The Things To Do

* Give Thanks
* Choose Joy
* Do Not Fret
* Do the Next Thing
* Accept with Joy
* Keep a Quiet Heart
* Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
* Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart, and
* Lean Not on Your Own Understanding
 

God Is Reliable

Help us, Lord our God, 

     for we rely on you  - 2 Chronicles 14:11

You are my strength, I watch for you;
    you, God, are my fortress,
    my God on whom I can rely.  

                                             - Psalm 59:9-10

You are my strength, 

         I sing praise to you;
    you, God, are my fortress,
    my God on whom I can rely. 

                                            - Psalm 59:17 

Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your 

          faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name. 

                                          - Psalm 86:11

Woe to those who go down 

        to Egypt for help,
    who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude 

        of their chariots
    and in the great strength of 

        their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One 

        of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord. 

                                                - Isaiah 31:1 

Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
    and rely on their God.  - Isaiah 50:10 

Indeed, we felt we had received 

     the sentence of death. 
But this happened that we might not 

     rely on ourselves but on God, 
who raises the dead.  
He has delivered us from such a 

     deadly peril, 
and he will deliver us again. 
On him we have set our hope 

     that he will continue to deliver us 
                                        - 2 Corinthians 9-10 

And so we know and rely 

    on the love God has for us.
God is love.  - 1 John 14:16

Some Things Today

* Prayer is a sign of our 

              dependence on God
       Prayerlessness is a sign of our 

               independence from God

* Beware of a critical spirit, 

          and stay in your own lane

* Unforgiveness is poison

* I can do all things through Him 

           who strengthens me

* What can wash away our sins?
        Nothing but the blood of Jesus

* The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

Heaven

Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving   

 

                                            - Psalm 100:4

 

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The Lord giveth and the 

          Lord hath taken away;

    may the name of the Lord 

          be praised.           

                                                    - Job 1:21

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Said the caterpillar,

    contemplating the coming death 

             to its way

        of life in the cocoon:

"I'm afraid of the change --

    I've never been a butterfly before."

Said the butterfly soaring above:

    "The old ground-crawling life

        was just the beginning.

    THIS is what I was made for!"

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The Resurrection Body  

          - 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-57

 

     But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised?  With what kind of body will they come?"  How foolish!  What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.  When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

     So it will be with resurrection of the dead.  The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

     If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  So it is written:  "The first man Adam became a living being," the last Adam, a life–giving spirit.  The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.  The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.  As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.  And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

     I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Listen, I tell you a mystery:  We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed -- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:  "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

  "Where, O death, is your victory?

    Where, O death, is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The God Of All Comfort - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father 

      of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the Father of compassion 

      and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles, 
so that we can comfort those 

      in any trouble 
with the comfort we ourselves 

      receive from God. 

                                           - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Despite personal circumstances, 
    our hope is based on the character and 

        promises of God.

                                                            - Author Unknown
 

"Step By Step, The Weaver Maketh No Mistake"

THE WEAVER

My life is but a weaving

    Between my Lord and me;

I cannot choose the colors;

    He worketh steadily.

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow,

    And I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper

    And I, the underside.

Not 'till the loom is silent

    And the shuttles cease to fly

Shall God unroll the canvas

    And explain the reason why

The dark threads were as needful

    In the Weaver's skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver

    In the pattern He has planned.

  

                                              - Benjamin Malachi Franklin

  

HE MAKETH NO MISTAKE

My Father's ways may twist and turn,

    My heart may throb and ache,

But in my soul I'm glad I know

    He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,

    My hopes may fade away,

But still I'll trust my Lord to lead

    For He doth know the way.

Though night be dark and it may seem

    That day will never break;

I'll pin my faith, my all in Him,

    He maketh no mistake.

There's so much now I cannot see,

    My eyesight's far too dim;

But come what may, I'll simply trust

    And leave it all to Him

For by and by the mist will lift

    And plain it all He'll make.

Through all the way, though dark to me,

    He made not one mistake.

 

                                                                - A.M. Overton 

STEP BY STEP

He does not lead me year by year

    Nor even day by day.

But step by step my path unfolds;

    My Lord directs my way.

