Psalm 6 | Wednesday Bible Study

Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible Study. This year we have started studying the book of Psalms. We are working our way through this delightful book in the center of the Bible. It is found in the Old Testament and in it we find psalms written by Moses, David, and Solomon. Chapter six in Psalms is a Psalm of David. It is the first of seven penitential psalms. These penitential psalms were recognized by the ancient church as dealing primarily with sin and forgiveness of sin. If you have not taken the time to read these 10 verses, please take the time to do so. Feel free to take notes, cross-reference verses and study this further on your own. Let's begin.

Verse 1 David opens the prayer up with a plea for mercy. He is requesting God not to reprimand him when the LORD is angry. It has been said that correcting a child when one is angry will cause that child to become bitter and angry, too. If one has an opportunity to cool off, then they can reason with the child and the child will then learn the lesson and hopefully not do it again. David is asking God not to correct him in God's hot displeasure. This is David acknowledging that he had sinned. He is not pleading innocent. He is not making excuses. He just wants God to be gentle with him right now.

The Bible tells us God corrects those He loves. Proverbs 3:12 "For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

Verse 2 David asks God for mercy. He tells God, "I am weak." Now that David admits to sinning, he can see that he was operating in the flesh and our flesh is always weak. Do you remember when Jesus was talking to Peter? They were in the garden of Gethsemane and Jesus was going to be crucified. It was just a short time before Jesus was arrested. Peter wanted to die with Jesus but now Peter gives in to slumber in the garden when he should have been watching Jesus and praying with Him. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." We all know that Peter denied Christ three times right after Jesus was arrested. David recognizes his flesh is weak. 

David says his bones are "sore vexed" which literally means his "entire being" were vexed. Hebrews thought such suffering was connected directly with sin. This then would indicate David is begging for mercy because he is asking for forgiveness of sin.

Verse 3 Have you ever wondered how long you would suffer? Did you ever ask God, "How long?" David is sorrowful over the wrong he had done. He feels that separation from God because sin always separates us from our Holy Father. He longs to feel close to God again. It is not just a plea for God's pardon, but he longs to have that fellowship again. David wants God to mend their broken relationship. 

Verse 4 David asks God to return to him. David was a man of worship. He loved God and was devoted to God but that did not give him a pass on sin. He still had to confess it to God and allow God to cleanse him and set him back in right standing. David says "Save me for your loving kindnesses sake." He is calling out God's character now. David is saying in essence, "God I need you to save me. I know you are kind and loving and merciful. Please let me feel Your presence again."

Verse 5 This verse is interesting. David begins to talk about death and dying. Sin always leads to death. Remember in the garden of Eden when God told Adam not to eat the fruit of a specific tree? Genesis 2:15-17, "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." The reason they died the day they ate of it was it immediately separated them from God. Sin always creates a schism between us and God. They did not die immediately upon one bite of the fruit, but they did begin to die because of the separation of sin. Disobedience is a sin and they willfully disobeyed God. They heard what God said and knew what the instructions were, but when they heard another voice that sounded more appealing they went with the decision to do what they wanted to do. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

James 1:15 tells us when sin is finished it brings forth death. David is making a case for his forgiveness. He tells God that when we die we no longer remember God. We are not able to praise God in the grave. We can no longer thank God for what He has done and is doing when we die.  In Psalm 115:17 it reads, "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence." David is basically saying that he wants fellowship again with God, so he can praise and worship God like he had before.

Verse 6 David is not just sorry that he has sinned against God, he is sorrowful. He has been covering his bed with tears. He is exhausted from the groaning and grief he feels. He has been wrestling with this for a while. He is weary. He wants God to be merciful to him and deliver him. Can you feel the wrestling he is going through in the spirit? He wants to be reconnected with God.

Verse 7 David continues to speak of his grief and how it is affecting him. In another Psalm, David shares his heart about how he is feeling. Psalm 31:9 "Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul, and my belly (body)." This grief in verse seven is overtaking his whole being. He does not want to live without God's fellowship.

Verse 8 David begins to speak to the sinners around him. He is telling them to leave him alone. He no longer wants to be a part of what they are doing. Sometimes we have to cut ties with people. Sometimes we have to separate ourselves from workers of iniquity. If we continue to spend time with them and learn their ways, it will not be long before we find ourselves separated from God. 2 Corinthians 6:18-18, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Verse 9 David says, "God heard my prayer of repentance and He has forgiven me." He knows God received his prayer. He knows God is listening. He wants us all to be saved and repent from our sinful ways. God wants to save all of us from the destruction of doing whatever we want. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Just because something is popular or it looks like a lot of people are doing it, does not mean it is Biblical or pleasing to God. We must pray and ask God to help us know what to do and how to do it. Many will find the wide gate and the broad way to hell. The straight gate and narrow path that leads to life is less crowded. Not as many people want to sacrifice anything for God. Not many are willing to stand out or be different in an effort to be closer to God.

