Can you mail a card to someone in the nursing home? What about getting groceries for your elderly loved one? Would you be able to make a donation to the homeless shelter or humane society? What needs are there in your home, your neighborhood, your family, your community that you can meet or help with? Show how much love of God you have by giving.

1 JOHN 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

We just left one of the busiest giving seasons of the year, but as a Christian we are called to have compassion every single day of the year. Beyond the physical, mental, and emotional needs of others we are called to have compassion who are in spiritual need as well. The tiny book in the Bible just before the grand finale of Revelation is Jude. It instructs us to build ourselves up on our most Holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. We are told to not only have the love of God but to keep ourselves in that love. We are to look for the mercy of Jesus unto eternal life and as we see those who stumble along the way, walking in the darkness, unaware of the saving grace of Jesus, we are to have compassion, making a difference in their eternal future. And others we have to save with fear by telling them hell is real and there's a real devil who hates them and wants them to burn forever because he wants to deceive the world. When we tell them, the Bible says we are pulling them out of the fire because we hate even the evidence of sin.

JUDE 1:20-23 (20)But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most Holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (21)Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (22)And of some have compassion, making a difference: (23)And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Do you have compassion? If not, pray and ask God to give you compassion. If we open our hearts to others and meet their needs or offer some help along the way, we are doing the same to Jesus. What are some ways you can have compassion in 2021? Make a list of things to help others. Give someone a compliment. Let someone go ahead of you in line. Hold the door for someone. Do the nice things, but don't forget the spiritual needs. Who can you share a scripture with? Did you read a Bible study or devotional lately that touched you? Why not share it with someone else? My friends and I have a weekly Zoom Bible study and it's such a blessing. Do all you can where you can when you can and watch God bless it and make it grow!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Laundry | Bible Study

Laundry is the one chore that I actually enjoy. It is very satisfying and in 2020 we have it pretty easy compared to when my mom and my grandma had to do laundry on a wringer washer or by hand using a washboard. I remember watching my grandmother do that and it was WORK! Now, all I have to do is drop in a detergent pod, push the start button and walk away! The machine does all the work for me. Even though it is a simple process, sometimes life happens and I get behind on the laundry and when I am facing Mt. Washmore, I get discouraged and struggle with feeling guilty for not doing it sooner and feeling stuck with where to get started!

Before we moved from Indiana to Alabama, we had a lot of laundry to wash. We were facing a tight deadline to get things packed and ready to go. The kids had too many clothes and we wanted to wash everything before we left. The task was too overwhelming to do with our washer and dryer at home, so we went to a small, neighboring town to their laundromat. Their washing machines are larger than my washing machine and so we were able to get more washed. We started the machines and sat down to wait.The room was large and hot. Washing machines and dryers were left unattended and the repetitive buzz of the machines made me drowsy.  I watched the water rise, clothes tossed around, and I began to think how life is a lot like washing laundry.

Here are five ways I found laundry to be symbolic of life:

1. You are not in it alone.

It would seem wasteful of time and resources to wash only one garment in a washing machine. Often we wait until we have gathered several garments together to make up a load and that gets tossed inside the machine. When we get overwhelmed in life, we sometimes think that we are by ourselves, no one else feels this pain, no one else has this hardship, and no one else is going through the difficulties we are. During this pandemic when social distancing and safer-at-home practices are in place it can feel like we are isolated and alone but the truth is we are not. We truly are all in this together.

Elijah was a powerful man of God; a prophet who showed many mighty signs and wonders with God's power inside him. He made Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, mad and Jezebel sent word to him that she would kill him the next day. He knew she would keep her promise because she had killed before. He was so scared he ran into the wilderness and traveled a day's journey to get away from her. He thought this was the way it would all end. Exhausted, he lay down under a juniper tree where an angel of God fed him and gave him some water. The angel encouraged Elijah to take strength from the food and drink. He lasted 40 days and 40 nights on that meal! At just the right moment, God will send provision for us and it will get us through the tough times.

Elijah finds a cave and moved in. The Word of the LORD came to him and asked him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" If God was to look at us right now, would He ask us the same thing? Are we thinking it's over, this is the end, as we hide out in our own caves? Would God ask us, "What are you doing here?"

Do you feel disconnected from the world? Maybe you find solitude to be a blessing. There is no pressure to do anything. There are no deadlines, no assignments, no tasks hanging over your head. Is God asking you what you are doing there? Remember we always have the assignment God gave us to reach others and win souls. What are we doing where we are?

