"Faith-Filled Christianity"

DAY #88 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: "Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established." Proverbs 16:3 NKJV
...to be continued!



BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"The Glorious Gift of Life"

DAY #87 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: "Seek the Lord and ye shall live..." Amos 5:6 KJV
...to be continued!





BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Filled By The Spirit"

DAY #86 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: Ezekiel 37:14 NIV


...to be continued!






BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"He Cares for You"

DAY #85- 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT


...to be continued!




BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"How Much Does God Love You?"

DAY #84 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: John 3:16 HCSB


...to be continued!



BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Who Rules?"

DAY #83 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Exodus 20:3 NKJV


...to be continued!


BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Follow Him"

DAY #82 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: John 12:26 NKJV

Who are YOU following??
...to be continued!




BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Eternal Life: God's Priceless Gift"

DAY #81 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
John 4:13-14 HCSB

...to be continued!

"Your choice to either receive or reject the Lord Jesus Christ will determine where you spend eternity. ~ Anne Graham Lotz

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Beyond Doubt"

DAY # 80 -- Phew, around the 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional in 80 days... and more to come!
VERSE: "Now if any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6 HCSB

If you've never had any doubts about your faith, or anything, then you might as well just skip over this devotional -- but somehow, I DOUBT IT! LOL!

Doubt - by definition;
–verb (used with object)

1. to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.
2. to distrust.
3. Archaic . to fear; be apprehensive about.
–verb (used without object)
4. to be uncertain about something; be undecided in opinion or belief.

God can and will take us beyond all our doubts and fears. We need not worry or doubt that God will do what He says He will do. Sometimes when we pray, we do look at circumstances more than the truth of the Word of God. We are uncertain, or consider the option to be questionable or unlikely, or we hesitate (if even for just a moment), and we find it hard to believe that a GREAT BIG God cares about little ol' me. Well He does. We just need to seek His presence, and spend time with Him, and having a more meaningful relationship with His Son Jesus, and be led by Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we feel that we are far away from God... but remember it's not God who moved, it's us. God was, God is, and God always will be! He promises many things to those who believe and are His followers and disciples.

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!!

"Courtesy Matters"

DAY #79 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
VERSE: "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." 1 Peter 4:9 NKJV

Such a funny devotional message for me to be reading right now, because this weekend we were just commenting how the people in my city have lost all their manners and courtesy means really nothing now a days. I have been brought up, and taught to respect others, no matter how old or young they are, no matter what sex, race or any other discriminating factor. I, being a major people-watcher, am quite shocked sometimes to other's behaviour. The saying is certainly true (the GOLDEN rule) -- 'treat people the way you want them to treat you' (Actually found in the Bible in Matthew 7:12) -- so many people if they are living their life by this 'rule' really want to be treated not so nice. Drivers, pedestrians, even relatives treat each other with no dignity or respect at some times.

... to be continued!!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Real Christianity"

DAY # 78 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional

VERSE: "But now in Christ Jesus you who foremerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace." Ephesians 2:13-14

'Real' by definition is;

–adjective

1. true; not merely ostensible, nominal, or apparent: the real reason for an act.

2. existing or occurring as fact; actual rather than imaginary, ideal, or fictitious: a story taken from real life.

3. being an actual thing; having objective existence; not imaginary: The events you will see in the film are real and not just made up.

4. being actually such; not merely so-called: a real victory.

5. genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic: a real antique; a real diamond; real silk.

6. unfeigned or sincere: real sympathy; a real friend.
7. Informal . absolute; complete; utter: She's a real brain.
8. Philosophy .
a. existent or pertaining to the existent as opposed to the nonexistent.
b. actual as opposed to possible or potential.
c. independent of experience as opposed to phenomenal or apparent.
9. (of money, income, or the like) measured in purchasing power rather than in nominal value: Inflation has driven income down in real terms, though nominal income appears to be higher.
10. Optics . (of an image) formed by the actual convergence of rays, as the image produced in a camera (opposed to virtual).
11. Mathematics .
a. of, pertaining to, or having the value of a real number.
b. using real numbers: real analysis; real vector space.
–adverb
12. Informal . very or extremely: You did a real nice job painting the house.
–noun
13. real number.
14. the real,
a. something that actually exists, as a particular quantity.
b. reality in general.
—Idiom
15. for real, Informal .
a. in reality; actually: You mean she dyed her hair green for real?
b. real; actual: The company's plans to relocate are for real.
c. genuine; sincere: I don't believe his friendly attitude is for real.