Verse 10 Victory at last! David has received God's pardon. He is forgiven. He is cleansed. David prays all his enemies will be ashamed and greatly troubled. He says they will turn around and suddenly feel ashamed. We know the devil is our enemy. When God forgives us in His grace and loving kindness, we know the enemy is angry and has no choice but to turn around and run. He is no match for God and he never will be. James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

The Bible tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," according to 1 John 1:9. We are all imperfect human beings. No one goes through this life without sinning. We read in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." If you have sin in your life, please tell God. He already knows. Just tell Him what you have done and ask Him to forgive you. The Bible promises you will be forgiven and He will put you back in right standing with Him again. He longs to be in relationship with His children. Be like David, and admit you have sinned and ask God to forgive you, and just like God forgave David; He will also forgive you.

I hope you have enjoyed today's Bible study. It is such a blessing to dig deep into the Scriptures and break the Bread with you all. Share today's blog post with someone you think could benefit from today's lesson. Feel free to leave a comment below, or you can email me if you would rather do that. I appreciate all the feedback and kind words you all share with me. Have a blessed day!

~Bridgett Owens

Working It Out This Weekend | Fuel For The Weekend

What are you working on this weekend?

I do not have to work this weekend and I am really thankful. I have a lot to do and it seems like I just get going good on a project and then I have to stop and get ready for bed. There never seems to be enough time to tackle everything on my to-do list. I save a lot of things for the weekend but it would be really nice to have a break and not really have any special plans for the days I am off. What are you planning on doing this weekend?

The Bible tells us some things we need to be doing, not just this weekend, but each and everyday. There are a few verses over in Colossians chapter three that I want to cover. I hope this gives you some insight on what God expects from us. I will be working on these things and I will be praying God strengthens you for the work He is calling you to do. Please say a prayer for me, too.

COLOSSIANS 3:12-25 (12)Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (13)Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (14)And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (15)And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (16) Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (17)And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. (18)Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. (19)Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (20)Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (21)Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (22)Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. (23)And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily; as to the Lord, and not unto men; (24)Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. (25)But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

That's a lot to take in all at once. We will begin in verse 12 and dissect each verse to see what it is that we should be doing according to the Word of God. We may think we know what is expected and we may know in part, but it is always good to read it for ourselves and then ask God to help us get in line with His plans for us. That truly is the best way!

Verse 12 tells us to put on bowels of mercies. What does that even mean? This is a place of tender and sympathetic feelings. The world needs more kind, sympathetic people to meet them where they are, especially in the world crisis we are living in. It says to put on kindness. Just like putting a coat on before we go into the cold weather, we should be putting on kindness. We need to be kind to one another. It is a cruel world we live in and everyone we meet is fighting some kind of battle, whether we know it or not. We are to be kind to others, whether they are kind to us or not. What does it mean for us to put on humbleness of mind? It goes along with being meek. It is not thinking more of ourselves than we ought to; realizing we are all flawed human beings and we all need grace, love, and mercy. Do I have to tell you about longsuffering? It is having patience, suffering long with others. We may get frustrated or upset when others do not respond the way we want them to, or as quick as we want them to, but friends may I remind you that you and I are still on the Potter's Wheel. We are still being shaped and formed into the men and women God wants us to be, to reflect His image. We must be quick to help with loving kindness just like Jesus does for us.

In verse 13 it continues the list of things for us to do. It tells us to forbear one another. That means to not punish someone when you have the right to do so. It is being merciful just like God is to us. He does not hold our sins against us after they have been nailed to the cross of Calvary and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. He could have made us all suffer death but instead He gave us eternal life. We are to forgive one another. It does not matter who is right and who is wrong. Choose to forgive those who have wounded you. It is not worth it to hold grudges and harbor unforgiveness in your heart. It clearly says we are to forgive others as Jesus Christ forgave us. And verse 14 tells us above all of the other things we put on, we must not neglect to put on charity. Charity, or love, is the bond of completeness. When you love others you will want to show them mercy and kindness and think more about them than you do yourself. You will quickly forgive because you know what it is like to be forgiven.

We get a benefit if we are doing these things. Verse 15 says the peace of God will rule in our hearts. We are called to live in peace and harmony with other believers in the body of Christ, and we are to be thankful. I keep a gratitude journal and I found it changed my whole outlook on life. I journal at the end of the day what I am thankful for. I have a little journal I like to write my top three things in. I have another journal that I just write a few sentences. It caused me to focus more on the good things in my life than on the bad. It changed how I looked at things I once perceived as negative. Now I can see good in nearly any situation. It is wonderful how many benefits come from having a thankful heart.

