Welcome!  Blessings!

Is there a circumstance that you know of that seems hopeless?  Has it gotten you down, to the point where you consider yourself to be under the circumstances?  Well, Abraham found himself there but he did what we all need to do:  hopefully believe!!!

A true prophet speaks things that shall be according to things that already are; the things that are in God’s Word.  Your circumstances are not a naysayer but a true prophet.  It is prophesying according to God’s Word that says in Romans 8:24 & 25 that hope that is not seen is not hope.  The circumstances that you see are not hopeless but they are what hope is really about!  Believe God; believe His Word!

Under hopeless circumstances, he hopefully believed.  Romans 4:18 (Weymouth)

…Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.  2 Chronicles 20:20

Under hopeless circumstances,

What a blessed place!

For there my soul was introduced

To His amazing grace.

All the way from heaven down,

Christ came so willingly;

Beneath my hopeless circumstance

To lift and rescue me.

Now, all these other circumstances,

Can’t make me despair:

He brought me up from death,

He’ll bring me up from anywhere!

For Thou hast delivered my soul from death:  wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?  Psalm 56:13

Psalm

42:5 – Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

42:11 – Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

43:5 – Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Be Hopelessly Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

Things that are termed pointed or pointy can have the most uncomfortable feel.  But when it requires the use of pointed tools to be used in our lives to shape us, do we get the point?  Do we get an understanding of the purpose that the God of all comfort has for allowing us to be subject to such uncomfortable circumstances?  Keep in mind God’s expressed intentions in Jeremiah 29:11—to prosper you and not to harm you; to better you and not to damage you; to refine you and not to mar you; to perfect you and not to defect on you.  For He has said that He will never leave you, fatherless, comfortless, regardless!  He will complete the good work that He has begun.  (Please read Psalm 138:8 & Philippians 1:6.)

Right now, I am getting the point!  Yet as I reflect on my life, I see so many painful things that He used to shape my life beautifully.  Shaping involves such things as chiseling, carving and other methods that would cause damage, had not the hands of the Creator been so skillful and the mind of the Creator been so knowledgeable and wise.

Not everyone gets the point.  And those who don’t have lives that are so dull as a result.  They become nothing more than ‘blunt’ objects, while they go about thinking themselves to be so sharp.  Get the point—let God have His way with you!

O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.  And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.  Isaiah 54:11&12

It seems that you’re down under and embedded in a pit;

The steepness indicates that it’s as far as you will get.

It looks completely hopeless as your life gets picked apart;

While all around each move just seems to cut you to your heart.

It seems that your existence grows more useless with each day;

And seems that to your very core, you’re being be chipped away.

But this is not a place that you can’t or won’t rise above;

God has you in His quarry as He chisels you in love.

He knows all that is needed in your life so you can fit—

Precisely in His building that’s so vast and intricate.

And none else has this knowledge or can with such awesome skill,

Make you fit and fitting for the purpose of His will.

In due time, He’ll exalt you with the same almighty hand;

That cut you out to be the stone of beauty that He’s planned!

So, do not be discouraged, don’t resent this place or sigh;

But set your heart, hopes, sights, affections, up with Christ on high.

And don’t attempt to settle in or start to look around,

As seeking for a place to fit in or for better ground.

For this is not the place where God’s intended you to stay;

But just for an appointed season as He has His way.

And soon enough, you’ll be complete and then be elevated;

And see your end result is better than anticipated.

Then you can tell how God took you from glory to new glory;

And worked His perfect will in you while you were in His quarry.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we walk in them.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.  Ephesians 2:10 & Philippians 2:13

Be Effectually Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

We all know that Hebrews 11:1 says Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Well, if you didn’t know it, now you do!  But Hebrews 11:1 says so much more!  Many believers quote that scripture with great excitement but do not have a grasp of its full meaning.  From their reaction to adversity and uncertainty, I would think that faith was the guarantee of things most feared and the promise of the worst-case scenario!

Faith will cause us to stand on God’s Word when we would normally dash away in a panic.  Faith will not allow your fears to run wild as they take you with them but faith will say, “Peace, be still; honor God’s Word and obey His will!”  And everything, including your restless heart, will hear and react accordingly!  Have faith in God!  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart:  wait, I say, on the LORD! (From Luke 11:22 & Psalm 27:14)

…but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.  Genesis 18:22

Faith is walking with the Lord and not running ahead;

Or jumping to conclusions but believing God instead.

Faith is going step by step and not by leaps and bounds;

To follow what God says, no matter how far-fetched it sounds.

Faith is to stand upright on God’s Word and never leaning—

Unto our understanding when we don’t have the full meaning.

Faith is the conviction that will move us to be still;

To not be moved by feeling and then claim that it’s God will.

