Jesus Calling Dec 31st

I cannot believe this year is ending tonight. But I am totally ready for a new year and another fresh start. I'm ready for new things to happen, people to change, and to keep on doing good in the world. It just feels weird to say "2013." New year's is a time that always feels strange to me. It's like we are just moving along, the days are the same as "last year." The world is always changing, but coming into the new year, nothing much changes. (If that makes sense.) But it is like it is a whole new time. It's just a tradition I guess.

I don't understand why we have to wait for the new year to make changes within ourselves and our routines. Why not change the day you realize you need to? 

Peace. I pray that you feel God's Peace in this coming new year. I pray that you will realize how much you really need Him in your life. I pray that you figure out that holding on to Him is truly the only way to get through anything. You and Him fit together like a perfect puzzle. You need Him, and He can fulfill those needs for you. You are empty. He is abundant. 

Hope on with Him and go for a ride, give Him a chance this year. Trust me, your life will change if you give thing to Him, trust Him, and just hold on.

Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
For a child is born to us,

    a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

    And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

John 14:26-27 (NLT)

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Jesus Calling Dec 30th

A new year is about to begin…any new year's resolutions? How bout a resolution to spend x number of quiet minutes with God each day? Or perhaps starting a new devotion? Or maybe something like improving the way you treat other people or notice the unnoticed?

Whatever your resolution might be, take it seriously. Don't just let it be like 85-90% of the resolutions made by people each year. Lets be realistic, how many of you have actually fulfilled at least 1 resolution ever? A few years? Each year? I know that the most important resolution that I ever made and kept was doing this Jesus Calling Devotion every single day this year. I've never kept up with a devotion like this, and it has been one of the most helpful and radical changes I have made for myself in my life. The best change I could have made. It helps me to start the day off right. It really just changes your perspective on a whole lot of things and how you are to be living. Now that I know I can keep up with a devotion every day of the year I can't wait to start my new devotion in 2 days! It has been a truly exciting change in my life. And really this year has been a longggg year. And I've gone through some pretty tough things, but that is why God has helped me stay on track with this devotion. It was part of His plan, so that I would come to know even more how great and awesome He is! Though it has been a tough year, it was all worth the while because I have seen and experienced some of the coolest things ever! 

He is always leading us, and now He is preparing us for the new year. Grow closer to Him, and you will see the real you He made you to be come out and blossom. You will experience so many new, different, and awesome things. He will totally open your eyes if you let Him. Its all part of the journey, holding on that is, and you will one day see the benefits of it.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

John 15:4 (NLT)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

Jesus Calling Dec 29th

Psalm 40:4 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,

    who have no confidence in the proud

    or in those who worship idols.

Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

But when I am afraid,

    I will put my trust in you.

I praise God for what he has promised.

    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?

    What can mere mortals do to me?

Trust. Its all about trust. I know I've said it a lot since I've started this blog, but it is so important not to forget. We go through so much head-butting in this world each and every day that sometimes we forget to just lay it down and trust God with it. We forget that its that easy, yet some how it is difficult. We try and try to fight ourselves, realize we need to trust, then often drift away again. Life is just like that, but we have to train ourselves to put this trust into action. We can't just keep butting heads with problems and people here on earth, we have to go to the one that is most trustworthy of all, because it will always bring you great joy. So there is no reason to be afraid. No reason to be struggling with things. Just go to God, He is the one in charge, He knows that you are struggling and need help. He is always there to help you, but it all comes back down to trust. 

Psalm 62:8 (NLT)

I praise God for what he has promised.

    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?

    What can mere mortals do to me?

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)

You will keep in perfect peace

    all who trust in you,

    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Trust in the Lord always,

    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

Jesus Calling Dec 28th

Give Me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath

Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT)
God is our refuge and strength,

    always ready to help in times of trouble.

So we will not fear when earthquakes come

    and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Let the oceans roar and foam.

    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! 

