“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
-Isaiah 9:6
Daily Inspirations – December 20, 2015
“For no word from God will ever fail.” ~Luke 1:37
Daily Inspirations – December 19, 2016
” Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” ~Luke 1:45
Longing for Christ – Love
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~John 3:16
Love. Love represents everything God is and 1 John reminds us of that for it says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God loved us so much that He sacrificed his one and only son Jesus Christ on the cross to pay for our sins. It all started with a loving God, an obedient teenage girl named Mary, and a baby born in a manger. This is a gift that we could never repay. However, in return God wants our heart. Our whole heart. He wants us to die to self, live for Him, and according to His Word. Luke 1o:27 commands us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
As theologian Jeremy Taylor states, “Love is the greatest thing God can give us, for himself is love, and love is the greatest thing we can give to God, for it will also give ourselves. . . . The apostle calls love the bond of perfection. It is the old, and it is the new, and it is the great commandment, and it is all the commandments, for it is the fulfilling of the law.”
No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done — God is always ready for you to come to Him and receive His love and forgiveness. He is always there ready for us to come to Him. Only His perfect love will give the ultimate fulfillment we long for on this earth. Spouses, family, and friends may love us greatly, but Jesus’ love is the only love that will never fail in this life. As we fully accept the love of Christ, we are able to love others as the Bible commands and be the people God desires us to be.
As Christmas approaches the central focus should be on the birth of Christ and the love that He represents. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and lose sight of what the season is all about.
Christmas is not about me. Christmas is not about you. Christmas is not about presents or food. Christmas is about the Eternal love that was born in a manger to bring hope to the hopeless, peace to the restless, joy to the grieving, and love to the lost and hurting. It is a time to truly celebrate this baby who became our Savior, and praise Him for all He has done and will continue to do.
If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed this week, or if the holidays are a sad and lonely time for you please take a moment to remember that you are not alone. God’s love for you surpasses anything that you could ever imagine and the love of Christ is the greatest gift He has ever given so accept that love and a peace and joy that is unexplainable will fill your soul. Also, spend some time today doing something nice for someone else, and spend time encouraging them with the love of God because you never know how your act of kindness will impact their Christmas.
Daily Inspirations – December 18, 2016
“I know not what He is about to do with me, but I have given myself entirely into His hands.” ~Catherine Booth
Getaway With God Book Review
About the book:
Getaway with God (Kregel, November 2016)
What if a simple day away could transform your life?
Does spending time with God sound like just one more thing to check off an ever-increasing to-do list? How are you supposed to fit in anything that threatens to be more time-consuming? Too often there’s simply no room to experience the intimacy, grace, and peace that God offers us.
Getaway with God does more than invite you to step away from life’s pressures to take a personal retreat. It shows you exactly why you must—for your sake and for your family’s.
With grace and warmth, Letitia Suk provides step-by-step guidance and the necessary tools to enable any woman on any budget to plan time away, whether it’s a quick, half-day break or a weeklong time of restoration. You’ll find detailed steps for preparation, including descriptions of different kinds of retreats and how to choose the best one for you, and you’ll learn ways to bring the renewal you experience home with you. Practical appendixes identify retreat centers nationwide and provide exercises and prayers to kick-start your getaway with God.
No matter what your season in life, the time for retreat is now!
Purchase a copy: https://bit.ly/2gCczSG
My Thoughts:
This book is a wonderful resource that offers women different ways to have retreats with a God. Knowing that each woman’s circumstance is different, the author prkvides solutions for various situations and budgets. As the new year approaches, now is the perfect time to plan a getaway with God. Whether it is just for a moment, or for an entire weekend, God desires for us to set aside time with Him to refocus our minds and hearts. This is a must read if you are planning a retreat in the future. I was given this book by Litfuse Publicity.
About the author:
Letitia invites women to chase the Intentional life. She writes and speaks of God’s renewal and restoration and offers platters of hope to women in each season of life. Tish is also a personal retreat guide and life coach in the Chicago area and moonlights as a hospital chaplain. You might run into her walking by Lake Michigan, browsing resale shops, or making up a new tradition. She blogs at hopeforthebest.org and is also the author of Rhythms of Renewal.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Daily Inspirations – December 17, 2016
“When I look at the world, I become distressed; When I look at myself, I become depressed; when I look at Jesus, I am at rest.” ~Corrie Ten Boom
Daily Inspirations – December 16, 2016
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” ~Amy Carmichael
Longing for Christ – Joy
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” ~Luke 2:10-11
Joy. The Bible calls us to have joy every single day. Philippians 4:4 says to rejoice always. Even when we do not feel like it we are supposed to rejoice. That sounds good until you are going through a really hard season and then it just plain rough.
I have found myself during many sleepless nights saying “But God my health is terrible can’t you have a little sympathy? I don’t feel like rejoicing right now. What is joyful in this?” Some others may be saying, “but God my job is so hard and this is not at all where I thought I would be right now in my life. I am miserable and don’t know what my purpose is. When will one of my dreams finally come true?” Or “but God married life is not what I thought it would be. What happened to living happily ever after? I just don’t love him anymore or feel loved. And lastly, “but God I am in my 30s and STILL single. I have dreamed of being married for years and being a helpmate to someone. When will it be my turn already? ”
All of these scenarios many have experienced, and none of these make it easy to have joy, and are even worse during the holidays. How can we rejoice at Christmas when life is in shambles? This past two eeeks I have been on two strong iv antibiotics for a chronic bladder infection. These medications and the infection have wiped me out. This is not at all how I wanted to spend my days leading up to Christmas. After the year I have had I wanted a bit of a break.
However, that is when God so gently reminded me yet again that —Joy is not defined by the circumstances of life. Joy is simply Jesus. Joy is found in the tiny baby who was born in a manger. Joy is found in the one who lowered himself to be a servant and washed the disciples feet. Joy is found in Him who performed many miracles. Joy is found in the man who died on the cross and in the Savior who rose again. Joy is found in Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
When I take the focus off myself and put it on the Lord my circumstances suddenly feel lighter. As we focus on the greatness of Jesus and what He has done for us — our circumstances will not always change, but our perspective towards them will. Then, a great joy that we didn’t think was possible will fill our hearts and minds. Also, along with that joy the Lord will give His strength to help us walk the hard roads in a way that is honoring to Him.
As Christmas week is approaching take time to dwell on the only one who can make your joy complete.
Daily Inspirations – December 15, 2016
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” ~Psalm 139:14
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