Showing posts with label HowToEndureStormsOfLife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HowToEndureStormsOfLife. Show all posts

Monday, November 25, 2024

Sea Walker | Miracles of Jesus Christ

I have been enjoying studying the miracles of Jesus. When I began this series, I thought I was just going to talk about Jesus being a healer and showing proof with all the miracles He has performed. Yet, there is so much more to every story, every passage we have looked at. Today will be no exception. Three of the four Gospels share the story of Jesus walking on the water. We will look at Matthew, Mark, and John today to read what happened on the heels of the last miracle we studied, where Jesus fed 5,000 men not including women and children with two fish and five loaves of barley bread.

Matthew 14:22-26 And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Mark 6:45-48 And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people. And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them toiling in rowing: for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

John 6:14-19 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone. And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

What an incredible turn of events! Jesus is being recognized as the "prophet that should come into the world" but it was before His time. When the people wanted to take Jesus and make Him their king, He got out of there and went alone to pray. It must have been so difficult for Jesus to know that His Kingdom was not of this world but He knew that the people saw something more in Him than just another man. He has authority over all powers and even nature, which is something no one ever experienced before. Jesus convinces the disciples to get in a ship and head toward Capernaum while He stayed on the mountain alone praying.

Sometimes I think when the noise of the world drown out the ability to even think clearly at times, we need to retreat and get alone to pray. We must do what Jesus did in the times of overwhelm and chaos from the multitudes all trying to get to Him. I have seen clips on television where fans would trample one another just to get close to a celebrity and they practically worshiped them. The celebrities would be so overwhelmed by the crowds that sometimes security would have to remove them so they did not get hurt. I think this must have been similar to what Jesus faced but on a much larger scale. He is the Son of God and has power no other person on earth has. He is healing people, delivering people, demons are being cast out and forbidden to return, and He is teaching people, feeding them, and His following continued to grow. This was partly why the Jewish religious leaders of that day were offended at Him and jealous. 

Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him and He lingers back to pray, but then something happens. A storm blows across the sea. Jesus sees the whole thing. He sees the storm and He sees the disciples fighting against the wind and sea and struggling. None of the disciples know He is anywhere near them. Have you ever felt like you were in a ship on the open sea fighting angry waves and wind that was trying to capsize your vessel? Did you feel like Jesus was anywhere near you?

Matthew 14:27-32 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught Him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Mark 6:49-52 But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out; For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: It is I; be not afraid. And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

John 6:20 But He saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

Peter got to walk on the water when He realized it was Jesus and not a ghost. Then he saw his circumstances and panicked. He was walking on the water with Jesus but the things going on around him made him afraid and he began to sink. He would have drown if Jesus had not saved him from the stormy sea. He was an avid fisherman and I believe he could swim because another place references Peter jumping into the water when he was fishing after the resurrection. I believe the sea was so tumultuous from the storm that he would not have survived if Jesus did not rescue him.

Sometimes we take a leap of faith and things are going great as Jesus is telling us to follow Him but as we take our eyes off His and look at our surroundings we lose our bearings and begin to sink in the overwhelm. It is a lesson for all of us to focus on Jesus and not on the things going wrong around us. Each of these accounts tell us that Jesus immediately tells them to not be afraid and He announces who He is. I believe He does that with us, too. If we would open our spiritual ears to hear His still, small voice I believe we would hear Him saying, "Do not be afraid. It is I." What a comforting image.

Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God.

Mark 6:53-54 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore. And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew Him.

John 6:21 Then they willingly received Him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

The supernatural miracle to me is the timing of their departure from one shore to their arrival on the other. They had only rowed about four or five miles away from the shore when this terrible windstorm on the sea wreaked havoc on their ship. Jesus comes in and saves the day like He always does for His children, and then when He gets into the ship they are at land again, but this time they are in Gennesaret.

Sometimes we are doing all the right things to the best of our ability and we are going where God called us to and we run straight into a major storm! It can leave us questioning if God really told us to do what we are doing. It can make us wonder if we are in His will, how can these tragic circumstances be a part of His plan for our lives. Jesus knew the storm would rock their boat and He did not warn them, but He watched them and He came to them!