Elijah tells God in 1 Kings 19:10, "I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." He feels like he's the only one left that will serve God, the only one left who is doing the right thing, the only one left that is trusting God. He looks around and sees the evil. He listens to the threat of the enemy that wants to take his life. His circumstances show him that he is isolated, alone, and outnumbered, but God sees it differently.

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.

God reminds Elijah that He has a remnant of people who still serve Him, who won't compromise, and who won't worship another god. God is telling us the same thing today. He has a people who love Him, serve Him, worship Him in Spirit and in Truth and we are not alone.

2. God is in control.

Sometimes life feels like it's out of our control. You spin one direction and it takes a little bit for everyone to get on the same page and things are going pretty good and then out of nowhere someone changes the rules and you spin the other way. Like the clothes that get tossed like a salad, you feel things are changing faster than you can keep up. Suddenly you feel you are on a carnival ride at the mercy of the operator. It is scary and you might start to feel helpless and hopeless. Don't lose heart, God is right there with you.

David was a man after God's own heart. He wrote a Psalm to God when he felt overwhelmed and reading it comforted me many times. David is a king when he writes this and I am sure as the ruler of many provinces he had his hands full. He knew where to go when he felt like the clothes on the spin cycle and we can go to the same place.

PSALMS 61:1-3 (1)Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. (2)From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (3)For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

We can run to the Rock that is higher than us, too. That Rock is Jesus and He will sustain us. He will help us. He will lead us and guide us. He will tell us what to do and Holy Spirit will comfort us.

3. God is with you in the middle of the mess.

Lately I feel the large task of moving back to Indiana while recovering from Covid and having little strength is more than I can bear. I know God is with me and He is for me and I know He always makes a way where there seems to be none. You may be facing a situation that seems bigger than you or your resources but do not give up! God is with you. He will not let you drown. He will go with you!

ISAIAH 43:1-2 (1)But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. (2)When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

What an incredible promise! If you keep reading the LORD our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior, says we are precious in His sight. He goes on to say He loves us. He tells us not to fear for He is with us, even everyone that is called by His name, for He created us for His glory. Let's look away from our circumstances (and yes, I know that is hard!), and turn our eyes to the Savior. He is telling us He loves us and He is with us. Regardless of the hard or difficult or painful situation we are in, He promises to be with us. God said we will come through victorious and free from harm! Do we trust Him that much?

4. There is purpose in the pain.

It does not seem like much when we drop a detergent pod, or sprinkle washing powder, over the clothes. The water activates something in the soap and it begins to make suds. If we are careful it will not spill out of the machine and onto the floor. Even having the correct amount of soap, it can get really sudsy in the water and the bubbles start to take over. We are happy to see that in the washing machine, but we are not as comfortable in the natural. We want to be cleansed, but sometimes the purification process is no joke! The spiritual soap gets rid of spots and stains on our spiritual garments. We have to allow the process to purify us so we can be clean.

PSALMS 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

PSALMS 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

When we face hardships in life, God can use those circumstances to purify us. Often the rough times can be the stain remover we need on our souls. The times of strain and struggle are like the scrubbing of the clothes on the washboard. It may not be pleasant at the time but the results are wonderful!

HEBREWS 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Even though it is not fun in the moment to get corrected by the LORD, it is profitable because we get the peaceable fruit of righteousness. There is a purpose for the pain. We must look to God and ask Him to help us see the point in the problems we face. What lessons does He want us to learn? How can we be cleansed through the turmoil? He will show you!

5. You are being planted, not buried.

We can carefully place the clothes in the dryer and gently place a dryer sheet on top, but once we hit the start button everything inside is tumbling about. Along life's journey it gets bumpy and clumsy-feeling at times. Sometimes we start out with a neat plan for our lives and we are on top and before we know it, circumstances start shoving us and moving us and we can find ourselves buries beneath the weight of all that we thought we had conquered. Maybe we have some time to catch our breath and get our life together and the process begins again. A friend of mine recently said to me she was looking forward to when the trials and tests would be over. I gently encouraged her to keep her faith strong because as long as we live we will endure these hard times. It helps to grow our faith and strengthen us as Christians.

2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:12-14 (12)Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; (13)But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (14)If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.

