Tag: God

July Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

July 1—2 Chronicles 31:21

In all that he did in service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful.

July 2—Proverbs 26:22

Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.

July 3—Proverbs 31:25

She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.

July 4—Psalms 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

July 5—Psalms 48:14

For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.

July 6—Psalms 33:20-22

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

July 7—Psalms 95:3-4

For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains.

July 8—Psalms 98:4

Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!

July 9—Psalms 106:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

July 10—Psalms 111:3

Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.

July 11-Psalms 118:5-7

In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

July 12—Psalms 119:38

Reassure me of your promise, made to those who are for you.

July 13—Psalms 121:1-2

I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

July 14—Psalms 135:14

For the Lord will give justice to his people and have compassion on his servants.

July 15—Psalms 146:2

I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing to my God with my dying breath.

July 16—Isaiah 22:22

I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.

July 17—Isaiah 26:4

Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

July 18—Isaiah 32:2

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land.

July 19—Isaiah 35:4

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”

July 20—2 Chronicles 32:8

“…he may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.

July 21—2 Chronicles 32:23

From then on King Hezekiah became highly respected among all the surrounding nations, and many gifts for the Lord arrived at Jerusalem, with valuable presents for King Hezekiah, too.

July 22—Isaiah 38:16

Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live!

July 23—Isaiah 40:31

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

July 24—Isaiah 46:4

I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.

July 25—Isaiah 49:16

See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.

July 26—Isaiah 54:1-3

“Sing, O childless woman, you have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord. “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.”

July 27—Isaiah 59:21

“And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

July 28—Isaiah 66:2

My hands have made both heaven and hearth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.

July 29—Jeremiah 1:9-10

Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some of you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow; others you must build up and plant.”

July 30—Jeremiah 5:18

“Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the Lord.

July 31—2 Chronicles 34:27

You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothes in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion.

June Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So, I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So, for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  Hope you enjoy the June scriptures.

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

June 1—Proverbs 19:18

Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.

June 2—Proverbs 21:21

Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness and honor.

June 3—Proverbs 24:3-4

A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

June 4—Song of Solomon 4:7

You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.

June 5—1 Kings 11:36

His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name.

June 6—Ecclesiastes 3:11

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

June 7—Ecclesiastes 8:15

So, I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

June 8—Ecclesiastes 12:14

God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

June 9—2 Chronicles 13:12

So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!

June 10—2 Chronicles 16:9

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.

June 11—1 Kings 17:14

For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

June 12—1 Kings 21:3

But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.”

June 13—2 Chronicles 19:7

Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.

June 14—2 Chronicles 21:7

But the Lord did not want to destroy David’s dynasty, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever.

June 15—2 Kings 4:16-17

“Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!” “No, my Lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me like that.” But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.

June 16—2 Kings 8:6

“Is this true?” the king asked her. And she told him the story.  So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence.

June 17—2 Kings 10:30

Nonetheless the Lord said to Jehu, “You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation.”

June 18—2 Chronicles 24:2

Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.

June 19—2 Chronicles 24:24

Although the Arameans attacked with only a small army, the Lord helped them conquer the much larger army of Judah. The people of Judah had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so judgment was carried out against Joash.

June 20—Jonah 2:2

He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me!”

June 21—Amos 4:13

For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds and reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The Lord God of Heavens Armies is his name!

June 22—Isaiah 6:3

They were calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

June 23—2 Chronicles 27:2

Jotham did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done, except that Jotham did not sin by entering the Temple of the Lord. But the people continued in their corrupt ways.

June 24—Isaiah 9:6

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.

June 25—2 Kings 18:5

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time.

June 26—Hosea 6:3

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.

June 27—Hosea 14:2

Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord. Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises.”

June 28—2 Kings 17:39

You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.

June 29—Isaiah 4:2

But in that day, the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel.

June 30—Isaiah 14:1

But the Lord will have mercy on the descendants of Jacob. He will choose Israel as his special people once again. He will bring them back to settle once again in their own land. And people from many different nations will come and join them there and unite with the people of Israel.

