Devotional #29

I deeply apologize, ladies, but the devotional being posted today is once again not my own. We are swamped with getting back on track with everything, and I've been in a reinactment of the pioneer days yesterday, today and will be doing it again tomorrow. Needless to say, that as well has kept me extremely busy! Sunday will also be very busy, as it is my sweet little brother's 9th birthday!! :) So, please bear with me! This blog should be getting more back to normal on Monday, with many more posts, including answers to questions I've received, pictures, etc. Hopefully, anyway!! :) Thanks so much for understanding. Meanwhile, I pray that you will be richly blessed by the following devotional. It is written by Charles H. Spurgeon and is included in his devotional book entitled Morning by Morning. I truly hope that it blesses you as much as it has me!

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The eternal God is thy refuge.

~Deuteronomy 33:27

The word refuge may be translated "mansion" or "abiding place," which gives the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fullness and sweetness in that metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the humblest cottage or the scantiest garret; and dearer far is our blessed God in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is at home that we feel safe: we shut the world out and dwell in quiet security. So when we are with our God, we "fear no evil." He is our shelter and retreat, our abiding refuge. At home, we take our rest; it is there we find repose after the fatigue and toil of the day. And so our hearts find rest in God when, wearied with life's conflict, we turn to Him, and our soul dwells at ease. At home, also, we let our hearts loose; we are not afraid of being misunderstood nor of our words being misconstrued. So when we are with God, we can commune freely with Him, laying open all our hidden desires; for if the "secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him", the secrets of them that fear Him ought to be and must be with their Lord. Home, too, is the place of our truest and purest happiness; and it is in God that our hearts find their deepest delight. We have joy in Him that far surpasses all other joy. It is also for home that we work and labor. The thought of it gives strength to bear the daily burden and quickens the fingers to perform the task; and in this sense, we may also say that God is our home. Love to Him strengthens us. We think of Him in the person of His dear Son; and a glimpse of the suffering face of the Redeemer constrains us to labor in His cause. We feel that we must work for we have brethren yet to be saved, and we have our Father's heart to make glad by bringing home His wandering sons; we would fill with holy mirth the sacred family among whom we dwell. Happy are those who thus have the God of Jacob as their refuge!

Daily Bible Verse

Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; For their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of troublemaking.

~Proverbs 24:1 (NKJV)

Devotional #28

Please bear with me. :) Do to the fact that we're so very busy because of our vacation (which was wonderful; more about that later), I will not be writing my own devotional for today. Nevertheless, I think this devotional will truly be a rich blessing for you! It is written by the late Charles H. Spurgeon, who was an amazing preacher, author, and Scripture exigete from the 1800s. The following devotional can be found in his devotional book, Morning by Morning, which I very highly recommend!! This beautiful devotional shows us so eloquently just how very important it is that we trust our Lord. We must trust Him, and know that He has a truly wonderul plan for our lives-better than we could possibly hope for!

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If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

~1 Peter 2:3

Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to enquire "Why is it thus with me?" I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, Thou dost hide Thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I could read my title clear; today my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could clime to Pisgah's top, and view the landscape o'er, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; today, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God's plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and stregthening of your faith-they are waves that wash you further upon the rock-they are winds that waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David's words, so it might be said of you, "so he bringeth them to their desired haven." By honor and dishonor, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your soul maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God's plan; they are necessary parts of it. "We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom." Learn, then, even to "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations."

"O let my trembling soul be still,

And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will!

I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see,

Yet all is well since ruled by Thee."

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I just love that beautiful poem at the end, don't you? :) It's so comforting and encouraging. I encourage you to memorize it, as I know it would be of such encouragement and strength to you, especially in times of trial!

God bless you all, dear ladies!

I am still here! :)

I think I have some explaining to do! I haven't been on here for almost 2 weeks, and I'm so very very sorry if you all thought that I had left you!! Come to find out, the computer that I was going to have access to while I was in Indiana went on the blink, and as soon as I would sign on to the internet (if it even let me do that), then it would kick me off line again. So, while I was in Indiana, I had no ability to be on a computer, and, as I'm sure you can imagine, once we got home Saturday night, we had to get ready for church on Sunday, on Sunday we had family time, etc. then these past couple days have been jam-packed with unpacking, getting back on track with school (we had fallen a little behind due to the vacation), etc. etc. Needless to say, I've been very busy! But, please know, that through this long, almost 2 week period, I never forgot about you guys!!! :) I've really missed reading your own blogs (for those of you that have them), reading your kind comments, etc. Thank you for all of your comments, etc. and I'm looking forward to getting back on track with reading your blogs, posting more on here, etc.

Have a great day!

Thanksgiving Vacation!

