Weekly Spiritual Meditations - October 20

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Down through the centuries, in times of trouble and trial, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him. The Bible is filled with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause fears to arise in the human heart. You can look ahead with promise, hope, and joy. --Billy Graham

"Because God is good, He wants us to have what we need for our happiness and He sees that it is available to us. Every good thing we now enjoy or ever hope to enjoy flows from Him, and no good thing has ever existed or ever will exist that does not come from His good hand." --Richard L. Strauss

Honor the presence of God in each one you meet.

God did not put us on this earth without guidance. God made sure — as a good trail guide does — that we have the supplies we need for the journey. When we are unsure of a step to take or a choice to make, we look to the Bible, review Jesus’ life, and pray. Then, like a blaze on the trail, Christ’s example guides us along the path.

However many blows we have to contend with in life, in all our circumstances the Lord is very near to us to bind up our wounds, to heal us, and, in time, to restore us to fullness of life.

God never leaves us alone to fend for ourselves.

God helps us grow so we can produce spiritual fruit.

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Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8
Deserts by Sally L. Kennedy
It didn’t exactly look like a real sand desert, but there’d been a drought and everything and everyone was suffering from the lack of rain. The river behind our apartment wasn’t it’s usual bubbly, busy self, rushing loudly among the rocks and boulders. The animals were scrounging for food; bears were boldly coming into town in broad daylight to forage from the crabapple trees. Winter would be coming, and they were anxious to store away the needed 20,000 calories a day to hold them through winter.
Not a desert, just a temporary drought. Deserts are dry, dusty, and hot. They feel and look lifeless and unending. Spiritual deserts can be difficult places in our lives, for sure.
In the book of Exodus, beginning in the third chapter, we find the amazing and awesome account of Moses, beginning in the desert. At the time, Moses was simply and faithfully carrying out his day to day tasks, being a shepherd. It was a far cry and a long way from where he’d grown up.
After he had an encounter with the Lord in a burning bush, his life took a dramatic turn. During the time he was there, God had fine-tuned his hearing (he could hear and recognize the Lord loud and clear), he had his priorities straight (he couldn’t figure out how this was going to happen but he trusted God and was obedient to His leading) and GOD PROVIDED (He gave him a staff to do miracles with, and a person to talk for him since he stuttered).
One thing to remember in the desert is that God is not absent. He may be ‘invisible’, but He is nonetheless there, watching over us and putting together situations, people, and circumstances in our lives that will strengthen and equip us for where He is bringing us. He has not forgotten us. God has a plan for us, and it is good.* Even in the deserts.
That’s good news.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

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Understand Your Anger by Rick Warren
"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." Psalm 4:4 (NIV)
We need to understand that there's a difference between sinful anger and legitimate anger; between appropriate anger and inappropriate anger; between helpful anger and hurtful anger.
Anger is not necessarily wrong. It's not always bad. What makes it different is why you got angry and what you do with those feelings.
Ask yourself, "What am I angry about? Why am I so upset?"
It's very important that you understand this: Anger is never the root problem. There is always a deeper issue. Anger is simply an emotional reaction to one of three primary emotions. If you want to understand your anger you've got to find out which of these three you are feeling, and maybe it's a combination of all three. It's important that you know this because it's much easier to deal with the roots than it is to deal with anger itself. When you get angry it's either because:
1. You are hurt - either physically or emotionally.
2. You are frustrated - Things don't seem to be turning out the way you want them to. When you're angered by frustration, ask yourself two questions: Would getting angry change the situation? Is it really worth being upset over?
3. You fear something - you feel threatened or insecure.
When you focus on the real cause, it's easier to control your anger.
The fact is, you can't eliminate hurt and frustration and fear from your lives. They're inevitable. But you can learn to deal with these things without becoming upset. Anger is a choice. And when you get angry is because you've chosen to be angry.
You might be saying, "You don't understand. When I get angry, I can't control it." We have Christ's power in us to help us learn to control our anger.

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WHAT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT? by Alan Smith
I heard about a patient in a mental hospital who was holding his ear close to the wall, listening intently. The attendant finally approached. "Shh!" whispered the patient, beckoning him over. The attendant pressed his ear to the wall for a long time. "I can't hear a thing," he said. "I know," replied the patient, "it's been like that all day!"
Have you ever worried so much about things going wrong that you begin to worry when everything goes right? Worry probably does more than anything else to keep us from having peace of mind.
Psychologists (with nothing better to do) have come up with some statistics about our worries. They say that 40% of the things we worry about never happen, 30% of the things we worry about have already happened (and thus can't be changed), 12% of our worries focus on health concerns, and 10% of our worries are over insignificant things.
That means that over 80% of our worries are about things which are unimportant, or that we have absolutely no control over.
So, what have you been worrying about lately? The scriptures tell us, "Don't be anxious, don't worry about anything, but trust in God with everything. He will give you his peace about every situation you face."
"Be anxious for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
Don't be anxious! Stop worrying! Have a great day!

