Saturday Scripture: God's Glory

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

let your glory be over all the earth."

Psalm 57:11

 

On Our Hearts: Breaking Free

You might have seen the movie 127 Hours, or heard about the hiker Aron Ralston who found himself trapped when a boulder fell on his arm. Unable to move the boulder or his arm, for five days Aron was all alone and eventually he was forced to take drastic measures to save his own life. Fortunately, Aron lived to share his story and his tale of survival has been an inspiration to many.

You probably have not experienced a situation quite like Aron's, but you may find yourself trapped in a different way. Perhaps someone has put you in a circumstance that is out of your control. Or you may have an addiction to drugs, food, or alcohol. You might even be trapped in your own emotions of anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness. It might feel as though you have a huge weight of your own that is pinning you down, making you incapable of experiencing joy, love, or peace.

What "boulder" do you need to move from your life? And if you are unable to move that "boulder", what are you willing sacrifice to get yourself out from under that trap? God can help you escape whatever has bound you. He has the power to move mountains and release us from bondage.

Heavenly Father,

We ask that you open our eyes to whatever it is that has us pinned down. Show us the circumstances or people that have put a weight on our ability to cope and deal with life. Lord, we want your Holy Spirit to enter our lives so that we may experience its fruit. Replace worry, anger, and sadness, with your peace, love and joy. Reveal those things that which we may need to sacrifice. Give us strength to let go of the vices that have been holding us back. Pour out your power to overcome our weaknesses and cover our imperfections. Lord, we desire freedom from our own binding emotions. We long for you to break the chains that have been holding us back from doing your will. We thank you, Jesus, for your ultimate sacrifice that can cut us loose from all that confines us. We praise your Holy name so that you may do good works through us. We submit our lives to you, Lord. We humbly lay ourselves down so that you may claim the victory.

Amen

"You reached down from heaven, and you lifted me from deep in the ocean.You rescued me from enemies, who were hateful and too powerful for me. On the day disaster struck, they came and attacked, but you defended me. When I was fenced in, you freed and rescued me because you love me." Psalm 18:16-19 (CEV)

On Our Hearts: Vow Renewal

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part." If you've been married a while those words may seem like all but a distant memory now, but there was a day where you probably nervously recited them back to the love of your life. A covenant vow that was pledged in front of your family and friends. An intimate promise that was extended to your husband only. However, it wasn’t just for that one day. Those words don’t have an expiration date and neither does your marriage. God wants us to be a loving, honoring, and respectful wife. And we do that not by words we say at a ceremony but how we treat our spouse every day. How are you continuing to love and to cherish your spouse?
 

 

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the man whom I call my husband. Show me how you want me to love him. Let my heart be open to him. May my words be tender and honoring toward him. Help me to become the wife that you want me to be. Show me how to cherish my husband and the moments that we have together and with our family. Let me become a sacred place for him to share his innermost secrets with me. Let our communication be based on love, trust, and respect for each other. Give me the desire to pursue my husband. May our marriage grow more dynamic and intimate as the years go by. Thank you for our marriage, Lord. Thank you for your perfect example of love so that we can show that same love to our spouse.

Amen

 ^"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

On Our Hearts: People Pleaser Pitfall

Is my hair just right? Do these shoes go with my outfit? Am I standing in the right spot? Did I say the right thing? What are they going to think if I do that? How many times have these type of thoughts passed through your mind? Every time you leave the house you probably check your make-up or your outfit in the mirror at least once. If you've ever walked into a crowded room you've probably wondered how you were going to be received and what others were thinking. It's hard not to care about what others think of us. Society tells us that we need to have the whitest teeth, the trendiest purse, and the perfect body.

But do you care what God thinks about you? Are your attitudes and actions pleasing to Him? If you're a Believer in Christ you know that Jesus is our redeemer and we don't need to be perfect for Him to love us. But what if we spent less time trying to please strangers and more time trying to please God?

Dear Father God,

Thank you for creating us perfect in your eyes. On this earth we are imperfect and often fail in how we act, how we dress, and in what we say. Thank you for loving us just where we are. We ask that you help us to keep our focus on you. When we start to look to the world for validation, remind us that we have a King in heaven who doesn't require our clothing to be immaculate, You clothe us in Your garment of salvation. When we fuss about not having the right talent or skill, remind us that we are expertly made in Your sight. And if we stumble and reveal all of our flaws, give us Your grace and humbleness to cover our blemishes.