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

May Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

May 1—Psalm 18:2

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

May 2—2 Samuel 24:24

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.

May 3—1 Chronicles 23:1

When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel.

May 4—1 Chronicles 27:32

Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for tracking the king’s sons.

May 5—1 Chronicles 29:9

The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.

May 6—Psalm 4:4

Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.

May 7—Psalm 20:5

May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.

May 8—Psalm 23:4

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.

May 9—Psalm 31:24

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

May 10—Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

May 11—Psalm 40:16

But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”

May 12—Psalm 66:19-20

But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love for me.

May 13—Psalm 86:15

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

May 14—Psalm 103:12

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

May 15—Psalm 131:3

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always.

May 16—Psalm 145:13

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.

May 17—Psalm 73:26

My health may fail, and my spirit may group weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

May 18—Psalm 78:7

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

May 19—Psalm 82:3

“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute…”

May 20—1 Kings 3:9

“give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

May 21—1 Kings 3:28

When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

May 22—1 Kings 7:51

So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.

May 23—1 Kings 8:23

…and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.”

May 24—2 Chronicles 7:14

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

May 25—1 Kings 10:9

Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.

May 26—Psalm 72:19

Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!

May 27—Proverbs 1:3

Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just and fair.

May 28—Proverbs 6:16-19

There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who shows discord in a family.

May 29—Proverbs 9:10

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

May 30—Proverbs 12:28

The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.

May 31—Proverbs 15:16

Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.

 

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion.

April Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  I fell behind again, so for May you’ll get the April scriptures (this post) and then the May scriptures (later post).

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

April 1—Judges 6:14

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

April 2—Judges 8:34

They forgot the Lord their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them.

April 3—Judges 11:27

Therefore, I have not sinned against you. Rather, you have wronged me by attacking me. Let the Lord, who is judge, decide today which of us is right—Israel or Ammon.

April 4—Judges 13:20

As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground.

April 5—Judges 16:28

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.”

April 6—Judges 20:11

So all the Israelites were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town.

April 7—Ruth 4:12

“…And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”

April 8—Ruth 4:15

“…May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”

April 9—1 Samuel 2:21

And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

April 10—1 Samuel 7:15

Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life.

April 11—1 Samuel 10:1

Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.”

April 12—1 Samuel 13:14

“…But now your kingdom must end for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

April 13—1 Samuel 15:22

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams…”

April 14—1 Samuel 17:50

So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

April 15—1 Samuel 20:42

At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

April 16—Psalm 57:5

Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.

April 17—1 Samuel 24:11

“…Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me…”

April 18—Psalm 56:3

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

April 19—1 Samuel 30:23

But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us…”

April 20—2 Samuel 2:6

And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing.

April 21—2 Samuel 3:18

“…Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David saying, ‘By the hand of My Servant David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’”

April 22—2 Samuel 5:3

So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.

April 23—1 Chronicles 15:28

So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres.

April 24—Psalm 60:12

With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

April 25—2 Samuel 8:15

So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.

April 26—Psalm 51:7

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

April 27—2 Samuel 14:14

All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

April 28—2 Samuel 15:30

David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare, as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.

April 29—Psalm 3:3

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

April 30—Psalm 7:17

I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

March Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

March 1—Numbers 6:23-26

“Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’”

March 2—Numbers 13:30

But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

March 3—Numbers 14:9

Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!

March 4—Numbers 18:29

Be sure to give to the Lord the best portions of the gifts given to you.

March 5—Numbers 20:11

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.

March 6—Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not a human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

March 7—Numbers 26:64

Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai.

March 8—Numbers 27:17

Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.

March 9—Numbers 31:47

From the half-share given to the people, Moses took one of every fifty prisoners and animals and gave them to the Levites, who maintained the Lord’s Tabernacle. All this was done as the Lord commanded Moses.

March 10—Numbers 33:53

Take possession of the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to occupy.

March 11—Numbers 35:34

You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.

March 12—Deuteronomy 3:20

When the Lord has given security to the rest of the Israelites, as he has to you, and when they occupy the land the Lord your God is giving them across the Jordan River, then you may all return to the land I have given you.

March 13—Deuteronomy 3:22

Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.