The hard times come and the hard times go. It might feel like you are being buried beneath the weight of it all, but you are not. You are being planted. Let the Word of God take root in your heart. He is planting you right where He wants you to be. He may uproot you sometimes but it is always to place you in a fertile place where you can grow, bloom, and thrive. He may uproot you many times in your life and it can cause you to wonder why it has to be like this, but God is developing character inside you, giving you opportunities and experiences you could never have if you stay in the stagnant soil He wants you to leave behind. Trust the Master Gardener.

Ephesians 3:14-19 (14)For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15)Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (16)That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; (17)That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18)May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19)And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Friends, regardless of what we are facing, remember we are not alone, God is in control, He is with us, and there is purpose in the pain. You may feel like you're going under and being buried, but you are not. You are being strategically planted in the fertile soil you need to grow and thrive in order to bloom into the man or woman of God He created you to be. I hope something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Transitions | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried coming up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction. I am going for it and it's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

It's finally the weekend! This week has been a long one and battle after battle in the spiritual realm. This is the last weekend I will have off with my current employer. Starting Monday I will be on the final countdown of my 30 day notice. I begin a new job the following Monday and so I am in a bit of a transition period. It seems our country is in a pivotal moment as well. Many things are shifting and taking place in ways that are new and different and maybe even a little scary but we do not need to be afraid.

God spoke to me in my prayer time and quiet time of listening to His voice. He spoke to me in my spirit and I wrote down what He said. He told me that He was going to give me a job that I did not apply for. I had already experienced Him do that a few years ago and so I knew He would do what He said. I was not sure what I was going to do or where I would work but one day I got a call with a job opportunity, had the chance to interview that same day, and was hired on the spot! They were even willing to wait the 30 days it took for me to give my notice at work. I am looking forward to a new leg of this journey I am on and definitely in need of a change from my current work situation.

The election is the buzz around social circles everywhere. People are blasting one another with their opinions over who is the best candidate and who should be President. I am sad to hear so many people cut each other apart with their political debates, spewing hatred from their lips, appalled that anyone might have a different opinion than theirs. This division and strife does not come from Donald Trump or Joe Biden. These attacks are from satan and he desires to separate family and friends, neighbors and colleagues, and especially the church! We are the body of Christ: brothers and sisters and we must not allow the wiles of the devil to destroy what God has worked so hard to build.

I am praying for unity in the United States of America. We are not the Divided States of America. I am praying that families, churches, politicians, teachers, neighbors, friends, colleagues will come together with the common goal of sharing the message of hope, love, healing, and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ alone. I am praying that we can link arm in arm regardless of who we vote for and push past the pain we are causing each other. It's time to be known as God's children and we can only do that through love!

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind, one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Luke 6:27-28, 31 (27) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, (28) Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (31) And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Friends, we are in the very end of time. For those who do not have their hearts ready, that may be a hard thing to hear. You may be fearful and reluctant to believe that time is ticking away. The Bible tells us we are like wildflowers here today and gone the next. None of us know when we will be called before God's throne to give an account of our life. None of us know when the trumpet will sound and God will call His people Home. We must not be afraid of that day. To the Christian who has prepared their heart it is a time of jubilee and celebration. Our King is coming and we get to go Home soon!

I am ready to leave this world of trouble and pain and suffering behind. I have many unsaved loved ones: family and friends. I do not want to see them be lost. I am praying for them and for those in my city of Mobile. I desire for God to set this city on fire for His glory and to further the Kingdom. My 13 year old son had been closely watching the election results and was getting concerned about the outcome. He said, "Mom, I think God wants me to tell you this. I think that the devil is just using this election to distract people from doing good things for God. We are all so busy checking our phones and watching for the results of the election that we don't have time to do things for God." Wow! I was so blown away! Yes, out of the mouth of babes! He is so right. God confirmed that in my prayer time but it is easy to see it when we walk in the Spirit and not after the flesh.

Please continue to pray for this nation, pray for President Trump and his family and VP Pence and his family. Pray for Biden and Harris and their families. Pray for the elected officials who have won and will soon serve this great country. Pray we turn our hearts back to God. Pray that we stop tearing each other down and start building one another back up. Pray for healing and unity and justice FOR ALL. We are created in the image of God and He sent Jesus to make us all free. We are free from the slavery of sin and bondage that held us bound and was sentencing us to eternal separation from God. We ALL have a chance to make it if we will strive to enter in to the gate. Straight and narrow is the way and few be there that find it. Make sure you are on that path. God has so many great things in store for His children. Do not grow weary. Do not give up and do not give in. God is is control and He is victorious. Through Jesus we are all more than conquerors and He always causes us to triumph!