You don't need to be afraid of anything. Anything at all. God is all powerful. Always there to help us when we are stuck. Just call out His name and He is there already. The media just twists everything, we all know that. But then they also show mostly only the negative stuff. What good does that do anyone. It only pulls people down. We are to be trying to build people up, giving them hope for the future. Though there is little to no hope for them solely here on earth, that gives you an opportunity to introduce them to God. This negativity on the media can be an opportunity for us to spread the word of God to those who need it. I know some of us are still focusing on getting yourself on track, but you can still be a light into the world. As you are getting closer and closer to Him through spending time with Him, that gives you even more of a chance to share with others what He is doing in your life. He will begin to open your eyes helping you to see the amazing things He is doing in the world. The miracles and beauties He is working on everyday that the media does not see. You can grow in Him and be a light to the world.

Psalm 89:15 (NLT)

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

    for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Jesus Calling Dec 27th

God is always trying to prepare you and help you be ready for what is ahead. Some people let Him, others choose to walk alone. The time you take to sit still in His Presence is time that He is strengthening you. When we get busy we need to spend even more time with Him, yet many of us ignore that fact. A lot of people think they can live without that time spent with God, and its not true. Those people just move along on their own without the strength of God. We only have so much strength alone, and you can only get so far on that. Eventually you will find yourself on your knees begging God for help. So that does not happen all you have to do is spend some time with God every day. Yes, you will still have ups and downs in your life, but you are much less likely to trip and fall in the ditch rather than hoping over it. When you walk with Him and spend quiet time with Him that helps you to take life at a slower pace, never rushing anything, because you're on God's time.

So just think about your two choices. Walk alone, become weak, and eventually fall or walk with Him and remain strong in Him.

Isaiah 64:4 (NLT)
For since the world began,

    no ear has heard

and no eye has seen a God like you,

    who works for those who wait for him!

John 15:5 (NLT)

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Psalm 36:9 (NLT)

For you are the fountain of life,

    the light by which we see.

Jesus Calling Dec 26th

1 John 4:15-18 (NLT)

All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and got to spend it with their families! I hope you also kept in mind the real reason we celebrate Christmas. 

God never stops giving to us. He never stops blessing us with love and mercy. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can stop Him from loving you or make Him love you any more or any less. His love is the most, the best, and the perfect love. It is so much love that is hard for us to understand the amount, but that is beside the point, you are to know that He loves you more than you can ever imagine…which is a whole lot for sure!! His love will never change. 

We however change; and our alertness and receptiveness of His love changes. Sometimes when we mess up, we feel like we don't deserve His love, so we draw away from God thinking that it is the right thing to do, but He is not loving you any less. He just wants you to come back closer to Him, He wants to hold you in His arms and love you. For you are His child, and He wants to comfort you. So next time you mess up, do not draw away from Him, draw even nearer to Him so that He can cover you in His love.

Deuteronomy 33:27 (NLT)

The eternal God is your refuge,

    and his everlasting arms are under you.

He drives out the enemy before you;

    he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’

Psalm 13:5 (NLT)

But I trust in your unfailing love.

    I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

Christmas Eve 2012

The day before Christmas. Christmas eve. The night that Santa comes. The last day you have to finish up your shopping for tomorrow. Maybe traveling. Planning. Cleaning. Baking. Cooking. Wrapping. Making sure everything is just right. But wait, why are you doing all this? Why are you all tense and stressed over this planning? … What is this season and holiday about again? 

Let us not forget the true reason for the season here in this last day of preparation. God formed a child within Mary, a 14 year old girl who trusted God with all of this and all that was to come ahead. And then she had Jesus in a stable with just Joseph and some animals, no experience there to help her. What did she know about all this? Nothing. She just trusted God. And aside from the fact that this story is about the birth of the guy who saved us from ourselves, its a super neat story because of Mary. Why can't we all be more like Mary? She openly trusted in God with everything that was ahead, and in my personal opinion, she had a lot more on her plate than any of us do with Christmas planning. So I think we can all just put down what we are doing at this point and stop worrying because think about how not that big of a deal it is. If you annually celebrate Christmas in a stressful way because you're so tense, you're missing out on a whole lot and you're missing the real point. It's not about the planning and getting ready, especially if it takes your focus off of Jesus and the importance of this time of year. 

Reevaluate what you're doing right now and if it is truly important to be stressing over. 