Notice that once they welcomed Jesus into the ship, the Bible says "willingly received Him" then they were immediately where they were supposed to be. They supernaturally arrived at their destination because Jesus was on board. Trust Him in the storm you are facing and watch Him deliver you to destinations you were heading much quicker than you ever could have made it on your own!

Friends, it has been another incredible journey through the miracles of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for you! I hope and pray that something I shared here today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Calming the Storm | Miracle of Jesus Christ

Have you ever been in a situation where it felt like there was no way out? Maybe you were facing something so overwhelming it felt like you would not make it? Was there ever a time when you felt like if God did not intervene you would lose everything?

When we think of the miracles of Jesus Christ we may think of how He healed lepers, opened blind eyes and deaf ears. Those are actual miracles Jesus performed. These historical accounts serve to deepen our faith and remind us that God loves us and wants to help us. While those miraculous events are encouraging, sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we need God to move quickly and that is what we will see today as we read from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. As we read what happened in a life-threatening situation long ago, we can hold onto faith knowing Jesus is still able to meet our needs rapidly today.

Matthew 8:23 And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him.
The first thing Matthew tells us is that Jesus boarded a ship and the disciples followed Him. These are men in relationship with Jesus. He talks with them. He has performed miracles in their presence. They know and trust Jesus. Do you? Have you spent time with the Master? Are you familiar with Jesus? If He went onto a ship, do you trust Him enough to follow Him? Would you first want to ask some questions about the destination or perhaps the weather conditions? Would you need some time to think about whether or not you should go? The disciples followed Jesus without questioning Him. 

Matthew 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep.
Things were going well at first. Jesus lays down to rest. Have you ever been on a boat and the waves begin to rock the boat and the sun is warm against your skin, and then a cool breeze blows out across the water? Recently my family took my mom and my sister's family out on the water. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed our time together. My son fell asleep and my brother-in-law stated he was so relaxed he could take a nap, too! 

The disciples had no idea everything was about to change! A storm comes up quickly and the waves start crashing against the sides of the boat, and then the waves get bigger and they are getting soaked. The Bible says in Matthew's account that the ship was covered with waves. I can imagine that would be terrifying and anyone who may have dozed off was no longer sleeping! Except, it says that Jesus was asleep! The storm did not move Jesus. He was not concerned about the waves or how threatening the situation had turned. He is asleep!

Sometimes we may feel like we have been blindsided. Maybe a diagnosis or a loss of some sort has taken us by surprise and it seems like our only hope is not around. Maybe we feel overwhelmed and attacked on every side. Where is Jesus when the storms of life rage around us? He may be near but it feels like you are fighting this battle all alone.

Matthew 8:25 And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
The disciples went to Jesus. Have you gone to Him? In their desperation they beg for Jesus to save them. They feel as though they will die. They want Jesus to calm their nerves, to put their minds at ease, and to fix it. Do you want that? Are you in a place where you are running to Jesus to save you because you think you are not going to make it? It is not wrong to do that. We must turn to our Savior and ask Him to get us through these circumstances, but we have to want more than a life preserver from Jesus. We need to know that Jesus can solve any problem we have, but when we are asking, do we believe that He can change things, or do we just hope so?

Matthew 8:26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 
Notice that Jesus speaks to the disciples before He speaks to the wind and sea. He asks the men why they are afraid and why they have so little faith. You see, He has done miraculous things in front of these disciples. They know the power that He has but they ran to Him in fear instead of asking from a place of faith. It is sometimes very difficult to remember that Jesus wants to help us. We are safe just because He is with us. Keep in mind, Jesus does not reject the disciples because they asked in fear, but rather once again displays His power right before their eyes. He commands the situation to be still and immediately it is calm. Jesus did not calm the disciples, He changed the circumstances. 

Matthew 8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!
The disciples are surprised that Jesus answered their prayers. They are safe. They are with the Peace Speaker and everything is okay. Now they see Jesus in a different way. They are in awe that Jesus has power over nature. There is no limit to what He can do.

Mark's account is quite similar to Matthew, but let's see what Mark's experience was.