Faith is being satisfied to wait with peace and hush—

Any anxious thoughts that would encourage us to rush.

Faith is to obey completely, just like Abraham;

To hear, in every need God speaking, “That is what I AM!”

Be Abnormally Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

I have much on my heart to share (which has nothing to do with the subject of today’s devotion).  I promise that as soon as I collect my thoughts on this sensitive subject, I will share it.  I even run the risk of being misunderstood and shunned, but I must.  I need my brothers & sisters in Christ to help me to understand and make sense of some things that are going on in the church at large.  I will share it very soon.

We don’t need eyes in order to be able to see, we need faith!  Faith sees what the eyes cannot.  No matter what you’re facing or going through, if you look to the Lord, you shall see!

Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.  Matthew 9:29

According to your faith in God and His integrity

Determines what the outcome of your circumstance shall be.

If it’s your conviction, that with God there is no doubt—

That ever could be reasonable; then He will bring you out.

If He is the only One that you are looking to;

Then you will see, undoubtedly, there’s nothing He can’t do.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6

And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  Matthew 13:58

Be Undoubtedly Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

I snuck (is there such a word) out of town to surprise my family & did they have a surprise for me:  some of them weren’t there!  But I still had a wonderful time of rest and relaxation as I worked my sister Patrice to the end of her patience and the point of exhaustion as she helped me get my computer up & running (so I can do more).  Patrice has been a real answer to prayer, as all of my sisters have.  I enjoyed my nieces and nephews & even got a chance to spend time with my great nieces and great nephew.  I also got to see my brand new great niece Gabriel.  May God keep His mighty hand rested upon her precious life.

When I read Psalm 10:1, it’s almost as if I can hear God answering, “My child, I don’t hide Myself from you or from your times of trouble, but I put Myself in the very midst of them!  I hide Myself in times of trouble so that when you find yourself in times of trouble, you will discover Me and I will be readily seen.”

In your troubled times, may you find the Lord because He indeed is there!  & Remember:  In the time of trouble, He will hide you (Psalm 27:5), so in troubled times, you should be hiding, too!

Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD?  why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?  Psalm 10:1

God never stands afar off,

His hand is outstretched still;

He’s working out the purpose

That’s established by His will.

You’re not out of His presence

Just because He’s out of view;

And when it seems like that’s the case

And God is far from you;

If you will simply look by faith,

Then you will clearly see;

The Lord is ever near to you,

Just like He said He’d be.

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.  Psalm 145:18

Thou art near, O LORD; and all Thy commandments are truth.  Psalm 119:151

Be Clearly Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

I’ve got another praise report!  I requested prayer for my friend Livia because her apartment building caught fire & left her homeless.  I had received an email from a friend of hers that stated she had lost almost everything.  Well, she never received any word of it (& neither did the Lord).  She came in to work today and hugged me, praising the Lord and telling of His good greatness & His great goodness!!!  A tenant was smoking in bed and caught the mattress on fire.  The place of origin was on the opposite side of building to where her apartment was located.  The fire then traveled up that wall and then spread to the floor above her apartment.  The fire NEVER touched her apartment–she only suffered water damage.  Not even her curtains were singed.  Her only concern was the pictures of her grandmother & she was able to retrieve them and take them to a photo shop.  The shop owner could not believe the great condition that the photos were in, having been near the flames, heat, smoke & moisture.  I told her that it reminded me of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  I told her that we had been praying for her and just like God promised in Isaiah 65:24—before we even called, He answered and while we were speaking, He heard!

Our confidence and expectation for the performance of the promise should be solely in the One who promised: not the irrelevant circumstances or subjects surrounding the promise.  For in the promissory note (His Word), the One who issued and sealed it with His signature is the only One responsible for making it good.  How could we ever doubt anything that He has guaranteed with His name?

And blessed is she that believed:  for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.  Luke 1:45

Every word that God has promised, every thing He’s spoken;

Always has been brought to pass and never has been broken.

Some have challenged me and questioned, “How shall these things be?”

I just know that what God’s said is of a certainty.

Some have wondered just how long my faith will stay in tact;

I’ll yet trust and wait and know God’s timing is exact.

And some even inquired as to why I do believe;

Well, that’s the most simplistic thing to do for to receive.

His Word tells me that there is a rewarding recompense;

For those who stay and do not cast away their confidence. 

So, I will not give place to doubt and have my faith attacked;

Though I don’t know how, when or where, I know God’s Word’s a fact!

…For I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.  Acts 27:25

…GOD, THAT CANNOT LIE, PROMISED!!!   Titus 1:2

For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.  Hebrews 6:13 – 16

I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth:  for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name.  Psalm 138:2

I will cry unto God most high; unto God who performeth all things for me…For I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me…God, that cannot lie, promised…Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)  Psalm 57:2; Acts 27:25; Titus 1:2 & Hebrews 10:23

Be Outright Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

In case you haven’t noticed, I close each devotion with telling you to be a different type of encouraged.  Later on, I will go into that a little more but I want to thank God for my precious brother & sister in Christ, Mike & Daisy from Destiny’s Kiss for the ‘encouraging word’ for today!