Refocus your eyes on the real important things here. And don't forget that even though you might have 10-15 or more people coming over to your house later today or tomorrow or sometime that it isn't worth the stress you're putting yourself through. It isn't healthy. Just let it go.

Psalm 90:2 (NLT)
Before the mountains were born,

    before you gave birth to the earth and the world,

    from beginning to end, you are God.

Colossians 1:27 (NLT)

For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Jesus Calling Dec 23rd

He Reigns - Newsboys

God is the maker of the heavens and earth, He reigns above all else. But He never lets you go, He is your best friend. Worship Him with all your heart knowing that God gave His only son for you because Jesus is the only thing that could save you. In giving up His son for your mistakes He became your friend and guide. He will provide you with all that you ever need. He doesn't hold back from us, so we shouldn't hold back our trust from Him in tough situations. He wants to live right by your side forever! Praise Him for all the infinite great things He has done for you!

1 Timothy 6:15-16 (NLT)

For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

Psalm 95:6-7 (NLT)

Come, let us worship and bow down.

    Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,

 for he is our God.

We are the people he watches over,

    the flock under his care.

If only you would listen to his voice today!

Romans 8:32 (NLT)

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

2 Peter 1:19 (NLT)

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.

Jesus Calling Dec 21st

A thought of mine:
I don't/didn't believe even for a second any of this ending of the world mess. But it did provoke some thought. And I shall pose the same question to you. If the world ended tomorrow, would you be ready?

God always has a plan ahead of you. He is slowly revealing it to you with each step of faith you take with Him. Sometimes it seems like you're stuck, and you might, but God will prevail if you trust Him. The path will reopen when the right time comes, His time that is, not your own. He will give you want you have been working towards, then again if it is the same goals He has for you. And they will be if you are walking with Him. He will show you His greatness, glory, and power through the works He does for you. 

Don't be afraid, for you are weak, and that is the circumstance in which God works best on your behalf. You keep pushing through on the path that God has laid down for you, holding on to Him every step of the way, and you will surely see His good works and miracles. Miracles can only be seen by true believers who walk in faith and truth, by trusting and not seeing. 

Psalm 63:2 (NLT)

I have seen you in your sanctuary

    and gazed upon your power and glory.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)

For we live by believing and not by seeing.

John 11:40 (NLT)

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”

Jesus Calling Dec 20th

Can't Get Over You - Anthem Lights

Do you ever think about what Jesus did for you? Other than dying on the cross to save you from your sin? Do you think about the miracles and things he did here on earth even through all the ridicule? He did that to show the world who he is. He did it so that we as people could one day have the relationship we can with him now. Is that not the most amazing thing you've ever heard? Everything he ever did was for you. Do you ever thank him for that? Thank God for making it happen and it being His ultimate plan? Thank Him that you're allowed to be a part of this and have the relationship you do with Him? Do you ever praise Him for all that He has done for you? Don't just say "I praise Him when I go to church and sing hymns and pray and on and on." Do you ever praise Him in your own life for all that He has done for you? Do you listen to the Christian radio station in your car and sing along? Or do you listen some other stuff thats considered real music: that stuff kids listen to these days? Do you constantly thank Him for the people in your life and what He has done through those people? Do you thank Him for your family and what you do have instead of sitting around wishing for what you don't have? Do you thank Him for each new day He gives you and each next breath? Thanks is a form of praise. Think about how much you do or lack to thank Him. Remember what He has done for you. Make some sacrifices yourself for putting Him first in your life. I think you have room to make sacrifices considering all that He has done for you.

John 2:11 (NLT)

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Luke 23:35-36 (NLT)

The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.

Psalm 92:1-5 (NLT)

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

    to sing praises to the Most High.

It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,

    your faithfulness in the evening,

accompanied by the ten-stringed harp

    and the melody of the lyre.

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!

    I sing for joy because of what you have done.

O Lord, what great works you do!

    And how deep are your thoughts.

