More of these things that God's word does for us.

I am excited to learn of all 'these things' that God's word supplies in our life and how it helps us on our upward journey to His eternal Kingdom.  Sometimes we think we are living an isolated life.  But I want to tell you we are not, God is always with us through His Holy Spirit and we can count on that. Also, we meet people of different values, lifestyles and backgrounds that we have the opportunity to share our life with in many ways.  Just doing good deeds for others is one way and there are many more but we want to make sure we are doing them because we want to and love to do it.  With that said, let's see what some more of these things are, I want to know and I hope you do to.

Psalm 119:104  "Through your precepts (words) I get understanding."  Do we need understanding when we read His word, yes, we do and we will have it as we study.

Psalm 119:105  "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  His word is a guide to us and will guide us into all truth.

Psalm 119:107  "I am afflicted very much: Revive me, O Lord according to your word."  If we are afflicted, we will be revived through the study of God's Holy word.  I love that because of my affliction.

Titus 2:5  "To be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."  In other words, the Word of God is our standard of conduct and we don't want to bring reproach upon His Holy Name, which would be blasphemy.

1 Peter 1:22  "Having been born again not of corruptible seed but in corruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever."  We are born again into a new life with Christ through His word which lives and abides forever.  His word is everlasting and when we study His word we will be born again through it.

These are such wonderful promises, I hardly can contain myself with all the promises that God has made in His word.  Today we learned we get understanding, a light to our path, we will be revived, it's a standard for our conduct and we can be born again, all this through His word.  It is so wonderful that God wants to do all this for us.  Let's surrender our will to Him and study His word and believe His promises and we will have eternal life with Him when He comes again.  Grandma Joan

More on 'these things' from God's word.

Are you ready for more of 'these things'?  I am, this is such a rewarding study, I can't wait to see what some more of 'these things' are.  How about you?  Let's get with it then.

2 Corinthians 5:19  "...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.....and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation"  We are reconciled to Christ or God through studying His word.  That's how we draw near to Him.  When the verse says 'draw near to God and He will draw near to us" it means as we study His word it will draw us nearer and nearer to Him.  How wonderful is that?

Jeremiah 15:16  "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart"  When we study His word and digest it, so to speak, it will give us joy and rejoicing in our heart.  Who couldn't use that?

Psalm 119: 133  "Direct my steps by Your word and let no iniquity have dominion over me."  His word will guide our steps and we couldn't have a better guide in all that we do.

Psalm 119:9,11  "How can a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed according to Your word.  Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee."  How can we cleanse our way, by taking heed to God's word and His word will be hidden in our hearts and keep us from sinning against God.  What could be easier than hiding His word in our hearts to keep us from sinning against Him.

Psalm 119: 47, 97  "I will delight myself in Your commandments.  Oh, how I love Your law, it is my meditation all the day."  By studying God's law we will be delighted with them and learn to love His law.

Let's review these again so we can ponder them and be ready for some more, we are not through yet.

We will be reconciled to God through Christ, as we study His word we will be drawn nearer and nearer to Him.  Our steps will be directed by Him, He will be our guide day by day.  How can we cleanse our way, by taking heed according to God's word.  And by studying His word it will be hidden in our hearts so that we won't be sinning against Him.  A wonderful thought.  We will be delighted in His commandments and learn to love His law.

Have you noticed if you are a sincere learner, how you are growing in Christ as you learn what His word will do for you?  It is a wonderful thing to abide in Christ through His word.  I love what I am learning.  Grandma Joan

What God's word will do for you!

You will want to dig into God's word more and more when you find out what His word is to you.  I never realized that just studying His word could accomplish so much in a person's life until I really started digging into it, subject by subject.  It's really is astounding and wonderful and I am going to share some of these things with you if you don't mind.  I know you won't be disappointed because it is so meaningful and wonderful to know that we can have these important things in our life just by studying His word and absorbing it into our very own lives.

