Yesterday, after returning from our daughter’s wedding venue and planning the decorations, my husband and I were in a joyful mood, thanking the Lord for her new family and husband-to-be. We were also excitedly in-route to my mother-in-law’s birthday party. Then something changed my mood all of a sudden. We were at a long stoplight that had me gazing around outside. On the grass outside our car was an empty plastic cup, a sign that said, ‘Anything Helps’ and some price tags with strings on them. I felt sad instantly . I understood what the cup and the sign were for, but not the price tags. Someone had been asking for help, but they were gone now.

Did they get help? Were they one of those people who stand on the corner regularly and depend on what everyone else gives them? Would I have given that person money if I saw them standing there? Did they get what they needed? What experiences brought them to where they stood on a corner like that? All of these questions weighed me down as we continued to drive.

Even this morning, the image of the cup, sign and price tags is staying with me. It reminds me of how we come to Jesus over and over, needy. Our cup is empty and we need to be refilled. “Anything helps.” We may come to Him every day and ask for help and He always does. He does not give to us because we are worthy. He gives to us because HE is worthy. Only He can fill any emptiness we feel or take away the heaviness we feel. Not only do we come to Him constantly, we SHOULD come to Him constantly. He is worthy of our adoration, glory, honor and service.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3 NIV

About the price tags on the ground? I have no way to know for sure, but maybe someone had bought him something. Maybe they thought he was worth it. All I know is that Jesus thought our salvation was worth the price of death on a cross. He paid, even though we didn’t deserve it and did nothing to earn it and may not accept the gift. For all that Jesus has done, maybe we can give more of ourselves. Because Jesus lives in our hearts to be given away to others, let’s do it! Let’s not take the gift and example of Jesus and walk away content, but use Jesus’ example to meet someone else’s need. Let us, with grace, deem others worthy of what we can give. It is easy to give out of our abundance, but maybe sweeter to give out of our sacrifice so we really feel it. Like the widow’s mite in the Bible. Definitely, this is a good matter for prayer and growth, as Jesus tells us to give sacrificially.

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” Luke 21:1-4 KJV

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16 ESV

Dear Jesus,

You sacrificed all You had to give. You could not have given more. We can, though. We have extras and stored up things that someone else can use. Will You please speak to us individually about what You would like us to give away? Humble our hearts, Lord and make us re-live the day we realized we needed You desperately and You gave us all that You had. We will always need You. As You have blessed us, make opportunities for us to bless others, even if we have to sacrifice to do it. Thank You for being our provider, caretaker and shepherd of our souls. Thank You for sacrificing for us .We love You so much that we will do whatever You ask. You are worthy of any and all glory. Amen

Love and prayers to all. Have a great day!

Just me. Nothing without Him. Just His.

Tina

What the Lord laid on my heart this morning is fighting. Yes, fighting. We are in a battle for our souls and though we may already know this, we seem to let the enemy tell us lies that throw us off course. It started this morning for me already. I realized I was in the mood I was in because the enemy told me a lie about how my day would go. How dare he! When I realized I had no reason to feel that way, I prayed that the Lord would help me stay on track. It dawned on me that the enemy’s attacks often happen first thing in the morning. We must be prepared for the little lies he will tells us, which can shape our day.

Preparation for battle means we must be on guard always; we must know our enemy, and expect our enemy and his invisible attacks (Like lies that take us off course) With our own knowledge and strength we cannot fight well against an invisible enemy. Therefore, we need to be prepared for the invisible attack with our weapon, the Word of God. Here is what Jesus says to some religious leaders about the enemy’s character:

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Jesus is saying to religious leaders that they are not sons of Abraham, because they do not follow in his footsteps. Those leaders chose to adopt some practices which were copies of what the enemy does. He lies! He makes the point that the enemy lies due to his own lying character. Thinking about this reminds me… how much more wonderful a Father is God, whose character is love and truth and light!

So, can we know the nature of our enemy? Yes. Can we expect Him to attack? Yes

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV

How do we fight the enemy? By submitting to God, by choosing His way over our way and listening to His still small voice that tells us when we are being attacked. It is so tempting to think little lies are okay or “little” sins are okay, but all temptation and lies are of the devil. All truth is from God, our Father, the Father of truth! That is who we need to follow.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

So, let’s be prepared for attacks by praying to God throughout the day, that we will recognize and fight the enemy with truth. He just hates that. It goes against his character. By the way, our enemy is not other people in our crazy changing world. It is the evil one that influences them. We can only fight a good fight with God’s truth and HIS wisdom and in a huge part, His love. 🙂

Dear Father,

We are so thankful that You tell us everything we need to know, in order to follow You and defeat the enemy. We cannot do it on our own, nor do we want to. We can’t see the enemy, so please help us to recognize those things that we do or say or think, that are not in Your character. You are so loving and just and truthful to us. We love You so much and just want to please You in all we do. Amen

