Walk Boldly With Jesus

Psalm 104 The Lord’s Majesty (Part 4)

Psalm 104:14-18 “You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart. The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.  In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys.”

Today, we are given a window into the flawless design of everything. This, I believe, is what we have been exploring in the previous three parts as well. God's goodness is truly astounding. It is wondrous how He has considered every aspect. Today’s verses not only demonstrate that God's interest is not limited to our necessities, But also that He takes into account our happiness and comfort. This is a powerful reminder of the role of religious texts in inspiring and comforting us, a source of reassurance and upliftment.

The verse begins by talking about how the grass grows for the cattle and other plants grow for people to use to bring forth food from the earth. This is not a one-sided provision, but a comprehensive one. We need the plants to have food to eat, but we also need the cows. The cows provide milk, cheese, and meat for us to eat, and God is making sure we are both fed.

Next, it says He gave us wine to gladden the human heart. I know many people who are happy that we have wine to gladden our hearts. I do think we need to be careful that we don’t turn to this wine to gladden our hearts more than we turn to the Lord. What can start out as a small glass of wine at night to wind down can turn into a few glasses every night just to deal with the stresses of our day-to-day lives. This is when it can become a problem. Do you need to have a glass of wine every night? What if you took a break and fasted from it for a week or even a month? Would you be able to do that? I know someone who gives us wine and all alcohol every Lent. This is a great chance for her to remind herself that although she really likes a glass of wine here and there, she doesn’t need it. She is ok without it.

One reason it is good to take a look at your wine or alcohol consumption is that if you are regularly drinking more than a glass at night, then you might not be feeling your best in the mornings. I follow Rachel Hollis online, and I have read her books. She talked about how she used to have a glass of wine when she got home from work to help her unwind. However, the stresses of life increased, and one glass went to two glasses, and every now and then went to every single night. She said she noticed that every morning, she was waking up and starting her day out at a disadvantage because she wouldn’t feel great. She would feel crappy from the wine she had the night before. I don’t know about you, but if I start each day out feeling crappy, it doesn’t usually get better.

Have you noticed that you feel crappy when you wake up in the mornings? Do you have a headache or a stomachache? Do you just feel drained and worn out? You don’t have to feel this way. God does not want us to feel crappy. Instead of turning to alcohol to help you unwind, maybe put on some praise and worship music and dance it out. Maybe sit and read scripture and talk to the Lord. He is there for you, and He will listen to you for as long as you want to talk. He can even help you in your situation and He can show you a way forward. Alcohol can’t do that. It may feel like it is helping you in the moment but it is not helping in the long run and could even be hurting you.

I am not sure who needed to hear that this morning; that certainly wasn’t what I thought I would be talking about, but the Holy Spirit knew someone listening really needed to hear that. If you are listening to this episode and the Spirit makes you reconsider how much you are drinking, I encourage you to listen to a few episodes of my friend Catherine Cody’s podcast, “Meet Me At The Well.” Catherine is a recovering alcoholic and is real and honest about her struggle in her podcast. She gave her testimony on one of my first few Witness Wednesdays. If you want to hear her incredible story it is episode #236. She is so real and loving and she has a heart for anyone struggling with any addiction. If you need someone to talk to about where you are at please reach out to me, and I can put you in touch with Catherine. Or you can check out her podcast, and she probably has contact info there. If you question whether you drink too much, just listen to her podcast, Meet Me At The Well. What have you got to lose?

Next, the verse says, “Oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.”  Can you believe that God even cares about our faces shining? He also gave us bread to strengthen the human heart. I don’t know about you, but I am more excited about the bread than I am about the wine. I love bread. I also love how bread can be used as a sacrifice. There are many people that do bread and water fasts where that is all they eat for a day, or for a certain period of time. This is a great thing to add to your prayer life. Fasting and prayer are so powerful. If you have a prayer that you have been asking and you have not seen any answers yet, try praying and fasting and see if that helps. It doesn’t have to be a 40-day fast like Jesus did in the desert. It could be one day a week, or it could be fasting from something you really like, or it could be missing one meal a day for a week, or whatever you feel called to do. If you want to try adding fasting to your prayer, ask the Lord how, and He will give you guidance. He will tell you what is best for you.  Currently, I am fasting from soda because I love it, and it is becoming an addiction again. Also, I have a prayer request I would like answered sooner rather than later and I am hoping God will look upon my fasting with favor.

Next it says, “The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.  In them, the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees.” Isn’t it amazing how God takes care of all of his creatures, not just the humans? He created so many creatures and yet He hasn’t lost track of a single one of them. He knows exactly what each one needs.

God created trees to have roots so they can have as much water as they need. Trees are good for so many reasons for us humans. They provide us with shade, fruit, wood for fires, wood for furniture and houses, and also paper. Trees were also used for weapons such as bows and arrows. However, trees are also useful for the animals. The verse talks about how birds build their nests in trees. They are not the only ones. I know squirrels live in trees as well. There are many animals that either live in or spend time in trees. Trees provide protection from many animals.

The verse ends with, “The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys.”  I have no idea how goats can climb mountains. I have seen goats on mountains, but it makes no sense to me how they stay up there and don’t fall down. It is great of God to make the high mountains for them. I am sure they are protected up there, and they know their way around better than we would. It also says the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. I don’t know about you, but I had no idea what coneys are, so I looked it up. It looks like they are a type of rabbit. So this verse is saying that the rabits can hide for refuge in the rocks. This is great because their natural predators would be large cats, pythons, and eagles. If they can hide in the rocks, that will protect them from most of the animals trying to find them and eat them. God is our protector, and He protects the animals, too!

Dear Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode. Lord, thank you for looking out for us and for knowing us so well. You anticipated our every need and the needs of all the animals, and you provided for those needs. You are truly amazing, and we love you so much! Lord, I ask you to pour your love into everyone listening and that you help all those who are listening who may be struggling with alcohol use. Lord, help them get help if they need it. We love you, Lord, you are so amazing! We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name. Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If this podcast has blessed you, please consider making a donation towards the cost of making this podcast. Also, if you could share and leave a review, that would be helpful as well. There is a link to donate below the show notes. I look forward to seeing you all on Monday morning. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My children, I am setting your hearts on me. I am riveting your hearts to my heart. If your heart is set on me, your words and your thoughts will follow.”

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Psalm 104 The Lord's Majesty (Part 3)

Psalm 104:10-13 “You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills,  giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst.  By the streams, the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode, you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.”