Jesus Calling Dec 19th

Closer - Shawn McDonald

It's hard not to get wrapped up in everything that is going on and everything we need to get done, or that we think we need to get done. There are so many little chores around the house and errands to run to get ready for the celebration of Christmas…the worldly tradition of it all. But don't we get wrapped up in giving/getting gifts that we 1. forget about the true meaning of Christmas and 2. forget about those who have nothing? We get so busy that we really need to remember to take quiet time with God and thank Him for what we have and for sending His son. Don't let the little things get to you and pull you down, but also don't let them just be a distraction from the reason for the season. Just pick out a few things to get done for today and do the others tomorrow or the next day and spread them out. You are to do your best to live close Him in all you do, so just put down what you're doing and sit still and listen for Him.

Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)

Commit your actions to the Lord,

    and your plans will succeed.

Matthew 6:30-33 (NLT)

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. But, Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Jesus Calling Dec18th

Glory to God - Fee

You will always have problems in your life, how you act upon them is your choice, but you need to know that if you trust God and hold on to Him, then He will get you through it. Sometimes there are those problems that are just a constant bother, stubborn, and won't go away. You think its fixed, you go on with life, and then it comes back up. Maybe it is a habit or temptation you're trying to break away from. You do something, say you will quit, quit for a few days or a week, go right back to it. Thank God for those problems so that you can grow closer to Him and follow His lead. He can only help you as much as you let Him. If you keep trying to do things yourself and only let Him help you sometimes, you still won't make it all the way through. You've got to let go of it into His hands. First you must be thankful to Him and ask Him to open your eyes and hears to what He is doing in this situation. That will help you to get through and over the bump of it being a problem that can pull you down. If you just hold on, you will begin to see the problem through His eyes and know that it is just a small thing in your life, merely something that will eventually bring Glory to God if you just hang on!

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

Your own ears will hear him.

    Right behind you a voice will say,

“This is the way you should go,”

    whether to the right or to the left.

Jesus Calling Dec 16th

God is always trying to talk to us, but sometimes we just aren't very good listeners. The world around us is so busy and loud, especially during this Christmas season with all the shopping and preparing. He could be telling you to buy that man standing on the street corner a gift, or a gift card, or some food for his family, but you are too busy with your list to even listen. We have to take time to be still so that we can hear Him clearly. A lot of times people don't get how the Lord speaks to one and that is keeping them distracted from actually hearing Him. It is just a strong tugging on your heart in one direction or a voice you hear in your spirit. It can be so many other things as well, but those are just two of them. It is a strong leading in a certain direction, and for a while I didn't get that either. But when you sit still and spend quiet time with God, you will understand better. 

In order to live close to God, we have to make Him our number one priority. We have to know that above all else He is there and He loves us. We have to go to Him first in a tough situation. Go to Him first to tell Him about a struggle. Just go to Him first, don't go to that habit you have when you get worried, just sit down and talk to Him about it. You will be filled with Joy and Peace when you do this. It will bright His Glory and Light in the world because that is one more soul that trusts and can spread His word.

Isaiah 50:4 (NLT)

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,

    so that I know how to comfort the weary.

Morning by morning he wakens me

    and opens my understanding to his will.

Isaiah 60:2 (NLT)

Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,

    but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.

Jesus Calling Dec 15th

God knows that we want heaven and we want Him. He created us to long for Him and He is the only one who can fill that void in your life. Our hope for Heaven is one of our greatest hopes and is the strength and foundation of all our other hopes in life. This hope brings you joy when you think about Heaven. According to Sarah Young, hope does not mean wishful thinking. According to some definitions in the dictionary, hope means to believe, desire, or trust, and to look forward to something. Those definitions imply that what you want is already there waiting for you, just like Heaven is! If you trust Him and live by His ways, then you've got nothing to worry about! Because what you hope for, is what is in His plan for you, so He will prevail and provide! If you're not completely on the right track, well that is alright, you'll get there with prayer and quiet time spent with Him. But keep in mind that if you're not entirely on the right track, things you hope for could not be in His plan for you, so do not be disappointed, always praise what you get from Him because He works in your best interest. 

You're hope of heaven is what you need to hold onto all the time, it is the hope of all hopes. It shines a light in the darkness, shows you the way. He wants you to just be bursting with hope, overflowing into others by the power of His Spirit.

Romans 8:23-25 (NLT)

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

These are some of the coolest verses I have ever read. Maybe its just this version that sounds really awesome, but I love how it so clearly explains the concept of hope. 