None of these things come naturally to us. We only know to do good things from reading God's Word every single day. In verse 16 we are urged to let the Word of Christ live in us richly in all wisdom. When we fill our minds with the things God wants us to know, to learn, and to do we will respond in a way that pleases Him when troubles and trials come our way. We are to teach and encourage one another, warning each other of danger that comes from living apart from God. We do that in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. We are to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. We do not sing to one another, but our audience is One: Christ Jesus. 

You may already know what you plan on doing tomorrow and all weekend long. You may have everything planned and ready to go. So verse 17 applies to you, too. It says no matter what you do or say, do it all in Jesus's name and give thanks to Father God by Jesus. No matter what we say or do, it should always honor our Heavenly Father and glorify the work Jesus did on the cross. Whether we are going on a trip, spending time with others, or doing routine housework, we should make sure we are loving others and following the principles found in God's Word.

Verses 18 through 21 are directed to the family unit. We wives are supposed to honor our husbands and respect them as the spiritual leaders of our home. We are to respect their authority and place as head of the home. We should be praying for our husbands who have a great responsibility to lead us and the children. Husbands should love their wives and not be bitter against them. If they come home to someone who is constantly complaining, ignoring them, saying unkind things about them to the children or others, it could be hard to want to come home. We need to make sure our home is a safe place for them. We want them to find refuge in our home from the unkind, cruel world. They shoulder much responsibility and will have to answer for the way they led their families and we must not hinder them. Children are reminded to be obedient to their parents because this pleases the Lord. It makes Him happy to see the family unit working properly. It will not be perfect but if we follow God's guidelines it can be close. Fathers are instructed not to provoke the children because it can discourage them. A child who is picked on and teased mercilessly will tend to rebel and withdraw. We have to be so careful to love our children and rear them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. They will get enough provocation from the world.

When we work for someone we are to do our best, not in order to please them or get a promotion or self-gain, but so we can honor God with all we do. We do not earn salvation by doing good works, but when we know what a tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for us, it will cause us to want to do whatever we can to honor Him and please Him. We may get a paycheck from that employer but our provision comes from God and He will choose any company or organization He desires to meet our needs, so we need to work enthusiastically and sincerely for God when we go to work. If we are doing yard work, we need to do it to the best of our ability, thankful for the opportunity to do things that others may not be able to do. If we have the mindset that we want to honor God with our words and actions, we will find the day goes better and we have that peace ruling in our hearts. We know from verses 24 and 25 that God rewards our efforts. We will either be blessed because we have done the things that please God, or we will be punished for doing wrong. God does not play favorites. He does not bless one person and harm another. He daily loads us with benefits. He loves us so much that He has ransomed us from our sinful ways and redeemed us to be a part of God's family. We have eternal life to look forward to.

I hope that if you have any bitterness in your heart toward others that you will take it to God and ask Him to help you forgive and forget. Let Him help you mend the breach so that you will be surrounded by peace and joy and love. I am going to work on these things today and all weekend and not just for a few days. I want to make this a way of life. I have been working on it for years now and I know God continues to help me learn and grow as He continues to shape and mold me into His image. I hope and pray something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Thankful For God's Peace | Thankful Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

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

~Bridgett Owens

Seeing Father God | 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.

I have had an incredible time with God this morning. He has given sweet peace to me. I am full of His love and His Word and His joy! What a beautiful way to end the work week and start on the weekend: in His presence!

In my quiet time the LORD directed me to today's verse. I read it, then read it again, and underlined it. It is so beautiful and this one verse is packed full of insight, encouragement, and hope. If you need any of those things, then I invite you to sit at the table with me as we break the Bread together!

ZEPHANIAH 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.

Isn't that a beautiful verse? God is in the midst of us. In the middle of our struggles, in the middle of our pain, in the middle of our loss, in the middle of our sickness, God is in the middle of it and He is mighty! He is powerful. He is not weak. He is not scared. He is not concerned. He is not frantically searching for answers on how to handle our problems. He is in control. He is mighty! He is the solution to every problem we face. He knows what to do! Sit in that knowledge for just a moment.

What are you facing right now? What hardship are you going through? You may be struggling with difficulties and maybe you thought this year would be better. It may have started off worse than last year started. There is hope! If you are a child of God, He is with you in the middle of the suffering and He is mighty! He is powerful! He is extraordinary!