Today, we are back with Psalm 104. If you missed Monday’s episode, I Have decided to stick with Psalm 104 and break it down into smaller sections. The reason I decided on Psalm 104 is because it shows us so many things we can be grateful for, and it shows us the many ways God provides and looks out for us. Psalm 104 also shows us His power and His majesty, and I think it is a good idea to stop and think about that often. Otherwise, it can be easy to take the Lord for granted because He is always there for us, and much of what He does for us goes unnoticed because we don’t really think about how much He is doing. We think it just happens.

For instance, we take for granted the sun coming up and going down because it just happens each and every day. However, it wouldn’t happen if God didn’t make it happen. If He wouldn’t have created the earth to spin the way that it does. Today’s verse starts out talking about how God makes the springs gush for the in the valleys and how they flow between the hills, giving drink to every wild animal. Did you ever think about how great it is that there is water spread worldwide? There is water in the mountains, there are oceans of water, but then there are also streams and rivers. Then there is water under the ground that you can tap into with a well if necessary.

It’s also interesting that where water is more scarce, the Lord created the things that live there to suit their environment. In a desert, plants like the cactus have water-storing characteristics. You also have camels in a desert, and they are extremely efficient with the amount of water they use daily. They can go for about a week without having to drink water. They can also drink a lot of water in a short amount of time. A typical camel can drink 53 gallons of water in three minutes. Isn’t it amazing how God thought of everything all the earth's creatures would need and then created us to meet those needs?

Next, it says, “By the streams, the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.” Water is important to birds, just like it is to all animals. Birds build their habitation in many different places depending on what the bird needs. Some build them on the ground, and yet they know this makes the nest more vulnerable, so they camouflage them well. Many others build them high off the ground so they won’t be so vulnerable. They make the nests out of various different materials. It depends on what they can find and what their needs are. Isn’t it amazing that God always provides for them exactly what they need?

The verse ends with, “From your lofty abode, you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.” This part reminds us of how easy it is for God to provide for us. He doesn’t have to lift a finger. He just spoke the world into existence, and it was so perfectly made. He can sit up in heaven and command things to happen down here. I like how the verse says, “The earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.” The earth is satisfied with His work because He thought of everything when He created the world and all its creatures.

When I think about how easily God created the world and how He thought of everything, even the smallest detail, and then made sure to provide for that detail, I feel better about the things I ask the Lord for. When I take the time to think about His marvelous creations and how he just spoke the words and the whole universe was created then it reminds me that when I ask the Lord for things, I am not asking for too much. This is something we often think. We don’t bring our little cares and worries to the Lord because we don’t want to bother Him. We don’t ask Him for healing for every ache and pain because we know how busy He is.

The thing is, He is never too busy for anything you want to bring to Him. He is not busy because what would be impossible for us to do is easy for Him to do. He is not bound by the same worldly constraints as we are. God isn’t even bound by time. All things are happening at the same time for the Lord. That means it is ok if you did not say the prayer you wanted to say for someone before they left for travel. You can still say the prayer now and it will help them because God is seeing you say that pray at the same time they are going away.  I know that is a lot to wrap your head around and we don't have to understand it perfectly. I don’t actually think it is possible to fully grasp or comprehend the majesty of God completely on this side of heaven. There is a lot that will remain a mystery and we may have many questions we want to ask God once we get to join Him for all eternity.

For now, I think it is important for us all to know that we are not asking God for too much. He is not too busy for us to come to Him with all the little things in our lives. He cares about the small things just as much as He cares about the big things. Also, there is nothing too hard for God. Sometimes, I think we hesitate to ask God for the things we really want because we think it is too big of an ask. It is too much to ask God for a complete healing of terminal cancer because the doctors said it is was possible. Guess what? All things are possible for God. It is not hard for God to cure terminal cancer. He can curse that cancer and can shrivel up and die. Did you know you can do this, too? You have the power of the Lord living inside of you. You have permission from God to speak with authority because of that power you have living inside of you.

God wants us to come to Him with everything. Good or bad, big or small, He is our Father, and He wants to hear all about it. He also likes it when we use the power we have living inside of us to help ourselves and others as well. Remember when I talked about how He created the camels and cactus with the ability to store water? God gave them what they needed to live in their environments. God did the same for us. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us live in this world. This means we have all the power and the strength we need to survive this world. With the Holy Spirit inside of us, we have the wisdom and knowledge to do the right thing. We just need to ask. We have the power to heal. We just need to realize we have this power and use it. We have the power to resist sin. We just need to call on it.

God created us to be the people we are and He gave us all we need to live in this world that we live in. I know this world is crazy, and it seems to be falling apart. I know this world wants less and less to do with God. However, He knew this would happen. None of this is a surprise to the Lord, and He created you to live in this time. That means He knew all you would need, and He gave it to you. If you feel you lack anything right now, that is a lie from the enemy. Your Heavenly Father knew exactly what you would need and gave it to you. You have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead living inside of you. Rely on that power, call on that power. You are stronger than you think you are.

Dear Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode today. We ask that you help us to see how perfectly you made us. We ask you to help us see how you meet all of our needs. Lord, you are amazing, you have thought of everything when you created the world. We are in awe of how perfectly you created nature to fulfill all of our needs. You are truly remarkable. Lord, we ask you to help us bring everything to you, big or small. We ask you to let us know that you want to help with everything. Help us, Lord, to discover the power we have living inside of us and help us to rely on that power more than we rely on ourselves. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If this podcast has blessed you in some way, would you consider making a donation towards the cost of production? Also, if you would share it with a friend or leave a review, that would also help. If you would like to grow closer to the Lord and would like some help, there is a link for more information about my mentoring group below. This month’s theme is Surrender. We are learning how to surrender all we have to the Lord. I hope you will join us. I look forward to meeting you all here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Keep your eyes fixed on me. Sit in my presence so that I may fill you so that you may reach out and touch others. This is my command to you. Listen to what I say and do.”

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Today’s witnesses are from Matthew West’s website called popwe.org. If you don’t know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose 2 testimonies from the Healing Category. I love healing testimonies because I don’t think we all believe God is still healing people today. We read about how God healed people through Jesus and the apostles, and we love it. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we don’t believe God is still healing people through others in this day and age. I want you to know He is. I have seen it so many times at our Encounter healing services or even just when I am praying over people. God is good. He doesn’t want to see His people suffering.  I pray when you hear this testimony, you can see not only how God has helped these two women in their lives but how He could help you in yours and in your loved ones’ lives, too. I pray you see the miracles in their lives and know miracles are possible in your situation, too!! There is always hope when you have the Lord.