The Bible says in Matthew 6:33  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all 'these things' shall be added to you."  What are these things?  Well, let's find out right now, you won't believe what I have uncovered.

Philippians 2:16  "Holding fast the word of life."  The word is life to us.  I never thought of that before but really should have known it, it just never registered.

John 8:32  "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."  When we study His word, we find His truth in it and it will make us free.  Which I believe means we will have freedom from all the cares of life because God is in control of things and we can have peace.

Psalm 119:130  "The entrance of your words give light."  As we study His word, our minds are enlightened and we can understand what we are reading, so He gives us light.

Romans 10:17  "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God."  So faith comes to us by hearing and studying His word.

2 Timothy 3:15  "And that from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."  Study the Scriptures will make us wise unto salvation, this is a very important gift from studying.

So let's review what we have learned so far.  First we learned to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all 'these things' will be added to us.  Then we learned that some of 'these things' are as follows:  Holding fast the word is life to us. And we will learn what truth is and the truth will make us free from the cares of life and we will have peace.  Wonderful freedom.
Then we learned that the entrance of the word to our minds gives us light, it enlightens our minds.  And then faith comes by hearing and studying the word of God.  We can all use more faith and I am sure as we study, the more we study the more our faith will grow. Next we learned that the Holy Scriptures will make us wise unto salvation, which would be the reason we would be studying, right

That's enough for today.  Ponder 'these things' and tomorrow we will learn more of 'these things'.  I am very anxious to know as much as possible from His word because I know that His word it true and will eventually lead us to His kingdom.  Grandma Joan

Promises about Loneliness

Have you been lonely?  Are you living a lonely life right now?  I have been terribly lonely and there are times when a wave of loneliness creeps over me, it is not a good feeling.  I thought that I had done a post on this but didn't see it but felt impressed that there are a lot of lonely people out there, specially among the elderly, divorced couples, and singles.  I am not sure what category I fit in to but probably should have added widows and widowers.  Elderly fits me  and single fits me, what fits you and how are you dealing with it?  To be very honest with you, I didn't deal with it very well, and still don't all that good, but I have found the best way to deal with it is to realize God is with me all the time and I like to converse with Him and listen to Him speak to me, either through His word or in nature, or by the impressions that He places on my heart.  Now, we know that Satan tries to impress our minds too, so when we are impressed with something, compare it with God's word and you will know if it is the Devil or God.  If it is something that you know God would not approve of, then you know where your impression came from. Would you mind if I gave you some personal experiences in this and then I will share some verses with you.

I was impressed to do something for the Homeless, now is that something God would want me to do?
I am sure it was, because we are making friends with so many of them by going to where they are and passing out sandwiches, we always take egg salad sandwiches and they love them, usually we give them juice and sometimes chips.  I am very blessed in doing this and it makes my day so fulfilling.  It helps with my loneliness.

I am impressed to go to church each week and I know that is from God because He gives me the strength even when I don't feel like it,  I just had a pacemaker put in last Wednesday and I wanted to go to church this past weekend and was given the strength to do it.  This also helps with my loneliness, as I am making friends and usually make a new one every now and then and that is helping me.

I was impressed to make pretty scarves and give them to people that have been a blessing to me or seem to be lonely.  I am sure that was from God because that has turned into a bigger blessing than I had even thought of.

A while back we were visiting friends for a couple of weeks and I was getting weaker and weaker by the day and when we got home, I got ready for bed and laid down and I was impressed to get up and get to the emergency room at the hospital, and I had been bleeding all those two weeks and was on the verge of leaving this world and it took two units of blood to get me up and going.  Was that impression from God, I am sure it was.  Why He takes so good care of me, I don't know, sometimes I wonder why I am here.  I am sure He will tell me some day.

James 4:7,8 "Therefore submit to God.  Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hand, you sinners, and purify your hearts you double minded."