Hebrews 6:18-20 (NLT)

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Romans 15:13 (NLT)

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Calling Dec 14th

Good to Be Alive - Jason Gray

God knows you are worn out. He knows you've had a busy time lately. He wants you to know that He is there for you to rest on His shoulder. Give Him your worries and cares so that you can lighten up during this Christmas season. He wants you to be smiling and joyful, spreading His Love and Light! So focus on Him so that you may do this! 

He is your protection from the cold world. Let Him wrap His Presence around you so that you can zone out away from the outer world. Going through your days connected with Him is how you add meaning to each and everyday! He is your best friend! Just walk right beside Him, talk to Him, and He will guide you. You will see your path lighted by His Presence each step of the way. Hold His hand in a full, purposeful dependence on Him all day every day and you have nothing to worry about.

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Proverbs 3:6 (NLT)

Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.

Jesus Calling Dec 13th

How Great Thou Art - Chris Rice

Holy. It means something pure set aside for sacred purposes. That is why it is important to take time to be in God's Presence, He is making you holy within. He is making you the person He wants you to be in heart and mind. It is a work in progress that takes time every day spent with Him.

Endless great things will come from your time spent with Him. He heals you inside and out with His Light and Love shining on you. He makes you stronger and closer through His filling you with Peace. He blesses you abundantly and makes you clean. He will do things through you for others that you never even dreamed of. All this and so much more just comes from spending quiet time with Him.

2 Thessalonians 1:10 (NLT)

When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

Psalm 27:4 (NLT)

The one thing I ask of the Lord—

    the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

    delighting in the Lord’s perfections

    and meditating in his Temple.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT)

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Jesus Calling Dec 12th

Walk By Faith - Jeremy Camp

Today's devotion was so amazing!! It is so true and a great thing to let saturate into your mind! It was something I needed to read this morning! And I'm sure others will find it useful as well! All of the scriptures are so great ones to bookmark!
We need to live by knowing that God is always with us! I love the part where it talks about how we think things are random, but they are not. God is totally in control. We have to be open to what He is leading us to do because He is right there with us all the time, and knows exactly what is going on even more than you do. 
Many people doubt God because they don't understand what is going on in their lives, but we need to learn to trust that what He is doing is no accident, He is doing it for your benefit. It is all part of His plan! Trust!

Below is the entire Jesus Calling Devotion for today, for those who do not have the book.

"I am taking care of you. Feel the warmth and security of being enveloped in My loving Presence. Every detail of your life is under My control. Moreover, everything fits into a pattern for good, to those who love Me and are called according to My design and purpose.
Because the world is in an abnormal, fallen condition, people tend to think that chance governs the universe. Events may seem to occur randomly, with little or no meaning. People who view the world this way have overlooked one basic fact: the limitations of human understanding. What you know of the world you inhabit is only the tip of the iceberg. Submerged beneath the surface of the visible world are mysteries too vast for you to comprehend. If you could only see how close I am to you and how constantly I work on your behalf, you would never again doubt that I am wonderfully caring for you. This is why you must live by faith not by sight; trusting in My mysterious, majestic Presence" (Young 363)

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
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.

Job 42:1-3 (NLT)
Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do anything,
    and no one can stop you.
You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
    It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
    things far too wonderful for me.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)
For we live by believing and not by seeing.

Jesus Calling Dec 11th

God is always working for you. Go to Him with everything so that He can help you as much as possible. We always tend to take too much of weight on our own shoulders, when He is capable of bearing the load Himself. Let His Light brighten up the negativity in your life. 

He is going to continue to work with you, but you have to let Him work on His time, not yours. He does not like to rush or hurry things. 

Below in the scripture, you will see the story of Abraham and Sarah having to wait for a son. Waiting until God's time makes it all the more better and exciting.

Psalm 36:9 (NLT)

For you are the fountain of life,

    the light by which we see.