Cathy: I was raised in a house with a mother who was and is mentally ill. She was very abusive to me, physically and emotionally. At a young age, before I started school, my great uncle moved in with us and he molested me for as long as he stayed. I think it was only a few months. I received Christ into my life when I was 6. Because of the abuse and what my mother constantly told me about how worthless I was, how I caused her illness, the problems in my parents’ marriage, and her unhappiness with life in general I became convinced there was something terribly wrong with me deep inside that kept anyone, including God, from really loving me. I carried this conviction throughout my life and I let it ruin and end my marriage, also affecting my children. I never abused my children in any way, but I was often absent emotionally because I lived in deep depression from my preteen years.

I’m 72 years old now and I’ve been divorced for 27 years. I thought my life was over and I was waiting to die. I was estranged from my sister, my mother is in a nursing home with dementia, I’m divorced, my daughter lives 400 miles away with my 2 grandsons and doesn’t need me for anything, and I lost my son to cancer under extremely difficult circumstances. I have PTSD from the childhood abuse and before my son died, that all came back and hit me so hard I was having panic attacks again from dealing with my daughter-in-law. That was when my son became ill and was placed in hospice care.

A friend invited me to move to a small town where she lives and I moved as soon as my son passed. God brought me completely to the end of myself there. I had no more defenses, all the walls I had built emotionally to protect myself through the years failed and I was teetering on a mental breakdown. I hunted for 5 years in the small town where I lived for a church and couldn’t find what I felt like I needed. One day, as I was walking through my living room I was so frustrated that I threw my hands up in the air, looked to heaven and prayed, “God, there has to be a place in Wellington I can go to church to be a part of Your family, to serve You and to learn about You. Please show me where it is!! Later in the week I was talking to my cousin, who is a minister, about not being able to find a church and she told me about a couple she knew well who had just started pastoring a church where I lived and that I needed to go. I told her I had been twice and didn’t like it. She told me to go one more time, so I went the following Sunday.

I walked in the door to the same very small crowd of about 10 or 12 people. I told God I didn’t like this. We sang old hymns, sitting down slowly and I reminded God I didn’t like this either. Then a woman got up to preach. Her sermon that morning was on holiness. Not 5 words into her message I began to have the most incredible experience of my life to that point. It felt like someone was above me pouring a pitcher of warmth, comfort, joy, peace and healing that started at the top of my head and slowly went down my whole body until it reached the tips of my toes! I don’t know how much time passed. I just know that was the most comforting feeling I had ever experienced. When the feeling reached my toes, I heard His voice over my right shoulder! I knew no one else had heard Him but I knew it was God speaking out loud to me. He said 5 words. “Here, Cathy. This is it.” I had cried out “show me where to go “ just a few days before and He answered my question directly, with 5 words!!! The creator of the entire universe, the One who placed the galaxies in the sky, hanging them in nothing, called me by name!!! “Here, Cathy. This is it.” My life changed in that moment.

I’ve spent the next 12 or 15 months on an incredible journey of healing and restoration and it’s not completely over yet. I have experienced God in my house where He miraculously healed me from depression through a song I was singing! I felt Him touch my heart! And He has talked to me- and I’ve spoken to Him in return. It has been the most magnificent experience I’ve ever heard of! I’m writing a book about it. All glory goes to Him! I’ve worked through many memories of abuse where God took me back in my mind to experience that pain of rejection and confusion one more time but this time He scraped out the infection of hurt and rejection and closed it up, healing it for all time. He asked that I apologize to my mother, which I did and He has restored that relationship in a different way. I can’t begin to tell you all that has happened in the time since then but I’m a new person at 72 years old!!! I am healed and restored! I am made whole! He loves me, more than I can possibly understand! Now, I want to share my story only to highlight what God has done for me and what He wants so badly to do for others who are hurting and crippled like I was from abuse. I hope I have been able to convey to you how incredible my story is! I know God wants me to share it.

My name is Sierra and I’m 27 years old.  I’m from Kentucky. In 2023, When I was 26 years old, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. To say this diagnosis took me by surprise would be the understatement of the century. I have no history of cancer in my family.  I found out through genetic testing that out of 77 breast cancer genes, I do not carry a single one. So, breast cancer?! What?! Not possible! Or so I thought. In the very early stages of this, I was struggling so much. I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating, I was pacing the floors at night, crying all hours of the day and night. My anxiety was at an all-time high. I was also very angry at God; I couldn’t understand why He would allow something like this to happen. I had so many doctors coming at me from every direction that you can think of. All needing to do different things regarding my cancer. And I felt like every single one of them was signing my death certificate for me. I believed my time on this earth was coming to a close.   I firmly believed this was a death sentence, and you could not convince me otherwise.

Through all this anxiety, anger, and fear, all I could think about was my son. My sweet 5-year-old boy. I’ve been a single mother since I was 3 1/2 months pregnant. As much as that sounds like an “awe” thing, I promise it’s not. I was in a pretty abusive relationship at the hands of my son’s father.  If I’m being totally honest, he almost killed me. So, in the grand scheme of things, it was a blessing that he left and never looked back. But in my current circumstances, it was so hard for me to still see that blessing.  I felt like God was taking me away from my son and I didn’t understand why. Leaving him was my biggest fear, even before I received this diagnosis. I felt like that fear was coming true.

Fast forward to May, it was time for my first surgery. I had to get something called a porta cath., otherwise known as a port. They make you get these ports for treatment reasons. You are unable to get chemotherapy through your veins because the strength of the medicine destroys them. They surgically place this port. It goes through one of the main areas of your heart and through a vein in your neck. The day came for that surgery, and I sat back there in that pre-op room, alone and so scared, even shedding a few tears. I knew once this surgery was completed, it was “go” time. Chemo would start. I just didn’t know what my future was going to look like.

Again, it all terrified me. But in that moment of uncertainty, a peace overcame me. A peace that truly made and still makes no sense, A peace that surpassed all of my understanding. A peace I prayed SO hard for. I can’t tell you how many times I prayed for that peace, yet I never received it. That was something else I didn’t understand. But I will say although I didn’t get that peace when I wanted it, I got it when I needed it the most. And thankfully it has stayed with me ever since then. I have never felt safer than I did in that moment. I just KNEW He was there in that room with me. It still gives me chills to think about. Isn’t our God wonderful?! Part of me believes, that there is a part of all of us that thinks our prayers are to be answered with the prettiest things…all the rainbows & sunshine. But sometimes, it’s just not that way. Sometimes they’re answered through heartbreak, through darkness, through a storm or a bad chapter. The thing I’ve learned though, is how okay that is. There is nothing wrong with that. I think that’s a testament of God’s faithfulness. How He meets you exactly where you are and gives you what you need.