Mark 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
The disciples are with Jesus in the evening and Jesus suggests they cross over to the other side of the sea.

Mark 4:36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships.
So Jesus and the disciples sent the multitude away after Jesus had been teaching them, There were other little ships near where people were most likely boarded to listen to Jesus speak. Jesus and His disciples are all on the same ship at this point in the evening.

Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so it was now full.
Mark shares that a terrible storm came upon them and the ship they were in was filling up with water as the waves are beating into the vessel they are in. The water is high enough to splash over into the ship. This is no small matter. They are in danger of losing their life if something is not done.

Mark 4:38 And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish?
Did you catch that? Mark says Jesus is laying on a pillow! He is good and comfortable. Jesus is in the stern of the ship sleeping while they are scared out of their minds! They wake Jesus and ask Him if He even cares that they are about to die. Have you ever asked something similar? I know I have. I have felt like Jesus was not concerned about how bad things were in my life and in my health especially. I wondered if He had forgotten me. We all can face circumstances that feel so overwhelming and heavy that it can feel like we are left to fight the winds and the sea alone while Jesus is safe and comfortable somewhere else.

Mark 4:39 And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
In Mark's account, Jesus got up and told the wind and the sea to be still and there was a great calm. It wasn't just an absence of stormy conditions, but there was a big change in the atmosphere. Have you ever been in a situation where God came on the scene and it was instant peace? I know I have and there is nothing like experiencing the power of God in that way.

Mark 4:40 And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Jesus calmed the storm and then addresses the disciples and asks them why they were afraid and how is it they have no faith. Of course Jesus understands that the storm and the waves crashing overboard is a scary situation. He knows the humanity of the men that are with Him. He is not telling them they are wrong for being afraid of the storm. He is reminding them there is no reason to fear anyone or anything when they have their confidence in Him.

Mark 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?
The men who witnessed the power of Jesus were in awe that He had authority to do more than the healing miracles they saw with their own eyes. They had never encountered anyone with the ability to command the wind and sea to obey. Jesus does not condemn the disciples for being fearful and lacking faith, but rather challenges them to think differently about who He is and what He can do. It is almost as if He is saying, "Guys, you are with Me so there is nothing to be afraid of. Simply believe in Me."

We have heard from Matthew and Mark, now let's turn our attention to the book of Luke. The physician takes four verses to discuss what happened that day on the lake.

Luke 8:22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
Again we see, as in the other Gospels, Jesus is with His disciples and wants them to go with Him to the other side of the lake, and so they did. I think this is very important to highlight that it is Jesus's idea to take this boat trip across the water. Could it be to show the disciples, and ultimately all of us, another side of Jesus we have not encountered yet?

Luke 8:23 But as they sailed He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
Luke states that as they sail along Jesus falls asleep. Again, not an unusual experience. Jesus may have been exhausted after ministering to the multitudes for so long and now He is resting before they go to the other shore and He begins to minister again. Luke's account says that as the weather changed they were in jeopardy. This is not just a scary moment because of the high winds and choppy water, but the ship is taking on water and Luke lets us know their lives are at stake.

Luke 8:24 And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Again, we see the disciples turn to Jesus. Something about Him makes the disciples run to Him to save them and help them. If Jesus was just an ordinary man, would they have ran to Him to save them? It is doubtful. Why are they not looking to one another for help. Instead, they run to Jesus. It is important not to gloss over that fact. We Christians know that Jesus is our hope and our answer, but the disciples do not have the New Testament to read. They are living this out and it is important to note that they expected Jesus to do something to help them.

Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and the "raging of the water." It is important for Luke to describe the situation. There was a violence to this storm. It was not just a rain shower. There was a real threat felt by all the men aboard the ship. Luke says they call on Jesus and state, "We perish." This is a different perspective than Matthew or Mark had. Luke remembers the encounter as they were in danger of dying and so they addressed Jesus with that news. Luke says that when Jesus rebuked the storm, the raging ceased and there was a calm.

Jesus will take the chaos and the raging of spiritual storms in our own lives and will rebuke them, leaving us with a peace and a calm that can only happen with His authority. We must not think we are alone to fight these rough battles, because Jesus is with us and we do not have to be afraid.