March 14—Deuteronomy 7:9

Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

March 15—Deuteronomy 11:13-14

“If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.”

March 16—Deuteronomy 15:10

Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

March 17—Deuteronomy 20:4

For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!

March 18—Deuteronomy 23:23

But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.

March 19—Deuteronomy 28:1

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.”

March 20—Deuteronomy 31:6

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

March 21—Deuteronomy 32:4

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

March 22—Deuteronomy 34:9

Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

March 23—Joshua 4:14

That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

March 24—Joshua 8:31

He followed the commands that Moses the Lord’s servant had written in the Book of Instruction: “Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools.” Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

March 25—Joshua 11:23

So Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the Lord had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession, dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war.

March 26—Joshua 14:13

So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land.

March 27—Joshua 17:18

The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its furthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.

March 28—Joshua 18:1

Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle.

March 29—Joshua 21:45

Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.

March 30—Joshua 22:5

But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and your soul.

March 31—Judges 3:30

So Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.
**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

February Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

February 1—Exodus 3:10

“Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

February 2—Exodus 6:1

Then the Lord told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!”

February 3—Exodus 8:19

“This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

February 4—Exodus 12:40-42

The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. On this night the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So, this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.

February 5—Exodus 14:31

When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

February 6—Exodus 17:12

Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So, Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So, his hands held steady until sunset.

February 7—Exodus 20:6

But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

February 8—Exodus 23:2

“You must not follow the crow in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.”

February 9—Exodus 28:29

“In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chest piece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the Lord.”

February 10—Exodus 31:17

It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.

February 11—Exodus 34:14

You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

February 12—Exodus 35:21

All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments.

February 13—Exodus 39:30

Finally, they made the sacred medallion—the badge of holiness—of pure gold. They engraved it like a seal with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD.

February 14—Exodus 40:34

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

February 15—Numbers 7:89

Whenever Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the covenant. The Lord spoke to him from there.

February 16—Numbers 8:20

So Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the Lord’s instructions to Moses.

February 17—Leviticus 4:35

Then he must remove all the sheep’s fat, just as he does with the fat of a sheep presented as a peace offering. He will burn the fat on the altar on top of the special gifts presented to the Lord. Through this process, the priest will purify the people from their sin, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven.

February 18—Leviticus 7:28

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present a peace offering to the Lord, bring part of it as a gift to the Lord.”

February 19—Leviticus 11:45

For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

February 20—Leviticus 14:29

The priest will apply the oil remaining in his hand to the head of the person being purified. Through this process, the priest will purify the person before the Lord.

February 21—Leviticus 16:30

On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the Lord’s presence from all your sins.

February 22—Leviticus 19:12

“Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.”

February 23—Leviticus 20:7

So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

February 24—Leviticus 25:17

Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other. I am the Lord your God.

February 25—Leviticus 26:9

“I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you.”

February 26—Leviticus 27:30

“One-tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the tree, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.”

February 27—Numbers 2:34

So the people of Israel did everything as the Lord commanded Moses. Each clan set up camp and marched under their banners exactly as the Lord had instructed them.

February 28—Numbers 4:49

When their names were recorded, as the Lord had commanded through Moses, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry. And so the registration was completed; just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion.

January Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  I’m a little behind, so in February 2020, you’ll get two…January (this post) and then February (coming soon).

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

January 1—Genesis 1:28

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

January 2—Genesis 6:8

But Noah found favor with the Lord.

January 3—Genesis 9:13

I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is a sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.

January 4—Genesis 13:16

And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!

January 5—Genesis 17:16

And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.

January 6—Genesis 18:14

Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.

January 7—Genesis 22:17-18

I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.

January 8—Genesis 25:21

Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.

January 9—Genesis 26:4

I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

January 10—Genesis 30:22

Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children.

January 11—Genesis 31:54

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice to God there on the mountain and invited everyone to a covenant feast. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

January 12—Genesis 35:11

Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai: ‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!”

January 13—Genesis 36:6-7

Esau took his wives, his children and his entire household, along with his livestock and cattle—all the wealth he had acquired in the land of Canaan—and moved away from his brother, Jacob. There was not enough land to support them both because of all the livestock and possessions they had acquired.

