Reflecting on the Holy One of Israel

   

   Hello and Merry Christmas!! I pray you are having a wonderful, safe holiday. 

   For me, it's been quiet, but it has given me time to reflect on the Grace of God. It has also reminded me that there are moments in our lives when God can take something as simple as a quiet walk and a single sheet of paper and use it to change everything. I recently added a devotional to our archived list, "The Holy One of Israel." This is the story of how, in my mid-thirties, the Holy One of Israel met me at the Cross, under the shade of a tree, and invited me to finally lay down the one thing I had never truly surrendered - myself. I invite you to read it, and I pray that as you do, you will be encouraged to bring your own heart honestly to Him and discover that He has been waiting for you all along.

As always, blessings to you. And feel free to share if it encourages you.
Kassie

Continue reading The Holy One of Israel

He Loves You

 

A call to the Weary

Are you hurting, 

and deeply searching for hope and...  looking increasingly to God for answers? God says, "All that you need, I AM." 

In Jeremiah 31, we read, "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying, 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you'" (NKJV, vs. 3). Notice it says "You"; it does not say "them" or "some." It says "YOU." My friend YOU are a "you" God's Word is talking to! He looks at YOU and says, "I have loved you!" 

The LORD God knows where you have been, and where you are, and whatever you are going through. He knows your hurt, your loss, your pain, and those times when, in total despair, you  whisper, "God, I don't understand…" Jesus said, "All who are weary come to Me and find rest." God's Word promises healing for His people. Sometimes our suffering is caused by our own backsliding, sometimes by others, and sometimes our grief and sorrow are simply allowed by God Himself for reasons that may be hard to understand at the moment. 

Many times, it is through our suffering that the greatest blessing will be born to us and through us for the sake of others. Oftentimes, we have to go through seasons in the valleys to reach the mountain peaks God has planned for us. At times, we will have to weather storms before we see God's glory move before us.  

However, dear friend, nothing can separate us from the Love that God has for us through His son,  Jesus Christ. We can take heart that God does not change- the same God who called Abraham His friend (see Gen. 41:8) is our God for us. Just as He led the Israelites during the day with a cloud and fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22), so He will lead us. God has called Himself "the one who heals us" (Ex.  15:26), so take hold of His promise and allow Him into the deepest recesses of your heart, and let  His healing spirit pour into your very soul. Turn to Him, my friend, the One who is able to comfort you and bind you within.  

The Lord graciously holds out His hand in invitation. 

"I will give peace, real peace, to those far and near, 

and I will heal them," says the LORD. 

(Isa 57:19 NCV)

Arms Open Wide

 

A Call to the Weary

As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is his love for those who respect him. He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from the west. The Lord has mercy on those who respect him, as a father has mercy on his children. He knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust (Ps. 103:11-14 NCV).  

No pit is too deep and no gulley too wide that Christ cannot reach
His people whom the Almighty God calls, "Mine." 

 ♥♥♥

 Do you know what true grace means? Grace is an overwhelming abundance of understanding, love, and forgiveness. Grace is giving someone what they NEED, not what they may deserve. My friend, that is what God has done for us through Jesus. He has given us what we needed most, and not what we sometimes truly deserved. And in grace, only Jesus has paid the price, and it is freely given to us-- we have only to accept His offering. His Word says,  "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalms 103:10 NIV). My friend know that wherever you are in your life, God says,  "Don't be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine" (Isa. 43:1 NCV). 

 Children often play the game, "How much do you love me?" My own sons growing up would say, "Mommy, I love you this much," and then they would hold their arms out as far as they could. My friend, know that today Jesus has looked at you and said, "Child, I love you this much." Watch as He raises an arm to the east and His other arm to the west, and listen as He repeats again, "THIS MUCH." And just so we would always know (so that you would always know), He had His hands nailed to a Cross. My friend, know that what Scripture says in Jeremiah 31 still remains true. He says it to me, and He says it to you. And from far away the LORD appeared to his people and said, "I love you people with a love that will last forever. That is why I have continued showing you kindness" (vs 3 NCV). 

 No matter what has happened, know that as far as the east is from the west, Jesus holds His promise out with open arms that there is still hope, and NO, all is NOT LOST. Jesus calls to us and says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and are burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28 NIV). Notice in this key verse that it says, “all you…”It doesn’t say “some of you…” My friend, “all you…” includes you and me! 

 So if you are wondering if there will ever be an end to your heartache, trials, tribulations, and storms… if you are looking at the canyons in your life and wondering how you are ever going to make it across… if you are looking for the horizon and wondering if the clouds will ever break… or if you are facing the darkness of the night and wondering if daybreak will ever come… My friend, know that Jesus says, “I am here, I am the One.” 

 PRAYING IN FAITH

 Father God, we come before You today in Christ Jesus' name. Lord, thank You for the grace that You wrap us in, even when we are so undeserving. Lord, thank You for Your love that You pour out on us. Thank you for Your comfort and hope in knowing that, no, not all is lost. Lord, I hold hands with this reader and pray for them. Lord, may they feel Your arms wrapped around them. Lord, whatever it is that has beaten them down, or whatever mistakes they have made, or wherever it is that they find themselves at, Lord, help them to know that Your reach is bigger. Help them to know that Your love is stronger than whatever they may be going through at this moment. Lord, I pray for them, that in weariness, brokenness, loneliness, or even in hopelessness, they will come to You. Lord, I pray that they will take comfort in the Cross and the depth that Christ has paid for them. Lord, today as they look out, may they look towards the east and then the west... and know in their hearts that Your arms are held open for them. 

 In Christ Jesus' Name, Amen.

__________________________

This devotional comes from our series 
A Call to the Weary.

A Heart of Peace

 Greetings! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the Christmas season. 

We are still slowly working on this website and transferring files over from an older computer. We hope you will keep checking back with us. And as always, we look forward to hearing from you.

Today's post comes from our devotional
A Heart of Peace

THOUGHT TO PONDER

When God calls us, and we don't turn away from what He doesn't want us doing, and to what He would have us do instead, He will pursue us. But if we persist in going the other way, we will lose our peace, and then there will be no rest for us. My friend, has God called you? Is He working in you for His plans and purposes? Are you turning TO Him or AWAY from Him? Are you perhaps struggling against Him? My friend, don't let your heart become hardened, and lose your peace of heart and your rest.

>> To continue reading