James 4:10  "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Are these good verses to help us to get out of our shell and our loneliness?  I think they are because as we draw near to God and ask to be cleansed and to have our hearts purified we will draw near to Him and be able to humble ourselves in His sight and really, He will lift us up out of our loneliness.  He has me, it's been slow but I am coming out of it and I know you will too.  I pray that you have been blessed.  Converse with God, He wants our companionship, please don't disappoint Him. Grandma Joan

My personal Faith journey

I was thinking about faith and how when Jesus was here, how he healed people in villages until there was no sick person left in the village. I was thinking, what did they do to receive the healing that they received.  As I read about it I see that they didn't do anything.  It was the love and mercy of Jesus that healed them, it was nothing that they did. I remember one time quite a few years ago I was helping my husband move a very heavy stove up on the hearth that he had built for it and I had a sharp pain in my lower back and I went down and I was down for eleven days.  Could not walk, had to use crutches with someone beside me to steady me.  The injury was about 2 1/2 inches across and swollen and red.  I laid there for eleven days and on the eleventh day I decided that I was going to see what I had to do to receive healing from God.  I turned to Psalm 6 and read it over and over and prayed over it. (I was probably in my late forties)  Finally in desperation I just told God I was willing to be an invalid  the rest of my life if that is what it would take to save me.  It was OK with me.  I immediately had no pain and I sat up and I stood up and laid back down and my husband came in about that time and I said, I can sit up, I can stand up, will you please look at my back and see what the injury looks like and it was gone.  I was so overwhelmed I collapsed on the couch where I had been all those days and was so grateful and have been so grateful for that instant healing ever since.

Fast forward until now when I have broken every vertebrae twice and have had seven filled with cement to stop the pain, I have broken most of my ribs and a hip and have suffered ever so much through the years because of the pain.  Have asked God to heal me and I know he hears me, but I don't know why all the suffering.  I can still walk, believe it or not, it's painful but I walk with a cane or walker.  I also have a aorta valve which is closing up like my husbands did, I just had a pacemaker put in last week because my heart was stopping for up to 7 seconds at a time and was causing me to pass out or fainting and dizzy spells which could have ended up with me falling and getting a bad injury or breaking something.  Still after all this, I am asking God for healing, I am 84 years old, my mind is still clear and I want to be useful in His work of saving souls.  So here is my study on faith in my own words.  Please understand that I want with all my heart to be free of pain and able to walk again for exercise.  I can only walk a short way even with my cane or walker without pain in my back.

These verses are in my own words, I hope they will mean something to you as they do to me.

James 2:18  "I will show you my faith or what I believe by trusting You completely, nothing in the way."

Hebrews 4:2  "I must mix faith with Your word in order to profit by it.  So to increase my faith, I must spend time in Your word."

Hebrews 11: 6  "Without faith it is impossible to please Him."

Hebrews 10:38,39  "I must live by faith, and if I draw back, God will be very unhappy with me even though He still loves me.  He doesn't want me to draw away from Him."

Galatians 5:6  "Faith must work through love for Him and those who I meet each day."

Ephesians 3:17  "I pray that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith in Him."

2 Corinthians 5:7  "I must walk by faith, not by sight."

This has been quite a journey, I do not know what God's plans are for me but I do know that whatever they are, I am willing to be His child and if it means resting in the grave until He comes again, I am willing to do that because I know when I come forth, it will be in a completely new body and I will be with Him forever, in the mean time I will trust Him and His word and know that He can heal and will heal according to His promises, because His promises never fail.  It may be now and it may be when He returns, in any way I will be healed.  Thank you for reading my 'Faith Journey'. I hope that it has helped you in some way.   Grandma Joan

Much more on Faith

There is so much on Faith, I hope I can do it justice, don't think I can seeing I am a mortal being in need of God's grace but I am sure He will help me as I study the subject.  Hope you are really able to increase your faith as I am trying to allow God to do by studying His word.  It is a deep subject but I believe so rewarding if we will just pray and let God lead.  I am going to Hebrews again because there is lots of examples of encouragement on faith in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.  You can read them over and over and contemplate them and apply them to your life and it will strengthen your faith.  Our strength is in the Word of God, it also strengthens our minds as we study and apply.  Try it you just might like it a lot.

