Daily Spiritual Meditations - April 13

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Precious Promises – Day 13 by SGLY Ministry

Today’s Promise: HOPE
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God…” Psalm 42:11 (NIV)

Today’s Thought:
“Happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He is the one who keeps every promise forever, who gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows, but He frustrates the plans of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever.
O Jerusalem, your God is King in every generation !
Psalm 146:5-10 (NLT)

We have so many reasons to hope if we hope in the Lord.
Re-read the above verses and make a list of all the things the Lord has done for you, is doing for you and will do for you if you will put your hope in Him.
Then read your list, put your hope in Him and rejoice!

Today’s Prayer:
Dear God,
I am so glad that I have You as my Helper, every day and every night, every hour and minute.
I am so glad that I can put my hope in You, for You keep every promise forever.
Thank You, God, for what You have done in my life, what You now are doing and what You will do for me.
I know You are always at work in me and for me and that Your plans for me are for a future and a hope that is good.

I will rejoice and be glad today for the hope that I have in YOU because of Jesus and it is in His name I pray. Amen

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Today’s Scripture: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers...” (1 Peter 4:8, NIV)

Above All

So often, people try to make others fit into their own mold, conform to their ideas, and be just like them. We think, “If they would just change, then I wouldn’t get upset. If they would just do it the way I want, then they wouldn’t get on my nerves.” But really, we need to give people room to be who God created them to be. Life is too short to spend it trying to fix everybody. Sure, we should encourage people and help them grow and come up higher. But we have to get to the point where we step back and say, “All right, this is who God made them to be, and I’m going to accept them the way they are. Just because they don’t have my same strengths, I’m not going to let that frustrate me.” We have to choose love every day because love covers over our differences and offenses. Love is what allows us to appreciate what others bring into our lives, and it brings us together in unity.

Today, above all, choose love. Choose to focus on the things that make your relationships stronger because in the end, love is all that remains.

A Prayer for Today: “Father, today I choose to set my heart and mind on You. I choose to love others the way You have commanded. Give me the strength to walk in Your ways and understand Your love more each day in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Joel Osteen

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Learning to Cope with Criticism by Joyce Meyer

No matter what we do in life, at some point in time we will all face a level of criticism. But it is possible to learn how to cope with criticism and not let it affect your life.

We can be grateful for the example the apostle Paul set for us. Paul experienced criticism often, but he said that he was not concerned about the judgment of others. He knew he was in God’s hands and that in the end he would stand before God and give an account of himself and his life. He would not stand before any man to be judged (see 1 Corinthians 4:3–4).

You may not always do everything right, but God sees your heart. If you’re attempting to live for God and looking for ways to love others, God is pleased (see Matthew 22:37–40). Don’t worry about the criticism of others; God loves you. His love and approval are all you need.

Prayer Starter: Father, I thank You that I don’t have to listen to the criticism of others. You see my heart and You know my motives. I thank You that Your approval is greater than the approval of any person. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Hebrews 11:30 'By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.'

- By faith, the obstacles and hindrances can be removed.
- Walls, that seem like an impossibility, can come tumbling down.
- Remember that God is powerful and nothing is too hard for Him.
- Let’s step forward by faith, knowing that God can do impossible things.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that I can believe and by faith trust You to step into those impossibilities that I face and bring them down. May I never forget that with You all things are possible. Amen.

Kind Regards
Pastor Andrew Roebert