January 14—Genesis 39:2

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.

January 15—Genesis 41:41

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.”

January 16—Genesis 42:25

Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother’s payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them supplies for their journey home.

January 17—Genesis 46:30

Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive.”

January 18—Genesis 50:19-20

But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

January 19—Job 1:21

He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

January 20—Job 5:17

“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.”

January 21—Job 8:5-6

But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home.

January 22—Job 12:10

For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.

January 23—Job 16:5

But if it were me, I would encourage you. I would try to take away your grief.

January 24—Job 19:25

“But as for me, I know my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.”

January 25—Job 22:21

Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.

January 26—Job 28:28

And this is what he says to all humanity, ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’

January 27—Job 31:6

Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity.

January 28—Job 33:29-30

“Yes, God does these things again and again for people. He rescues them from the grave so they may enjoy the light of life…”

January 29—Job 37:23-24

We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty, but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence.

January 30—Job 40:3-5

Then Job replied to the Lord, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”

January 31—Job 42:10

When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

 

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion.

 

 

A Letter to my Dad

First, I want to say how grateful and thankful I am to have a Dad like you!  You’ve taught me so much throughout my life and as an adult I can see how truly blessed my life has been because of you.

You’ve always been there for every event, big or small, in my life!  You have a love of sports and you wanted to share that with me, your oldest daughter, by putting me on teams when I was younger.  You taught me how to play basketball and golf.  Basketball didn’t work out too well for me, though, as I ducked for cover every time the ball came at me…so much for the tall working in my favor for that sport! 🙂  Then, you showed me a hurdle because you knew my long legs could leap over those in a race.  But I just looked at you like you were crazy!!

As it turned out, music was more my speed, so you exchanged exciting basketball games for less exciting band concerts.  But that never stopped you, because you were there for every single one…from junior high to high school and all the way to college. You were there at all the football games and all the concerts.  You came to all of the Parents’ Days at Texas Tech and watched me march the halftime shows during the football games.  You even traveled to watch me play my trumpet at church and in Christmas programs…you’ve been there for it all, Dad.

And you continue to support and encourage me in my adult years.  A couple of years ago, you took all of us to the Texas State Fair in Dallas; something you’d wanted to do for so long. You come to Lubbock when you can to play in golf tournaments with me (mostly with Jim, but I play when I can); you get up early on your vacation to come watch me at my Crossfit class.  And most recently, you went to watch me run a 5K at the Mayor’s Marathon and took me to breakfast to celebrate when I finished.

As I’ve gotten older, I know the true value of a dollar and what it means to work hard and those are things you taught me when I was growing up.  You and Mom worked a lot to save for family vacations we took during the summers.  And we didn’t just go camping; we loaded up and went to places like California and Montana.  But they weren’t just trips to get to those places; it was the trips to those places. Because of those vacations, I’ve been to the 4 Corners, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park; I’ve even been to Canada and Disneyland.

When I was younger I wondered (and sometimes complained) about why we had to drive and not fly to all those places and why we always stopped at parks for picnic lunches instead eating in restaurants.  But now I know it was to save money for all the good stuff…the fun stuff; not waste it on expensive restaurant food.  Because of your good work ethic, I not only have great memories from those family vacations, but I also know how to work hard to provide for my family.

You’re always there Dad, for everything!  You’ve taught me so much and I just wanted the opportunity to let you know that I noticed.  Life is short so we need to make the most of the time we have. We need to make the time to tell those we love that we love them. And we need to tell our loved ones why they mean so much to us.

I thank you for my love of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.  We weren’t just fans that watched on TV, we were fans that sat in the stands and cheered on our teams.  And I know now that those tickets weren’t cheap, so I thank you for taking the time and the money to take us to fun games like those.  Like the family vacations, those are priceless memories I will treasure forever

I know my husband thanks you for my love of football, playing golf and watching action movies!  Thanks to you, he never has to go to sappy chick flicks; he gets to watch the good stuff because that’s what I always want to see…the good action movies! 🙂  But I thank you for taking the time for Daddy-Daughter dates, too, to dinner, the movies, to play Putt-Putt or whatever I wanted to do; I treasure those memories to this day.