It took me walking this cancer road, it took this horrible, gut-wrenching chapter of my life for every tear filled prayer, that I’ve ever prayed to be answered. Everything from friendship, peace, a God centered loving church, and everything in between. God’s faithfulness has been evident in such abundance. Now here I am, 1 year and 1 month in.  I am still standing, and I am stronger than I ever have been, mentally, physically, and spiritually. And now in I am in REMISSION! I’ve had two surgeries. My most recent one being a double mastectomy. I’ve had 5 chemotherapy treatments and 30 rounds of radiation. I’ve had 2 anaphylactic reactions to that chemotherapy.  One of those reactions almost killed me.  I’ve had sickness you wouldn’t believe. I was so sensitive to the chemo drugs. I lost all my hair, had some chemo rashes and even inflammation in the lining of my lungs. I had a blood infection, a handful of ER visits and scans, and a couple hospital stays. You name it and it’s unfortunately happened to me. It’s been the hardest year of my life. But I’ve let Him be my strength. I have leaned into Him. I’ve praised Him every single step of the way and the miracles came rolling in, in the process. He has still been so good to me!

I also realize now that what I thought was a death sentence was really a life sentence, in the best possible way. I have a new life in Christ. I was baptized 2 months ago, and I had the honor of my physician, who is a dear friend to me as well as the one who found my cancer, baptizing me! I’ve been open about my battle with cancer because I hope that through my struggles, I’ve helped people realize that God doesn’t cause our pain. But He uses that pain. There is no bad day, heartache, storm, or bad chapter that He can’t use for good. I also pray that I’ve shown that it’s possible to have peace in the middle of pain. But that’s only possible with God! But I wanted to share just a little bit of my story with you. God is good!

Thank you so much, Cathy & Sierra, for sharing your testimonies. All the glory goes to God when we tell others what He has done for us. It is not easy to be vulnerable and share your story with others. We are so grateful you were brave and shared it with us to we can celebrate the power of God with you. We are so grateful He healed you and set you free. Thank you again for sharing your story!

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Psalm 104 The Lord's Majesty (Part 2)

Psalm 104:5-9 “You fixed the earth on its foundation, so it can never be shaken. The deeps covered it like a garment; Above the mountains stood the waters. At your rebuke, they took flight; at the sound of your thunder, they fled. They rushed up the mountains, down the valleys to the place you had fixed for them. You set a limit they cannot pass; never again will they cover the earth.”

Today we pick up where we left off with Psalm 104. The verse starts by reminding us that the Lord fixed the Earth. He created all things, and He created the Earth on its foundation so it can never be shaken. That can be pretty reassuring if we let it. If we really let that sink in, The Lord has fixed the earth on its foundation so it can never be shaken. Some days, the earth seems like it is falling apart. It is good to be reassured that God is in control and that He won’t allow the world to be shaken.

Next, it says, “The deep covered it like a garment; Above the mountains stood the water. This sounds like it is talking about the flood. When Noah was living, the people of God had turned away from Him. Genesis 6:5-8 says, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Next, it says, “At your rebuke, they took flight; at the sound of your thunder, they fled. They rushed up the mountains, down the valleys to the place you had fixed for them. This narrative of the Lord's control over the water can invoke a sense of awe in us, reminding us of His power and sovereignty. The Lord created the whole universe with his words. When we stop to think about that, it is amazing. The waters fled at the Lord’s rebuke. How many of us can say that we speak to nature, and it listens to us?

Today’s verse ends with, “You set a limit they cannot pass; never again will they cover the earth.” Today’s verse shows us how powerful God is and that He controls all nature. God decides where the water will go and where it will not go. It is amazing how He made the oceans, rivers, and lakes. He contained the water in the places He wanted it. At one point, there was water everywhere. In Genesis 1:9-10 God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

The last line of this verse also reminds us of God’s promise to us: “Never again will they cover the earth.” God made this covenant with us after He flooded the Earth. He promised He would not do that again, and He gave us a rainbow as a sign of that covenant. Rainbows are still a sign of that covenant. Sometimes, God will give us a rainbow when we are struggling to believe something will really happen. I remember I was in a car with some of my girlfriends once and we were talking about how one of my girlfriends really wanted to get married and have children and it had not happened yet. We talked about how it is hard to keep hoping for something when you have waited too long for it and still don’t see any signs of it on the horizon. All of a sudden, there was a beautifully full rainbow right ahead of us in the sky. We know that was God reassuring her that He knows her hopes and dreams and He will fulfill them. My friend is getting married in four days! God is so good!

God can do the same for your hopes and dreams. I know hope is hard, especially if you have been waiting for something for a long time. I know it can feel like it is never going to happen. I can feel like He has forgotten about you. You can be tempted to give up, hoping for what you want, and figure it just wasn’t God’s plan for you. I want to encourage you not to give up. I want to encourage you to keep hoping, even when it is hard and even when you feel like there is no point.

God rewards persistence. He tells us this through several stories in the Bible. God wants us to keep asking. I am not sure why some things take a long time, and others happen right away. I am not sure why it seems like God is ignoring us at times. I do know that is not true. God is never ignoring us. He is always right there by our side. His attention is always aimed directly at us. The problem is that His timing is not our timing, and that sucks! We feel we know what we want, and we even are pretty sure our timing is great. However, the Lord can see things we can’t see, and if we get what we want before we are ready, it won’t be as good.

My friend waited on God’s timing and has now found the man of her dreams. God brought her a guy who gets her. They have a similar sense of humor, they both love dogs, and they are so cute together. Does it stink that she had to wait this long to meet him? Yes. Does God have a plan that is bigger than our plan? Yes. My friend did not give up on her hopes and dreams, and I hope you won’t either, even if it seems impossible. Even if it seems like you missed your chance or you missed your window, if you want it, keep praying for it. God is a way maker. He can find a way where there is no way. As Matthew West would say in his new song, “Don’t Stop Praying!”