Tomorrow's paths I do not know,

    I only know this minute;

But He will say, "This is the way,

    By faith now walk ye in it."

And I am glad that it is so.

    Today's enough to bear;

And when tomorrow comes, His grace

    Shall far exceed its care.

And so I rest in His love, because

    The God who gave His Son

Holds all my moments in His hand

    And gives them, one by one.

 

                                                                 - Author Unknown 
 

Broken Pieces

If my life is broken when given to Jesus, 
it may be because pieces will feed a multitude
when a loaf would satisfy only a little boy.

                                               - quoted by Elisabeth Elliot

 

The Things To Do

* Give Thanks
* Choose Joy
* Do Not Fret
* Do the Next Thing
* Accept with Joy
* Keep a Quiet Heart
* Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
* Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart, and
* Lean Not on Your Own Understanding
 

Wait For The Lord

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
    and in His word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the LORD
                                                                     - Psalm 130:5-10

Wait for the LORD;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the LORD.
                                                                       - Psalm 27:14

Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the LORD.
                                                                       - Psalm 31:24
 

I Remember - Psalm 143:5-6,8

I remember the days of long ago;
    I meditate on all Your works
    and consider what Your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to You;
    my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.

Let the morning bring me word of 

         Your unfailing love,
    for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go,
    for to You I lift up my soul.
 

Choices

I can choose to
Fret and Fume, and Grumble and Gripe,
or I can choose to
Focus by Faith on the Goodness of God,
and look for Joy on the Journey.
 

Fix Your Eyes On Jesus

Let us run with perseverance

    the race marked out for us.

Let us Fix Our Eyes On Jesus,

    the author and perfecter of our faith. 

                                                 – Hebrews 12:2

 

Fix Your Thoughts On Jesus,

    the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 

                                                  – Hebrews 3:1

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

    Set Your Hearts On Things Above,

        where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set Your Minds On Things Above,

    Not On Earthly Things.

For you died, and your life is now hidden 

    with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is your life, appears,

    then you also will appear with Him in glory. 

                                                   – Colossians 3:1-4

Therefore, we do not lose heart.

Thought outwardly we are wasting away,

    yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles

    are achieving for us an eternal glory

        that far outweighs them all.

So we Fix Our Eyes not on what is seen,

    but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

    but what is unseen is eternal.

                                     – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Then Peter got down out of the boat,

    walked on the  water and came toward Jesus.

But When He Saw The Wind, He Was Afraid

    and, beginning to sink, cried out, 

        "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand 

        and caught him.

"You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?"

                                           – Matthew 14:29-31

 Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

    look full in His wonderful face,

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim

    in the light of His glory and grace.

Satan wants us to Doubt the Word of God.

He wants to Distract us from spiritual things.

He wants to Disable us in the Lord's service.

He wants to Destroy us physically.

His primary strategy:  Deception.

The only way to avoid these tactics is

to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the problem.

                                               – Dr. Charles Stanley

Many believers gaze at their problems and

        glance at the Lord.

We need to gaze at the Lord and 

       glance at our problems. 

                                               - quoted by Joni Earekson Tada

When we are blind-sided:

* Focus on the cause of the anxiety

    (becomes a magnet)

            or

* Focus on God

    (when you take your focus off God,

        you will be thrown off balance) 

                                               – Dr. Charles Stanley

How shall we fix our eyes on things unseen?

There is no other answer but faith,

faith in the character of God Himself.

That and no other is the anchor for our souls. 

                                                  – Elisabeth Elliot 
 

Yet I Will Rejoice - Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, 
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.  

Your Word Is A Lamp To My Feet

Your Word is a lamp to my feet

     and a light for my path.

                                                   – Psalm 119:105

He who carries a lantern on a dark road at night

     sees only one step ahead.  

When he takes that step, the lamp moves forward 

     and another step is made plain.  

He finally reaches his destination in safety

     without once walking in darkness.   

All the way is lighted, but only a 

    single step at a time.  

This is the method of God's guidance.  

As the child of God refuses to worry 

        about tomorrow

     and trusts Him for today, 

he finds by the light of God's word

     the grace and guidance for every situation 

        in life.  

It isn't necessary to see beyond 

     what the Lord reveals.
Following His leading, there's always enough light

     for each step of the way.