Verse 27, speaking of Moses, "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible."

Verse 28, "By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them."

Verse 29, "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so were drowned."

Verse 30,  "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days."

Verse 31,  "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace."

Verse 32, "And what more shall I say?  For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also David and Samuel and the prophets:

Verse 33, "who through faith subdued kingdoms worked righteousness obtained  promises, stopped the mouths of lions,"

Verse 34, "quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens"

All these things were done by faith in God, the stories that these verses are talking about are very interesting and it would be nice if we would read the whole stories over and over to increase our faith and give us the faith to accomplish so much in the name of God and for His Kingdom.

Can you imagine walking through the Red Sea on dry land?  How about seeing the walls of Jericho collapse after walking around it seven times and seeing Rahab the harlot saved after she was convinced that Israel's God was the true God or how God stopped the mouths of lions because Daniel knew he was in God's care and out of their weakness they were made strong.  This is all so faith building.  If you have a New King James Bible, the references to these stories are by the verse in my Bible where you can read them.  They are such good, faith building stories, you must read them if you can.  You will build your faith and grow closer to God in the process.  Out of our weakness we can be made strong.  I truly believe this.  Grandma Joan

More on examples of faith from Hebrews.

Examples of faith are good to strengthen our faith, at least I find it that way.  So let's look at a few more.

Hebrews 11: 8  "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the  place which he would receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going."  Notice that by faith Abraham obeyed.  Faith caused him to obey.

Verse 9  "By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise."  His faith was strong, wasn't it?  He knew God's voice and obeyed.

Verse 11  "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised."  Verse 12  "Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude--innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore."  I believe through my studies that Sarah and Abraham were around one hundred years old when she conceived and bore Isaac.  That indeed was a miracle and took lots of faith at that age.

Verse 13  "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

Do these examples help you with your faith?  Remember, faith comes by hearing the word of God and that's what we have been doing, hearing or reading.  Remember, Abraham obeyed by faith and it was counted to him as righteousness.  And our faith can be counted to us the same.  Just stay close to Jesus and believe what He says and you can count on it, just as these Bible characters did.  I want my faith increased, don't you?  Grandma Joan

More on faith, Examples of faith.

Sometimes examples help us understand a subject better so let's see what examples we can find.

Hebrews 11: 2  " For by (faith) the elders obtained a good testimony."  We can obtain a good testimony too, can't we?  By faith we can have a great testimony.

Verse 3  "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.  So that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."  There are a lot of people today who do not believe in the Creation Story in the Bible, but by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, the things which we see were not made of things that were visible.

Verse 4  "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks."  By faith we become righteous by our obedience to God's commands as Abel did.

Verse 5  "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him', for before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God."  Enoch was taken by God because he had this testimony that he pleased God.

Verse 6  "but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  Without faith it is impossible to please God, we must diligently seek Him.

Verse 7  "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."  Noah had never seen a flood, yet he believed God and was moved by godly fear (reverence) and built an ark for the saving of his family.  He was made fun of for one hundred years yet he was faithful to his duty by faith.

There are several lessons here on faith, isn't there?  We can go over them until we have them ingrained in our mind and heart so we understand what faith is and how it is accounted righteous, and how it is through obedience to God's word.  More tomorrow.  Grandma Joan

Much, much more on faith. Place of faith in the Christian life.

Let's learn today what place faith has in our lives.

Romans 1:17  "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith."  So we walk by faith.

Matthew 21:22  "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  We must believe.

Ephesians 6:16  "Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."  It's the shield of faith with which we can quench all the fiery darts of satan.  I love that.

1 Timothy 6:12  "Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses"

So let's review a bit.  We live by faith and walk by faith in God.  The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as we grow in faith.  We need to take the shield of faith to quench satan's attacks.  It is not easy to give up our worldly ways and things, that's why it says to fight the good fight of faith.  It takes perseverance to lay hold on eternal life to which God has called us and we need to confess our faith or belief to others to help them be saved eternally too.  We don't want to be selfish with what we know.  Again tomorrow some more on faith.  Grandma Joan

Growth of faith in the Christian's life.

