God Speaks Peace

For the fourth and last Sunday of Advent at our church, our theme was peace. Peace is nearly as elusive as Joy. Peace is defined as "freedom from disturbance". I think that is an appropriate definition, but piggy-backing onto last week's post, I think that peace is contentment as well...being content in your circumstances. I also believe that no one can find true peace without God. The Bible mentions that idea several times. 

Isaiah 26:3--"You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

John 14:27--"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Romans 8:6b--"but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

How great is that second verse....Jesus gives us His peace. Jesus not only has peace, but He IS Peace. He is the Prince of Peace as we so often call Him this time of year. The rest of the year we tend to forget that He is the Prince of Peace!

Isaiah 9:6--"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Because we as Christians are brothers and sisters of Christ, it is our responsibility to exhibit that peace. We are called to be like Christ and share His love (and peace) with others. 

2 Corinthians 13:11--"Finally, brothers,

 rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you."

Hebrews 12:14--"Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, since no one will see God without it."

Romans 12:18--"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

As mentioned before, peace is one of those things in life which is sought after all the time by everyone. The Bible tells us in several verses to "seek peace and pursue it", which implies it is hard to find and hard to keep. Seek peace and keep seeking it. The good news is that if we know Jesus as our personal Savior, we can find that peace. We may not always keep it, but in Him, we can find it. Christmas is the time of year we focus on the birth of Jesus, who came from the glory of Heaven to the dregs of Earth to begin His journey to save Mankind. 

Colossians 1:19-20--"God was pleased that all His fullness should forever dwell in the Son who, as predetermined by God, bled peace into the world by His death on the cross as God’s means of reconciling to Himself the whole creation—all things in heaven and all things on earth."

Ephesians 2:15--"He offered His body on the sacrificial altar to bring an end to the law’s ordinances and dictations. His desire was to create in His body one new humanity from the two opposing groups, thus creating peace."

May you find Jesus this Christmas! Only in Him will we find peace and peace that lasts for eternity!

God Speaks Joy

JOY--that is a familiar word thrown around a lot at Christmas. But what is Joy?

I'm sure some people would define joy as happiness and having everything going your way, but REAL Joy is different.  Joy and Happiness are two different things. 

This week at church was the third week of Advent and the theme was Joy. Joy is an elusive characteristic. Many people search for it, but it seems few find it. Happiness is about being content in current circumstances where joy is about being content and having peace no matter the circumstances. This does not mean that we are happy about circumstances that are sad or difficult, but it does mean that we have an inner peace no matter the circumstances. It is interesting to note that in the Bible there are many verses that list BOTH joy and happiness so it is apparent that they are two distinct emotions. 

You have filled me with joy, and happiness has risen in my heart, great delight and unrivaled joy, even more than when bread abounds and wine flows freely. Psalm 4:7

If we look at the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, we can see a difference between the two. Mary was a young, unmarried but engaged, girl when Gabriel visited her to announce that she would give birth to Jesus. While Mary praised God at the time for allowing her to carry His Son, I can imagine that she also met this circumstance with UNhappiness. To others it would appear that she had been unfaithful to her betrothed and these circumstances certainly brought shame to her and her family, as well as uncertainty to Joseph. Despite this unhappiness and a seemingly "bad" situation, Mary still had JOY because she knew that God was in control and that she was being used as a part of His plan. 

You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. Luke 1:14

The key to having JOY is God, pure and simple. Following God and Jesus and striving to do their will gives Joy, even if it brings unhappiness. Despite circumstances, Joy (and thus peace and contentment) can be found in God. May you find God this Christmas season and may He bless you with JOY!

Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment. Psalm 16:11

Until this moment, you have not sought after anything in My name. Ask and you will receive so that you will be filled with joy. John 16:24

God Speaks Love

Are you ready for Christmas yet?  Have you been able to get your shopping started? Will you get together with family this year? Is that all there is to this holiday? 

This past Sunday was the second week of Advent at our church and the theme was love. What a great time of year to talk about Love, especially if we can focus on the Love that God has for us. God's love for us is displayed in many ways. First of all, the simple fact that God created each one of us means that He loves us. 

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." (Psalm 143:6)

He is also available to us at all times of the day, 24/7, 365(6) days of the year. Also because God made each of us, He knows all about us and cares for us. God knows what we need, sometimes when we don't even know what we need. God does not want any harm to to come to us or our families. This also means that God is working on our personal life events and desires that nothing but good comes to us. 