A 'real' Christian is a 'genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic; sincere' Christian - one who sincerely follows Christ and is not just an imitation or artificial. Authentic means if held against a 'fake', one would know that you are 'real' -- as in diamonds. There are many superficial or zircon Christians out there, who are looking good on the outside, but not have the real value inside. We live in a world that tells you it's more fun to be say a 'ruby' than a 'diamond', and some are happy just being a 'zircon' -- one who looks like a real diamond on the outside, but is a 'fake'. A 'ruby' for example is a jewel that is still valuable (as we are all valuable to God), but it is in fact not the 'jewel' that God has called us to be. We all have a purpose in life, and the first step to finding out that purpose is to seek after God and a relationship with Him.
With a 'diamond' there are four classifications to know the 'realness' of it. The Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat-Weight.

The Cut - Each diamond is still a diamond, whether it is an 'emerald', 'heart', 'marquis', 'oval', 'pear', 'princess', 'radiant' or 'round'. Each of us are 'cut' differently, we are still diamonds at heart, but our bodies, characteristics are all unique to being 'us'. The way a 'real' diamond is cut allows the light that enters to be reflected back up through the face of the diamond. If a diamond is cut too shallow or too deep the light exits through the bottom of the diamond, and does not allow the maximum beauty of the diamond to be known. Each of us as ' Real Christians' should allow the light of Jesus to be reflected back into the world.

The Colour - Diamonds come naturally in every colour of the rainbow, but most people are just excited about the ones in the white range. Sounds like the world of today, but no matter what colour we are, red or yellow, black or white, we are all precious in God's sight.  The best color for a diamond to be is infact no color at all. A totally colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the color of the rainbow. When we come to God, he cleanses us, and become pure & 'colourless' only reflecting what He is made of, which infact can be seen as the colours of the rainbow, which is His promise to us!

The Clarity - Each diamond's clarity is determined by the amount of flaws, or blemishes. To see these to the fullness, you must view a diamond under 10X magnification. Most diamonds contain little 'inclusions' which are kind of like birthmarks. The 'inclusions' interfere with the light passing through, and therefore the fewer the inclusions, the more reflective and beautiful the diamond is or can be. Each of us are born with 'inclusions' or a sinful nature, and the more sin that we contain, the less that God can be seen, but when we allow God to remove our sin, the more beautiful we become. Diamonds, unlike any other gemstone can produce more brilliance because of the light reflected. A diamond that has no 'inclusions' or surface scars is very rare, and very valuable. Thankfully, we are all valuable to our Creator, but of course we are made the most brilliant and beautiful when we arrive in the presence of God when He once and for all cleanses us and makes us white with the glow of His glory in Heaven.

The Carat-Weight - Diamonds are all in different weights, and these weights are measured in carats. As the weight increases, so does the price, which also makes the weightier (higher carat) ones more rare. Two diamonds can be of equal carat-weight, but their value differs due to the other 3 classifications (Cut, Colour & Clarity). Now, first thinking would be our body weights, which we do vary in... but my thought is to the weight or the amount of the Spirit that lives inside of us. The one with the Holy Spirit in his life, just from salvation needs to be empowered by the same Spirit with the water baptism, and the baptism of the Spirit. Each of us are in different areas of our journey with God. "The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?  The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them." Proverbs 20:5-7 NIV

So a real and true Christian will have the cut, colour, clarity and carat of the Father. God is not leading us into the impossible (for all things are possible for and with God), and we can become the 'rare' righteous ones whom chase God with all our hearts faithfully, and according to Proverbs 20:7, so may our children (or the next generations) behind us!