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Genesis 21:1-7 (NLT)

The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. ² She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. ³ And Abraham named their son Isaac. ⁴ Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.⁵ Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. ⁶ And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. ⁷ Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”

Jesus Calling Dec 10th

Even If - Kutless

You have got to learn to focus on Him. Make Him the center of everything in your life. He knows that you think of ways to stay safe and get your world straight, but that won't get you anywhere. It isn't even possible. You are supposed to be trying to grow stronger in Him and with Him, not on your own in your own world. Your world needs to become His world. You are to work together with God so that you can grow in Him. You hold on to His hand so that you may depend on Him. 

Praise Him when a problem comes up in your life. First of all, it will make you feel better to praise Him than to be down on the floor crying and worrying about what will happen. Secondly, you're praising Him because He is the one that will show you the way through whatever the problem is and it will make His Presence more visible to you. His light will show you the way in the dark. Problems = joy!

Isaiah 41:10 NLT

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Psalm 139:10 NLT

even there your hand will guide me,

    and your strength will support me.

James 1:2 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

Jesus Calling Dec 9th

Blink - Revive

So many people want to live a risk free life, but that is not what God wants. He wants you to follow Him no matter what! If He wants you to go out on a limb with Him, then its the safest thing you can do. Wanting to live risk-free is almost a sin because you are defying His authority and saying you only believe when you feel comfortable doing what God is leading you too. And that is wrong. There is going to be a time in your life when you're going to have to choose between two paths and you're best choice is the path He wants you to take, and there is no reason to be scared if God is pointing you that way because He will be with you ever step of the way. Let Him be your focus so that you can enjoy the walk with Him.

Psalm 23:4 NLT

Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

Psalm 9:10 NLT

Those who know your name trust in you,

    for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

John 12:26 NLT

 Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

Jesus Calling Dec 8th

I encourage you during this Christmas season to notice the people who go unnoticed, who have little to no family, who are living on the streets. Put your cup holder full of spare change in the salvation army buckets on your way to Christmas shop. Take the time to buy a hot meal for someone you see sitting on the street corner. Make a Christmas card for them. Tell them about Jesus. 

There are tons of opportunities sitting in front of us each and every day to share Jesus, and many of us over look those. God is opening doors for you, don't just walk past them.

Jesus in Disguise - Brandon Heath

You and God fit together like a puzzle: you need Him and He can fulfill you. He did not make you to be able to live on your own and make due by yourself. He made you to need Him everyday to keep living. He made it just so that He is the only one who can complete you is Him. There are many lost people in this world who have an unfilled void in there heart and it is because they do not know God. They search for many earthly solutions, but they are all bad and get them no where. We have to reach out to those people. Go to Him with what you need and He can provide for you and bless you. Praise Him for He blesses you in your time of need.

Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 2:2-3 (NLT)

I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Jesus Calling Dec 7th

Today's devotion really spoke to me as a whole; like I've done in the past, today I wish to share with you the whole thing for you to read for yourself.
This definitely describes a lot of my days, and I'm sure that is true for a lot of us. We often forget that God is with us even while we are doing the dishes, taking the trash out, doing our work, eating, sleeping, watching tv; He is always right there. He knows every last think about us and nothing goes unnoticed by Him.

"I am with you in all that you do, even in the most menial task. I am always aware of you, concerned with every detail of your life. Nothing escapes My notice -- not even the number of hairs on your head. However, your awareness of My Presence falters and flickers; as a result, your life experience feels fragmented. When your focus is broad enough to include Me in your thoughts, you feel safe and complete. When your perception narrows so that problems or details fill your consciousness, you feel empty and incomplete. 
Learn to look steadily at Me in all your moments and all your circumstances. Though the world is unstable and in flux, you can experience continuity through your uninterrupted awareness of my Presence. Fix your gaze on what is unseen, even as the visible world parades before your eyes" (Young 358).

Hebrews 11:27 (NLT)
It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Jesus Calling Dec 5th

He Reigns - Newsboys

This devotion really relates well to the experience I had last night that I wrote about below this post on my blog. 

Remember that His Presence is above all else. He is always hovering right with you. He wants you to learn and know that He is with you in all circumstances.

An example of this is in Genesis, when Jacob runs away from his brother and he dreams of Heaven and angels. He then realizes that God was with Him the whole time, and he didn't even know it. 