Have a great weekend, friends! Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

tina

As I think about the politics of today, I am tempted to be dragged into the swirl of opinions, of which there are many. In a nutshell, it is God’s opinion that matters most, so I pull myself away from the edge and resist the urge to wallow in misery. And it would be easy to do, wouldn’t it? Our world is changing so fast! Wait…did I just say OUR world? It is God’s world, we are God’s creation and we are here to serve Him. That kind of changes my whole perspective this morning! It is like God just “refreshed” my page to show me how things are supposed to look, to me.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 ESV

Whatever God chooses to allow in this world, He allows. Whatever God chooses to make of me, I will allow. Whatever we do, should be a reflection of Him. Is it really that simple? It really is. With faith, we accept what we cannot see, that God is not sitting idle while things change on earth. He is busy working things to an end that He designed. HE really is in control.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:1-3 NIV

We can know that God loves us. The Bible says so. He sent His Son as a sacrifice. That is how we can have faith. We see God has a plan! When God’s plan started to become knowledge to Jesus’ family and friends and disciples, they must have been so grieved with how their world was changing! The One they followed was going to be crucified! The rulers of the time seemed to be against them. It must have seemed like the world was going crazy and they could do nothing to stop it.

We are not being crucified and our suffering cannot begin to compare to Jesus’. The parallel is more between how Jesus’ followers may have felt and how we feel. They knew God had a plan because Jesus told them. We know the same, that God doesn’t sleep and He is busy working all things for our ultimate good. If God wanted to change what’s going on in our world, He would. He can do anything He wants, and according to the Bible, this is what He wants:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV

When I pray, I often say this to God out of pure frustration…”God, I know You would change things if it was in Your will. Help me to remember that.” In the above verse, ‘so’ and ‘that’ are bolded. He made a plan SO THAT His purposes would be accomplished. That is where hope is found. In truth and in God’s purposes.

Dear Father God,

Sometimes we feel like an alien in this world because it is not the same world we know. When we look up, though, we see so much hope. It is there for the taking! Thank You for whatever Your plan is. Thank You for Your word that is like our GPS to our home in Heaven. Give us opportunity to share our certain hope, instead of the world’s uncertain opinions. You are and always be the answer to everything we face. Lift our eyes when we forget to do it ourselves when we are in a trial. We thank You and ask these things from You in Your most high and holy name. Amen

Love and prayers to all. Have a safe and happy Friday in the Lord!

Just me. Just His.

Tina

That may sound like a strange title, but I was very moved by reading Ephesians 4-6 this morning. In Ephesians, as in many of the books he wrote, Paul described himself as a prisoner. It made me ask myself, “Tina, How do you describe yourself ? What would God call you besides Tina?” Some of the names Paul gives himself are: an Apostle of Jesus Christ, a Prisoner of Christ Jesus for the Gentiles, a prisoner for the Lord and an Ambassador in chains. It hit me that he wanted to make sure readers knew that what he was writing was from the Lord, for whom He is a servant, prisoner and ambassador.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:1 NKJV

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— Ephesians 3:1 NKJV

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,  Ephesians 4 :1 NKJV

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:20 NKJV

This devotion may not be short, because I don’t want myself or you to rush past this important thought. We are titled by what we DO. Paul actively witnessed, testified, taught, encouraged, explained, exhorted and guided others, all for the cause of Christ Jesus. Thus, we know Him as a lover of Jesus Christ, anxious to draw others to Christ and help followers of Jesus be all that they can be in Him.

You know how when you first meet someone, you might ask what they do for a living? And how it tells us something about that person’s intellect, passion or daily life? We do not have to ask Paul what He does, because he tells us his names. He is acting out his title. His title comes from his relationship to Jesus and what He does for Jesus. His names are actions!

As Paul titled himself by what he was most passionate about and what he did for Jesus, what would we title ourselves? What action or passion that takes up most of our free time? what are we a prisoner to? And what do we want our title to be? Besides what we do for work, what do we do because we love Jesus so much? I am asking myself these questions as I type this morning. I believe that our title or name, to Jesus, is what He calls us to do for Him. Whether we work part-time or a 40 hour a week job, and whether we are retired following a passion or working in the church, Jesus is ultimately our “boss.” Our title is servant and representative of Jesus Christ. Wow, what an honor! He has called us all to represent Him in our work! We are what we do for Jesus. We are what He helps us to do for Him.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for words today, as I am overwhelmed with the importance of what we are known by. We want to be known as Yours and want to do everything to please you, our Master and King. When we are work, help us to be good representatives of You in our speech, behavior and love for others. Give us opportunities to serve You there. When we are unsure of what path to take for You, please give us a calling and opportunity to be a worker in the church or to others. Thank You for shining Your light on this scripture today. Thank You for always being there to guide us in Your will. That’s what we want most. We love You so much! Amen

Love and prayers to all,

Just me.

