God is constantly speaking in various, ingenious, creative ways. I love when the Holy Spirit speaks through different vehicles, like the written word of God or a book, music and pictures. Whatever it is, the Holy Spirit can give us a smorgasbord of teaching to change it up in us and purposefully shape us through the gifts and talents of others. This is why I read a lot of Christian books and listen to a lot of Christian music and of course, daily am in the Bible, because I know the Holy Spirit will use the truth contained within the music and the pages to change it up in me, shape me, focus me, and teach me exactly what I will need for times such as this. I hope you enjoy my smorgasbord God delight today at the Smorgasbord Table!
Streams In The Desert By L. B. Cowman
“God has never failed me. Even in my greatest difficulties, heaviest trials, and deepest poverty and need. He has never failed me. Because I was enabled by God’s grace to trust Him. He has always come to my aid. I delight in speaking well of His name.” George Mueller
My Thoughts
Jesus is as real as person will let Him be. He is a gentleman and will never breach our will. If things are not going our way, the way we planned for them to go, this is the time we need to beware of being led astray by discouragement. The truth is, God has not failed us, God is always for us. The failure is on our part, the failure to trust, the failure to remain faithful to God, the failure to patiently endure and let God work. Even though things don’t look the way we think they should, we must believe God is at work, purposefully and He will not fail us, ever.
“We will never escape waiting because waiting is truly all about God’s mercy and grace. Waiting produces something good in us, it is God productive. Waiting is not in the way of god’s agenda, waiting is God’s agenda. God is doing great things in us, for us and around us as we wait.” Paul Tripp
Red Sea Rules By Robert J. Morgan
“Our fight is not against any physical enemy, ” Paul warned. “It is against the organizations and power that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls the dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil” (Ephesians 6:12 Phillips).” Robert J. Morgan
“When the devil orchestrates attacks against us, how do we respond? We draw near to Christ and keep ourselves under the protective cloud of His grace. We always make a mistake when we acknowledge the Lord and keep our eyes on satan. Far better to acknowledge the devil while keeping our eyes on Christ.” J. P. Morgan
My Thoughts
A fear reaction always shows me my position and my focus. If I am positioned in fear and focused on mediatic false frenzy, I know my anxiety will run amuck. Truth is an important factor in the fight against fear. Truth stabilizes us in that way no other thing can. Jesus, Spirit of Truth, is the way to peace, the calm of our fear and the hope in the dark that lights our way, step by step as we courageously press forward in truth. The reality of truth is, the battle belongs to the Lord.
Instruments In The Hands Of The Redeemer By Paul David Tripp
“The central work of God’s kingdom is change. God accomplishes this work as the Holy Spirit empowers people to bring His Word to others. We bring more than solutions, strategies, principles, and commands. We bring the greatest story ever told, the story of the Redeemer. Our goal is to help one another live with a “God’s story” mentality. Our mission is to teach, admonish, and encourage on another to rest in His sovereignty, rather than stabling our own; to rely on His grace rather than performing on our own; and to submit to his glory rather than seeking our own.” Paul David Tripp
My Thoughts
The heart of the gospel is change. Jesus came to us, He died our death, so we could live His life. The resurrection of Jesus was the greatest transformation mankind would ever know. Death to life. If we serve no power higher than self, we will never experience the miraculous grace of God in action in us and through us, we will remain unchanged. How sad is that?!
Praying For Your Adult Child By Jodie Berndt
Where could I go from your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from your face? 8 If I go up to heaven, you’re there! If I go down to the realm of the dead, you’re there too! 9 If I fly with wings into the shining dawn, you’re there! If I fly into the radiant sunset, you’re there waiting! 10 Wherever I go, your hand will guide me; your strength will empower me. Psalm 139
“The ability to sense God’s nearness, to be able to come into His presence and approach His throne of grace with confidence-in the good times, as well as in life’s long, strength-sapping battles-is what gave those parents hope. It’s what strengthened them. It’s what gave them joy, even when they could see no earthly reason to rejoice.” Jodie Berndt
My Thoughts
I have learned it is not about what I see, it is all about WHO I know. No doubt about it, I know God, He is powerful, loving, kind, wise and glorious and I know He is for me. I know He uses all things to work out His purposes in me. I know He will finish what He started in me, this I do not doubt, because He is always with me, always for me and an Advocate like no other. There is strength for me in this day, even if I start it out weak kneed, I know He is here to strengthen me in that way only He can.