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

If we ask God, He will provide direction for our relationships with others. As mentioned in the last post, God thinks about us and rejoices over us in singing. These are all great examples of how God shows His love! (adapted from 10 Ways God Shows His Love For You! POSTED ON JUNE 1, 2017 BY DEBRAPEDROW)

The best example however, is when God sent His Son, Jesus to earth as a baby. Can you imagine the sacrifice made by Jesus Himself for us? Jesus was already in Heaven with God and He knew God's plan of salvation for each of us. Jesus willingly came to a dirty, sin-filled earth as a humble baby to begin a very rough journey of love for us. 

"and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:2)

He was born into a world of sinners, many of whom treated Him unkindly, and endured 33 years before offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice and bridge for our entrance into Heaven. God the Father suffered for us by sending His Son out of the safety and "wonderfulness" of Heaven and into the wicked world. Not only that, God knew that the mission for Jesus would require great suffering on the part of His Son. Parents do not typically send their children out of safety to a place where they will suffer, but God did. Both God and Jesus sacrificed even more by the death on the cross. 

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)."  (Ephesians 2:4-5)

When Jesus died, because He had consumed the sins of the world (the Bible says He BECAME sin), God had to turn His back on Jesus. 

"He orchestrated this: the Anointed One, who had never experienced sin, became sin for us so that in Him we might embody the very righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

As a parent, I cannot imagine willingly turning my back on any of my children. Imagine Jesus too, at the time that He needed His Father the most, God turned His back because He WAS sin. Fortunately, this was a short-lived occurrence. Once Jesus released the hold that the devil had on those He loves, Jesus went back to Heaven. Still, God and Jesus willingly made these sacrifices in order to save the ones they love....anyone that calls on the name of Jesus for salvation!  Remember this Christmas season that the cute little baby, whose celebration we await, became SIN for us, so that we would be able to celebrate Him for eternity!

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13)

Life--"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;" (John 11:25)

Obedient--"And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8)

Value--"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."  (1 Timothy 4:8)

Eternal--"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3)

God Speaks Hope

Photo by Adam Nieścioruk on Unsplash

 Unprecedented!  New normal!  Are you as sick as I of hearing these phrases? Maybe "different" or "non-traditional" are better phrases. As we enter the 2020 holiday season, it seems that once again it will be a different type of celebration this year. It seems that 2020 will never end and doesn't leave us much room for Hope. Traditionally during Advent, churches will theme their services around four specific traits/characteristics of God as we approach the celebration of the coming of baby Jesus. This past Sunday, our church focused on Hope. It is appropriate that the first week of Advent the focus is on Hope since this year seems to be a bit unhopeful. Many of us have spent a different year of birthday celebrations and even Thanksgiving get togethers. Looking towards Christmas celebrations, it seems likely that it will not be a traditional year for that either. The One steadfast and never-changing Hope that we have in all of these unusual times is our Heavenly Father. Even though everything around us may be different or change, God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

Malachi 3:6--"Because I am the Eternal One, I never change; as a result, you children of Jacob have not been destroyed though your blessing may have been delayed."

Because God does not change, we have the hope that we will not be destroyed and that a blessing is yet to come. God does not want His children to suffer and be without Hope. He promises that we have a blessing in the future. Right now we can't see the blessing(s) in this "new normal", but one day we will see and understand.

Photo by 卡晨 on Unsplash

Jeremiah 29:11--"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Here is Hope--God thinks about us! That is an awesome way to have Hope. The Creator of the world thinks about us.  What's more, He not only thinks about us, but sings over us as well.

Zephaniah 3:17--"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

This is one of my favorite verses and now combined with the previous, it gives me hope to know that God thinks about me and rejoices over me with singing. 

Photo by Joseph Barrientos on Unsplash

Let us not lose hope in this crazy year! Maybe it's a year to start new traditions, to focus on our blessings without as much busyness, and to focus on the Hope that God gives us.