Just His.

‘Praying through’ is a phrase I used to hear a lot in my church when I was a child. The pastor or mentors in the church would use this phrase to encourage the church, the people, to pray their way all the way through a situation. Many times, our church would hold hands and pray ‘through.’ I could feel, even as a child, the power in that prayer as we prayed through, but my young mind was still confused. My thoughts were…What does that even mean? How long is long enough? How do we know when we are done? Does God tell us “You can stop now?”

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

As an adult, I get it now; prayer is effective when we pray as often as needed and for as long as is needed and we do not care about the time it takes. We can’t rush God into giving us a good feeling about something, but we can pray often and fervently! The time it takes for prayer then? It is until we get an answer from God, until we feel His peace surrounding our situation, until we see our wrong, until we are aligned with God, until we feel His presence, until we ask and receive forgiveness or until we reach a point of intimacy with Him and feel His love deeply. It can be all of these things and more. It’s just, until. The Lord will guide us.

I asked my mother once, “Momma, how long should I read my Bible, because I don’t have much time after homework.” She answered me, “It takes as long as it takes.” That changed my whole focus on being a Christ follower. She was telling me to read until. I heard from my pastor to pray until. She knew and my pastor know that seeking God’s wisdom in prayer and seeking Him in the Bible takes whatever time is enough in any relationship that is super special. It takes what it takes, as many times as it takes. The Lord will guide us:)

Aren’t you glad we have a God that listens to our repeated requests? He will never tell us to go away, stop bothering Him with our prayers. He never sleeps!

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Dear Father God,

It is almost too hard to believe that we can talk to You, our Creator and sender of our Savior! I hope we never lose that reverence of all that You are and all You have done. When we pray to ask You to heal the sick, to uplift our friends who are going through trials, we know You hear us. Thank You for hearing and answering prayer! Thank You for being available 24-7 to everyone in the world. You have so much love. We want that love for others that makes us pray ‘until.’ We want Your will to be our top prayer request though. Please keep feeding us and teaching us to be less of ourselves so we can be filled with You instead. We praise You for all that You have done and will do in response to our prayers. We love You so much! Amen

Love and prayers to all of you,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

When we are physically exhausted and empty, our bodies crave water. We can satisfy that thirst with sports drinks or other liquids that we purchase. But when we are spiritually “thirsty” we crave what we cannot buy, make or make happen in any way. There are wonderful passages in the Bible that refer to a well as being living water that quenches our thirst spiritually.

In John chapter four, Jesus Himself is tired and probably also in need of water, because He had been travelling a long while. I was taken aback when I read that. Jesus was tired? Then I remembered, He was fully God but also fully human.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV

Where did Jesus stop to sit when He was tired? A well. Sort of like a rest stop to us, I imagine. You may recall that He met a Samaritan woman there and offered her living water. She had come there at a time when others would not be there, perhaps the hottest time of the day, perhaps because, as many Bible scholars think, she was a social outcast with a questionable past.

She ended up having her spiritual thirst satisfied. She met the Savior! Point blank she asked Him where to get the living water He spoke of. She was bold! Here is Jesus’ answer to her:

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 NIV

Several things we can learn from this passage. This is by no means an exhaustive list., but an overview of themes that stood out to me:

1.When we are spiritually thirsty we may try to quench our thirst with the wrong things, worldly things that bring temporary pleasure or revive us for a bit. They never last because they are of human origin. A physical source will not satisfy a spiritual need. Only a supernatural source will do.

2. We not only need the right source, but quenching from the purest source possible. Just as pure food sticks with you longer and maintains your health, Living Water is pure food that feeds our spiritual needs.

3. Although there are many sources of temporary, physical thirst-quenching, there is only one source of everlasting water! In the verse above, Jesus says we will never thirst again.

His living water brings joy, growth, quenching, strength, courage and many other refreshments that we need. On a day like today, when I am a bit sad for personal reasons, my heart is thirsty for a fresh touch from the Savior. I know He can and will revive my heart and hold me up through every difficulty, so I will smile:) At the well, Jesus will satisfy every need we have, because He knows us inside and out. He knows what we need, even before we pray, just as He knew the woman at the well. He restores and revives us!

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, He is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water  from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:2-3

Dear Jesus,

My heart rejoices that You can do the impossible, supply our spiritual needs. You offer to do it all through our lives, not just a few times. Your living water never runs out. We are so overjoyed and thankful that You are our friend. You know us and still love us in our imperfection. Thank You for Your mighty presence in our lives. Thank You for saving us with all that You had to give. We love You so much and dedicate today to serving You fully, just as You fill us fully with You. Amen

Love and prayers to you all. Have a great Monday!

Just me. Just His.

