God – Page 2

Solomon’s Chase

July 9, 2024

How about a poem day? Here is my reflection on Solomon’s chase for lasting happiness and meaning in life.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

In our church, we are studying the book of Ecclesiastes and I am grasping things in a fresh new way. It makes me want to testify to God’s everlasting goodness and joy. Solomon, over and over, stresses how futile it is to chase things that don’t last.

I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 14:1 ESV

My brain considered the alternative to chasing the meaningless. What is the most meaningful thing I could do for God with whatever days I have left?” I asked myself. My answer?… to chase HIM, to fill up each day with praise to God, because that is worthy of the time He gives me, gives US!

Sooo..after much praying and soul-searching about all the “fun” and vain things I have chased, that did not leave me happy, I asked God to forgive me and help me put my realizations in a poem based on Solomon’s search for meaning. I hope this honors Him and encourages you to keep striving to enjoy all the blessings God gives, but also to resist the pull of the world to find happiness in things that do not bring lasting peace like He does. ( I am preaching to myself here!)

“Solomon’s Chase”

My vanity’s a futile chase, that ends up winning time erased

For nothing lasting have I found, I’d take with me when heaven-bound

Though many suns have come and gone, and I’ve exhausted all roads drawn

No lasting joy can I afford, save in the knowledge of the Lord

God’s truth outlasts the schemes of man, for joy without the Lord’s a scam

God-given hope lives past the grave where earthly sorrows will not save

Though trials seem to last too long and struggles take away our song

God has a plan for joy untold, while in His will and in His fold

The dreams of God, I now will seek, throught the day and through the week

Eyes focused on eternity, Lord send me what YOU want for me

I’ll treasure all Your hand will give, and love You ev’ry day I live

Though Your servant weak and small, my soul will gladly give You all.

With love from the Father to you, have a wonderful day and rest of the week!

Tina

Only God Can Satisfy

May 22, 2024

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

This devotion is inspired by my pastor’s sermon. It really hit home to me how we search for satisfaction in different areas of our lives, but often in the wrong places.

Solomon searched quite a bit! He discovered how and where to have a good time. He found delight wherever he could. He chased it through work, play, accomplishment, with no limits. Know what he gained? In his own words, “Nothing was gained!”

That makes me think…He did the research that we do not need to do! We do not need to chase after anything to satisfy us or make us feel worthy or accomplished or pleasurable. We need only seek Jesus. He has everything we need. Any “pride” we gain should be confidence in following His will for our lives.

These thoughts inspired this simple poem… “Only God”

Only God can satisfy a sinner’s guilty heart

quenching it with holy grace, forgiving every part,

Only God rejuvenates a tired and searching heart

He takes away what is no good and gives a brand new start.

Only God can satisfy, based on all that’s true.

Written in His Word we find good news for me and you.

Search the world for happiness and you may find some fun

but for lasting peace and joy, the answer’s in the Son.

Dear Father, Please forgive us for all the times we strayed from Your Word and will and looked to the world for joy. We never find it there. You supply all the joy we long for and even allow us extra blessings we do not deserve. You are a good Father. Please help us to strive for eternal things, not things that this world chases after. Thank You for being our shining light to truth. Amen

With love from the Father to you, have a wonderful day!

Tina

A Personal Day

April 24, 2024

Today’s post is a bit different, more personal. I want to share with you what the lord has done for me, although I do not deserve it. I am sure you, friend, have had a time where trials swirled around you and the best you could do was to keep your head above water. That has been my experience for awhile. However…

The Lord is faithful to deliver us from trials! Even DURING trials He can deliver us to a new perspective of trials, an eternal one. Trials are meant to produce perseverance and make us more like Him. We fight it though, don’t we?

Short and sweet for now, because I have the blessing of tending to a new grandbaby and must run, but…remember this…

Although we feel the best we can do is keep our head above water, keep in mind…

The VERY best we can do is to submit to HIS best. If He allows trials, they are for our good. There’s an eternal reason!

More about this later, I promise! I will tell what trials the Lord allowed and how I barely scraped thorough, but learned a lot for the next trial. For now, here’s a verse to encourage you! It is about our response to God when we have maybe had the wrong perspective of trials and ,if you’re like me, failed to use and shine His light at times I should have. He’s a loving God that forgives us for our mistakes and revives us with new energy and holy insight. Praise Him!

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

With love from the Father to you, have a great day. I will pray that your trials are lessened and your heart is lightened and your way is lit by God.

Tina

Peace for the Path

February 8, 2023

“…because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on highto give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. ”Luke 1:78-79 ESV

Happy Wednesday. It is a poetry day! I hope you enjoy, and more so, find comfort in these words about our paths and Jesus’ peace. My brothers and sisters in Christ, this is for you:)

Peace for the Path

Though our lives take different paths

I think we all can agree…

One thing we have in common

Trials find both you and me.

Though unexpected problems

Along the road will greet us,

Each step can bring the good news.

We aren’t alone. There’s Jesus!

No matter how many the miles,

His peace will greatly exceed

The measure of our fear

And the measure of our need.

With love from the Father to you, have a great day!

Tina

Jesus Prays Too

January 21, 2021

” Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” Matthew 11:25-26 ESV

After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” John 17: 1 NIV

I am reading my Bible this morning and I am fascinated with Jesus’ prayers to God. In the two prayers of Jesus above, He is thanking God and submitting to God. Doing these things and having a vital prayer life with God is not only important for us, but for Jesus too. When we pray we can accomplish amazing things. We can align ourselves with God in the same way Jesus did. He aligned Himself with God through prayer.

Jesus prays to Him, praises Him and acknowledges God’s will. He thanks God in Matthew 11 above, for His will, which places Him in total submission to God. The same happens for us. When we raise up God, we put ourselves in line to do His will. Not on a horizontal, same-plane kind of alignment, but a vertical alignment, beneath Him. Alignment is best accomplished when, in prayer, we talk to our Father as our authority of our lives. We lower ourselves to accept and also seek His plans.

We cannot lift ourselves up, nor are we meant to. It is God’s job to exalt us as He sees fit, IF He sees fit.

Dear Father: We thank You for sending Your Son to be the example for us to follow. We know that all He did was on Your authority. We, also,want to do everything under Your authority. Lead us further and further with You, into a close but vertical position. You are God and we are not. Forgive us when we do things or make decisions without praying about them first with You. We glorify You as King, Father and Lord of all that is in the universe, including us. We love You so much! May You be glorified in all we do today with the day You have given us. Amen