Has these little studies on faith helped you and helped strengthened your faith?  I hope so, it is not an easy study to really grasp what faith really is but hopefully we will understand a little bit more about it enough to go on and study some more on our own.  This study is growing in the Christian faith. It should be helpful.

1 Corinthians 16:13,14  "Watch, stand fast in the faith.  Be brave, be strong.  Let all that you do be done with love.'

Acts 14:22  "Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith."

Romans 4:20-24  (speaking of Abraham)  "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God.  And being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform  And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.  Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but also for us.  It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."

1 Timothy 1:19  "Having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck."

2 Timothy 1:12  "For this reason I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."

Luke 17:5  "And the apostles said to Him, Lord, increase our faith."

How do we grow in our Christian faith?  Let's go over the verses above.  Jesus was always strengthening the souls of His disciples.  Be brave and be strong and stand fast in the faith and let it be done with love.  The love part is a big thing.  Abraham didn't waver in His faith at the promise of God to give him a son through Sarah even though they were well up in years.  And God counted his faith as righteousness and it wasn't written just for him alone but for us also if we believe in Him.

Some have rejected the faith and have suffered shipwreck.  Can we say with Timothy that we know whom we have believed and we are persuaded that He is able to keep what we have committed to Him until He comes again. Are we ashamed of our faith in God?  We can't be and have perfect faith in Him.  And the apostles said to Him, Lord, increase our faith.  You know that we can pray that same prayer.  Lord, increase our faith.  Let's do it and watch our faith increase as we read His word and walk worthy of Him.  If I can come up with some more good texts on faith I will do another one simply because I want to understand faith better, much better.  Grandma Joan

Promises for our faith.

I have never really understood the word faith, I try to,  but the Bible says if we have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed we can do all kinds of things, that is a very small amount and the Bible also says that we have all been given a measure of faith.  What is this faith that we have been given?  How do we stir up this kind of faith within ourselves?  Let's check it out?  I hope we can come up with something that I can wrap my mind around.

Hebrews 11: 1  " Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Ephesians 2:8,9  "For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast."

Matthew 17: 20  (The disciples were asking Jesus why they couldn't cast a demon out of a young man and this was Jesus answer)  Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there' and nothing will be impossible for you."

Romans 10:17  "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

James 2:19,20  "You believe that there is one God.  You do well.  Even the demons believe--and  tremble.  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

This faith without works is dead, I believe that it means when we read a promise in the Bible whatever it is, that our works is believing that He does what He has promised.  The evidence of things not seen means that we have to have faith whether we can see any reason to or not.  We can't see God but we know He is there.  Every time you drive across a big or little bridge, you have faith because you believe it will hold you up.  When you sit in a chair you believe you won't crash through it.  When you get on a Ferris Wheel, you believe you will come  back down and walk away with no problems.  When you go up in an airplane, you must believe you will come down safely or you wouldn't fly in one.  All these things take faith.  If we can have faith in manmade objects, why is it so hard to have faith in God's promises?  Believe me, I am talking to myself right now.

This is such a profound subject to study, I'm going to have to continue it in the next study.  Hope you don't mind, it will be well worth it to study it out, however long it takes, because for most people including myself, our faith is weak to say the least, we need much, much more faith.  We have learned that it is a gift from God and we need more faith and it comes by hearing or reading the word of God.  I try to read the word of God before I get up and when I go to bed and like today, am studying in the middle of the day.  Hopefully my faith will grow by doing this.  I want to learn because I want to spend eternity with Him forever and ever, to be with my Savior.  Grandma Joan

Promises for our happiness.

