The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel 3:22 NIV

You remember the story of Shadrach. Meshach and Abednego, who got thrown into the furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar? There was one huge battle of wills that day. Nebuchadnezzar wanted everyone to bow to his golden gods. However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego elected not to obey his will. They desired to do God’s will. Some astrologers, or Chaldeans, noticed their disobedience to the king and “tattletailed” on them.

Nebuchadnezzar was so enraged that the three Jews would not obey him that he probably was as hot under the collar as the furnace was! He made the furnace seven times hotter than normal and told his strongest soldiers to tie them up and toss them into the furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar was determined that his will would be obeyed.

Something amazing happened next! The soldiers that took Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the furnace? The flames burned the soldiers up, so Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego actually FELL into the fire, all tied up! (Daniel 3:22) They were not burned up by the fire like the soldiers. Not even a hair on any of them was singed, and Nebuchadnezzar’s heart changed to one that demanded everyone follow the God of these three men.

So many things jump out to me this morning and I thank the Lord for His goodness.

1. The battle of wills will always be won by the Lord.
2. Obedience to the Lord should always be our priority, no matter the consequences.
3. Obedience to the Lord sometimes looks like disobedience to those in control.
4. God is already at work battling for us when our will matches His.
5. We can have faith in the fire because God is faithful.
6. God fights for us!

Aren’t you glad God is with us in the fire but also before the fire? I am! I am getting blessed here in my office. God is so good! He thinks of everything when it comes to carrying us through fires. Are you going through a fire today, a trial? I think this story shows us that we can do God’s will and know that He will take care of us. He is the God of everything and everyone:)

With love from the Father to you,

Christina

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7 NIV

When we have a problem we go searching for an answer; otherwise the problem will not just go away, right? We have to seek help from a reliable source though. There was a time period in our lives that my daughters and I lived alone. I was not very knowledgeable on how to handle maintenance problems with a house, so when we needed a plumber, electrician, or a water heater repairman, I panicked for a bit. Luckily, we had a neighbor across the street who apparently knew how to fix everything!

What a blessing! Not only did he know a lot, but he offered his services for free. He and his wife were older and experienced and I knew, that by going to them, I would find my answer. I also knew I would not be considered dumb or needy for asking for help. It seemed to make them happy to help. It also seemed they preferred to help me rather than giving me a number for someone else. What an example of Christ they were to me!

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us to seek Him. Why? He has the answers to our heart’s problems. He knows what we do not. He will never judge us as too needy or too uneducated. He WANTS us to seek Him constantly. He will not send us somewhere else for help, unless it is to the Bible. When we ask, we receive, every single time. Just as I knew that Buddy and Ada were always there for a sometimes overwhelmed single mom, Jesus is always there for us. All we have to do is ask!

It constantly amazes me that Jesus makes it so simple for us to grow as Christians, because He supplies all we need and He makes it super easy to come to Him. He is “one-stop-shopping” for all that soul longs for.

With the love of the Father from me to you, have a great weekend!

Christina

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 NIV

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 NIV

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16 NIV

Jesus set the model for our prayer time when He would go alone to be with His Father. In the verses above, notice the method and place of prayer…”alone, solitary, lonely, while it was dark, secret, with the door closed.”

If you have never experienced waking up around 5 am and sitting in a dark room, all alone with Jesus and nothing else, I highly recommend it. Seriously, a simple act of sitting still for a few minutes with Your creator in the dark and the quiet just might change your life. It is dramatic and holy what stillness and darkness, combined with the presence of God feels like. Have you spent time with Him alone lately, with no distractions? Do you think you may want to try it? Do you not have enough time to do so?

God understands. He really does. Although He is perfect, He understands we are not; we do not always give Him the time alone that He deserves. Our time is limited and has daily pressures that need to be addressed. He wants to be with us, though, as we face each day. Even if you only have five minutes, try sitting in an empty dark room with no phone, tv or to-do list, or anything you may want to check, watch, read or worry about. Make it just about you and God and that’s all.

I am still learning, but this is one of the things it took me decades to grasp and value. Being still and just communing with God is one of the most powerful connectors to Him. God showed me that simpler is better, quieter is better and, many times, less asking and talking is better. It honors Him when we make the time to just abide with Him and in Him. It really is that simple and that wonderful to be with the One who made us and knows us and loves us more than anyone else. Try it! You will like it, I promise. He always meets You where you seek Him:)

Because I love you all with the love of the Father,

Christina

Here is a poem about for today! When we ask in prayer, Jesus takes away the darkness and strife in our souls and replaces it with joy and light!

ASKING FOR LIGHT

Dark clouds in the morning

Then joy and light, refreshingly bright

Open wide in my soul.

I talk to the Savior

A friend to all, He comes when I call

Wanting me to be whole.

Though I tend to worry

He makes me know , refreshingly so

He has all in control.

As I pray for some peace,

Joy comes to me, by His light I see

All my burdens He stole.