Luke 8:25 And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.
We should note that Luke only quotes Jesus asking where is their faith. He does not mention that Jesus asked why they are afraid. Perhaps this stuck out more to Luke that Jesus is questioning their faith. Jesus could have said a lot of things to them. He could have bragged about His ability to calm the wind and sea, but He did not do that. He gently asks them where their faith is. He was teaching them to put their trust in Him. He is teaching us that today as we look at these passages.

What battle are you in? Do you feel like you are facing some storms that came on suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere? Did you find yourself following Jesus and doing what He asked of you and yet this raging, angry storm appeared knocking you off your feet and you feel as though you are in jeopardy? Friends, don't be discouraged. That same Jesus who calmed their storm and removed their fear, is the same Jesus who is offering you the same solution. He wants to be your storm chaser. He will provide peace and calm to the chaos that threatens to destroy you. Where is your trust? Where is your hope? Where is your faith? Let it be found in the Peace Speaker, the Master of the Wind and the Tamer of the Sea.

I have enjoyed looking at these miracles of Jesus Christ with you all. It is so rewarding and enriching for me to dig deeper into the Scriptures and reflect on what Jesus did when His disciples felt as though they were going to drown. It reminds me that He is not going to let me go under either. I pray that you are encouraged today and that this has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you!

Bridgett Owens

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Psalm Chapter One | Bible Study Wednesday


PSALM CHAPTER ONE BIBLE STUDY

Verse one says those are blessed who choose not to live their lives after ungodly advise. Blessed are those who choose not to spend time with the ungodly. Blessed are the ones who do not sit and fellowship with scorners. The book of Proverbs tells us in chapter four, verse 14, "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men."

The Psalms are written by David, Moses, and others. My Bible does not say who wrote this first Psalm but it is one of my favorite passages to read. It is packed with wisdom; real-life, timeless knowledge that has remained true through the ages.

So if the blessed person is one who does not do those things, what should they be doing? Verse two tells us that they delight in the law of the LORD and think about it day and night. These people are actively pursuing the things of God. They check in with Him before they make decisions or go about their day. These are the ones who have focused on putting God first in their lives and the Bible calls them BLESSED. In Joshua chapter one, verse eight it reads, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make they way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Staying in the Word of God is key to being successful in 2022.

The promise of God to those blessed people, (which includes you and me if we are doing those things), is found in verse three. You and I will be like a tree planted by a water source like a river. The roots go deep and are watered by the river. We can plant ourselves in the center of God's Will. He is the Water of Life and we are to drink freely. He sustains us. He nourishes us. He refreshes us. In time, in the right season, we will produce fruit that shows we are rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus. The things we say, the way we do anything, the way we treat others will all reflect back on our relationship with Jesus and we will bear much fruit. 

The Bible says our leaves won't even wither. This is huge!!! The scorching sun beats down on the plants and when it hasn't rained and it has not been watered, the leaves dehydrate and shrivel up. If we get away from the source of life-giving water, which is Jesus Christ, then we will dehydrate. We will become sick, and dry and we will collapse. The Christians who crawl through troubles and tribulations are those who have been disconnected from the water source. They need refreshing from the well that won't run dry! If you can relate and you say, "2021 drained me dry," then I have great news for you, get up, crawl if you must, but go to the source of the living water. His name is Jesus and call upon Him. Ask Him for a refreshing and watch Him do it.

We get disconnected from the life-sustaining water source when we take our eyes off Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith. When we grow weary in the waiting, we look at the circumstances and temporary situation we are in. This distraction has now caused us to worry, doubt, fear the future, and lose hope. We start to dehydrate. The situation God placed us in for a time, but not forever, has now become a source of despair and with the disconnection to the well of Living Water, we are now collapsing beneath the weight of the worry and sorrow we have allowed to take up residence in our hearts. If we had remained connected to the Living Water, we would have been unmovable. Have you ever seen a tree near a river? Those things are huge! They are strong and you cannot budge them an inch! They are steady and unmovable. That is the way God wants us to be: strong and unmovable regardless of what is going on around us. Snow and bitter cold may be near the icy stream but you cannot knock that tree down! Extreme heat and dry ground may be around the tree but the roots are down into that river and it is not going anywhere!

Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 7 & 8 read, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green: and shall not be careful (or anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." The key to producing fruit when others are not, when the circumstances around you says you should be failing, too, is remaining connected to the God who can never fail. How do we do that? We look to God, hope in His Word, and trust Him to see us through. We understand that things are tough and less than ideal, and maybe even scary, but we know our God is bigger and capable of bringing us out better than when we entered.

What about those who choose to live life on their own terms? We were given the choice to follow God or to say no and do our own thing. God will never force anyone to serve Him or love Him. He does not desire robots to do His bidding, but rather desires a relationship with His children that He loves so much. The Bible has a promise for them, too. Verse four says that these promises are not for the ungodly. They are life chaff, not much substance to them, and when the wind blows it scatters them. They are not steady, they are not secure. They are blown away and separated from the familiar and what once held them together. Job 21:18 says it like this, "They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away." Isaiah paints a vivid picture of what this look like. In Isaiah 17:13 it reads, "The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind." Chaff is the unusable part of wheat. It gets discarded. We are to be like the wheat and not the chaff. Let's remain rooted in Christ so we can be useful to Him and not blown away when life's storms threaten us.

One day God will return for His people. We all face the judgment seat of Christ. Some will see that they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and are wearing the righteousness of Christ. They will receive the crown of life that has been promised to them. Others will stand before God as judge and jury. He will have Jesus sitting right by His side and they will be without excuse. The perfect Lamb of God offered them the gift of eternal life and they refused. Verse five says this, "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment." Remember the way the leaves collapse without water? These trees were never rooted and grounded. Their leaves always dried up and withered and were unable to stand erect. These people are unable to stand in the day of judgment. There is nothing they can do but bow the knee and confess Jesus Christ is Lord, though they will forever be separated from Him. Verse five goes on to say, "Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." God will separate the sheep from the goats. There will be no sinners among the congregation of the righteous. The righteous made a choice to follow Jesus and live for Him. There is no fellowship with sinners because they do not want to hear about the things of God. They do not want to praise God or talk about His goodness or read His Word. So they will not be found in the congregation of the righteous. Why would they be? They do not desire to be among God's people.

The sixth and final verse says that the LORD knows the way of the righteous. In Psalm 37:18 & 19 we read, "The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." What an incredible illustration of how good God is. When the rest of the world is starving, God's people will be not only filled, but satisfied. They will have more than enough! The end of verse six is this, "but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Today is the day of salvation. If we are rooted and grounded in Christ, we have promises to be: sustained, satisfied, helped, refreshed, renewed, and bear fruit. If we are not, we have a chance today to get connected to the life-giving Living Water of Jesus Christ. If you once were rooted and grounded but you feel yourself slipping away, leaves withering, collapsing beneath the load of care, it's not too late for you. Plant yourself in the Word of God and allow the fertile soil to give you nutrients you are longing for. Stay by the River of Life and allow your roots to be hydrated by the source that will never run out. Come back to the refreshing stream.

I want to pray with you all before we end our Bible Study session today,

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for my friends and family that read my blog. I do not know every single person You lead here but I am thankful for them just the same. Lord I am asking that You bless my brothers and sisters in Christ who are planted by the streams of Living Water. I ask that You continue to bless them and nourish them like only You can. Father God, I am asking that You would show my brothers and sisters who were once deeply rooted and grounded in You, how to make their way back to You. Your arms are always open and You love them so much. Help them plant themselves in Your perfect will and help them to heal and refresh and renew at Your healing waters. Raise them up God so their leaves never wither or dry up. And God I am asking that You would save those who do not know You. You love them so much You sent Your Son Jesus to die on the cross of Calvary to give them eternal life. He died but You raised Him from the dead and I ask that Your resurrection power would quicken the spirits of those who do not know You. LORD I pray that they would forever be changed and would begin to grow roots that will ground them to You and Your Word in the precious name of Jesus. Amen

I hope something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you,
Bridgett Owens