Micah 7:19 (ESV): “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

Have you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart? If so, then your sins have been forgiven. Not only have they been forgiven, they have been cast into the depths of the sea never to be remembered. God intentionally chooses not to focus on the old man and the old ways (Isaiah 43:25). Instead, He is perfectly satisfied with the new man who is now clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). So, the next time the enemy tries to accuse you of past sins, tell him to go jump in the sea!

God will forgive your sins today!
Theresa

Psalm 127:3-5 (ESV): “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”

No one can fill us with joy or drive us to the brink of frustration quite like family! This group of fragile and faulty people have been assigned to us by God to love on and to walk through life with…do not neglect this Divine calling! There is no higher duty, no greater task we can do for God any more important than ministering to the ones that He has entrusted to our care. Therefore, spouses, love one another. Parents, invest your time as well as your resources in your children. Children, obey your moms and dads. Families, love unconditionally and forgive freely. Your home should be a grace-filled sanctuary that mends its members from the battle wounds of life. It should be the one place where we can find peace, joy, and love no matter what the rest of the day looked like. Family is to be on the same side of this spiritual battle we are all in. The enemy will try to make it look like the fight is between us. It is not. It is against us. Therefore, we must unite together and hold fast to Truth. The people that God has chosen for us may at times cause us grief, but they are our greatest blessing! We demonstrate our genuine love for God by genuinely loving them.

Praise God for your family today!
Theresa

Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV): “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul….”

“There aren’t enough hours in the day!” Does that statement sound all-too familiar? Life is busy. It is easy to become overbooked, overworked, and overwhelmed! For this reason, Christ makes us lie down and rest. Notice the language in the passage from Psalm 23. It is not a request or a choice. Instead, the Good Shepherd places His had gently, but firmly, on our shoulder and says, “Now sit.” And, oh, isn’t it nice to just sit and rest sometimes? Our loving Savior longs to refresh our weary souls. He knows that we are such “doers,” but there are times when He insists that we rest in what He has already “done.” Thank goodness for the Cross; thank goodness for our Shepherd; and thank goodness for the green pastures of His tender mercies.

Rest in Christ’s finish work of the Cross today!
Theresa

Daniel 3:25 (ESV): “…But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Many of us are familiar with the Bible story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These were three Hebrew teenagers who were taken into captivity in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar was the evil ruler in that land. One day the king had a large golden statue built and commanded that everyone in the land bow down and worship it. These three young men, however, were determined to worship the One true God only, and thus were reported to the king. When the king received word that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not worship the idol, he had the men tied with strong cords and thrown into the fire.

When the king looked into the fiery pit, he was amazed to see FOUR men freely walking around. The king had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego pulled out of the fire. Upon close inspection, the men were unharmed and did not even smell like smoke. The only thing that was burned were the cords that evil men tried to bind them with!

What happened to the fourth man? Well, He is still in the fire. When the enemy rages, when people try to ensnare you, or when life’s circumstances try to consume you, do not be afraid. Jesus is in the heat of the blaze, and He will deliver you!

Be fearless in Christ today!
Theresa

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

We have all heard the saying that yesterday is gone, tomorrow may not come, so enjoy the present. Too many people, though, get stuck in the past. We live under the weight of shame and guilt from choices we made yesterday. Maybe we are still walking in the consequences of yesterday’s decisions, but our God has a way of making all things new. When we come to Him with the broken pieces of our life, the Master takes the tattered and old and divinely creates something breath-taking and new. Today is a new day. We have never lived it before. It is a clean slate, a fresh start to try something different than what we did yesterday. It is God’s gift to us. His compassion towards us never fails. His love for us is relentless. His faithfulness is great. Because of God, yesterday will not consume us. To prove it, He lovingly presents to us Today.

Praise God for His faithfulness to you today!
Theresa

Psalm 139:7-8 (ESV): “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

When you are in a crowded shopping center, God is there. When you are alone in your room, God is there. When you are sitting at your desk at work or at school, God is there. When you are driving your car, God is there. When you are tending to your garden, God is there. When you are closing that big business deal, God is there. When you are on vacation with family and friends, God is there. When you are in the birthing room of a hospital, God is there. When you are standing by the grave of a loved one, God is there. When you are sleeping in the comfort of your bed, God is there. When you have no home to call your own, God is there. When you are singing at the top of your lungs, God is there. When you are weeping until all of your tears are spent, God is there. When you feel loved, special, on top of the world, God is there. When you feel lonely, afraid, like no one cares, even then… God is there.

Take comfort in knowing that the God who made you has promised to never leave or forsake you. In good times and in bad, in poor times and in rich, in sick times and in health, God is there!

Be encouraged…God is with you today!
Theresa

Romans 2:4(NIV): “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

Turn on the nightly news, any channel or network, and it is all the same…pain, suffering, wrong doing. Evil seems to be running amuck! It is easy to question why God would allow such chaos in the world. We need to remember, though, that nothing goes unnoticed by our Sovereign God. He is patient with mankind and extends grace so that hearts have an opportunity to repent. It is not God’s desire that any should perish and be separated from Him for eternity (2 Peter 3:9), so He is patient. For the innocent and injured, do not fret. God is a just God. He will judge all deeds at the appropriate time (Acts 17:31). Until then, He is merciful, and we who have benefited from this unmerited favor are very, very grateful that He is a patient God. 

Be thankful for the heart of God today!
Theresa
                  

“A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her.”
~Max Lucado

Psalm 51:12 (ESV): “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

One thing that David is known for is his worship of God. The Psalms are filled with songs of thanksgiving and praise. David spent much of his life basking in the abundance of his relationship with the Heavenly Father. And, the feeling was quite mutual. God referred to David as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). How then, did David come to the place where he felt downcast, alone, and joyless? Psalm 51 was written after David had committed a great sin. He had committed adultery with another man’s wife, had gotten her pregnant, then had the woman’s husband killed to cover up his sin. At the beginning of that fateful day, David most likely had no idea that one “little sin” could spiral so far out of his control. He probably bought the same lie that you and I have bought from time to time: “Just once won’t hurt and nobody will ever find out.” Yet, just once hurt everything and thousands of years later, people are still finding out!

The weight of unconfessed sin robs a person of the joy of salvation. Doubt that God can ever really forgive the most shameful deeds robs a person of the joy of salvation. Guilt from thoughts, words, and deeds robs a person of the joy of salvation. But, God is a God of restoration (Joel 2:25). He can lift a heavy burden; He can chase off the darkness with His Light; and He can speak life back into a dying spirit. In David’s most desperate time, he chose not to run from God, but to Him; and so should we. If you are experiencing joyless days, run to God. He will be your joy, your salvation, and your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Rejoice in the God of your salvation today!
Theresa

I had an awesome time with the Simplicity Women's Ministry of Catawba Heights Baptist Church (located in Belmont, NC), at the "Wanted: Women of God" retreat this past weekend.  The mountains were beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the fellowship was such fun.  Best of all, the presence of God was powerful in each of the teaching sessions.  It was evident that a lot of prayer went into the preparation and planning of this retreat.  If you are in Belmont/Mt. Holly, NC area and you are looking for a church family, I encourage you to visit Catawba Heights Baptist Church.

Blessings to you!
Theresa