(My church just celebrated it's 'Diamond [60th] Anniversary', so I pray that we all may become 'real' diamonds in the rough -- reflecting and shining the light of God in this dark world.)



AMEN and AMEN!

*Diamond information found online at http://www.4diamond.com/4Cs/ -- Information comparing diamonds to Christians inspired by Holy Spirit! :)*

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!
 

"Sharing Your Burdens"

DAY # 77 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
VERSE: "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

The words to the Donut Man's song come to mind -- 'Cast your burdens on Jesus for He cares for you... Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher lift Jesus higher higher.... Lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower, lower stomp satan lower lower...' The verse itself is found in 1 Peter 5:7, "Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you." When troublesome times or disheartening times come our way, we need to remember not to mull them about in our mind (thinking the worst), but we need to immediately give them to God, and place them in His hands. Our God will always be with us, wheras our friends or family won't. Sometimes we will be alone (in the physical), and we will feel that all is against us -- but really when we feel the walls closing in, like your are surrounded -- that's really God's love surrounding you. There's a song by Geoff Moore called 'Surrounded' that have these words...


Do you ever feel
Like you want to run and hide
Take all the ones you love
And drop right out of sight
Do you wish you had a shield
That could push the pain away
Or a mighty sword to wield
To keep the wolves at bay


When the walls are closing in
The enemy is back again
Heat coming from all sides
Like you are surrounded
You can’t believe everything you feel
Treasure what you know is real
Cause, if you could see from up above
What’s got you surrounded is love

Do you ever dream
Dream of days to come
When battles will not rage
For the souls of little ones
Do you still believe
In love that’s strong and true
And no matter where you wander
His love’s surrounding you


Do you still believe
In love that’s strong and true
And no matter where you wander
His love’s surrounding you



So whatever the size of your 'trouble' remember that OUR GOD is greater, bigger, stronger, higher, awesome in power and when the evil demons come at you with lies -- tell them the truth (just like when you were a kid) -'My Daddy is BIGGER than your daddy!' Remember satan is the father of lies, and God is the Father of ALL Truth!

Put your hope, faith and trust in the Lord, and He will hear your prayers and answer them!
(Check out yesterday's devotional 'Restoring Your Hope' if you need to regain the hope

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Restoring Your Hope"

DAY # 76 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy." John 16:24 NCV

Where (or who) do you place your HOPE in? The worldly circumstances, the doctor's diagnosis', the words of friends & family or the Word of God and God Himself? Do you have FAITH in God, that He will do and say all that He promises? Do you have a sincere HOPE for tomorrow? Have you 'asked' God for those desires, sincerely asked in the name of Jesus? We should be continually seeking the face of God, and the plans that He has for us. Our desires and wants, wishes and dreams can be fulfilled if we live according to God's plan, and if they are in His will and desire for us as well. "Genuine heartfelt prayer produces powerful changes in us and in our world." ('A Woman of Faith' Devotional. Day 76. ©2007 Freeman-Smith, LLC. Nashville, TN. 37202)


 When we truly believe with faith, which is truly believing without seeing, than God can and will do a GREAT work in our lives, and in our world.

This 'asking' is just not petitioning for your own self, but for those around you. Think of the world around you, your home, your family, your work/co-workers, your church family, your community, your city, your province, your country, and countries around the world. Are there questions about your future (or theirs) that you cannot answer alone -- needs that you cannot meet (such as the turmoil going on in Japan) -- do you really know what your purpose is? Do you just have simple questions about life? God can and will meet those needs, and answer those questions, if you SEEK Him. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

Whatever your desire, need, prayer request may be, keep on praying. Pray continuously -- never lose HOPE! Not just saying 'hope' frivolously, as in 'I hope God answers my prayer' or 'I hope I can go to Africa' -- but a true and sincere that is stronger than desire. According to dictionary.com, 'hope' is defined as;

–verb (used with object)

6. to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.

7. to believe, desire, or trust: I hope that my work will be satisfactory.

–verb (used without object)

8. to feel that something desired may happen: We hope for an early spring.