In these last and evil days, the purpose for the life of a born-again believer has all but been lost.  Many times things are measured by a personal preference instead of the holy pleasure that something should bring to the Lord God.  An emotional rise is mistaken for the anointing.  A “positive” message is received as the gospel truth.  The ultimate test of something being acceptable in God’s sight is no longer considered.  If monetary gain is generated, then it’s profitable and a blessing.  If anything can be labeled or passed off as “Christian” and peddled to the masses, then it’s good.  The things of the world (which we are forbidden to love in 1 John 2:15) are copied and embraced as evangelism.  Many things that are still abominable in God’s book are commonplace in the church and even practiced under the guise of “ministry.” 

The reason we live and move and have our being is to glorify God and not gratify ourselves.  God is not a hired hand that creates things to be to our liking but He has created us for His pleasure.  There is a glory that is due His name that allows us to take nothing for ourselves, and joyfully so.

Our lives should be a praise unto Him:  the way we live, the way we give, the manner in which we serve & the motives behind all we do should make God’s heart smile!  The laborers are few…He’s counting on you!

Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.  Psalm 29:1&2

Give your life completely and with Christ be crucified;

Freely give your life to Him so that He’s glorified.

Obediently take up your cross and let self be denied;

Give diligence to follow so He’s only glorified.

Give yourself without one reservation as you hide—

Yourself in Christ, so you’re not seen and He is glorified.

Give your will to Him so that in His will, you abide;

Surrender, then, your will and let the Lord be glorified.

Give your all; without restraint lay every weight aside;

Take His own yoke upon you and let Christ be glorified.

Give your love to Him and you’ll be fully satisfied—

With love that He shall set on you as He is glorified.

Give your best to His lordship and let the Lord decide—

All that’s best for you so He alone is glorified.

Let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.  Hebrews 12:28 & 29

Be gloriously encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

I sort of got carried away talking about myself yesterday (smiles).  I had so much on my heart & I’m not too sure that I’ve gotten it all off of my chest but I dare not create another blog with pages and pages of babbling!!!

I have a very special prayer request.  I dear friend, co-worker and sister-in-Christ named Livia Walker is in need of prayer.  About a month ago, she came to my desk with very sad & teary eyes because her grandmother has just passed away.  I thank God for the gift of prayer.  We went and away and prayed together and the God of all comfort blanketed her in His healing love.  Well, this weekend, there was a huge fire and it was her apartment building.  She’s lost just about everything.  I know God is a God of restoration and I pray right now that He’ll show me what I need to do to be a blessing to Livia and His instrument of love.  Thank you for your prayers for her during this difficult time in her life.

In times of adversity, people will say, “I’ve seen better days!”  But have they really?  Would they know which ones are which, or which ones were good or best?

Sometimes certain situations can weigh on us so heavily.  Even if it’s just a brief occurrence in the course of our waking hours, it can still impact and define our entire day.  We find ourselves longing for better days—Lord knows how I need this devotion on this very day!!!  Yet, we don’t see that those days are some of the best days ever; even the instances of seeming adversity are good and shall serve as the highlight of the day and its crowning success.  I know it doesn’t look like it, but just wait and see!!!

When I read Ecclesiastes 7:4, it lets me know that “Sorrow” is my friend that refuses to allow me to make a fool out of myself!  We’re conditioned to think of “sorrow” as something bad.  Well, that gives a new and true meaning to the phrase “I need it bad!”  Lord, when times are bad, help me to remember that I never had it so good! Amen.  Shall I tell you to enjoy this?  Yes, by all means—Enjoy!!!  & Be richly blessed.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.  Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.  Ecclesiastes 7:4 & Proverbs 14:13

When we wish for better days, we fail to recognize

That “better days” are somber days when tears fill in our eyes.

Whenever we want better days, we don’t believe somehow

That what we often want are days we’re having here and now.

So, when we ask for better days, we all must be aware

That sometimes sorrow is prolonged in answer to our prayer.

Yet it is not to torment us but so our hearts are blessed;

And we’ll reflect and see it’s when our days were at their best.

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these?  For thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.  Ecclesiastes 7:10

Be Seriously Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

I network in ministry with the Gideons and what a blessing it is!  Ken Giles never lets me forget the day that he was in dire need of someone to fill in because one of the musicians did not come and there I was—he knows that exact date—April something…!  That was over 20 years ago and we’ve been working together ever since.  So yesterday, I started my day by going to the local county jail to minister in music at two worship services with the Gideons.  What a beautiful time in the Lord!  I was assigned on the pods with the women.  It was my birthday and I told the women that it’s fitting that I should spend it doing what I was born to do.  God met us there and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty!  There is liberty to worship, liberty to live, liberty to love, liberty to know God and serve Him!