I just wanted to let you all know that we will be leaving for Indiana in just a few minutes. I will have computer access up there through Tuesday, but won't have access from Wednesday through Saturday, the 26th, when we get back. I will be doing some posts while I'm up there, so be sure to check back!! In the mean time, leave a comment and tell me all about your Thanksgiving plans!

Ladies, please pray that the Lord would be with us and watch over us today while we're on the road for about 8-8 1/2 hours. Please pray that we would have a good trip and reach our destination safely. Thank you!! :)

Devotional #27

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

~Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)

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In the Lord, we have all of our needs fully supplied. In Matthew 6:25-34, we read that the Lord will always supply all of our needs-that is a promise! And therefore, we have no need to worry. What blessed assurance that is!

Not only will the Lord supply all of our earthly, physical needs, such as food, shelter and clothing, but He is there for our emotional needs as well! No matter what your current situation may be, He is there for you! When you go to Him in your time of need, He will be right there, ready to offer to you a wealth of comfort, strength, boldness, encouragement, peace, and rest. He's always there for you! Just run to Him, your Abba Father, and be prepared to be wrapped up snuggly in His perfect love.

One thing we all must learn is that we will never find our needs fully met, or ourselves fully fulfilled, apart from Christ, His love, and His commands and precepts. He is truly the only place to turn if we want our needs to be fully met. There was an old song that had a line which said, "I've been looking for love in all the wrong places." How true this is if we're looking for love, completion, and fulfullment apart from Christ! As Psalm 23:1 says so beautifully, the Lord is your shepherd; and as one version puts it, you shall not be in want!

If you're having a bad day, remember to go to the Lord for all the comfort and love you need! And what about a listening ear? Are you in need of one of those as well? Let me tell you, that Christ is the best listener that you will ever have the privilege to speak to. Pour your heart out to the Lord in prayer! He loves to hear from His children, and the comfort you will receive from this will be priceless!

Daily Bible Verse

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:4-6 (NKJV)

Devotional #26

Remember Lot's wife.

~Luke 17:32

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This is such a small little verse, but it holds a wealth of wisdom on a subject which we all need to learn from. In Genesis 19, we read of the depravity and grossness of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord graciously drew Lot and his wife out of those dreadful and wicked cities, into safety, before He destroyed them in His righteous judgement with fire and brimstone. Before releasing Lot and his wife to safety, He commanded them saying, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed." However, Lot's wife disobeyed this command. They fled together to the hills, but in verse 26, we read, "But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." She looked back, perhaps (we don't fully know why) because she left some good memories behind, some family members, or perhaps, despite the wretched sinfulness of those cities, perhaps she liked it there and didn't want to leave. But for whatever reason, she went against the Lord and His protection over her, and she looked back, making her into a pillar of salt, to serve as a reminder to all.

This verse in Luke applies just as much to us as it did to those Jews to which Jesus originally spoke it. I, for one, am ashamed to say that I have many times acted as Lot's wife did. The Lord, in His grace, however, has been patient and gracious with me. Back in January of 2005, we were within weeks of our move from Texas to Tennessee. I was furious. But more than that, I was sad. That city in Texas was the only place I had ever lived, and I was being forced to leave behind family, friends, and familiarity. If only I had trusted fully in the Lord and in the leading and authority of my father. The Lord was abundantly gracious to move us here, for we are now a part of a wonderful, Christ-honoring new church, with dear, like-minded believers. He has changed our family's beliefs and comvictions so much, and for that, I will be eternally thankful. However, I was once again just like Lot's wife about a year ago, when my father was preparing to take us from our old church, into our new one. I was untrusting, unhonoring, and sinful. You would have thought that I would have already learned my lesson fully, because of our move, huh? But not so with this sinful human being. I was once again untrusting, and for the first few weeks I often "looked back" to our old church, desiring to be there instead. However, God in His mercy and grace once again was very patient with me, and has blessed me in so many counteless ways through this wonderful church, and through each and every dear family we've met through it. He's taught me so many new things out of His Word this past few year, and I am forever changed.

What about you? What's going on in your life? Is the Lord, through your father(or husband), leading you into new and strange territory? Let my story and that of Lot's wife serve as a reminder to you. Never look back. Always trust in the Lord and in the wisdom and guidance of your father (or husband) and just rest in his leading. Know that "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose." If your father is seeking to lead your family into more Biblical paths, don't resist him!!! Instead, thank the Lord daily that you have such a godly father, for he is not something to be taken for granted, but is to rather be seen as an immense blessing! And remember, God's plans are always best! Never Look Back.