9. Archaic . to place trust; rely (usually followed by in ).

—Idiom

10. hope against hope, to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant it: We are hoping against hope for a change in her condition.

The worldly view of 'hope' is just looking forward to with desire & 'reasonable confidence', meaning don't wish too hard, don't believe too much just incase it doesn't happen. A Christian's view of 'hope' should be a totally different outlook. We can look forward to with the confidence and assurance that God will do what He says He will do. We don't put our 'hope', 'trust' and 'faith' in the circumstance or the desire, we put our 'hope, trust and faith' in the God that provides. I've said it before, and I will say it again and again (& I've heard others mention it -and too many mention the opposite, which is why I will write it again), we need to STOP seeking the healing, the provisions, the desires, the revivals, the signs & wonders/moves of the Spirit and we need to START seeking the Healer, the Provider, the Miracle worker, the Reviver, the Spirit himself who is above all, who is GOD. We need to SEEK HIM, and Him alone... don't just seek for the Spirit, or for more of Jesus -- we need GOD as a whole, Father, Son & Spirit. God gives us the Spirit here on earth, so yes we can desire moves of the Spirit, but we have to seek GOD Himself to receive the Spirit, and we need to believe that God sent His Son Jesus and it is His BLOOD that cleanses us and makes us new. We are protected by that blood. We need to stop looking at the circumstances around us because we are basing our faith, hope and trust around them too much. We need to place our faith in the BLOOD of JESUS, the POWER of the SPIRIT and the GREATNESS of GOD! Our God is greater, stronger, higher, awesome in power and He is the Healer, the Provider, the Giver of Life and more. (See 'When I Speak Your Name' devotional here for more.) For more information you can check out, http://www.learnthebible.org/praying-in-the-name-of-jesus.html or just Google "in Jesus' name" or "power in the name of Jesus" or "names of God".

So if you feel as if you have the worldly form of hope, faith and trust -- then SEEK the Lord and ask Him to fill you with His Faith, Hope and Trust -- but then you need to have the faith, hope and trust to believe that He will do what you asked. God is able, actually more than able to answer our requests (if they align with His will) - we just need to ASK! 'A.S.K.' -- Ask, Seek & Knock.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13


BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!



"Actions Speak Louder"

DAY # 75 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Are there those among you who are truly wise and understanding? Then they should show it by living right and doing good things with a gentleness that comes from wisdom." James 3:13 NCV

"Focusing on Your Hopes"

DAY # 74 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "This hope we have as an anchor of the sould, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil." Hebrews 6:19 NKJV

"Searching for Strength"

DAY #73 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 NKJV

Searching for strength? I think we all can fit into that category. Where do we go to find that strength? In ourselves, in a protein drink, to the gym, or to the source of strength which is the Lord? God is the ultimate source of all that we need. He does give us certain talents, gifts and characteristics that help us get through each day, but we are to seek Him, so that we know we can do all things through Him who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13) He gives us strength physically as well as spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Nothing we can do that will be fulfilling will ever be done in our own strength. Each day we need to seek the Lord while He is here, call on Him while He is near. The quality of our lives here on earth depend on where our foundation and our source is. God is always there for us, because He is faithful. We on the other hand are not faithful. We stray, we sin and we try to do things on our own and in our own strength. By choice we are making bad decisions in our lives, and God cannot bless us as He desires. We need to tap into the STRENGTH of the King, and He can help us to do the impossible. Nothing is impossible with God, or to those that believe!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"The Heart of a Servant"

Day #72 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped." Proverbs 11:25 MSG

The old saying goes, 'Find a need and fill it'... whatever talent or gift you have, each of us is called to serve. Serving is giving of one's self in order to fulfill a need of another. Jesus showed us a great example of servant-hood when he washed his disciples feet. Such a small menial task, but it meant the world to the disciples, and to Jesus. We need to be the 'hands and feet' of Jesus to this world, and when we serve, others will bless us in return. God will bless us as well. When we serve others, someone will serve us; when we help others, someone else will help us as well. We do not give to receive, yet in some cases we do. Sometimes it's great to help, or serve or bless anonymously, so that you can watch the joy of another grow, and all the glory goes to God.