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode. Lord, we are in awe of your majesty. We are in awe of how you speak commands over the earth, and it listens. We are in awe of keeping the water contained where you want it. Lord, you are incredible. I love looking at this Psalm to see your majesty on display. Thank you for your covenant with us, Lord. Thank you for reminding us of that covenant when we need it. Lord, we ask that you help us not to give up hope on our hopes and dreams. We ask that you help fortify us in faith that hope in you will not disappoint. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting some of you on Zoom this evening. It is not too late to join mentoring, and you can be on live tonight as well. We are in week #3 of our Surrender series. Tonight, we will discuss how we can surrender our hopes and dreams to the Lord. There is a link to sign up at the bottom of the show notes. Mentoring is $30 a month, and you get live mentoring on Zoom Tuesday nights at 8 ET.  You will also get a recording of the session in case you weren’t able to come live or you just want to watch it again. I hope you will join us! Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “What do you have to lose if you step out and do the things that I do? What do you have to gain?”

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Psalm 104 The Lord’s Majesty (Part 1)

Psalm 104:1-4 "Everything I am will praise and bless the Lord! O Lord, my God, your greatness takes my breath away overwhelming me by your majesty, beauty, and splendor! You wrap yourself with a shimmering, glistening light. You wear sunshine like a garment of glory. You stretch out the starry skies like a tapestry. You build your balconies with light beams and ride as King in a chariot you made from clouds. You fly upon the wings of the wind. You make your messengers into winds of the Spirit, and all your ministers become flames of fire.”

For the next few days, we are going to look at Psalm 104. Someone mentioned it at prayer group last week, and it is a beautiful Psalm that shows us how majestic the Lord is and all the amazing things He does in the world. Nature can be such a powerful place to see God’s work. Sometimes, He shows off in incredible ways, and this week, we are going to take a look at some of those ways. I pray that by examining this Psalm and the ways the Lord shows off for us in Nature, we will begin to notice the Lord more in all the amazing things we see around us.

Today’s verse starts off by saying, “Everything I am will praise and bless the Lord! Is this how we are praising the Lord? With everything that we have? For me, I would say yes and no. There are definitely some songs that I sing, and when I am singing those songs, I sing with everything I am. I pour my heart and soul into singing that song. The reason for this is because I resonate with the words of the song. Whatever it is about certain songs, I sing them with my whole being. I love music, and I love songs like that.

How about you? Is it music for you, too, or is it something else that helps you praise the Lord with your whole being? Maybe it is nature. When you see an amazing sunset or you watch the wildlife, you become overcome with praise for the Lord. Or, maybe it is your family. Whenever you spend time with them, you are overcome with gratitude for the Lord. It seems David often became overcome with Gratitude for the Lord. It seems like King David understood how amazing the Lord is and praised Him with His whole being.

Next, it says, “O Lord, my God, your greatness takes my breath away, overwhelming me with your majesty, beauty, and splendor! Has this ever happened to you? The Lord has done something in your life, taking your breath away. It has definitely happened to me. There have been many moments in my life when my breath was taken away. When I got married and when I had my children, there were definitely times when the Lord took my breath away. I couldn’t imagine how lucky I was for the Lord to have blessed me with a husband who loved me so much and three handsome, healthy boys.

Looking at God’s majesty, beauty, and splendor over my lifetime has been amazing, too! I am lucky enough to have seen not only many parts of the United States but many other countries as well. There have been so many wonderful things that we have gotten to see. One time, when we visited Scotland, we got to take a boat trip out and see The Corryvreckan Whirlpool, which is situated off the west coast of Scotland between the islands of Jura and Scarba. It is one of the largest permanent whirlpools on earth and one of the most dangerous stretches of water around the British Isles.

I also lived in Turkey and visited many beautiful places there, especially Cappadocia. Cappadocia is known for its surreal landscape, sculpted over millennia by volcanic eruptions and erosion, and is a spectacle unlike any other. Towering rock formations, whimsically dubbed “fairy chimneys," dominate the horizon, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that captivates visitors. Other notable sites include Bronze Age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes (cave dwellers) and later used as refuges by early Christians. The 100m-deep Ihlara Canyon houses and numerous rock-face churches. It was breathtaking.

Next, the verse says, “You wrap yourself with a shimmering, glistening light. You wear sunshine like a garment of glory. You stretch out the starry skies like a tapestry.” I like this part of the verse because it reminds us that God is light.  No matter what type of darkness you are going through, God’s light can shine through it. The verse says that God wraps himself in shimmering, glistening light and that He wears sunshine like a garment of Glory. Sunshine is pretty bright, wouldn’t you agree? When the sun comes up, it chases away all the dark of the night. God does the same in our lives. When we let the sunlight in, when we agree to have God work in our lives, His light comes in and chases away the darkness.

I love how this verse also says, You stretch out the starry skies like a tapestry. To me, this reminds us that even when we are in the dark of night, there is still some light. God gave us the stars in the sky. This means even when we are going through a dark time, there are still some places of bright light in all that darkness. Just like the stars are a bright light in the dark of night. Have you seen this in your life? You have been in a deep darkness, and yet there were still a few bright lights here and there that kept the darkness from overtaking you. Were there a few stars that shined a light into your darkness?

Lastly, the verse says, "You build your balconies with light beams and ride as King in a chariot you made from clouds. You fly upon the wings of the wind. You make your messengers into winds of the Spirit, and all your ministers become flames of fire.” Honestly, I wasn’t sure what this last part meant. When I looked it up, it says that this part is to demonstrate God’s majestic authority. The verse says He builds His balconies with light beams and rides as King in a chariot made from the clouds. This is something only He can do.

The next line says, “ You make your messengers into winds of the Spirit, and all your ministers become flames of fire.” Again, I was not sure what this meant. However, when I looked it up, I was fascinated to learn that Hebrews 1:7 says, “Of the angels, he says: “He makes his angels wind and his ministers a fiery flame.” This last part of the verse shows us that the Lord has angels, and He can use them to carry out His missions. Whether He needs winds of the Spirit or flames of fire, the angels are there eagerly waiting to carry out His plan. Isn’t that amazing?

You will continue to see as this week goes on how amazing our Lord is! I look forward to spending this week reviewing Psalm 104 with you in more detail and looking at various ways the Lord shows off His glory to us. The Lord is amazing, and sometimes, we get so bogged down with the pressure and troubles of life that we forget to appreciate how awe-inspiring God really is!