Devotional #25

Hi, ladies!! I'm going to do something different for todays (actually, yesterday's) devotional. The following is just one of the many outstanding devotionals to be found in Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest. My daddy was the first one to introduce me to this book, and it and its beautiful devotionals have truly changed my life. I highly encourage you to purchase this book! I hope the following excerpt is a blessing to you this day.

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The Account with Persecution

"But I say to you, that ye risist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

~Matthrew 5:39

These verses reveal the humiliation of being a Christian. Naturally, if a man does not hit back, it is because he is a coward; but spiritually if a man does not hit back, it is a manifestation of the Son of God in him. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but make it an occasion to exhibit the Son of God. You cannot imitate the dispostition of Jesus; it is either there or it is not. To the saint personal insult becomes the occasion of revealing the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not-Do you duty, but-Do what is not your duty. It is not your duty to go the second mile, to turn the other cheek, but Jesus says if we are His disciples we shall always do these things. There will be no spirit of-"Oh, well, I cannot do anymore, I have been so misrepresented and misunderstood." Everytime I insist upon my rights, I hurt the Son of God; whereas I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I take the blow myself. That is the meaning of filling up that which is behind the afflictions of Christ. The disciple realizes that it is his Lord's honour that is at stake in his life, not his own honour.

Never look for the right in the other man, but never cease to be right yourself. We are always looking for justice; the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is-Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.

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What a powerful devotional!

Be Back Soon!

I will be unable to have access to the computer the rest of today through tomorrow. I'll therefore post Friday's devotional on Saturday. Those that have been e-mailing me with questions, or commenting with questions, please know that I will get back with you all on Saturday!!! :) If you have any more questions or comments regarding anything you've read on this blog, please e-mail them to me at living_for_my_Lords_glory@hotmail.com.

So, now through Saturday morning gives you the opportunity to catch up on any posts that you haven't read yet!! :)

As to the devotional poll, I will have a post about that on Saturday as well. Thank you all SO much for voting! I was thrilled with and very surprised by the turnout!!

Daily Bible Verse

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

~Romans 13:12-14 (NKJV)

Devotional #24

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

~Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV)

Before we were Christians, we acted as the world does. But the Bible teaches us that we've been bought with a price, and that we are no longer our own. As Christians, we are a new creation, for the old has passed away and the new has come. We've been washed by the blood of the Lamb, have been sanctified(set apart) and we are now children of God through His blessed adoption. As Christians, we are to no longer resemble the world, with its passions, lusts and desires, but rather, we are to imitate God in every single area of our lives.

When Christ was on earth, 2 of His attributes that were so very clearly seen in Him were His love and His servanthood. We are to show love towards everyone. We are to be kind to them, pray for them, and love them. We are to bless those who curse us and pray for those who persecute us, but we will be unable to obey these commands if we don't show them love, and have love for them in our hearts. We're to love both our enemies and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Lord once said while He was on earth that He didn't come to serve but to be a servant. This showed His humbleness. There is one passage in Scripture where it talks about the Lord washing His disciples' feet. Today, that wouldn't be such a huge, amazing thing, as it was back then, for we all have shoes. But back in Bible times, there were no cars and most walked barefoot or with sandles (and even these didn't cover the person's whole foot). There were no paved roads to walk on, but rather the disciples and others during Christ's day walked for miles on dusty, muddy, dirt filled roads. So, you can imagine the condition of their feet when Jesus cleaned them! Yet, He didn't care. He willingly and gladly cleaned their dirty feet. Now, you must ask yourself the following question: "Would I be willing to do that?" Would you be willing to wash dirty feet like that? Perhaps that's not the particular act of service that the Lord is calling you to do. But at times there are acts of service that are less than fun that we must perform if we want to be like Christ. Are you willing to do these? If not, ask that the Lord will cultivate in you a spirit of humbleness. As Christians, there is perhaps nothing more that the Lord absolutely hates to see in us than a prideful, haughty and boasting spirit! He despises such things! As imitators of God, we must be humble and have servant's hearts.

When people see you, perhaps people that you don't even know, can they look at you and automatically know that there's something different about you compared to the lost people of the world? Can they just look at you, see your smile and joy, and know that you have Christ? Can they see your acts of service and your love towards the less than lovable and know that you are a child of God? If you're a Christian, the answer to all of these questions should be "yes"! If you can't really answer yes to some of these, ask the Lord that He would work in you and through you, making and shaping you into a real imitator of Christ!

Is it a sin to not be a homemaker?

*Note: Please read the following post with an open heart and mind, desiring to learn from God's Word. Please know that I'm not trying to be judgemental towards or look down upon the women who are not keepers at home(I have many family members, friends, and dear sisters in Christ who are not homemakers), but rather, I am seeking to edify them through God's Word and His precepts.