Praying The Names Of God By Ann Spangler
Psalm 33:13-15 The Lord looks over us from where he rules in heaven. Gazing into every heart from his lofty dwelling place, he observes all the peoples of the earth. The Creator of our hearts considers and examines everything we do. The Passion Translation
My Thoughts
I praise God because He is interested in me. I know I am daily, one who is taught, I am constantly being shaped, becoming what God’s Hands design. Throughout all of my life dealings, I see His Hand of purpose and I yield to the touch of His Sovereignty, like a lump of clay, responsive to the Potter’s touch. With every trial, with every joy, I know God is shaping me into the vessel He has planned for me to be. I am thankful that He finishes what He starts with excellence. Even in the hard times, I know the next best choice for me is worship. Praising God for Who He is, clinging to the promises He has made and worshiping Him heart to heart.
365 Ways To Know God By Elmer Towns
Psalm 22:6 But look at me now; I am like a woeful worm, crushed, and I’m bleeding crimson. I don’t even look like a man anymore. I’ve been abused, despised, and scorned by everyone! The Hebrew word for “worm” is tola, which is also the word for “crimson” or “scarlet.” Tola was a certain worm in the Middle East that, when crushed, bled a crimson color so strong it was used as a dye for garments. Jesus was not saying he was a despised worm, but that he will bleed as he is crushed for our sins. The Passion Translation
“When Peter denied Jesus, he fulfilled the Old Testament prediction that Jesus would be a Reproach of Men. Hanging on the cross, Jesus was cursed, mocked, spat upon and rejected by the multitudes. But even in His rejection a thief believed in Him; His mother and John were commissioned by Him, and at His death, the centurion recognized Jesus as a righteous man. Jesus is either a Reproach to you or He is your Savior.” Elmer Towns
My Thoughts
I was trying to think of the commonalities we had with Peter and all those who sinned against Jesus. We all sin, we all bleed, we all die these are some natural commonalities we have as human beings and these are things that remind us not to point our finger in judgement against those who failed, because we have the same human condition that we deal with on a daily basis. But, Jesus, He was the King of heaven, He came to die our death so we could live His life. This was a love like no other, a supreme, sacrificial love that is hard to wrap our human minds around. Yet, those who knew Him most, knew His heart, knew His mission, these are the ones that betrayed Him. I sometimes think this: Why was Jesus not enough? I am thinking, He is! But, we try to do things in our own strength and that is where the core of the difficulty lies. We need God. When we stay in a wholly-holy relationship with Jesus, He is our Savior.
“Sin turns us into ourselves. Sin makes us shockingly self-absorbed. We are so occupied with loving ourselves we don’t have room to love others. We need to be rescued from ourselves. We have been rescued, and we will be further rescued until all that keeps us from loving is defeated and eradicated. This is why Jesus came. Remind yourself of what you have been given in Christ and determine to live a life of love.” Paul David Tripp
I Am Strengthened ~I Am Changed.
So, this delightful “God Smorgasbord” of feeding my soul has strengthened me and changed me much. I know that I need to keep the focus off of me, because when it is on me, it corrupts the way I respond to my life situations. It is a very fleshly reaction when I see through the lens of self, when I serve no power higher than self. I really don’t have any right to point my finger at someone elses mistakes or short comings, because I have the same human condition. There needs to be less of that in my life, as I remember more the commonalities I have with those I may think I am better than. There is only two things that I can be doing right now, either I am serving God, or I am serving myself. This makes it simply-significantly very clear with no wiggle room for rationalization. There really is absolutely no reason not to wholly-holy trust God, because He has a stupendous track record of faithfulness. If I lean into my worldly viewpoint, I will definitely find an enticing path to follow to meet my own needs as I follow after the disappointment and discouragement that loves to lead me to a flesh out of despair. I must find my way to God’s Kingdom perspective and fight to keep my focus when I am being distracted by the tactics of the enemy. I remind myself that the battle is the Lord’s not mine and I stay in followship of Him, this is how I stay on mission with what He is doing. God is definitely interested in me, no doubt about that. His purposes are in play in my life constantly, as He works to shape my life into a beautiful design of His glory. I stay in a vital-vertical relationship with Jesus, I make it personal every day with Him. I do not want to or try to be the Savior, He is and I stay wholly-holy aligned, in followship of Him. My God, He is a good finisher and I eagerly anticipate in times such as these, how He will finish my life story. From faith to faith, I hope from every moment to every choice, on this day, to honor God in that way which testifies of Christ in me, my hope of glory. KimberlyMac
PS: I hope you share this post with someone today on your social media, be a God vessel of encouragement and hope. I also hope you purchase The Bridegroom’s Voice, there is no book like it anywhere, it is definitely an anointed tool to develop a listening ear and a close personal relationship with Jesus.