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode. Lord, please help us to notice your beauty and majesty in this world. Often, all we can see are the problems of our world. Help us to focus on your creations in the world instead of our mistakes and those around us. Help us to see how incredible you are and help us to gain back the awe we once had as children. If we never had an awe Lord, help us to learn how to live in awe of you. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. It’s not too late to participate in this month’s mentoring theme, surrendering to the Lord. Also, if you liked this episode, please share it with your friends and write a review. I look forward to seeing you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Be doers and promoters of my word. The more that you promote, the more you will draw others to me, my children. I count on you to be innovative in drawing others to me. You can do it. I am with you.”

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Today’s witnesses are from Matthew West’s website called popwe.org. If you don’t know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose a testimony from the Salvation Category. This witness is from a teenager who felt life was not worth living anymore. Unfortunately, too many of our teens feel this way. The number of teen suicides is on the rise. If you know a teenager that has been struggling, maybe you can share this with them. Brooklyn was saved, and they can be, too. I pray when you hear this testimony, you can see not only how God has helped her in her life but how He could help you in yours and in your loved ones’ lives, too. I pray you see the miracles in her life and know miracles are possible in your situation, too!! There is always hope when you have the Lord.

Brooklyn: This is kind of a long one, but it’s a God story and it’s worth hearing.

My name is Brooklyn and I am 18 years old.  This story took place over the course of my whole life (and is still in the process of being written).

This testimony of how God saved me from death and took me to Heaven happened when I was 13 years old. I know this will help and encourage you! I love you, and so does God!!! Biggest lesson: If God saved me, what makes you think He can’t save anyone else? God is so good. I just wanted to remind you of that!! He saved me from death literally.

When I was 13, I tried to kill myself with pills and medications. I woke up at midnight that night and just couldn’t stop praying to God, exclaiming, “I don’t want to die. I regret this. Please help me.” And that was the first time I prayed in years. I then saw myself out of my body. I was floating around in the room and saw my body lying lifeless and still on the bed. My dogs came over to lick me and check on me and all I could do was see this happening. I then saw a huge bright light and I was being pulled into it by an invisible force (which I know are angels). I couldn’t see anyone but I could hear people and their spirits and I was being brought up in like a wagon wheel. Suddenly, I was in front of these TALL golden gates (over 1,000,000 feet tall) and nothing like you’ve ever seen before. SO golden and radiant. On top of the golden gates were tens of thousands of people. All different ethnicities and looks but everyone being 30 years old (which is very significant for the fact that Jesus was in His 30’s when He was taken up to Heaven from the cross).

I remember seeing this one lady specifically. She had Afro hair and was African American.  Next to her was a man who was of Spanish descent. I remember them specifically. I hope I’m going to meet them one day when I get there. And all of the tens of thousands of people up there kept cheering me on as I kept getting closer and closer to the gates like I had just won the biggest soccer game in the whole universe. It was so cheerful and awesome! Then suddenly as I got closer, I felt a sense of consciousness that said, “this isn’t my time yet. I don’t want to be here.” And out of nowhere, this LOUD, booming deep voice spoke from above me and all around me and it said, “You will be ok.” I even saw those words in my spirit in black bold letters. Then suddenly I was back in my own bed with my dogs laid up next to me. My one dog, Angel, had tears in her eyes as she kept one eye on me and the rest of her face buried in herself. She did a double take when I woke up and started talking to her. And my other dog, Maverick, was jumping up and down excited that I was alive and next to him. I believe they knew I had died for a split second. Dogs sense everything and these dogs… are NOT cuddle dogs, yet somehow they were right then. I told my mother about what I had tried to do the night before and I was in the hospital for 12 days. The actual hospital for 5 and the mental hospital for the rest. I was supposed to be in the mental hospital for longer but I hated being in there so much that I manipulated my way out of it, which either way was God’s plan because if He wanted me in there longer, I would’ve been in there for longer. I got home and thought everything would be cured. But from May 2017-November 2017, it was still hell and I hated it, but I knew very well then to not try and kill myself again because I was scared. I went through some tough things during that time and one night after a blowout with one of my teachers, I cried and thought, “I’m done living like this.”

I picked up the Bible I had since I was a 7 year old, and ever since then, I haven’t put it down. My walk with the Lord has not been perfect and hasn’t been the best every single waking second which is completely normal and fine because everyone’s walk is this way at one season or another. But ever since that moment when I gave up living my life on my own and started devoting my time to God and praying and reading the NLT version of the Bible (which I completely recommend to everyone who’s searching for a richer deeper meaning into scriptures), my life has truly not been the same. I’ve been through trials. I’ve been through hardships. I’ve been through the rough spots in life and I’ve seen the darkest of dark parts that you can see. I know what it feels like to be alone and to feel alone (because our feelings can also manipulate us to feel one way when it’s not fully that). I know what it feels to have the world fall around you. I know what it feels to have your world crumble with one single word and phrase or action someone has done. I know what it feels like to feel worthless and useless. I know what it feels like to want to kill yourself and die. I know what it feels like.

Without God, I don’t know what I’d be. I don’t know where I’d be. I should be dead. I should be dead and up there with Him in Heaven laughing and having fun for eternity. No pain. No anxiety. No suicide. No injustice. No society pressure. Nothing of that is in Heaven like what’s on Earth. Everything in Heaven is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, joyful parties, get-togethers!!!! Heaven is full of laughter and peace and a bringingness together. No anger. No manipulation. No fear. Trust me when I say that ALL of these things above that I listed are on the lists of “yes” and “no” in Heaven. TRUST ME. I literally went there. So much love, joy, and peace. It’s unlike anything any of us on earth has ever felt before, even on your happiest day… it’s NOTHING compared to what I felt in Heaven that day… what we will CONTINUE to feel when we spend our eternities in Heaven. One thing I want you to take away from this is… Heaven is real. I’ve been there. God’s love is real. His saving power is NOT only for biblical times. It’s for every time. EVERY SINGLE TIME. EVERY SINGLE DAY. It says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” And Ecclesiasties 3:1 “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” I did not ask for Him and He chose to save me when I could very well not even be here right now in this spot.