Thinking of the people in Japan, and other parts of this world who are in turmoil, due to the 'groaning of the earth' -- I also think of the COMPASSSION & WORLD VISION children all around the world (and those children who do not have sponsors). We don't have to be a missionary across the world, but it's good to give towards the mission trips of those who can go. They are our hands and feet, as well as Jesus'!

C'mon, let's be the 'hands and feet' of Jesus!

Audio Adrenaline - 'Hands & Feet' ENJOY this lil' song... one of my fav's;


BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!!

"Real Repentance"

Day #71 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Come back to the Lord and live!" Amos 5:6 NLT

Full repentance is turning away from the 'sin' that is trying to control us. It's not just repeated apologies over and over for the same sin, again and again. It's good to repent, yet why are we re-doing the sin in the first place. Our sin distances us from God, plain and simple. When we want to remain close to God, we need to remove the sin from our lives. God and sin cannot be in the same place. If we want the manifest presence of God in our lives, our homes, our churches, our cities then we need to get rid of the sin. One thing to remember is that we ALL have sinned, and we all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

We need to walk in obedience to God's Word, so that we can fully wrap ourselves in the protection and the blessings of the King. We need to allow the rain, the fire and the wind of God to cleanse, burn and blow over our spirits and bodies. Our natural man desires temporary fixes, which seem good at the moment. However, our spiritual man desires much more of the Father and His ways. We need to walk in repentance and forgiveness.

To REPENT directly means;
–verb (used without object)

1. to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc. (often followed by of ): He repented after his thoughtless act.
2. to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent.
–verb (used with object)
3. to remember or regard with self-reproach or contrition: to repent one's injustice to another.
4. to feel sorry for; regret: to repent an imprudent act.

We need to walk in repentance to 'change one's life for the better'. God desires to change us inside and out, we just need to let Him have control instead of our natural man.

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"What Now, Lord?"

DAY # 70 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "For we are His making, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 HSCB

"Pray Always"

DAY #69 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy..." Luke 21:36 NKJV

"Your Primary Obligation"

DAY #68 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received!" 2 Peter 1:3 MSG

"A Marathon"

DAY #67 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us." Hebrews 12:1 HCSB


Life is said to be like a journey - and it all begins with one step. If our lives are to be considered as a marathon, then we certainly do need to go into each step prepared and determined to finish wtrong and well. We need to persevere through the tough times. Jesus is a perfect example for us to look to. His life was lived well, as a marathon -- although it was short-lived here on earth, those 33 years He persevered and finished the race well, once and for all. He didn't just finish, He won! He came and did what He was called to do -- the work of the Father.

Just as Jesus did, we must remain faithful to our calling -- even when thoughts of discouragement or quitting come in, we need to persevere and remain dedicated to our calling. Jesus did ask "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me? Yet not as I will, but as you will." He told the Father of his true thoughts and feelings, yet He still wanted to follow the Father's will, not his own.

When we face times of trial, doubt, fear, discouragement, etc... we need to be honest with God and tell Him how we are truly feeling, and He will reach down and touch our hearts and spirits, and heal us. We always want to be in the will of the Father, not our own plans and desires. Remember anything that comes against you, no matter how big is always smaller than our Father God in Heaven. He can handle ANYTHING! NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE for Him~ and nothing is impossible for him that believes! So prepare, persevere and stay determined to finish the race set before you.

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!



"A Heart Aflame?"

DAY #66 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Whatever work you do, do you best, because you are going to the grave, where there is no working..." Ecclesiastes 9:10 NCV

...to be continued!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Swamped by Your Possessions"

DAY #65 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have." Hebrews 13:5 MSG

...to be continued!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Sharing the Joy"

DAY #64 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: 1 Chronicles 16:10

...to be continued!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Guard Your Heart"

DAY # 63 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." Proverbs 4:23 HCSB

NKJV -"Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life."
MSG (v. 23-27) "Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust."
NIV- "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

"Guard" -- by definition is;
–verb (used with object)