Heaven--"And know that in heaven, you have a great reward."  Matt. 5:12

Overcome--"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Power--"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."  Isaiah 40:29

Eternal life--"Those who believe in the Son will bask in eternal life, but those who disobey the Son will never experience life."  John 3:36

God Speaks--Blessings

It is the time of year when we begin to focus our attention on the blessings in our lives. This year in particular has been a difficult one in which to find many blessings. We often get so wrapped up in our sorrows and problems, that we forget to focus on the good things.  An old hymn, written in 1867, may be a needed one this year. "Count Your Blessings" was written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman, Jr, and I can only imagine it was sung quite often at the beginning of the 20th century. The country in the first 20 years of the 20th century certainly had gone through a lot, including a World War and a world-wide pandemic.

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Psalm 2:12--"But blessings await all who trust in Him. They will find God a gentle refuge."

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. 

Psalm 5:12--"You, O Eternal, are the One who lays all good things in the laps of the right-hearted. Your blessings surround them like a shield."

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Psalm 92:7--"That evil men sprout like grass and wicked men flourish, only so that they will be doomed forever." 

Psalm 128:4--"Such are the blessings the Eternal lavishes on those who stand in awe of Him!"

So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Psalm 67:7--"God is the source of our blessings; may every corner of the earth respect and revere Him."

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Psalm 115:15--"May the blessings of the Eternal, maker of heaven and earth, be on you."

God Speaks Amid Politics

What I am about to present is purely my OPINION! It is mine and I have a right to have it (at least for now). You have the right to agree or disagree. It requires no fact-checking unless you want to look up Bible verses. I will not be bashing any particular people or sides, only presenting what I feel led to present.

I have felt led for some time to address this and feel that now is the right time. Whether you are happy with the recent election results or not, I believe that as Christians it is our duty and responsibility to pray for those who lead our states and our country. I prayed for the leadership under the Obama administration, just as I did under the Trump administration, and will continue to do under the Biden administration. 

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (The Voice)--"So, first and foremost, I urge God’s people to pray. They should make their requests, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all humanity. Teach them to pray for kings (or anyone in high places for that matter) so that we can lead quiet, peaceful lives—reverent, godly, and holy—all of which is good and acceptable before the eyes of God our Savior"

This post goes beyond that, however. If you are a Christian thinking about what changes MAY happen to our country in the next few years, let me give you a word of encouragement and again, my OPINION!. I do believe that we do not have long to celebrate or worry (depending on your political preference). I firmly believe that the day of Christ's return is fast approaching. I'm not even sure we have to worry about the next presidential election. Each generation, it seems, regards theirs as the one in which Christ will return, but now more than ever many prophecies are being fulfilled. Besides the return of Israel as a nation, plans are being made for implantation of chip readers in the skin, which many attribute to being a part of the "mark of the beast" or the sign of the anti-christ. 

The whole political unrest of our own country and the loss of what many consider to be traditional values and morals is here. I attribute the political unrest, not to a particular person or party, but to the workings of the devil and his desire to gain as many souls as he can.  The Bible describes folks in the last days:

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (The Voice)--"And know this: in the last days, times will be hard. You see, the world will be filled with narcissistic, money-grubbing, pretentious, arrogant, and abusive people. They will rebel against their parents and will be ungrateful, unholy, uncaring, coldhearted, accusing, without restraint, savage, and haters of anything good. Expect them to be treacherous, reckless, swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than they love God. Even though they may look or act like godly people, they’re not. They deny His power. I tell you: Stay away from the likes of these."

Matthew 24:12 (The Voice)--"The love that they had for one another will grow cold because few will obey the law."

2 Peter 3:3 (ESV)--"knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires."

The point of this diatribe is not to scare anyone, but merely to point out that I BELIEVE the time of Christians on earth is very limited. For those who believe, we will be spared the "really bad stuff", but for those who don't believe when Jesus calls believers up, the worst is yet to come. Please be sure you are ready when Christ calls His believers up! If you are not sure you are ready, or not sure how to know you are ready, please feel free to leave a comment or fill out the contact form and I will get back to you.

God Speaks Forgiveness

Have you ever forgiven someone?  Has someone ever forgiven you?  I suspect the answer to both of these is YES.  Forgiveness is the "intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, and overcomes negative emotions such as resentment and vengeance."  There are a couple key words in or missing from this definition. First, this definition is missing the sadness.  Forgiveness does not eliminate sadness; it eliminates resentment and vengeance. There can still be feelings of sadness after offering forgiveness and that's okay.  The other key words IN the definition are "intentional" and "voluntary".  Forgiveness does not usually just come upon someone...it is an intentional and voluntary act.  Forgiveness is a choice! 