Thank you, Dad for always working so hard to provide for our family!  You gave us a happy childhood, good work ethic, memorable family vacations and a great role model to follow.  Next to the word “Dad” in the dictionary, should be your picture because to me, you are everything a Dad stands for and was created by God to be.

You’ve been there for me from the beginning…I think there’s a picture of you sleeping in the waiting room when I was born.  And you’ll keep being there for everything I do…as long as God allows.  So until that time comes, we’ll make the most of every opportunity we have to make new memories.

Thanks for E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, Dad!  I love you so very much!!!   

  

The Promise of “And”

The word “and” is generally used as a connector for other words and phrases or to mean that something is being added to something else already existing.

For example, you can say, “For your birthday, we’re having cake and ice cream.”  You were already having the cake (existing) and then added ice cream.  Or, when you think of the word “and” as a connector to other words or phrases, it’s something like this, “Today, we’re going shopping and we plan to shop at the mall, Hobby Lobby and Home Goods.”

I promise, I am going somewhere with this…this isn’t an English lesson! 🙂

But have you ever thought about how the word “and” is used in Scripture?  Let me shed some light on what I mean by this.  I was in a Bible study class the other night and we were talking about scriptures we like.  Most people like verses that “speak” to them or to a certain situation they may be going through.  But we also  like to “cherry pick” the part we like the most, usually leaving out some of the meaning.

Take, for example, Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

This is a very popular scripture.  It’s often quoted on journal covers, Facebook pages, tattoos, shirts, jewelry…you get the picture.  It’s used just about anywhere and everywhere. And it’s a great scripture; I like it just as much as anyone else.  But when we focus on just this part and don’t look at what comes before or after it, we’re only getting part of the meaning.

Here’s the full passage, including the before and after:

“10This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.  14I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

See, the Lord told His people that He had a great plan for them and that He was going to do wonderful things for them.  But first, they had to endure the struggle.  And that’s where we get caught up…we want the great and wonderful things, but we don’t want to endure the hardships that lead to the wonderful things.  We want the great plan, the financial blessing, and the hope for a wonderful future.  We don’t want the struggle, the hard times, or the bleak financial picture we’re facing.  We want to take the bad stuff and sweep it under the rug, or hide under our covers until it’s finished. But that isn’t at all what God has planned for us.

What we have to remember are the promises God has given us that help us through the tough times to get to the great and wonderful plan.  Here are some examples:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever.” (Lamentations 3:31)

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2)

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

When we struggle, it doesn’t mean God has forgotten about us or doesn’t like us anymore.  He puts us through trials to teach us, or to show us something we’re not seeing or learning on our own.  When we go through the tough times, we have to remember there is another side to it; there is light at the end of our dark, treacherous and ongoing tunnel.  We might not be able to see what’s coming ahead of us, but God does.  But in order to fully grasp and enjoy the plan, we have to endure the hard stuff.

Let’s look at Jeremiah 29:10-14 once more.

Verse 10: This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.

Verse 11: For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Verse 12: Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Verse 13: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.

Verse 14: I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.

God is telling His people EXACTLY what He will do FOR them.  When they do this, He will do that…in each line of that passage.  God is FOR US.  He is not against us…EVER!

Reading, learning and quoting Scripture is a good thing; just remember to read it all, to understand the full context of what God is telling us. God does know the plans He has for us and He will see each and every one of His promises fulfilled in our lives. Rest in that.

Letting Go of My Dream

Over the past couple of days, I’ve come to the realization that I need to let some things…one thing…go.

There’s this dream I have.  I’ve had it for a very long time…probably since I was a young girl.  I’m still holding on to it and I do believe that one day it will happen.  But I’ve come to realize that this dream has started to suffocate me.  I’ve made this dream the very center of my being.  I’ve let it become the one thing I think about day in and day out.  The obsession I’ve cultivated for this dream has been causing me lots of mental anxiety and stress.  And I just don’t know if I can continue like this without a complete breakdown!