He will save. Are you saved? Are your loved ones? Your friends? Your coworkers? I have a list of people I am asking God to save. It breaks my heart when I think they may leave this world without the Blessed Hope of God in Christ Jesus. So many people think if they are good people and do nice things that they don't have to have a relationship with Jesus and they are still going to heaven. That is a lie! The Bible tells us that if we try to go in any other way than through the door of Jesus Christ we are a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) God wants to save you and your loved ones, your friends, your coworkers...and the whole world. He sent Jesus for that purpose. (John 3:16)

I love this next part. He will rejoice over you with joy. When we line up our thoughts and our lives to reflect His ways He rejoices over us with joy. There is great happiness inside God that wells up and He rejoices over His children when they are walking upright before Him. I have an image in my mind of God, our loving Heavenly Father, sitting on the edge of His throne, looking down below, and seeing the ones who struggle and strive but never lose hope, never lose faith in Him and He begins to rejoice. He is happy! It pleases the Father when we obey and do His will. It makes Him glad to see us walking fully in our purpose. He loves us so much and He rejoices over us with joy! He takes great pleasure in us. Isn't that precious? I am holding this scripture so close to my heart this morning.

He will rest in His love. Some translations say He will quiet you with His love. Just as a parent soothes their child with hushed tones and gentle hands, our loving Heavenly Father rushes to us to quiet us with His love. He soothes us. The pain, the torment, the aggravation, the loss... it melts away when we are enveloped in His love. We are soothed and quieted. The storm that rages around us is not as scary in His arms!

Another translation says He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins]. And one other translation says In His love He will no longer rebuke you. Isn't that another beautiful illustration? He loves us so much He will not bring up the things we have done wrong in our past. The things He has already forgiven us for, He forgets. He does not drag up past deeds and sling them in our face. He does not condemn us. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) He loves us so much He would never condemn us for things He has already forgiven us for.

He will joy over us with singing. So many times God brings a song back to my remembrance and Holy Spirit will sing just a few lines from the song to my heart. It comforts me. It blesses me. It encourages me. I have sang over my children silly little songs when they were young and they would giggle. I can imagine God, our Heavenly Father, leaning into His children, getting so close to our faces, and with great happiness and pleasure singing over us. What a beautiful promise!

I don't know what you're going through. I know life is tough and things get tougher by the minute sometimes. I don't know what big obstacles stand in your way, what giants are hovering over you today, but I hope you will read this verse and find hope and strength. I hope you will breathe in this amazing promise God has given us and rest in it today. Let it lift you up. Let it speak to you. May you read this passage today and see our Heavenly Father in a whole new way.

As you get ready for the weekend, take heart! Be encouraged! I hope that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Guilt, Grief, Bitterness, Loneliness | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

As I look around at all the things we have to pack up again, I am taking inventory of just what all we actually need. Paul is at work while the kids and I are filling up boxes. As we sift through our belongings, it is much easier now to let go of things that have served their purpose. That is how my mom always said it. If I struggled with the decision of what to part with, she would simply say, "It's served it's purpose. It's time to get rid of it." I like that saying because it give me permission to let things go that I am only keeping out of guilt. Someone gave me something and I feel like it's disrespectful to part with the item, and yet the person that gave it to me may no longer be in my life for a myriad of reasons. Why do we hold so tight to material possessions when we should simply let go? I am thankful for my mother and for her sage advice to let things go after they have served their purpose in my life.

In the natural it may be easier to let go of the excess than it is in the spiritual. For some reason, guilt, grief, bitterness, loneliness .... those things seem harder to purge from our system. I know for me it is far easier to let go of a card or sentimental item than it is to forgive myself for something I have said or done wrong. It is sometimes easier to stay in my grief than to process it. It is even, dare I say, comfortable to endure the loneliness than risk putting myself out there and being rejected. I am thankful that I don't have to keep these bad feelings anymore.

ROMANS 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

MATTHEW 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

ISAIAH 38:17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.

PROVERBS 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Isn't it great that we don't have to stay stuck in the guilt, grief, bitterness, or loneliness. No matter what you may be struggling with today, give it to God. Take your burdens to the Lord and He will help you. He will remove the heavy load and He will give you His burdens which are light. He will give you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. You can be free in Jesus' name!

I have people reading my blog all around the globe and I want to tell you all that Jesus Christ loves you so much! He gave His very life for you because He loves you and wants you to live with Him in eternity! There is nothing in this world worth missing heaven for. I am going and I hope you are, too! If you are not sure, just invite Him into your heart; confess you believe Jesus is the Son of God; repent of your sins and ask Him to lead and guide you with the Holy Spirit, and if you believe it you will receive the free gift of salvation. You can never go too far that He can't find you; sin so bad that His blood cannot cover it. That is GOOD NEWS! 

I am thankful that He saved a wretch like me. I am so thankful that He never gave up on me. I read back through my prayer journals and see the same theme over and over for months and then finally I get it and He works on another area of my life. I shake my head and think, "What took me so long?" And then I quickly praise God for being a merciful, long-suffering, loving Heavenly Father who patiently waits for His child to follow as He leads.

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