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IT IS MINE TO AVENGE; I WILL REPAY Deuteronomy 32:35
Tit for tat is how we like it sometimes. If someone doesn't invite us for some get together, we remember to "forget" them when we play host. When someone doesn't pick up our calls, we don't either. Agree, this is in the simplest form, but what I mean to say is, avenging or repaying is in our blood, even if in it's minuscule form. One might argue it is only natural.
But let us ask ourselves: Is it not the "natural sin" the blood of Jesus Christ has delivered us from? If we behave the same way like everyone else, what difference do we make as believers?
We are done wrong, I do not deny that. But let's move past that not letting anyone or anything take up space in our minds making us dwell on thoughts of how to avenge or repay them back.
The Scriptures promise us time and time again that it is the Lord's to avenge. But sometimes it may seem to take forever for Him to do anything on our behalf. That's when King David cried out in Psalm 94:1, "O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth."
Sometimes it may appear we are given an easy opportunity to pay back in vengeance. Let us be careful not to fall into that tempting trap. Remember King Saul was right there for King David to avenge, but he had clearly made up his mind against that. He said in 1 Samuel 26:10-11 "...the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed..."
Here are few more verses to remind us in those lines: * Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath. Romans 12:19
* Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18 by Coffee With Jesus

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SAY 'NO!' by Bob & Debby Gass
'...Just say a simple...no...' James 5:12 NLT
When you don't learn to say no, you end up disliking yourself, as well as the people you are trying to please. In some cases we have difficulty saying it because we're afraid people won't like us. In other cases we believe that to be 'a good Christian' we must always say yes.
Jesus said, '...Let...your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin...' (James 5:12 AMP). Only when you have the courage to say no will you mature, be able to address your own unmet needs, and start respecting yourself. And in time, others will too.
So do these three things: (1) Think before you respond. If you need to, say, 'Can I get back to you?' Don't make commitments without consulting God, your calendar, and your family. 'If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you...' (James 1:5 NLT). ( 2) When your plate's full, say so. Responding to so-called emergencies caused by somebody else's poor planning and sloppy habits won't do either of you any good. Limit what you say yes to, then stick with it. Don't take on more because you feel pressured, guilty or indispensible. You'll discover that you're only indispensible until you say no - or die! (3) Go with your gifts. God has given each of us unique talents. If you've to choose between singing in the choir or sitting on the finance committee, go where your talents will be best utilised. Is this always easy? No, but unless you learn to do it you'll end up investing too much time and energy in what seems urgent, and neglect what's important.

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Forgiveness Author Unknown
Do you know what it means to truly Forgive? It means "to release from accountability". When you truly forgive someone, you no longer hold them responsible or accountable for their actions. When Jesus Christ forgives you, He no longer holds you accountable for your sin. (I will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:12)
Corrie Ten Boom shares this incredible true story in her book, The Hiding Place:
It was a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there -- the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face.
He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!"
His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.
Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.
I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.
As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.
And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.

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Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
For the explanation of today's Scripture let us read the complete passage - in Jesus's own words:
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34
It makes perfect sense; does it not? Yet, we run after the wordly things first - putting aside "seeking His kingdom and His righteousness" as the very last item in our day's agenda as if to say, "if we get to it well and good; if not we can skip it, no big deal".
Then we worry why we can't make the ends meet or whatever happened to our joy and toss and turn through sleepless nights, worrying more and more about how to make things work - still forgetting to seek His kingdom and His righteousness.
When all else fail we get back to our senses and come back to Him. But by then our need is so great we can't really seek after His kingdom but only beg and plead for our rescue. That's why our prayers are always like, "give me, give me, give me" rather than "thank you! thank you! thank you!"
Now, let me challenge you all - for the next couple of days, as soon as you wake up, before you even do anything I want you to sit at His feet - seeking His face, His kingdom and His righteousness. When you have raised up enough thank you's remember your needs, submit it at His feet and go about your day's business. Do this for a week and let me know if indeed the promise worked in your life or not... Coffee With Jesus

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Beloved, position yourself to be renovated, for I tell you honestly that old things that are still relevant to your walk with Me will be upgraded to more completely express spiritual reality. You will be revitalized and repositioned to fulfill My purposes in your life. The things that have become useless or irrelevant will be phased out and will no longer rob you of your attention and focus on current spiritual activity, says the Lord. Do not be afraid to let go of the past in order to be unencumbered from things that have been a burden. Psalms 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

There is a mighty wind blowing; it is the wind of My Spirit. The purpose of this spiritual wind is to stir new life in those who delight in My presence and whose desire it is to fulfill My purposes. My eyes are looking to and fro throughout the whole earth to find those who are willing to lay down their own lives, personal desires and ambition, to establish My kingdom, says the Lord. 2 Chronicles 16:9a "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."