It’s valid to feel alone and sad. It’s real. The emotions suck. They come and devour you and take hold of you just when one second ago, you were dancing in a field of garden flowers. It’s like- BOOM. Everything’s all gone in a second and now you can’t even remember the last time you smelled flowers in your life. It comes when you least expect it. It’s not fun. It’s traumatizing. It’s painful. It’s hurtful. It’s invigorating. It’s sad. You can’t go on. You feel like you can’t. And so you give up because everything is going downhill and wrong in your life. Nothing you can do to change anything so why try…? But no. You are not going to be stuck in this place forever. You are NOT going to be tied up to the dock of hell anymore. You are NOT going to continue to sink lower and lower, deeper into the pit because God has been there the whole time. What you’ve been struggling with was a SPIRITUAL ATTACK. The enemy HATES you so much that He causes you to have your eyes blinded from the truth of God’s love and hope and joy for you. How does it feel to know the enemy knows more about the destiny and life you’re going to conquer than you even do? The enemy has attacked you for so long… you started believing it because it became real and it became comfort. But this isn’t forever. I was in that spot too and it felt like it. God changed me and transformed me completely into the woman I am today and I’m still not fully healed and perfect because we will NEVER be perfect in this life. Let that truth take pressure off of you. You will NEVER be perfect in this life, so STOP trying. You’re burning yourself out trying to pursue a lie. The Lord has you on His mind and in His heart all of the time, every single day. You can’t feel it but He LITERALLY created you. The fact you are alive right now is the sign you’ve been searching for. The Lord is on your side and loves you. I never thought He loved me and I thought I had to work towards His love but now I’ve realized how much God loves all of us right where we’re at. He is our rock and our shield and confidence and hope. God’s love NEVER fails. John 14:18 TPT “I promise that I will never leave you helpless or abandon you as orphans-I will come back to you!” That’s just one promise in the Bible. There are THOUSANDS. Joshua 1:9 NLT “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”” And then finally one of my very awesome favorite ones for right now- Romans 8:38 NIV – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Let’s go confidently to the throne and remember He’s been there from the very beginning. We are not alone. He is here, and He is for us. God is alive and real, and so is Heaven. There is hope. There is a place for you and me and God in eternity. But I want you to remember that you must also CHOOSE to accept Him into your heart and life. You do not need to get baptized and be in a church to go to heaven. That’s not the full truth. That’s only the partial truth. And you want full truth, right? So do I, and so does God. The full truth is this: Romans 10:9 CSB – “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” That’s all you gotta do to know confidently that you’re going to Heaven. God is so good. He saved me to help save you. If He can do it to an ordinary person like me, He can do it to anyone. I just want to see your heart changed and transformed to follow Christ and see His goodness and glory in the Land of the Living. It is open for you and for everyone! It’s not limited to anyone. God’s got you so much. Don’t give up! Don’t you DARE give up. You are right on the edge of something amazing and beautiful. And I love you. He loves you. You are loved. Do not forget that.

I hope this changed you and if it did, please let me know so I can know God’s doing something good in all of this.

Thank you so much for sharing your story  Brooklyn. I know it is going to help a lot of people. I know when people hear it they will see that they are not alone. I pray they will see if you can get through it, so can they. If God can save you, He can save them too! It is not easy to be vulnerable and share you story and yet the world will be a better place because you did! Thank you!

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Be The Light They Need

Matthew 4:16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”

Recently I decided to start at the beginning of the New Testament and read a little bit each day of the New Testament. My Encounter Ministries class was big on evangelization and spreading the good news of the Gospel. They taught us various ways to do this. However, it is hard to spread the good news of the Gospel if you don’t know the Gospel. I do know the Gospel. I have been through the whole Bible several times through different Bible studies and Bible reading plans.

However, if we immerse ourselves in God's word, it will not only become a part of us, but it will transform us. The words, the stories, and the feelings will become ingrained in our very being, and we won’t be able to forget them. The central message of the Gospel is love. This love is not just a feeling, but a powerful force that can change lives and draw people closer to God. God's love for us, and our love for Him, is a concept that was revolutionary in its time. The Jewish people knew that God loved them because He had saved them time and time again and also because His Spirit was with them when they escaped Egypt.

Many people who lived at the time of Jesus didn’t believe in our God. They believed in multiple Gods who did not love them. The gods they prayed to also required a lot from them. They had to perform human sacrifices in some cases. They thought their gods received their power from the worship and sacrifices. The more people who worshiped them, the more powerful they were. Their God’s expected love and allegiance from them.

Then they discovered this God who loved them just as they were, and they didn’t need to do anything to earn that love, which was a game changer. This love is not a passive feeling but an active, unconditional, and sacrificial love. I believe this would be a game-changer for many of us if we truly believed it. If we truly understood that God loves us as His own adopted sons and daughters, we would live life differently. If we could truly grasp this concept that God loves us just as we are, then we could stop trying to earn that love; we could stop trying to live up to these impossible standards that we put on ourselves.

God loves you just as you are. He doesn’t need you to live up to any standards. He doesn’t need you to do anything to earn that love. His love is there for you when you are at your best and when you are at your worst. God is always there for you. That is the first part of the message found in the Bible, and it is one we must not only believe but also trust in and live our lives accordingly by showing the same love to others, forgiving as we have been forgiven, and serving as we have been served.

This brings us to one major message of the Gospel that we tend to overlook or ignore. That is, we are all called to love each other. This can be a challenging call a lot of the time. There are a lot of people in the world who are not very nice. Or at least they act in ways that are not loving. But we are still called to love them, just as God loves us. God is not calling us just to love our family or friends or those who are easy to love. He is calling us to love all those around us, even our enemies.

The verse above says, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned.” Jesus was a light to all who lived in the darkness. He brought this love that they had never seen before. God’s love is unconditional and unending, and Jesus shared this love with one and all. This love that Jesus shared was such a bright light in their darkness. Some of the people Jesus interacted with were people who were cast aside by society. They were outcasts, and they felt unloved.

Imagine how it was to be a leper in that day and age. They had to live apart from their whole community, and if anyone did walk near them, they needed to shout “unclean, unclean” So that people wouldn’t get too close to them. Can you imagine Jesus coming up to you and giving you a hug after you haven’t had any human contact in years for fear of infecting them or because of the laws? Imagine that light that Jesus brought into that situation when He healed them or even when he wasn’t afraid to touch them. He gave them their dignity back when he was around them. That is a bright light.

We can all agree that Jesus was a great light in the darkness. Do you know who is called to be that light now that Jesus is no longer walking around on this planet? You are, I am! We are all called to be “little Christs.” We are called to be a reflection of Christ to all those we meet. In John 13:35, says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Do you want to be a disciple of Christ? If so, we need to love one another. We need to be that light in the darkness. This doesn’t tell us exactly how we should do this, but if we follow Christ’s example, then this means we accept people for who they are. We love them exactly as they are without conditions. We don’t call people names. We don’t judge them and decide what we think of what they did. We simply accept them for who they are. This doesn’t mean you can’t lovingly point out when something is wrong, but first, you must love them unconditionally, or they won’t be able to hear your kind correction. You must always come from a place of love and not a place of chastisement or a place of wanting to be right.