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So, do I believe it's a sin to not be a homemaker? Well, first please allow me to begin this post by asking the following questions:

• Do you believe it is a sin to murder?
• Do you believe it is a sin to lie?
• Do you believe it is a sin to disobey your parents?
• Do you believe it is a sin to gossip?
• Do you believe impurity is a sin?

I'm sure you answered yes to each of the above listed questions. And, why did you do so? Because in God's Word, He clearly commands us to not partake in any of those actions. We believe doing so is a sin, because we believe that disobeying any of Christ's commands is a sin. Well, here's another command in Scripture: Women are to be homemakers (Titus 2:5, 1 Timothy 5:14). Why then are women suddenly up in arms over the fact that not being a homemaker is a clear sin? Because they have been influenced by the heresies of satanic feminism and its folleys. The Lord's command to not murder doesn't change just because there may be a huge number of murders taking place. Likewise, just because our culture has turned its back on God, and women are now flocking to the workforce, doesn't mean that not being a homemaker is all of the sudden ok. It is a sin to disobey any one of God's commands. Therefore, it is a sin to not be a homemaker.

Daily Bible Verse

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

~Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)

Devotional #23

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend and blessed Lord's Day!

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"But why do you call me 'Lord, Lord', and not do the things which I say?"

~Luke 6:46

Though this should not be the case, many Christians, including myself, have found themselves guilty of this very thing. May the Lord grant to us much needed forgiveness for this wretched sin!

If we are true Christians, this means that we have been bought by the blood of the Lamb-we are no longer our own, but have been bought with a high price! As Christians, our duty is to obey Christ in everything. We are to obey every single command that He gives us in His Word. If we don't obey Him and His commands, then it's questionable whether we're even Christians at all! In the book of James, we are warned to continually examine ourselves, to see whether or not we are truly of the faith.

We see in Romans 1 that the sin of disobeying our parents is listed right along side the sins of murder, homosexuality, sexual immorality, envy, gossip, hating God, and violence. Amazing isn't it? This shows us just how hugely important us obeying our parents is to the Lord. Now, if obeying our parents is that important, think about how much more important it is that we obey God! I hope that this helps to put it into perspective for you, the immense importance of obeying God's every command. For, if we do not obey Him, then we don't even love Him, for He said, "If you love me, you will obey My commandments."

Ladies, throw off the fear of the world from you, and obey Christ always and forever. This is so very important! I can't stress this enough! You must obey Christ in all things. For, if we love the world or the things in the world, the love of the Father is not in us. Therefore, seek the Lord's affirmation and praise, and seek to please Him and Him alone-not the world. You can only do this if you obey His every command.

Daily Bible Verse

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

~Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

Vision Forum Giveaway!!!

Kim is offering an amazing Vision Forum giveaway on her Life in a Shoe blog. It ends tonight!! Here is our wishlist:

• The Return of the Daughters
• Poems for Patriarchs
• Providential Battles
• George Washington's Sacred Fire
• Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer
• Family Driven Faith
• A Church in the Home
• Balancing the Sword-Vol. 1 and 2

Devotional poll

Ladies, despite the fact that the poll is closed, you can still vote by e-mailing me your choice(s) at living_for_my_Lords_glory@hotmail.com

Blessings,

Rebekah

Devotional #22

As your days, so shall your strength be.

~Deuteronomy 33:25b (NKJV)

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This verse has become one of my very favorite. What blessed comfort it offers to all of those children of God who are going through some trial, tribulation, or valley in their life right now! What words of encouragement and strength it offers to that pilgrim who, like Christian in The Pilgrim's Progress, is going through some horrible and trying times.

What blessed assurance we receive from this verse! Our Lord has promised us that no matter what we encounter on life's road, we will always receive the strength we need to bear it all! Notice that it says "As your days". This means that we will receive the adequate amount of blessed strength that we need for each day. Some days present to us more trials than others, and we will always receive the amount of strength we need for each day and each day's trials and tribulations. What a blessed and dear promise this is!

Never fear, fret or worry, dear sisters as you face trying times. Always know that the strength that you need will always come to you right when you need it. The Lord always fulfills Him promises, and so, true to His Word, you will receive the strength you need, no matter what!

Show and Tell Friday!

Here are some pictures of the window seat in my room. It's such a cozy place to be while reading a book or having a quiet time. And, my dear mother is the one who made the beautiful curtains, as well as the window seat cushion!! I'm so blessed to have a mom that knows how to sew! She has beautified my room with her hand-made creations ever since I was little, and I'm so thankful for that!


Thank you so much for stopping by, and of course, don't forget to leave a comment!! :) And, be sure to head on over to Kelli's blog for even more Show and Tell fun!

Daily Bible Verse

Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

~Psalm 25:4-5