Release yourself from all worry, doubt and fear. These emotions stand in stark contrast to faith and trust in Me, says the Lord, and will take you where you do not want to go, actually hindering in your walk in the Spirit. Set your face towards peace--inner peace, the peace that surpasses what your circumstances look like. Walk by faith and not by sight. Be strong and unwavering. Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I speak to you to be reunited. This is a day of sweet reunion for you in the realm of the spirit--that place of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There will be no rift in My Body, says the Lord. I cannot manifest My presence in the midst of chaos and separation. Come now to the upper room of the Spirit and be in one accord; one heart, one mind, one Spirit. Rejoice in the power of your coming together, says the Lord. Ephesians 4:1-6 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to see yourself, your circumstances, and your life from a broader view. There is a place of objectivity that will give you a clear perspective of where you are, where you have been, and where you are going. You will be able to step back from your place of emotional turmoil and chaos to see the larger picture. From this position you can make a more sensible assessment of your situation. And, I am with you to give the necessary wisdom and discernment, says the Lord. Psalms 49:3 My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
I have set those in this earth, those who are My psalmists, and they shall establish a flow, a flow of My river among My people, a flow that will help My people come higher, a flow of My presence. Because their songs come from heaven and their songs are anointed, they shall indeed impact you and bring you into what I am doing. So when you hear the sound of heaven impacting your heart and when you hear the sound of heaven coming upon you embrace it and let it do its work. Let it bring peace to your soul, let it bring joy to your heart and let it bring healing to your body. Let the Spirit of the Lord flow in the sound that I am bringing forth as promised. For such a time as this embrace My sound, says the Lord Most Holy.

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BE STILL, MY SOUL by Jean Sibelius
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and wind still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then you will better know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
>From his own fullness all he takes away.
Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

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My Heart's Desire by Nancy Burr
I cannot wait until I see
My Savior's lovely face.
I cannot wait until I feel,
His warm, sweet embrace.
I long to see His nail pierced hands,
And gently touch the scar.
For that is proof that He loves me,
And that He's never far.
For no one else would die for me,
To save my sinful soul.
No one else can fill my life,
With love that makes me whole.
Jesus is the only one,
Who I can trust always.
For others come then leave my side,
He just stays and stays.
Oh Hallelujah! Praise the Lord,
Forever You're my Friend.
My Jesus I will love You,
Until the very end.
And when that end is here for me,
I'll praise You up above.
For I will be beside You Lord,
Singing songs of love.
Yes I long to see You Lord,
It's my heart's desire.
But I don't need to see Your hands,
To know You felt Hell's fire.
I know You died to save my soul,
And that You rose again.
And that someday I'll live with You,
In Heaven where You reign.
I cannot wait until I see,
Your lovely face dear Lord.
For You mean everything to me,
Your love is my reward.
Each day You give me is a gift,
I'll treasure everyone.
But when You call me home dear Lord,
To Your arms I'll run.

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Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. Isaiah 30:18

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11

Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. Luke 14:13-14

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The Sponges Author Unknown
There are 5 sponges laying on your kitchen counter top. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can't tell by looking... they all look the same... so what do you do?
You squeeze each sponge to see what comes out. As you squeeze the first sponge, you see that cola comes out, and so you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one.
Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner - that one was used to clean the bathroom.
Next, in the third sponge, you find motor oil - hubby was cleaning the garage!
In the fourth sponge, baby powder puffs out when it is squeezed - yep, the baby's nursery was done with that one!
And finally, in the last one, is floor wax - that was the one you used on the hall floor!
As you lay the last one down, you look again at their similarity - and they all look the same until they're squeezed. We are the same way. As life squeezes us, different things come out - anger from one, a need for revenge from another, tears from one, remorse from yet another - also greed, untruth, lust - and finally, from one saint, pours forth the love of Christ.
Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in. So, stay in the Word daily, and be in continuous prayer, so that when life puts the squeeze on you (and it WILL), Jesus, and Jesus ALONE will shine forth from you!

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Dear God, help us each day to affirm the worth and dignity of those around us by our words and by our actions. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
Psalm 109
1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. 4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. 5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. 7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. 11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. 13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. 16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. 17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. 18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. 19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. 20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul. 21 But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. 25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. 26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy: 27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it. 28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. 29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. 30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. 31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

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Dear God, When we are afraid, give us faith, courage, and trust. Help us to remember that you are always with us. Thank you for sending your son so that we can see your way more clearly. Help us to look for your path, and give us the courage and strength to follow it. Amen.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.