If there was one thing that could change the world, it would be this one thing: If we could learn to love all the people around us, think about how much better the world would be. If we could love those around us, we could stop taking offense to everything they say because we know it is coming from a place of love. If we could help spread more love, then we would also be spreading more light. If we could spread more love and light into the world, there would be no room for hate. The light would chase that darkness away. Will you spread some light today? Who could you love today that you haven’t in the past? Even if you don’t approach the person, change your thoughts to loving thoughts. That would be a great start.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to the episode today. Lord, we love you, and we thank you for all you do for us. We ask you to help us love more. Help us love everyone, even those who are difficult to love. Help us bring your light to all those sitting in the darkness. Help us see through appearances and see what you see. Give us your heart and your eyes for people, Lord. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name. Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Tonight is week #2 of our Surrender Series. There is a link below for my website. I invite you to check out the mentoring information and join us this evening on Zoom. I look forward to meeting some of you on Zoom this evening, and the rest of me will meet you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in January 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “I am your God, and I can help you. No matter the problem, remember that I am God, and you need to rely on me for each step of the way.”

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We Were So Utterly, Unbearably Crushed

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 "We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him, we have set our hope that he will rescue us again.”

I like this verse because it shows us that even when we feel we are crushed more than we can take, we can still have hope that God will rescue us. This is a letter written from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia.

The verse starts out letting them know that they didn’t want them to be unaware of how they were treated in Asia. It states that they were so utterly, unbearably crushed that they were despaired of life itself. It is great that Paul and Timothy shared their afflictions with their fellow brothers in the church in Corinth. Too many times, we keep our afflictions or ourselves. We pretend that all is ok and that we are fine. We act like we have no troubles, and then people believe us. The problem is that they start to hide their afflictions, too, because they think they are the only ones having any afflictions.

Can you see the damaging spiral this can cause? We all act like we are fine and that nothing is bothering us. We act like life is easy, or our jobs are easy. We act like the world is a wonderful place where nothing bad ever happens. This may make us feel better, but it doesn’t help those around us. We are not teaching those who look up to us for the answers how to deal with heartbreak, disappointment, or any other feelings associated with the afflictions we are hiding.

I actually don’t think it even makes us feel better. We might not feel humiliated that others know the pain we are going through, yet we feel all alone and figure no one else is going through the same thing we are going through. When we don’t share our troubles, we rob our friends and family of the graces that come from comforting us in our time and need.

The next part of the verse says, “ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” This part has two interesting parts. The first one is that they felt they received this death sentence to teach them a lesson. This is something we all think more often than we would like to admit. When something bad happens to us, we wonder what we did to deserve it. We start to wonder why God is doing this to us. We question what lesson he wants us to get out of it.

God is not the cause of the bad things that happen to us. Yes, it is true that nothing happens to us that has not passed through the hands of God. That means that although he is not the cause, he has allowed it to happen. This does not mean that everything that happens to you is because God is trying to teach you a lesson. It doesn’t mean everything that happens to you is your fault or that it is punishment for something you have done. Sometimes, some things just happen. If we trip and fall down a few stairs, it probably doesn’t have a deep spiritual meaning. If our child or loved one gets sick, it doesn’t mean we are being punished for something.

This verse can comfort us by reminding us that we are not the only ones who feel this way. If the apostles Paul and Timothy felt their affliction was to teach them a lesson, then it is normal for us to think that, too. I also think sometimes this can be the case. However, not everything we go through is to teach us a lesson. However, God can use all things for our good, and sometimes, that comes as a lesson or wisdom gained when we make it through a really hard time.

The second interesting thing about this part of the verse is when it reminds us that God is the one who raises the dead. I love this part because it reminds us that no matter how far down we are, God can always save us. There is no pit deep enough for us to be out of God’s reach. Jesus went all the way down to hell to lead the righteous home. If He can travel to Hell, he most certainly can travel to whatever pit we find ourselves in and lead us to home, too!

Our affliction is hopefully not unbearable, crushing us. However, I do know several people who have loved ones who have cancer, and that may feel unbearable. I know some young adults who are suffering from anxiety, stress, and depression, and they feel that the weight of the world is crushing them. I know some young adults caught up in addiction, and the weight of that is crushing them as well. Whether your affliction is unbearable, crushing, an inconvenience, or somewhere in between, I want to pass this verse along to you to show you that God can still help you. No matter the level of affliction, God can save you. There is nothing too big or too small for God.

The verse ends with, “He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him, we have set our hope that he will rescue us again.” God will continue to rescue us. No matter how often we find ourselves in trouble or how often we are afflicted. He will continue to rescue us over and over again. All we have to do is set our hope in Him. When we feel the weight of our struggle becoming too much for us, we just turn to the Lord and ask Him to carry that weight for us. He is our Lord and our Savior. That means when we need saving, He will be there to save us.

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing, and we are so grateful for all that you do. We are grateful that we can rely on you to rescue us repeatedly and that you never let us down. We ask you, Lord, to remind us of this when we forget. We ask you to remind us when we get scared and frightened, and our problems seem to get bigger and bigger. Help us remember that you are bigger than anything we can encounter in this world! We love you so much, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you are struggling with something right now and are wondering how you could surrender your worries to the Lord, I invite you to join us for mentoring this month. The theme is Surrender, and we are learning how to surrender everything to the Lord. If you cannot make it Tuesday nights at 8, you will receive the recording. Although you miss out on the small group discussion, you still get all the teachings on Surrender. For a dollar a day, that is a pretty good value, even if you can’t attend live. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!

Today’s Word from the Lord was received in January 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My children, be not afraid of the storms of life. I am here beside you. I will help you overcome. My power will break whatever is in the way. I will remove the obstacle because I am the power over the storm.”

CLICK HERE ✨ JOIN WALK BOLDLY WITH JESUS MENTORING (Live Tuesdays + recordings available — $30/month)

CLICK HERE 📖 Get the Daily “Word from the Lord” Email

CLICK HERE 🎧 Get My Free Audio Training + Join My Email List

Click Here 🌐 Visit Finding True North Coaching