According to an article put out by hopkinsmedicine.org, your very health is dependent on whether or not you choose to forgive.  Per the article, unforgiveness can lead to heart attack, poor sleep, and higher levels of pain, blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and stress.  Forgiveness, on the other hand, calms stress levels, which in turn, eases the other symptoms.  The article goes on to say, “It is an active process in which you make a conscious decision to let go of negative feelings whether the person deserves it or not,”

From a science standpoint we can see that forgiveness is good and necessary.  Right in line with the thinking of science is what God has to say about forgiveness.  It is good and necessary.  There are many verses in the Bible that deal with forgiveness. All throughout the Old Testament, God continually forgives the nation of Israel for things they do against His will. He is constantly giving second (and sometimes third, fourth, fifth) chances.  God often declares His sadness at the misdoings of Israel, but there is never a time He refuses to forgive them.  If our family or children acted out against us as often as the nation of Israel did against God, we may be tempted to reach a point where we just can not forgive anymore, but God does not reach that point.  The people of Israel always see the error of their ways and ask for mercy from God and He always intentionally and voluntarily gives it.

The New Testament talks about forgiveness as well, but in the NT the focus seems a little different.  In the NT, we are introduced to Jesus, God's Son.  He is still a part of the Godhead but has come to live on earth.  Jesus tells us that God wants us to live forever in heaven with them, but because of Adam and Eve and the choices they made, it is impossible as only perfect people can live in heaven and we all know, no one on this present earth is perfect. We ALL sin, or do bad things, in one way or another.  Some SEEM to have worse sins than others, but to God, all sins carry the same weight.  A sin is a sin is a sin!  These sins keep us from being perfect and keep us from gaining entrance to heaven.  God decided that the only way to solve this problem was for someone who WAS perfect to bridge the gap for us.  God sent Jesus, as the perfect one, to make this happen.  Jesus intentionally and voluntarily took the punishment for our bad things dying not only physically, but also going into Hell to overcome our punishment after our death.  Additionally, Jesus forgave us even before we were born.  Some of His last words on the cross were, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  Most believe He was talking specifically about those who put Him on the cross, but He was likely also talking about ALL of those people in past and to come and the bad things they would do.  

Since this forgiveness came BEFORE we were born and before we had done anything wrong, it is up to us to realize and accept it.  I believe the time is coming quickly when we will no longer have the opportunity to receive this forgiveness that God and Jesus give to us.  Remember that God created Adam and Eve to have perfect fellowship with them.  They disobeyed God, humans then became imperfect and did and do bad things.  These bad things prevent us from living in a perfect world with God when we die.  Jesus forgave our bad things and made a way for us to live in the perfect world and all we need to do is realize and accept His forgiveness. 

If you are ready, but unsure how/what to pray, feel free to use this prayer or something similar.  "Jesus, I acknowledge that I do bad things and I thank you for forgiving me ahead of time.  Thank you for preparing the way for me to live in the perfect world with You and God.  I accept your forgiveness for the bad things I've done.  Help me to live each day more like You!  Amen."

God Speaks in Puzzles

Do you ever question why? Why is this happening or why can't I....? Often the world and situations make no sense to us. These are puzzles in our lives. The current status of the United States can be a big puzzle as well. God can use these types of puzzles to speak to us and to teach us. Sometimes we don't know the why until much later. Sometimes we never know the why, we just trust that God will see us through. I find myself in one of these "why" moments right now. I began my blog roughly one year ago out of another "why" moment. At that time, the school in which I had worked for 20 years was downsizing and I was asked to change from full-time to part-time. After consideration, my husband and I decided that this would not be possible. I immediately found another job in a local school system about 2 weeks after resigning from my previous workplace. Eventually I came to understand this "why" moment. 

Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; . . . Romans 5:3-4

I was hired as a Media Facilitator, basically an assistant to the Media Specialist, and was working in the libraries of two different schools on the same campus. There were many new things to learn and I really came to enjoy this position. I had joked to someone recently that for the first time in 20 or so years I didn't mind going back to school once summer was over. Although I knew that things were going to be different due to the complications of CoVid 19, I was still looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead of me. It was at this point the second "why" moment happened. My principal called me to let me know that I had been laid off! To say I was shocked would not be truthful as I had heard rumors that cuts were going to happen and with CoVid still present in our lives, I knew it was a possibility. However, that did not ease my sadness at the loss of my job, nor the concerns over being able to pay our bills. I later learned that close to 50 or more people in the system were laid off as well. 

