Those who sow their tears as seeds will reap a harvest with joyful shouts of glee. They may weep as they go out carrying their seed to sow, but they will return with joyful laughter and shouting with gladness as they bring back armloads of blessing and a harvest overflowing! Psalms 126:5-6 TPT
I’m not a huge crier, but I’ve had my share of tears, and I have to say, it’s a necessary thing. Crying, let’s off pressure that’s built up inside of you.
Most of my tears silently fall down my face in the night. It could be as simple as opening my eyes to see an empty pillow where Walt slept. Sometimes, during worship, when I hear a song that moves me, I still glance over to see him if he’s crying.
Whatever the case, God sees my tears as seeds that will someday reap a harvest of joy. It doesn’t stop the flow of tears to know that, but I can expect God to bottle them up. Nothing is ever wasted.
Eight months have passed since he went to his reward. I’m happy for him. No more pain. He’s where he belongs, and I’m content to stay and encourage you today.
Let those tears fall knowing God’s catching them all.
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. Psalms 37:23-24 NASB2020
Have you ever had something happen to you that was so bad, and all you could focus on was the bad? What if the bad happened to catapult you into something good?
Here’s where I’m going with this. If I truly believe the aforementioned verse, then I also believe that God is not surprised by anything that happens in my life. Good, bad, happy, or sad, He’s built in a delightful finish for me. I just have to trust the one who holds my future.
Learn to see things through the eyes of faith. If our steps are ordered by the Lord, believe that He has purpose for that thing. Get your eyes off the negatives and be excited for the good God will bring into your life because of it.
God has GOOD in store for you, He just wants you to trust Him.
Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
I just can’t get enough of Gods Word. When I wake up, it’s on my mind. When I lay down, it’s on my mind. I love it! It’s replacing vain imaginations with vision and promise.
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:30 “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
I remember having a dear friend over for dinner after church. We sat together and listened to a dvd teaching I’d purchased to share. That Word just got on us and in us. We kept pausing it so we could discuss it. At one point, she said, “Pause!” As I stopped the video, she got up and danced around the living room.
I absolutely love sharing the Word with people who get excited just from hearing it. It pulls on the Spirit of God in me. That’s the way God expects us to be. That’s what being a light to the lost should look like. Not so overwhelmed with our own stuff that we forget our purpose and mission in life. It’s to bring hope to a lost and broken world.
So Father, thank you for your Word in me. When I think on your Word, I become like a deeply rooted tree that can’t be moved. My roots are deep. My fruit is plenteous. I hide your Word in my heart so that I won’t sin against you. Keep my motives pure and my heart clean. I love you, Lord. Use me this week for your honor and glory!
“Listen, you heavens, and I will speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth! May my teaching drip as the rain, my speech trickle as the dew, as droplets on the fresh grass, and as the showers on the vegetation. For I proclaim the name of the Lord; Ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and just is He.” Deuteronomy 32:1-4 NASB2020
How amazing that God provides a place for us to come out of the rain of life and find refuge in His great arms of mercy and grace. We need to be there every day. It is to our spirit as food and clothing are to our bodies.
The necessity of spending time in His presence brings us strength to face another day. Regardless of what that means for you, be assured that He even uses the rain to make our emptiness look like gardens.
I must worship at His feet. I must shout my joy. I must touch Him so that I may come away, ready to be Him to others every day.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
In other words, what you say is what you get! We used to do a little exercise where we’d have someone extend their arm out at their side and have them repeat the words, ‘I am strong, I am strong, I am very, very strong’ 5 times and then try to push their arm down and you couldn’t do it.
Then we’d have them say, ‘I am weak, I am weak, I am very, very weak!’ the same amount of times and push on their arm and it would go down. No tricks! Even the skeptics were amazed at the results.
So often we think that it really doesn’t matter what we say. The words, ‘I’m just kidding!’ doesn’t negate the fact that the words you speak are out there doing what you sent them to do. You see, we were made in the image and likeness of God, and He’s the Master Creator. No one knows the power of words like God.
Jesus was very clear in Matthew 12:36 when he stated, “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.” Again in Matthew 15:11, “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”
Toxic words come out of our mouth every day, and we get all bent out of shape because of the things that happen in our life and the lives of our families. We play the blame game, wagging a finger at God, asking why? Really?
Remember the time you damned your children because of something they did? Why should you be surprised at how they act now? Or the times you yelled, “I HATE THIS JOB!” Then became upset when the business went under, and you lost your job? Really? It’s because we pay no attention to our words. We place no value on the things we speak.
Do you want to change things in your life? Make consistent changes to the words you speak! How? By training yourself to think right thoughts and speak the right words. How? If I have a glass of tea and keep refilling the glass with tea, what will I get? Tea, right? But what if I start putting water in the glass, then what happens? It changes to water. It may take a little while for all the tea to be gone, but eventually, it will be a nice glass of water.
So when I fill my mind with the Word of God and learn to speak like He does, love like He does, bless like He does, I become God-like. The results will astound you.
My prayer today is found in Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
Ps 121:5-8 MSG “God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you—Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke. God guards you from every evil. He guards your very life. He guards you when you leave, and when you return, he guards you now. He guards you always.”
Get the picture? He’s all around you, above you, beneath you, in you, there is absolutely no way to get away from the fact that God is all about taking care of you. There’s no reason for you to think you’re ever alone, He’s there.
You simply can’t go by how you feel. The more you focus on feelings, the less time you focus on God. The devil will always try to distract you from your purpose. Shake it off! Gods got this! Place it in his VERY capable hands and renew your mind in the Word.
Begin to speak it out loud. Declare it to the mountain, “God has this! He’s my guardian! My steps are ordered, so back off devil! I will watch as my deliverer wipes the floor with you!”
Remember who you are. You’re a child of a mighty Guardian God. If that doesn’t empower you, I don’t know what will.
Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 NASB2020
He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with Him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ! Ephesians 2:6 TPT
I believe that I am a daughter of the most high and living God. Who is God? God is love.
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 1 John 4:16 NASB2020
That means that as His daughter, I not only have authority and purpose, but I possess the greatest characteristic of my Father, love. What does that look like?
That’s walking in my covenant. Redemption is mine. Healing is mine. My position is secure regardless of bad decisions, wrong moves, or attacks of the enemy.
We must remember whose image we’re created in and walk that out every day. Your past is history. Leave it there. Live in Christ. Be a reflection of love in the earth.
The king loved Esther more than any of the other young women, and she became his favorite. He approved of her more than any of the others. So King Xerxes put a crown on Esthers head and made her the new queen in place of Vashti. And the king gave a big party for Esther. It was for all his important people and leaders. He announced a festival in all the provinces and sent out gifts to people, because he was a generous king. Esther 2:17-18
What a beautiful picture of the lavish love of God. Humility, love, and compassion will cause people to take notice but will heap on us the favor of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Some day, our King will come and take us to a beautiful place prepared just for us. A lavish feast we’ll all share. I look forward to seeing all of you there.
As we demonstrate His glory to the world, may we shine in all He created us to be and bring hope to a lost and dying world. It’s what we were born for!
I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however, I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. Philippians 3:13 TPT
There are so many consuming factors that creep in to get us sidetracked in life. Millions in any given day. Depending on what you listen to, it can be literally overwhelming.
Keep in mind that there will always be things that arise to try and distract you from Gods plans and purposes for your life. The trick is how to stay focused.
You can swat at them like a pesky mosquito that constantly alludes your grasp. You know it’s there, but eventually, your focus returns, and soon you forget it’s in the room.
Remember that God never loses sight of you. He is always aware of you. In fact, He has written your name on his hand. Keep your eyes on Him today.
Enter through the narrow gate because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! Matthew 7:13 TPT
If everyone took the easy way, where would the adventure be? Nothing would be unique. Experiences would be unrelatable. But the narrow way leads to places unseen. The unknown becomes a welcome zone. The reward is access to Jesus and all He has.
Choosing the road less traveled can be a bit scary, especially if nobody else is in sight. There’s no one to ask directions from. You must rely upon your ability to hear what no one else can hear and see what no one else can see.
Without risk, there’s no possibility of reward. So when it’s offered, take it. Stop playing it safe and going along with the crowd. Make a difference where you are by being different.
“Your lives light up the world. For how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light. So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that your commendable works will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 TPT
remnantposts by sandy gregory 