Amen

"As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

On Our Hearts: Bland No More

Have you ever made a meal and then discovered that you left out that one key ingredient? That one seasoning or spice that provides all the flavor? Instead of a mouth-watering feast you ended up with a tasteless flop. Spices enhance the flavors; it's still beef, chicken or potatoes only better, much better. Of course you could live without it, but if there's no zip what's the point?

This is how God feels about you when you're bland. Are you lacking flavor in your spiritual walk? Are you just vanilla for God? Do you enhance the room when you gather with friends and family or are you weak and forgettable? Do you sprinkle God's love everywhere you go and leave a pleasant taste for Jesus? You don't have to be a culinary expert, just ask God to infuse you with His word.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the seasonings that enrich our food and our lives. You have given us so many flavor combinations; some sweet, some savory. Lord, show us how we can add flavor to the lives of those we touch. Forgive us for being tasteless and indifferent. We no longer want to be bland, we want to be You so that others will hunger for You. You have given us all the ingredients, we just have to follow the recipe. When we measure and integrate Your word into our lives, it's easy to reveal the heavenly banquet that You have prepared. You are the Alpha and Omega, Lord - that means that You are the one who cultivates the thirst and then You are the one who quenches it. What a glorious God you are! You are the sweet aroma among the stench of our society. Praise You Father that You are able to use us to pour out Your flavor on the world.

Amen


"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage." Matthew 5:13

On Our Hearts: Knight in Shining Armor

He leaves his socks by the bed or forgets to put the cap back on the toothpaste - that's right ladies, I'm talking about your husband. That one you stood beside and vowed to love and to cherish. Time has passed and you may look at him now and think he's just an ordinary guy, but he's still your knight in shining armor. Yes, I realize we don't live in medieval times and your husband probably doesn't resemble a noble knight no more than your home resembles a majestic castle. But he desires the adoration and respect just as those brave knights of ancient days had.


Is your knight's armor a little rusty and in need of some polishing? Well then get out the cloth and start scrubbing. Just like the silver your grandmother handed down to you, it's not going to get sparkly and shiny just by sitting in a drawer. Your husband is the same way. You may not have intentionally left him to sit idly by while you take care of the kids, the house, your job or whatever else you've committed yourself to. Take the time right now to take care of him. He's just waiting for you to carefully reveal the hidden layer that attracted you to him. However, instead of using polish apply words of praise. Instead of a soft cloth try buffing him with hugs and kisses. Make his armor shine so bright that he's reflecting you!

Father God,

Thank you so much for the man that you have given me to be my husband. You have divinely put us together to glorify you, Lord. Help me to overlook his blemishes and imperfections. Instead show me my flaws Lord and give me your wisdom and guidance that I may overcome my own faults. Lord show me how I can demonstrate true love to my husband. Give me the desire and ability to make him shine. Even when he I feel he is least deserving, may I still give him the honor he deserves. Let me fulfill his righteous desires and be the wife he longs for.

Amen

"A wife should put her husband first, as she does the Lord. A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first. Ephesians 5:22 - 24

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:10, 11

On Our Hearts: Three Simple Words

Just do it. What do think when you hear those words? Perhaps a popular shoe company comes to mind. Maybe you see images of sculpted athletes in their quest to achieve success. Hard to believe that just three simple words (and a large advertising budget) would have the ability to motivate and inspire. However, I think there is another set of three words that has an even greater ability to touch lives. God is love. Some poets, song writers, and artists have spent their entire lives trying to portray what love is and there's the answer right there in the bible. It's so simple, and yet so lost on so many people. Fortunately God doesn't need a mega-million advertising campaign complete with sports stars, two-page magazine spreads, or a 30 second TV spot during half-time - He's got you!

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your love. 1 John 4 tells us that we must love one another, but in order to do that we must accept your love. We are so thankful Lord that you are able to love us despite all the despicable things we have done. You love us unconditionally, and now it's our turn. It's our turn to share that love with the world, to reach out to those who don't know you. It's our responsibility to show our family, our neighbors, and everyone we come in contact with who you are, God. Let us wait no more, we're done with excuses. Lift us up over the obstacles that stand in our way, remove the fear that holds us back and show us those who need your love the most. Lord, we are moms with a special assignment and we will go. We will go out in our community, our nation and then to the world to tell others three simple words: God is love.

Amen

"Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other." 1 John 4:10,11