After attending my mom’s church, my mom & my family went out to dinner as Famous Dave’s.  They serve some of the best barbecue!  I got many neat gifts but one of the best gifts was a homemade pound cake from my cousin Lelia.  No one will argue that; especially after they argued with me during the entire suppertime in an attempt to convince me to share a slice with them.  I felt so guilty and greedy that I succumbed and gave them some.  They were very happy.  They are forever in my debt!!!!

Then I went to visit with my dear friend, Aunt Janet Spencer.  She has two adopted children and currently is caring for two foster children.  Often foster children feel so left out and unwanted, no matter what is done for them.  Nothing can make up for the chaos that ravages their lives with uncertainty on a daily basis.  Anyway, the Lord put it on my heart to buy them bibles.  So, I took the bibles that I had bought and presented it to them with a little pocket card that has the poem on it “I Said A Prayer For You Today.”  It came with a lapel pin in the shape of praying hands.  I pray that they’ll always know that they were born on purpose and with purpose.  God has a great and divine plan for their lives and they are very special.  I thought it was neat to give them a gift on my birthday to let them know that they are extra special.  They probably just think I‘m backwards—nice, but backwards!  But that’s okay.  I’ve recently come through circumstances that made me to feel left out and believe that I was unwanted.  Knowing how painful it is, I’ll gladly do whatever I can to alleviate that kind of pain in someone else’s life.  And it often requires such a small deed to make such a great difference.

At the end of the day, I reflected on all the events that happened and I must say that I was speechless!  It’s not how long I’ve lived, it’s how well I’ve lived and I must say that I have a lot of growing to do.  Like this song that Beverly Glenn penned and sang says:

I’ve covered a lot of ground

And I’ve seen some lonely roads

I’ve been so wounded along the way

But I don’t regret it at all!

Forgetting those things behind

I’m reaching for things ahead

This is my prayer today:

Take me higher in You!

That song is my theme and my prayer.  Lord, take me higher in You.  Please don’t allow me to get caught up in and weighed down by lesser things and the cares of this life.  Jesus is the answer to all that I’d have no answer for.  He will make it plain, my troubles as well as my path.  He will lead me in His truth and teach me. On Him I will wait all the day!

I laid my head down to rest and had a dream that I was in church looking through the coming lessons in a Sunday School book and my beloved Pastor Willie Spencer came in the room to teach the class.  He came over to me and spoke wise words of instruction and encouragement.  That would mean so much to me because he went home to be with the Lord over 9 years ago (oh how I miss him so!) & when he was alive, he was gifted in the word of knowledge and he always had words of wisdom and instruction to share & for me to grow on.  I praise God for his life and I thank God for allowing that dream, that precious gift to end my birthday.

The devotional that I was going to post today, I will save for tomorrow.  Thanks for sitting with me and sharing my heart.

I do want to give shouts out to my Brother (In-Law), Anthony, whose birthday was September 29th and birthday blessings to my precious sister (in Christ) Robbin Nelson, the best friend that anyone in the world could ever have, whose birthday is today, October 1st!  You are the best and I wish God’s absolute best for you!

Be Encouraged!

Pam

Welcome!  Blessings!

There’s few things that give me greater comfort that knowing that the hand of God is upon my life.  His mighty hand that is so great that no human has that capacity to measure its span.  His powerful hand that is so gentle that it can safely rest upon us when any other thing a fraction of its size would crush us.  Its soothing strokes should be deadly blows but His love that governs it is stronger than death.  None is beyond its reach; nothing is greater than its grasp.  He holds us so tightly; yet it enables us to go about life so freely.  It’s His hand that leads and guides, protects and defends.  It possesses deliverance and redemption.  It makes all the difference in the world!  Let Him hold you in the hollow of His hand!

As I was among the captives by the river of Chebar…the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God…and the hand of the LORD was there upon me.  Ezekiel 1:1&3

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me…  Nehemiah 2:18

What makes a wounded spirit whole and gives song to its voice?

What heals the brokenhearted and then makes it to rejoice?

What makes a heavy laden soul to lift itself in praise?

What causes heads bowed down in grief to have the strength to raise?

What makes someone to feel at home when they are in exile?

What changes all adversity to be worth someone’s while?

What turns a life of sounding brass into a soothing sonnet?

A touch from God Almighty when He lays His hand upon it!

Isaiah 49:

13 – Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted.

14 – But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

15 – Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

16 – Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.

Be Irresistibly Encouraged!

Pam