1. to keep safe from harm or danger; protect; watch over: to guard the ruler.
2. to keep under close watch in order to prevent escape, misconduct, etc.: to guard a prisoner.
3. to keep under control or restraint as a matter of caution or prudence: to guard one's temper.
4. to provide or equip with some safeguard or protective appliance, as to prevent loss, injury, etc.
5. Sports . to position oneself so as to obstruct or impede the movement or progress of (an opponent on offense): The linebacker moved to his right to guard the end going out for a pass.
6. Chess . to protect (a piece or a square) by placing a piece in a supportive or defensive position relative to it.
–verb (used without object)
7. to take precautions (usually followed by against ): to guard against errors.
8. to give protection; keep watch; be watchful.

To guard our hearts, is a defensive and offensive thing. Defensively we keep our hearts safe, by protecting, watching over, take precautionary measures, and restraining idle thoughts & words. Offensively we position ourselves as to obstruct or impede our opponent the enemy. Definition #4 above states, 'to provide or equip with some safeguard or protective appliance, as to prevent loss, injury, etc.' Our defensive equipment isn't like simple sports protective equipment, we can wear spiritual armour from God. This will help us defensively and offensively. (Read about the armour in Ephesians 6:10-18) We wear our 'helmet of salvation' to protect our heads, our minds, our thoughts, our visions & dreams, our senses -- but also our heart. What goes in, must come out. That which we see, hear, touch, smell & taste affects us in more ways than we think consciously. It affects our unconscious thoughts as well. The 'breastplate of righteousness' is full body armour, that protects our physical body, as well as our hearts. The darts of the enemy cannot penetrate through the breastplate to pierce our hearts. The 'belt of truth' basically keeps us on our feet, telling and sharing the truth. Jesus is the way, the TRUTH and the life -- satan conversely, is the Father of LIES. Know the Truth! Speak the Truth! Live the Truth! If we didn't have our belt on, our pants will come down. We don't want to face the enemy with our pants down! Our feet must be fitted with the 'shoes of the gospel of peace'. Everything we do, everywhere we go we must be spreading the peace of the gospel to the world. The gospel is where our salvation lies, our heart must believe it and confess it. Standing firm then, we take our 'shield of faith', with which we can extinquish all the fiery darts of the enemy (which protects our entire self); and our 'sword of the Spirit' which is the Word of God. Get the Word in, and it's the Word that will protect you. Use the Word on all occasions, in good and bad. Seek out the blessings, and the promises that are in God's Word for you and every believer. But remember to be obedient to the tasks at hand that the Lord has called you to, to receive those benefits. If we have the right stuff going in, our mind and our hearts will usually tell us the right thing to do. We all know the saying, 'Garbage in, Garbage out' -- but we don't usually think about it conversely, 'Good stuff in, Good stuff out'. As in the translation found in the Message, "Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust." We are going to see, hear, smell and possibly touch or taste some things that are not meant for a 'child of the King' -- those things all impact us, and the way we think, act and speak. If we keep our eyes straight ahead, the 'sideshow distractions' can just be blurs as we pass them, leaving them 'in the dust' -- striving ahead as we look forward to the plans that the Father has for us. However, if we allow ourselves to be 'tempted', just one simple glance to the 'left or right' can keep our minds entangled, and therefore releasing the guard that is set upon our hearts.

Guarding your heart, mind and tongue -- Right now we are reading a book called 'The Power of Your Words' by Pastor Robert Morris. (Gateway Church) Such a great reminder to watch our tongues, and to guard our minds and hearts. I highly recommend the book, and I've only read up to chapter 4. :)

You can order it at your local Christian bookstore or online -- It's an older book, so you probably will have to order it.

Remember Jesus said, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:6-8 NIV

"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."
2 Timothy 1:13-14 NIV

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"God's Sufficiency"

DAY #62 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

...to be continued!





BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Limitless Power, Limitless Love"

DAY #61 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation." Psalm 100:4-5 NLT

...to be continued!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!

"Heeding His Call"

Happy March 1st (technically on March 2nd)!!
DAY #60 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1 HCSB

...to be continued!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!