Now I praise Him for all

He’s done for me, my soul starts to sing

Let His due praises roll.

©Christina Crute 2021

I opened randomly to the book of Jeremiah and started reading; I found myself in the middle of a dramatic story. God was mad at Judah! Why? It was because they were worshipping other gods. Apparently, Israel and Judah broke the covenant with God! They had so many gods! “As many gods as you have towns,” God told them. (Jeremiah 11: I3 NIV) I would be mad, too, if someone I loved and made a promise with, turned against me, especially to gods made by human hands. What could wooden or golden or metal creations do for someone anyhow? Jeremiah quotes God as saying,

“They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them,” Jeremiah 11:10 NIV

Can I be real here?…don’t we do the same thing in a way? Do we go on social media to catch up on how everyone is doing and spend too much time there? Do we spend more time watching tv than reading our Bible, when we need to relax? Do we spend more time making our own plans than praying for God’s guidance? We may even watch and talk about the news more than we read and talk about The Good News. We choose our own ways and sources of being served, entertained and counseled, rather than always looking to God. I am not saying these things are wrong at all, but our proportion of time can make these things our gods in a way.

I am always harder on myself than anyone else, so no judgement here. I am guilty of letting other things besides God soothe me when I am down or life feels chaotic. My goal is to defend God and His need for our love, time and attention also. Let’s be careful about where we go for comfort:)

I love you all. Thanks for accepting my simple words, in an effort to glorify and love on our awesome God:)

Christina

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2 NIV

I just skimmed, instead of diving into Mathew 7, because I already know I shouldn’t judge. But wait…what good is reading the Word if you don’t constantly apply it to your life? Pastor Shannon spoke on that yesterday and it’s true! So, I just read verses one and two several times and I see some things in my heart. I am struggling to let go of a past hurt. Until now I didn’t realize I was holding onto it! Why am I doing this? Am I holding on in judgement of them, to declare someone did wrong? What would an objective reporter say? Bear with my imagination…

If there was a reporter in my heart, they would report something like this…” We have a quick-developing situation here that needs monitoring. It appears Tina is leaning toward pronouncing judgement on others who hurt her. Will she follow through with her heart’s desire to punish them by holding on to the wrongdoing or will she turn it over to God, trusting Him to make it right? Let’s have a word from her sponsor, Jesus…”

I do not mean to make light of our decisions, but I do want to highlight the fact that I/we act the way we do because I/we want to please ourselves or please God. It really is that simple. Forgetting social media and following other humans, we follow someone supernatural, either the enemy or or the Savior. I personally want to right my own wrongs when I get hurt, but that would require me judging someone to be guilty first, as a reason for holding a grudge. So where do I go from here?

I will start forgiving and stop judging. I am no judge because I am not perfect. Only a perfect God can judge. Because I want to please the judge, I will do this. So…this is a most personal post but I hope you can relate to the struggle. Often, well-read verses are skimmed over, because we think we have learned the lesson already… but they are Jesus’ words! They are meant to constantly keep us humble and transparent as we are still in training until we meet Him in the sky:)

With love from the Father to you and absolutely no judgement,

Christina

How about a poem this morning? Happy Saturday! Love to all!

All that’s good comes from my Father.
Ev’ry prayer His ears have heard.
As parents love their little ones,
I am my Father’s little bird.

When life hurts and I’m complaining,
Focusing on what’s occurred,
Then I remember, I forgot,
I am my Father’s little bird.

I choose you Lord, so I won’t stress,
because you love me with Your word.
When I am hungry, You provide.
I am my Father’s little bird.

©Christina Crute, 2021

With love from the Father to you,

Christina

Individually, we like things in abundance. Collectively, as a nation, we like things in abundance. Interpersonally, what we need is love in abundance. This is a song and declaration to the Lord to love others abundantly.

Count Me In

Where there’s hunger or there’s hurting, count me in.
Let me be the one to help the hurting end.
When there’s need, let me go.
Let me be the one to walk the way you show.
All my things are not my own.
They’re to help where there is none.
Where there’s hungry or there’s hurting, count me in.

Where there’s loneliness or loss, count me in.
Let me be the one to be another’s friend.
Giving up my time for me,
Grant me visions of how lonely one can be.
All my time is yours to own.
It’s to help where there is none.
Where there’s loneliness or loss, count me in.

Where there’s illness or a trial, count me in.
Let me be the one to help another mend.
Help me serve a meal or two,
Loving others like I know that you would do.
My food is not my own.
It’s to help where there is none.
Where there’s illness or a trial, count me in.

Where there’s anyone needing love, count me in.
Let me be the one to ease their suffering.
Make my heart a tender tool,
and use it to obey the Bible’s rule.
My life is not my own.
But Yours to use until I’m gone.
Where there’s someone needing help, count me In.

©Christina Crute, 2021

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

With love from Our Father to you, have a great Wednesday!

Christina