All of this is happening for your good. As grace is spread to the multitudes, there is a growing sound of thanks being uttered by those relishing in the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15

Trying to understand this most recent "why" moment has been difficult. I know the "outside" why...lack of funding, coronavirus, etc. But I have yet to discover God's "why" in this puzzle. Is this a time for faith-building? Had we gone too far from relying on God that He needed to give us a little shake-up? What is it I need to learn or discover from this puzzle? I may never know. I can only acknowledge that God still has a plan and a purpose and is in control. I can also reflect on Romans 8:28 and know that all will be well.  

We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

All photos found on Pixabay.com    All Scriptures "The Voice" version.

God SpeaksThrough a Bouquet

I must admit, I'm not a bouquet kind of gal. Don't get me wrong! I love flowers, especially in my flower garden right outside my window, but I've never been one to be disappointed if my husband didn't shower me with flowers all the time. I have received the occasional bouquet from him and it's been very nice; however, I don't feel like I'm missing out if I don't receive flowers from him for every special occasion. We have been married for 32 years and it works just fine for us. I'm not sure where that tradition started or why it started with men giving flowers to women. Wouldn't men appreciated receiving flowers too? Well, either way, today's post is about a bouquet. This is a bouquet for anyone and everyone. One of the definitions of bouquet is "an expression of approval; a compliment". So that is the bouquet for today and this bouquet comes from God. I thought it would be neat to have a bouquet of God's love for us, so enjoy the "flowers".

1.  Psalm 139:13 (The Message)--"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!  Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day."

The first flower in the bouquet describes God's knowledge and love. He knew each of us before we were born. He supervised the development of each of us in our mother's uterus and knew exactly how what we would be like. God made each of us the way we were meant to be and because of that, He loves each of us the way we are.

2.  Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)--"I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

The second flower in the bouquet describes how God has plans all laid out for His followers. God's plans for our lives are beneficial to us. Often our plans for ourselves are not.

3.  Ephesians 2:7-10 (The Message)--"Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." 

God's third flower is the bouquet is about His love for us. He created the way for us to "saved"; to be with Him after we die. He loved His creations, US, so much that He wanted to spend eternity with us. Not much better a compliment than that!

4.  Romans 8:28 (The Voice)--"We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan."

The bouquet's fourth flower relates God's desire for all good things for us. This doesn't mean that things will always go right for us, that we won't have hard times or sorrow, but it DOES mean that even those "bad" times will work out good in the end even if we can't see it. 

5.  Psalm 37:4 (The Voice)--"Take great joy in the Eternal! His gifts are coming, and they are all your heart desires!"

The fifth flower again demonstrates God's love. Don't we like to shower those we love with gifts. Gifts are complimentary on their own. It means we are special to the giver. God's gifts are coming and they are everything you could imagine.

6.  Psalm 147:11 The Voice)--"But the Eternal does take pleasure in those who worship Him, those who invest hope in His unfailing love."

Flower number six indicates that God takes pleasure in us. God is happy around those who worship Him and hope in Him. It's amazing to think that we can give happiness to God.

7. Genesis 1:31a (The Voice)--"Then God surveyed everything He had made, savoring its beauty and appreciating its goodness."

Biblically, the number seven is a special number to God, so it makes sense that the seventh flower would be descriptive of God complimenting His creation and creations. God is calling us good and as having beauty!

8.  Psalm 149:4a (Living Bible)--"For Jehovah enjoys his people; he will save the humble."

The eighth flower of the bouquet states it quite directly. Jehovah enjoys His people!

9.  Zephaniah 3:17 (Living Bible)--"For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you with great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you.” Is that a joyous choir I hear? No, it is the Lord himself exulting over you in happy song."

Flower nine is one of my favorites. It gives the picture of God as a caring parent. How many parents have spent time singing over their children whether it is as a bed-time routine or in fun? The ninth flower shows that God is singing over us. He is acting as a loving parent singing words of life to our soul; singing words of comfort to our hearts; singing words of hope to our minds. 

Libreshot

I hope God's little bouquet has brought you some joy today. Know that God loves you, cares for you, and has a plan for you!