                                                                          – Daily Bread
 

The Things That God Is For Us

ROCK - foundation, support, refuge

Psalm 18:46

 The Lord lives!  Praise be to my Rock!

    Exalted be God my Savior!

  

Psalm 19:14

 May the words of my mouth and

         the meditation of my heart

    be pleasing in your sight,

    O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

  

Psalm 28:1

 To you I call, O Lord my Rock

  

Psalm 89:26

 He will call out to me, "You are my Father,

    my God, the Rock my Savior."

  

Isaiah 26:3-4

 You will keep in perfect peace

    him whose mind is steadfast,

    because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever,

    for the Lord, the Lord, 

         is the Rock eternal.

  

Isaiah 44:8

 "You are my witnesses. 

         Is there any God besides me?

    No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

Isaiah 33:6

 He will be the sure foundation for your times

REFUGE - shelter or protection from danger or distress

Psalm 3:12

 Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 11:1

 In the Lord I take refuge.

Psalm 16:1

 Keep me safe, O God,

    for in you I take refuge.

Psalm 31:1

 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge.

Psalm 34:8

 Taste and see that the Lord is good;

    blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 46:1-1-3

 God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, 

          though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall 

          into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 73:28

 But as for me, it is good to be near God.

    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge

Psalm 118:8-9

 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in princes.

Nahum 1:7

 The Lord is good,

    a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in Him

FORTRESS - a fortified place:  stronghold

Psalm 46:10-11

 "Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth."

The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

SHIELD - one that provides or defends; provides with a

               protective cover or shelter

Psalm 3:3

 But you are a shield around me, O Lord;

    you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

 

Psalm 7:10

 My shield is God Most High,

    who saves the upright in heart.

  

Psalm 28:7

 The Lord is my strength and my shield;

    my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

  

Psalm 33:20-22

 We wait in hope for the Lord;

    he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

    for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,

    even as we put our hope in you.

STRONGHOLD - a place of security or survival

Psalm 27:1

 The Lord is my light and my salvation --

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life --

    of whom shall I be afraid?

SHELTER - something that covers or affords protection

Psalm 27:5

 For in the day of trouble

    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

    and set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 31:20

In the shelter of your presence you hide them

SHADOW - shelter from danger or observation; shade

Psalm 17:8

 Keep me as the apple of your eye;

    hide me in the shadow of your wings.

  

Psalm 63:6-8

 On my bed I remember you;

   I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,

    I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;

   your right hand upholds me.

HIDING PLACE – a place to conceal for shelter or protection:  shield

Psalm 32:7-8

 You are my hiding place;

    you will protect me from trouble

    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you 

          in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you and watch over you.

  

ROCK, REFUGE, FORTRESS, SHIELD, STRONGHOLD, SHADOW

Psalm 18:1-3

 I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress

          and my deliverer;

    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

    He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, 

          my stronghold.

I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

    and I am saved from my enemies.

  

Psalm 59:9

 O my Strength, I watch for you;

    you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

  

Psalm 18:30-32

 As for God, his way is perfect;

    the word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield

    for all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the Lord?

    And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength

    and makes my way perfect.

  

Psalm 36:7

 Both high and low among men

    find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

 

Psalm 31:2-5

 Turn your ear to me,

    come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

    a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,

    for the sake of your name lead me and guide me.

Free me from the trap that is set before me,

    for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;

    redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.

  

Psalm 57:1

 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,

    for in you my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

    until the disaster has passed.

  

Psalm 59:16-17

 But I will sing of your strength,

    in the morning I will sing of your love,

for you are my fortress,

    my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you;

    you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

  

Psalm 91:1-2

 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and 

          my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 94:22

 But the Lord has become my fortress,

    and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

Psalm 61:2-4

 From the ends of the earth I call to you,

    I call as my heart grows faint;

    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,

    a strong tower against the foe.

I long to dwell in your tent forever

    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

  

Psalm 62:1-2,5-8

 My soul finds rest in God alone;

    my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

  

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

    my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

    pour out your hearts to him,

    for God is our refuge.

  

Psalm 144:2

 He is my loving God and my fortress,

    my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield, in whom I take refuge.