Daily Bread

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 12th

"My ripcord Savior."

When things are tough, we find it easy to call on God and lean on his mercy and grace. But I must confess, when I'm reveling in his blessings and things are going well, I am so much like the Israelites and forget to acknowledge that all the blessings I have and all the opportunities I have received come because of his grace. In our joy and success, we need to learn to acknowledge him more...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

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[HeavenBesideYou]

October 13th

"Never alone."

The Lord watches over all His children. He is with us in safe times as well as the dangerous ones. He guards our steps from the day we are born until we are ushered into our heavenly home. Know that the Lord is with you. He will never leave you alone.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121:8

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[HeavenBesideYou]

October 14th

"Don't be molded by the world."

Wow, isn't that a tough one to obey? It's a reminder that what we think is one of the places of greatest spiritual warfare. Sloppy thinking is more than sloppy, it's dangerous because we are fed messages constantly that distort God's truth and holy values. But rather than being incensed by the world acting like the world, let's be transformed by renewing our minds and doing what Paul said he did - take every thought, every word, captive for Christ. We often think a tithe is giving ten percent of our money, but an even more vital tithe is giving ten percent of our thought time totally to the things of God!

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

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[HeavenBesideYou]

October 15th

"What griefs are you currently suffering?"

Can you entrust them to God, confident that he will use them to bring new growth into your life? The worst kind of suffering is that which we experience alone. When we suffer with another person who is sympathetic to our problem, the suffering is easier to bear. Throughout history, God has sympathized with suffering people. He hears our cries. How would your life and outlook be different if you become convinced that God never failed to respond to your pain?

What God does promise is that our suffering can become the catalyst for new growth. God promises to redeem our suffering into his glory.

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Psalm 126:5-6

For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away. He has listened to their cries for help.

Psalm 22:24

Those who suffer the same things from the same people for the same person can scarcely not love each other.

~C. S. Lewis

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[HeavensOnFire]

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

That's my girl!!!

Understand me...

Blessed you are, full body armour and no fear.

AWESOME!!!

Peace,

Heaven

Thank You Brother I Loves Ya

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 16th

"Learning to fly."

As we wait upon the Lord, we should think about what is expected of us and how well we are doing what we should. We know what is expected of us, and we know what might befall us in our disobedience. We look expectantly to God, and it is right that we should, but we should also look at ourselves to see that we are doing all we know we ought to be.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Psalm 123:2

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 17th

"Deliverance!"

No, not the backwoods banjo deliverance... lol... Where does true deliverance come from? Only from God. Salvation is found in God through deep reverential respect for his holiness and might, through living in covenant relationship with him, and through maintaining our focus on him. Any other roads to salvation and deliverance are false and ultimately prove themselves to be a snare.

The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Psalm 25:14-15

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 18th

"The waiting."

If there is anything we don't like to do, it's wait. Maybe that is why God is so interested in us learning to do it! There is something purifying about remaining strong in tough times and remaining faithful when ill winds blow. So God gives us times of waiting to see if our search is really for him or merely for something new.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part

~Tom Petty

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 19th

"The lesson of two prayers."

The Pharisee barely acknowledges God at all. He used his time in the Temple as an opportunity to justify himself. In the guise of thanking God, he cut down others and congratulated himself. There was no humility in him. The tax collector, on the other hand, was rightfully aware of his sin before the most holy God. He made no claims for himself. He didn't try to justify his action. He only admitted he was a sinner.

Jesus declared that it was the humble tax collector, not the proud Pharisee, whom God was willing to justify.

Take time to meditate on God's holiness, and give up justifying yourself. In humility, cast yourself on the Lord's mercy.

The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: "I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don't sin, I don't commit adultery, I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income."

But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, "O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner."

Luke 18:11-13

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 20th

"The Book of Acts; The outbreak of the joy of salvation."

In the face of sin and separation from God, grace is a refreshing stream that restores salvation. But the joy of salvation is found only when we realize and accept the forgiveness, grace, and restoration God has given us when we drink from the stream of grace. The joy of salvation is sustained in a changed lifestyle and an ongoing recognition that we walk with God.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:12

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 21st

"Word vs. heart law."

Too many of us are paranoid about the word law and find it hard to hear a scripture like Psalm 40:8. But we must recognize that the goal of the New Covenant of grace and Spirit is that God's law is written on our hearts, not on tablets of stone. Jeremiah prophesied of such a day. The focus, desiring to do God's will, a passion to love the things our Father loves and despise the things he despises.

I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.

Psalm 40:8

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 22nd

"He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother."

I feel so burdened myself, that sometimes I can't even see others' burdens. But Jesus reminds me that if I am to be like him, I will be a burden carrier. This is why he came, why he died, and why his resurrection is so important, to lift from us the burdens of sin, death, and depravity.

Carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

And the load doesn’t weigh me down at all.
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.

~The Hollies

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 23rd

"Who do you listen to?"

One of the greatest theologians in the history of Christendom was undoubtedly Aurelious Augustinius, better known as St. Augustine, who was converted in the year 387 and later became Bishop in North Africa. One of his memorable sayings was this; "For those who would learn God's ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, and humility is the third." That may at first sound like an unwarranted exaggeration, but it is surely an echo of these words in the Old Testament; "[God] has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Therefore anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 18:4

But his officers tried to reason with him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply to go and wash and be cured!" So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his flesh became as healthy as a young child's, and he was healed!

2 Kings 5:13-15

And all of you, serve each other in humility, for "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you.

1 Peter 5:5-6

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 24th

"Worry not."

Worry is the last thing that will help our problems. In fact, worry can immobilize us from being able to take any kind of positive steps toward solutions. The only purpose for worry is to indicate to us that we need to turn our problems over to God. Once we enlist the help of our Lord, then we can rest easy. God will carry us through any situation, and He will grant us peace of mind and peace of heart.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Psalm 127:2

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

October 25th

"Family blessings."

God gave families as a blessing. Anyone can belong to a family in God's world, for we are all His family. All it takes is to reach out to others. There is strength, safety, and joy in numbers. The closer we unite, the stronger we will be.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127: 4, 5

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