But I’ve also noticed that I’ve pulled away from God because of this dream obsession.  Don’t get me wrong, I still go to church and read the Word, but my heart just isn’t in it.  A couple of weeks ago, I stood at the back of the worship service.  I tried to sing, but I just couldn’t.  One of the lines of the song they were singing said, “Your love never fails.”  I started to sing it and then I stopped.  And I thought, “I know Your love never fails, but I just don’t believe it right now.  I don’t see You doing anything for me to prove that Your love never fails.  You’re not moving where I need You to move.  When I call out to You, there’s no answer.  Do You hear me?  Do You even see me, at all!?!” Very Christian of me, I know!!

So, I stood in the back, arms by my side, listening to the song and crying.  And then I stepped out and left the service. I’ve been told I can be a very stubborn person…and right now, with God, I truly believe it!

But being this stubborn with God hasn’t gotten me anywhere!  And the stubbornness is causing me the most stress because I just want to be angry with God. I want to be angry with Him because my dream hasn’t become a reality. The way I see it, people all around me are seeing their dreams fulfilled; people are receiving the dream I so desperately desire. And as I stand there and watch, I become angrier and more stubborn, because God isn’t answering MY dream!

But, I’m really not allowing Him to move or do anything for me either.  My eyes are completely blinded to ANYTHING He might be trying to do.

So the other night in my bible study class, we were watching a video.  I could really relate to this lady telling her story and the Lord allowed me to see a visual on this whole mess I’ve put myself into.  It’s like a rope or an object and I have my hand on it and I’m holding on really tight.  And by really tight, I mean white-knuckle-clenched-fist tight. And this is the conversation I had with God about my really tight grip:

God told me, “Let it go.”

And I said, “No! I can’t!  If I let go, my dream will go away!”

And God said, “Trust Me, Kara.”

And I replied, “I can’t.  If I don’t hold on, how do I know that it’ll happen? What if I never get it back?”

And God said, “I can’t move and do the things you want, until you ‘Let. Go.’”

And then I said, “I don’t know how.  I’ve been holding on tight for so long, I don’t know how to ‘let go.’”

And then God said, “It’s going to be okay. You can trust Me. My Word says that I will give you the desires of your heart. But I have to be able to move to do that and you have to let go, so that I can.”

Have you ever had to let go of something?  Of a dream?  Of something you’ve wanted for so long and didn’t think it was ever going to come?

That’s where I am right now…today…trying to “let go.”  And as I was getting ready this morning, I was thinking about that conversation with God and the visual He showed me.  Then a song came to my mind. A song with words that speak right to the heart of my situation and a gentle reminder of what God asked of me the other night.  The song is “Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle.

Letting go of every single dream

I lay each one down at your feet

Every moment of my wandering

Never changes what you see

I try to win this war I confess

My hands are weary, I need your rest

Mighty warrior, king of the fight

No matter what I face you’re by my side

When you don’t move the mountains

I’m needing you to move

When you don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When you don’t give the answers

As I cry out to you

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you

Truth is you know what tomorrow brings

There’s not a day ahead you have not seen

So let all things be my life and breath

I want what you want Lord and nothing less

When you don’t move the mountains

I’m needing you to move

When you don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When you don’t give the answers

As I cry out to you

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you

I will trust in you

You are my strength and comfort

You are my steady hand

You are my firm foundation

The rock on which I stand

Your ways are always higher

Your plans are always good

There’s not a place where I’ll go

You’ve not already been

When you don’t move the mountains

I’m needing you to move

When you don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When you don’t give the answers

As I cry out to you

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you

I will trust in you

I will trust in you

I will trust in you

I’m visualizing loosening my grip and letting the color come back to my hand. I’m trying to remember what it means to trust God and how freeing it feels when I let Him move and do what only He can do.  I’ve done it before; it just seemed easier before…or at least it feels that way now, that it was easier to trust Him in the past.

I need to let go.  I will let go.  And I will put my trust back in God.  The only One that can make ALL my dreams come true!

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

Psalm 18:30 (NKJV) “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”