That is a prime example that relates to me last night and can relate to all of us every day. When you feel far away from God, call out "Surely the Lord is in this place!" Calling out to God is the best way to remind yourself that He is always right there.

Psalm 31:20 (NLT)

You hide them in the shelter of your presence,

    safe from those who conspire against them.

You shelter them in your presence,

    far from accusing tongues.

Genesis 28:11-16 (NLT)

¹¹ At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. ¹² As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

¹³ At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am theLord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. ¹⁵ What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”

Valuable Lessons and Experiences

So, I know I didn't write about Jesus Calling today, but other than the fact that I just didn't have time, there might be another reason. Me sharing this.
This evening I had a truly amazing experience. I had to play for a Clarinet Class here at App, in other words, I had to play with a piano accompanist in front of other clarinet students. It has been a long while since I've played by myself in front of other people in this type of setting. So I was super duper nervous. I got to the music building to practice for a few minutes before I met to rehearse one last time with my accompanist. I got there and I started to get way nervous. I go in the practice room, warm up, play through my piece once on one reed, then once on another, decide on my reed, try to stay calm, and play through again. Then I thought of this horrifying memory of the 7th grade when we had to play a solo in front of the entire band class and I hyperventilated during mine and couldn't even finish. Following that an array of all the terrible things that could go wrong went through my head. So I stopped practicing. I went and sat down. Pulled myself together and waited for my accompanist to get there. So he gets there, and we go to rehearse. The piece kind of fell apart 2 or 3 times and I thought I was going to lose my mind and I was just going to crash and burn and be embarrassed. 
We get to the recital hall right after the first person finished their piece. I look at the list and I am 4th. So I sit and wait. I say to myself "God please please help me." I gather myself and walk up there for my turn. Once I stood up from my seat to walk up there I felt this overwhelming peace and love that I've only felt that strongly a few times in my life. I realized that I had just entrusted this task to God and that I was no longer in control. And it was the coolest thing ever!! I went up there confidently, warmed up, tuned, and took off. All the things I had messed up in rehearsal didn't happen. I didn't even mess up! I could feel God holding on to me the entire time all the way to the very last note! Once it was over I smiled really big at the audience and bowed and walked off with confidence knowing that God was and is always there. Once I took my seat in the audience I just sat there thanking God for that totally amazing experience and asked Him to help me apply that all the time in everything that I do! I could not stop thanking Him!
That was a very valuable lesson for me. It was really neat to see that God really can take over if you just trust Him. It was honestly one of the coolest things ever in my life! And I realized that I've got to start applying that to every aspect of my life.

Jesus Calling Dec 3rd

Love Has Come - Mark Shultz

Do not be alarmed when your mind is filled with worldly distractions and temptations or when you give into a weakness of yours. Do not be discouraged when that happens if you cannot get out immediately. You have to seek the Lord's Peace. This is the evil one trying to unravel your relationship with God. You will find yourself fighting the evil one in your mind, at which point you must call out "Jesus help me!" Saying is name is much more powerful than the evil one will ever be. It will be God fighting the evil one instead of you. You must just trust Him.

His name is very powerful, it has the power to bless you and protect you. When the world ends, every knee will bow and every tongue will proclaim His name. People who have used His name in vain will crumble and fall. Those who have praised His name and trusted Him will be filled with immense Joy. That is what we are to look forward to.

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

Philippians 2:9-10 (NLT)

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

    and gave him the name above all other names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

1 Peter 1:8-9 (NLT)

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Elevation Church

Hey Guys!
I know I've not blogged today and yesterday, but I've just been so short on time in the mornings lately.
Today I would like to share with you the sermon that I heard this morning at the Elevation Church Extension at App State. It was a really great message and I encourage everyone to take the 37 minutes to listen to it.
http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons/banneryears/part4
It is about putting God first. I know I do this blog most days and a lot of those of you who read it think that I am just totally in the right place. A lot of that is right, but I still have struggles every single day. Hey, I'm in college, so many temptations and distractions here.
I struggle daily with putting God first. I pray as often as I can. But I mean I get distracted really easily. Some days are just rough. And if we work more at putting God first, then everything else will be blessed and fall into place.
This sermon really laid it out well to hear and think about.