God bless you! God bless America, and America, please bless God!

~Bridgett Owens

Pop Tarts and Toasters | Thankful Thursday

 Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I will continue to share what I am thankful for each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

I wanted something sweet. I had a small savory meal but wasn't quite full and thought a sweet treat would be in order. I am battling a sinus congestion/head cold situation and so I opened the pantry in search of something light and pleasant to the taste. I saw the box of strawberry Pop-Tarts. I glanced over and saw no one had bothered to put the toaster up from using it last, so I placed the two pastries in the slots of the toaster and waited. It didn't take long for the heat of the toaster to soften the delicate rectangles and then it happened...

The pop of the toaster alerted me that it was time to remove these dear frosted goodies from the jaws of the toaster. The right slot released the Pop-Tart with ease. The left was not ready to let go. I looked inside and saw that the Pop-Tart had slipped outside the protective "clamps" of the toaster and it was stuck! I quickly unplugged the toaster and grabbed a fork to help me finagle the sugary, gooey, pastry loose. It was not budging. I tore part of the top. I shook the toaster, and urged the Pop-Tart to come out, cheering it out, "Come on!" It sunk further. What could I do?

I picked the toaster up in both hands, shook the toaster, held it upside down, and with the help of the fork tines, eased the pastry onto my paper towel. It looked terrible. Next to the perfect Pop-Tart it was torn, beaten up, and broken. I looked at the poor thing and all I could see was the strawberry gel tempting me to gobble it up. I did not care that my bedtime snack was not Pin-worthy. I did not mind that it was torn up and in pieces. That pastry was for me to sink my teeth into and enjoy. I savored it and then I thought about how much life is like that whole situation.

We get in our lane and we are busy doing our own thing. The heat of the trials of life are lighting a fire inside us and we can be sweeter than before we were pressed so hard. The metal clamps of the slot can tighten around us but it just secures us so we can fully take the heat and pressure without collapsing. Sometimes we are like the pastry on the right. We come out unscathed and even admired but some. Other times we are like the pastry on the left, we collapse and get broken, but we can still be used for a great purpose.

Lately I have felt like the pastry that slipped between the wall of the toaster and the center holding section. I feel like I have been poked and prodded and nudged. Sometimes I hear a friend or family member cheering me on. Sometimes I feel like my world is shaking or even upside down. Do you know what the good news is? When I finally slink out of the hot toaster slot of life, I am still valuable. I still have a purpose. I can still do what I was created to do and the heat maybe made me a little sweeter.

After suffering the loss of my father in 2013 I could have quit nursing school. He passed away during my Christmas break. I did not want to go back to nursing school. It was literally all that I could do with God's help to go back. I had several patients who were about my dad's age; those men had colon cancer just like my dad. As I held their hand to redirect them from pulling out N-G tubes, spoke softly as not to startle them waking from anesthesia, and offered a smile of hope they were not alone it felt like I was more compassionate than before losing Dad. It was bittersweet.

Sometimes life is great and we feel like we are on top of the world. Have you had some times this year where it just felt like you were riding the wave and everything looked great? I know God has given me some of those moments recently. This week has not felt like that. It felt more like the big wipe-out in front of a crowd of people, left me feeling disappointed and mangled like the Pop-Tart. But I know God looks down into my circumstances like I looked into that toaster. He sees the stuff on the inside of me that He put there and He works hard to get me out as best as I can. When I am bruised and broken, He shines His light inside me and reminds me that I can still burn bright for Him.

1 Peter 4:12-13 (12)Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (13)But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

 Romans 8:35-39 (35)Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36)As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37)Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. (38)For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39)Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is great news! We shouldn't think it is strange when we go through problems or difficulties in life. If we end up like the Pop-Tart on the left, don't think it is something awful and dreadful that you will never bounce back from. You are a child of the Most High God! He is in your corner. He may have to get some creative devices to help you out of the space you get stuck in, but even if He has to move mountains to get you free He will do it! Nothing we go through, no setback, delay, or disaster is going to keep us from God's love. We are in the palm of His hand and He loves us. This Thursday I am thankful for strawberry Pop-Tarts, toasters, electricity, paper towels, forks, my Bible, and for the God who never gives up on His children! Because I am a hot mess most of the time!

I hope you will leave me a comment below and tell me what you are thankful for today! I am always grateful for the friends God sends to my blog each time I post!

Hugs,

Bridgett