MaggieBelle

Beloved–

The Word tells me to confess my sins so that I can be forgiven and prosper.

But we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. John 1:9 nlt

Anger and impatience are easy to recognize; jealousy and resentment not so much.  I tend to bury them under the guise of hurt feelings that I need to forgive (with an undoubted pat on the back) rather than recognizing them as sin that needs to be confessed.

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.  You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them. Prov. 28:13 nlt & msg

What I have concluded is that holding one’s self out at arm’s length is very heavy and downright unpleasant.  However, once you get over the initial shock of what you have hidden from yourself, confessed it, the feeling is indescribable.  I was able to say, “have your own way with me, Lord” and really mean it!

I pray for you daily that you can say, have your own way with me, Lord and really mean it.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

“Surprise your enemy with goodness.”   Yeah, well the easy part is the action; following through with a sincere feeling of forgiveness that’s the hard part.  

All week long I have been repeating over and over the refrain from a song, “change my heart O God” and confessing my mistakes and my foolish willfulness.  Praying that the Lord will undo any harm I may have done and help me to show others that I belong to him.

I pray for you daily that your desire is to belong to him.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

I’m a detail person, aka control freak; a big picture attitude means chaos to me.  I follow a daily routine.

Not doing “something”  to prevent the mental chaos of being unfairly treated is very difficult for me.   But because of the loving patience of my Lord, I’ve learned (both in the Old and New Testaments) that the obedience of trusting him to handle a  situation is a blessing beyond measure.      

The New Testament referring to the Old Testament:

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures* say, “I will take revenge;  I will pay them back,”    says the Lord.  Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”    Romans 12:19-20 (NLT)  *Proverbs 25:21-22 (NLT)

The Message version says,

“If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he’s thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you. Proverbs 25:21-22 (MSG)

I pray daily for you to see the blessing of obedience.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

I am reading through the Psalms of King David (a man after God’s own heart) and no matter how many times I reread them they always resonate in my heart.  King David recognized his own weakness despite the power his earthly position commanded.  

O Lord, hear me as I pray; Answer me when I call to you; Have mercy on me and hear my prayer; O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning; How long, O Lord, until you restore me?  Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. psm 4-6

The word constantly reminds me that I am not alone; I don’t have to do everything myself.  I can trust him to take care of the situation despite the apparent chaos.

I pray for you daily that you stay in the word so that you can know that there is mercy and grace available for you.

Luv  Ya!

Beloved–

Proverbs 3:5-12 nlt

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do,  and he will show you which path to take.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.  

Don’t Assume You Know It All (msg

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.  Don’t assume that you know it all.  Run to God! Run from evil!  Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!

I pray for you everyday that you will trust and obey, there is no other way.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

This past few weeks I’ve spent time with two of my young teenage granddaughters.  They are modern  girls who know their “rights” and there is no doubt about it!  I’m sure that they think I’m just behind the times; but they were surprised to find out that I blog, use Google and shop online.

The issue of rights came up when the girls heard their grandfather asked me to do something for him.  I voiced my opinion that I thought it wasn’t a very good idea; the girls agreed with me.  Finally, I said I would do it because he wanted it done.  The girls were angry because I acceded to my husband’s wishes.  “That’s not fair,” they said, its a dumb idea.  “Why do you let him put you down, you have rights!”   “I’ll never let my husband tell me what to do!

I explained that God instructed me, in his word, to trust him and be obedient and to respect my husband.  So I was doing what he asked me to do out of respect for my husband and obedience to my heavenly father because I trust him completely!   It says it all through out the Proverbs.

A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.

A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

I pray for you daily, that you trust and obey,

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

I know I can’t always be in a happy frame of mind because my circumstances are ever changing.  I can always find joy in all situations because I know the source of my joy is never changing.  Happiness is fleeting, joy is permanent…it’s my choice.

from prov 16  We can make our own plans,  but the Lord gives the right answer.  We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. from psm 138    The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Though I am surrounded by troubles,  you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.

from psm 34    I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak of his glory and grace.  I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.  from psm 138  I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods.  I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.  I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.  As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.

I am not happy in my present circumstances but I choose to be joyful.   from prov 16   Those who listen to instruction will prosper;  those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

I pray for you daily that you will prosper and be joyful.

Luv ya!

Beloved–

How can I have peace of mind and heart?  When I’ve hit a brick wall with no apparent escape and chaos reigns…there is no peace of mind or heart; only frustration, despair and the feeling of how unfair things are.

God, the Father is creator, God, the Son loved me ( warts and all) so much so that he shed his blood on Calvary and God, the Holy Spirit wants to manifest the gospel through me.   Therefore, I must die to myself so that Jesus Christ can live in me.   

I pray for you daily that you want Christ to live through you because of what he did for you.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

I heard a young mother ask her 3-year-old, “do you understand me?”  He replied, “I understand.”  I wondered did he really comprehend or was he answering in the manner in which he had been taught.

The dictionary says to understand is to have knowledge or to comprehend.  The word tells us that God created the heavens and the earth through his knowledge and wisdom; and that we too, are to get wisdom and understanding, to actively search for it.  When we do understand who God is we will have peace of mind and heart even in the midst of chaos.

I pray for you daily that you will have peace of mind and heart.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

As a new Christian I decided to read the Bible through.  I took the number of chapters divided by 30 days and chose to read that many pages each day.  It took me 6 days to read chapter 119 in Psalms with its 179 verses.  It has become one of my favorite Psalms.  Following are excerpts from verses 75 to 100 that I use to pray God’s word back to him.

I know, O Lord, that your regulations are fair;  you disciplined me because I needed it.  Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.  Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your instructions are my delight…Let me be united with all who fear you,  with those who know your laws… Your eternal word, O Lord,  stands firm in heaven.  Your faithfulness extends to every generation,  as enduring as the earth you created.  Your regulations remain true to this day,  for everything serves your plans.  If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.  I will never forget your commandments,  for by them you give me life.  I am yours…Even perfection has its limits,  but your commands have no limit. Oh, how I love your instructions!  I think about them all day long.  Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.

I pray for you daily that the Word will become your constant companion; that a day without it will feel empty.

Luv Ya!