Saturday, June 9, 2012

Jesus Calling - February

  • Isaiah 26:3 - "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You!"
  • Be in God's peace!
  • God always knows everything you're thinking.
  • Don't waste energy worrying, God already has everything planned out
  • Psalm 28 - "O Lord, you are my rock of safety. Please help me; don't refuse to answer me. For if You are silent, I might as well give up and die..."
  • Genesis 28 -  Jacob's Dream at Bethel
  • Don't let your mind wander away from God
  • Fix your eyes on what is unseen, not what you can see
  • 2 Corinthians 4:18 - " So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."
  • One day at a time!
  • Trade your grasping and control for a stance of openness and trust
  • Trust in God no matter what
  • 1 Timothy 2:8 - "So wherever you assemble, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy."
  • Cling tightly to God's hand!
  • Don't turn your focus away from God, because you will start looking for other things to give you life, joy, and peace.
  • "Start with where you are at this point in time and space, accepting that this is where I intend you to be"
  • My main responsibility is to remain attentive to God
  • "Much of your weariness is from My constant battle against the opponents of the world"
  • You are on the path of God's choosing, do not give up!
  • Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."
  • Psalm 42:11 - "Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again - my Savior and my God!"
  • God is above all things, he has already overcome all my problems!
  • Psalm 32:8 - "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'"
  • Do not grow weary and lose heart
  • God's light is always shining on me, even in my darkness
  • Focus on Jesus
  • Colossians 2:6-7 - "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."
  • Psalm 141:8 - "I look to You for help, O Sovereign Lord. You are my refuge; don't let them kill me."
  • 1 Peter 5:7 - "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."
  • Pray continually
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Never stop praying."
  • John 16:24 - "You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy."
  • Psalm 89:15-16 - "Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
        for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation."
        They exult in your righteousness.
  • Hebrews 12:1-2 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne."
  • There is no limit to God's love
  • 1 Corinthians 13:12 - "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."
  • "A grateful heart protects you from negative thinking"
  • Colossians 4:2 - "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."
  • "Whenever you find yourself worrying about the future, repent and return to me."
  • God doesn't tempt us more than we are able to bear
  • Do not worry about tomorrow
  • 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."
  • Comparing yourself to others is meaningless
  • Luke 6:37 - “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven."
  • John 3:17 - "God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."
  • Listen to God and not your own doubts

Friday, June 8, 2012

Jesus Calling - January

I've been reading a book called "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence" since January. It's a daily devotional book that Sarah Young has written her devotions from the point of view of Jesus Christ. Using this technique gives the book a sense of immediacy and intimacy with the Lord, and this is the great strength of the book.
(Summary from Amazon)
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So I've decided to type up my thoughts, feelings, excerpts, and Bible verses the book contains. This post is January's summary. :)

  • Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "The are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
  • Relax in God's healing presence
  • Luke 10 - Jesus sends out His disciples
  • Jesus is my most devoted companion
  • John 16 - The work of the Holy Spirit
  • I trust in you Jesus. Strengthen relationship with God!
  • Psalm 139 - "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me..."
  • "It is through problems and failure, weakness and neediness that you learn to rely on Me." 
  • "True dependence is not simply asking me to bless what you have decided to do. It is coming to me with an open mind and heart, inviting me to plant my desires within you."
  • "Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark."
  • Praise God and have a thankful heart
  • 1 Thessalonians 5 - "For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night..."
  • Hope in God
  • God is always with me, through everything
  • Romans 8 - Life in the Spirit, The future glory, Nothing can separate us from God's love
  • Psalm 56:3-4 - "O God, have mercy on me. The enemy troops press in on me..."
  • Put the control in God's hands
  • Remain with God
  • Empty? Be filled with God's peace!
  • Focus on God and you will be safe
  • Relax! God is in control
  • Matthew 11 - Jesus and John the Baptist, Judgment for the unbelievers, Jesus' prayer of Thanksgiving
  • Rejoice today, refuse to worry about tomorrow
  • Stay close to God - do not take shortcuts from his path
  • Don't put God in the background of your mind when other things arise.
  • Accept that God's way is better than yours
  • You are my Daddy! I can always run into your arms!
  • Proverbs 3 - Trusting in the Lord
  • "Anything that makes you anxious is a growth opportunity. Instead of running away from these challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings I have hidden in the difficulties. If you believe that I am Sovereign over everything in your life, it is possible to trust Me in all situations. Don't waste energy regretting the way things are or thinking about what might have been, start at the present moment - accepting things exactly as they are - and search for my way in the midst of those circumstances."
  • God understands that I am Human.
  • God will never leave of forsake me
  • Deuteronomy 31 - Joshua becomes Israel's leader, Public reading of the Law
  • "Rejoice in the face of hardship, for I have overcome the world.
  • James 1 -  Faith and endurance, Listening and doing
  • John 16:33 - "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
  • Spend time with God
  • Do not speed up God's work in you
  • Don't seek perfection -seek Jesus
  • When everything is going 'wrong' trust Jesus anyway
  • Psalm 112 - "Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord. Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what he commands..."
  • God is with me
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In one of the devotionals, there is a story about a person walking along God's Path. One day, the person looks up and sees a huge mountain that seems to be coming up along the path. The person gets scared, and turns from God's path and goes out into the woods, where they get lost and stuck. God appears and tells the person that they shouldn't have ran from God's path when they saw an obstacle, since the path God had picked would take them around the mountain instead.
So the lesson is, don't think you know more than God! God knows the path He has picked for you, so you shouldn't turn from that path when obstacles arise. God will get you through!

Hope you enjoyed :)