Tina

This is a picture I just took this morning. Isnt it gorgeous? Isn’t God? Do you ever wonder why God included the sunset, sunshine and moon in every single day? Do you wonder why He made them all so beautiful? Maybe it was to make us look up to Him more often. Maybe He does it because He loves us so much. Maybe because He is giving us a glimpse of His glory and that of heaven! Maybe it is all of the above.

All I know is…they are beautiful sights everyone in the world can see and admire. They tell us how glorious the creator is.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1-3

Every sunrise is a gift from God and every moon His bow….Tina Crute

God,

Thank you for the beauty you put into a necessity for us. You set our beautiful whole world in motion with just your voice. Thank you for making the sky so glorious that we pause in wonder when we look up. Every day truly is a gift from You, one to treasure! We want to see Your glory, so please remind us with Your Holy Spirit when our eyes come off of Your glory. The world pulls at us, so please pull back. We love You! We ask these things from our great, good and glorious God. Amen

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.John 14:27

I admire those who are so accomplished and can do or make happen just about anything they set their minds to. The peace of Jesus is one of many supernatural things that noone can buy or manufacture or give themselves, nor do they need to! Only Jesus can provide that! He not only can, He will! He can do everything, can’t He?

Peace
worth a million dollars
if it could be bought
but it can’t, can it?
if it could be wrought
it would be worth naught

Peace
free from Jesus’ hand
’til it should run out
but it can’t can it?
It’s without a doubt
never seen a drought

Peace
free to all who ask
changes you inside
yes, it can, can’t it?
only He can provide
peace to heart applied

Peace
soothing of the soul
salve can ease your care
yes it can, can’t it?
for burdens you bear
go to Him in prayer

I hope you have a great day and weekend! Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Isn’t it beautiful how water can produce an image of ourselves when light bounces off of it? Mirrors do the same and they are everywhere. We all have several at home and they are in every dressing room and bathroom, everywhere. Why so many? We care what we look like. When we look into a mirror we hope to see a reflection of a well- put- together pretty or handsome person. We know that a mirror tells the truth; it will show what is standing in the light. Sometimes, we do not see exactly what we want, but we know where we stand and what others see.

The Bible is a mirror of sorts. When we receive light from His Word, we reflect on it and soon see an image of ourselves. Spiritually, we want to be a reflection of Him, but we cannot reflect Him without being full of His light. Just as a mirror cannot lie, God’s truth shows us exactly where we stand and how we look to God and what things we need to work on. Sometimes it isn’t such a pretty picture because His word and Spirit convict us of things that are unlike Him. So what do we do? Since we cannot fix ourselves we ask for His transforming power! As we look in the Bible and follow His light, we can ask God to transform our hearts and He will:)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

He sees things of the heart and mind that we do not always see. He knows us fully and someday, we will see Him and His glory fully and face-to-face!

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Dear Father God,

Your amazing plan for our lives may look different than we thought it would be, but You know best. We want took like what You want us to look like. You are our good Father that wants the best for Your children. We will do our best to absorb Your light and reflect You to the world. Being more like You sort of sounds impossible when we consider how righteous and perfect You are, but we are confident You can work a miracle in us. We praise You for Your goodness and wisdom in making a plan that we get to be a part of. We love You so much and thank You for being such an awesome Father! Amen

Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Isn’t it beautiful how water can produce an image of ourselves when light bounces off of it? Mirrors do the same and they are everywhere. We all have several at home and they are in every dressing room and bathroom, everywhere. Why so many? We care what we look like. When we look into a mirror we hope to see a reflection of a well- put- together pretty or handsome person. We know that a mirror tells the truth; it will show what is standing in the light. Sometimes, we do not see exactly what we want, but we know where we stand and what others see.

The Bible is a mirror of sorts. When we receive light from His Word, we reflect on it and soon see an image of ourselves. Spiritually, we want to be a reflection of Him, but we cannot reflect Him without being full of His light. Just as a mirror cannot lie, God’s truth shows us exactly where we stand and how we look to God and what things we need to work on. Sometimes it isn’t such a pretty picture because His word and Spirit convict us of things that are unlike Him. So what do we do? Since we cannot fix ourselves we ask for His transforming power! As we look in the Bible and follow His light, we can ask God to transform our hearts and He will:)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

He sees things of the heart and mind that we do not always see. He knows us fully and someday, we will see Him and His glory fully and face-to-face!

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Dear Father God,

Your image of us may look different than we think, because You know fully who we are like inside. We want to look like You. You are our good Father that wants the best for us. We will do our best to absorb Your light and reflect You to the world. Being more like You sort of sounds impossible when we consider how righteous and perfect You are, but we are confident that You will transform us day by day when we ask. We praise You for Your goodness and wisdom in making a plan that we get to be a part of. We love You so much and thank You for being such an awesome Father! Amen

Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina