If we listen to the world’s report, we are living in a time of sure doom. In the natural, things may appear quite troubling. However, looking through spiritual eyes, we can see that all hope is not lost. God is still sitting on His thrown and He is still in control.

When your circumstances seem hopeless, trust in Jehovah Rapha - the One who heals all your troubles. He can turn your bitter waters sweet.

So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

Blessings,

Joyce

Too resonate is too spring forth strong, powerful, still, deeply, close and certainly. All words that derive from resonate seem to be the essence of God’s love for us today!

When His love resonates, we know there is power in His name; there is the strength of His arm, the stillness of His sweet Presence, the deeply rooted love of abiding in the vine, the closeness of a brother, and the certainty of a Savior.

May you resonate in His loving embrace today, knowing that no matter what circumstance you are facing or what storm that life may bring, He is right there waiting to hold you up, to love you and to embrace you…

1 John 4:7-11 (NIV)  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

I recently received this in an email and am sharing it with you today.

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.

He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.

He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.

He reminds me that He is my source and not my job.

He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn’t cooperate every morning, I still will not stop - for He is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go. His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check.

His retirement plan beats any 401K there is! When it’s all said and done, I’ll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His name!

Blessings,

Joyce

Isaiah 33:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

Just yesterday I was humbled by an experience of waiting in the most lengthy of lines trying to make the cut off time, hoping to hurry to the store to that I could hurry home. This caused me to ponder the idle time wasted in line, because I knew there was a lesson in this for me. When I pulled away I noticed that I was the last car to leave. I knew there something teachable in that waiting, since while the waiting I was not very patient at all.

So today I would ask of the Lord to forgive me for being in such a hurry, for leading such a busy life and not gleaning the time wisely. Teach me Lord with the stability of these times.

Psalm 25: 4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:8-18)

We can learn at least two things from this passage of scripture.

First, we will have pain in this world. We will go through things that we didn’t plan and certainly did not hope for. At times, it may seem like we’re at the end of our rope. The Word of God says that it’s only a momentary affliction. No matter how severe or devastating, you have an eternal hope.

Second, God is always with you, no matter how severe the pain, problem or trouble. He is your Jehovah Sahmmah. Never forget that you do not walk alone. Jesus is right beside you or carrying you. Let your pain draw you closer to the ultimate Physician.

Sometimes you may feel like you’re all alone and your circumstances will never change. The devil is a liar! Trust God with every aspect of your life and He will never leave you.

Blessings,

Joyce

Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Who is this King of Glory? Son of God and Son of man, Jesus, strong and mighty is He…

I am reminded of what the psalmist wrote in Chapter 24, the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. So when we are at a crossroad in our life, remember to lift up your head, seek His face and know that the King of Glory will come in. Jesus He is the lifter of our heads. Be strong in the power of His might today! 

Lord Jesus, I pray for all who are weary to know that you are the King of Glory Lord Jesus, the One who sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession on our behalf. May we know the beauty of Your love for our lives today, and may we surrender our all to you Jesus.

Precious Jesus!

King of Gory!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

When faced with looming deadlines, decisions, daily battles and situations far out of my reach, I can draw from God’s Holy Word and it reminds me to stand, watch, pray and hold on! This morning’s powerful scripture reminds me to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.

Too hold fast to His most Holy word and stand, watch and pray!

Don’t give up; give in or quit, the battle is the Lord’s!

And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. (John 19:17-18)

One of my favorite worship songs include the words, “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.” They remind me that the cross means so much more than a piece of jewelry I sometimes wear. I’m constantly reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made for me. When I think about my sins, I am in awe that the Creator of the Universe, God made flesh, came to earth and died a horrible, brutally painful death, for me. I can’t begin to know how much that cost.

But I do know that the cross is a symbol of victory. My eyes tear up and my voice trembles as I give thanks to my Lord. Because of the cross, I have the promise of eternal life with you. Your victory over death and the cross is a constant reminder that God can use anything for good.

Thank you, Jesus!

Blessings,

Joyce

I would ask where are the Daniels of today?

Daniel was a faithful servant of the Lord, young in stature, but strong in spirit. As a youth he overcame so many obstacles and hurdles.

Daniel Chapter 1

He faced great opposition when faced with a decision whether or not to abstain from meat and wine offered at the Kings table. He had purposed in his heart to not be defiled with what was offered to him at this Kings table.

• Would we as believers young and old alike make the same decision?
• When faced with a choice with something that is contrary to what God would have for us, would we be partakers?

Daniel Chapter 3

Once again Daniel and now his friends had a choice to make as King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden statue; which he commanded all to adore: but the three servants of God refused to do this and were cast into the fiery furnace; but they were not hurt by the flames. Also, to inlcude a fourth person who appeared in the midst of the fire.  

• Why didn’t these three men just bow to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar, and later on tell God that they didn’t mean it? Can we think of times that we do this in life?
• Can we think of people today in our life or even in society that won’t bow down to the temptations no matter what? 
• Do we dare to be a Daniel or like one of his friends in this story?
• Will we believe and  take a stand for God most High in the midst of all the tests and trials that come our way?

Daniel Chapter 6

The faith of Daniel in this story has inspired youth and people of all ages for centuries. The Lions den was not a fun place to be I am sure, but Daniel stood with faith and succeeded. It appeared that Daniel’s enemies have won.  He is in the lions’ den and it is sealed. Yet could any “seal” by man ever keep God from accomplishing His plans. Daniel had victory this day! 

• What lions are you facing on your campus today, at your place of employment, maybe even in your own home?
• What opposition has come to make you cower in fear or doubt God?
• Can you be as Daniel in your generation? Standing firm? Fighting the lions? Beliving for VICTORY!
• It is time to take a stand!
• It is time to walk out your faith in the face of opposition, temptation and testing!
• Do not give into the Nebuchadnezzar’s of today; fight the good fight of faith, no matter what it looks like at work, at home or at school. Fight and stand!
• Pray and seek the Lord and see if He wants you to be a Daniel today!

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. …Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. …Such is the generation f those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. (Psalm 24)