Yesterday I shared with a friend about how growing up I wanted to go to the beach. I had never been to the beach as a little girl but knew I would love it. I read about it in books, did science reports on seashells and waves, etc. Fast forward fifty years and look where I live. Woo hoo! I also shared about how I would lay in the yard and watch the planes fly over and think 'some day I am going to fly.' Once again, fast forward and now I fly frequently. It is amazing to think about the dreams I had as a little girl and how they have come true. God is so good. Even through the 'junk' that has happened in my life God has/is always there for me. I was reading in Psalm 141 this morning about how David asked God to be with him and to protect him. God is so good to do just that when we allow Him. He will give us exactly what we need as we allow Him. Some times He allows things in our lives from the enemy to grow our faith. But He never leaves us. He is always ready to love us through 'tough' times. When the enemy comes knocking, we have a choice to make. We can either give into the antics of the enemy or stand strong in our faith. We are the only ones who can make the choice. We must remember He is there to see us through such times. So many times it feels like God is so far away when in fact He never walked away from us. We are the ones who strayed from Him. I am reminded of the song "Leaving 99." It shows how God cares so much for us that He would the 99 to pull us back into His love, grace, and mercy. Audio Adrenaline lead singer Mark Stuart says "This song steps away from the rest of the album's theme a little bit, but it's one of my favorite songs. It's a beautiful ballad about a lost Christian, or a lost person who has lost their reason to go on and can't figure it out anymore. God comes in and says 'I would leave 99, leave them all behind just to find you.' It's a reminder to Christians and non-Christians of how much God truly cares about us." Praise His Holy Name that He never leaves us! In the parable of the 99 in both Matthew and Luke we see man as sheep. We know sheep can become lost easily. There are three things to grasp from this parable.
- Isaiah 53:6 - sheep stray
- Romans 3:23 - sheep fall short
- Romans 3:29 - sheep sin
Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for the reminder this morning of Your love, mercy, and grace! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You shine brightly through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I pray Your peace over many going through difficult days. My Momma as she adjusts to her new way of life; my sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Cait; Beth; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; Amber; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Rick; Cyndi; Serena and her husband; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Preacher Bill Watts; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; Alex's niece; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; and Sue Danhoff's husband Harv. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, and Russ. Thank You for continued strength for Baby Henry and Pam! I pray for a father with a prodigal daughter to know You have not left him. Thank You for being My Great Shepherd! Amen.
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