Who doesn't want to be happy?  I know that the greatest desire is to have a happy life in the Lord, but it is not always that way, at least for me.  I am pretty disabled and people do not always treat those of us in this condition nice.  Some are rude to us and some just ignore us and there are some who are actually nice to us.  Where does happiness come from?  Let's check it out and see.

Psalm 118:24  "This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 4: 7  "Thou hast put gladness in my heart."

Psalm 16:8,9  "I have set the Lord always before me:. . .Therefore my heart is glad."

Proverbs 15:13  "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."

Our happiness comes from the Lord, He has put gladness in our hearts and it makes a cheerful countenance and if we set the Lord always before us we will have a glad and happy heart.  This is so very true.  Right now I am very sad and I needed this little study, I hope it has helped you as much as it has helped me.  Grandma Joan

Promises about Faithfulness.

What does faithful mean to you?  Keeping a promise?  Keeping your wedding vows?  Just being a faithful friend? Not talking behind someone's back? or as some people call it, 'stabbing them in the back'?  Talking nice to their face and bad when they can't hear you?  Are we faithful in all that we do?  It's a good question to ask ourselves.

Psalm 89:1  "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known your faithfulness to all generations."

Proverbs 2:8  "God guards the course of the just, and protects the way of His faithful ones."

Proverbs 3:3,4  "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart.   Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

Matthew 25:23  "His Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your Lord."

There is a lot to being faithful isn't there?  Let love and faithfulness never leave you.  I like that, if we do that we will be what God wants us to be but I like to stress that we have to do it through Him, it is impossible for us to be faithful on our own.  Grandma Joan

Promises about forgiveness

Have you found it hard to forgive someone when that really, truly wronged you.  I will admit that it is a hard thing to do and really we cannot do it unless Jesus gives us the power and willingness to do it.  I have had to pray over some things just recently to be able to forgive someone who gossiped about my children really bad and hope that someday I can talk to them about it and make things right.  Also I have been treated pretty bad by someone that has been hard to get over.  But God is good and let's see some of these promises to help us.  They really do help.

Matthew 18:21,22  "The came Peter unto Him, and said, 'Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me,  and I forgive him? till seven times? And Jesus said 'until seventy times seven."

1 John 1:9  "If we confess out sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Matthew 6:14  "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

Psalm 51:10-12  "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and renew a right spirit within me."

Do you think forgiveness is important, yes it is, very important if we want the joy of the Lord in our hearts.  If we want forgiveness from God, then it is important for us to forgive others.  With God's Spirit controlling our lives, we can do it, I know because I have been able to do it.  We also need to confess to others when we have wronged them.  That might be a little hard too, to admit we have been wrong is not always easy but again with God's help we can do it.  I've had to do it too but the freedom that it brings is out of this world.  Grandma Joan

PS.  I'm going in for  a pacemaker implant this morning and won't be home until tomorrow sometime, so I will publish tomorrow's post following this one and if God is willing, I will be posting again on a regular basis, hope to feel better after they get my heart regulated.  See you then.

Promises about our future.

Have you ever wondered about your future?  What's going to happen to you, is there any guarantee about anything at all?  Let's check it out and see if there is something in the Bible that tells us.

Jeremiah 29: 11  "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Philippians 3: 20,21  "Our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control,  who will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body."

Revelation 21:4  "There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

1 Corinthians 2: 9,10  "As it is written, eye has not seen nor ear has heard.  No mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him'___but God has revealed to us by His Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."

1 John 3:2  "We are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

There are some verses here that have special meaning for me because of my circumstances. The first verse here says that His plans for us are for good ad not disaster, to give us a future and a hope.  I love that one and our citizenship is in heaven, everything is under His control.  Then there will be no more death mourning or crying or pain.  I have suffered each of those several times and I am looking forward to that time when there will be no more.  No mind has conceived what God has prepared for us.  We are His children and when He comes we will be like Him and we shall see Him as He is.   That is a lot to look forward to and our future looks sooooo good compared to what some people believe, like hell fire suffering for eternity.  I am so glad we have a loving God that would never cause suffering like that, it is one of Satan's counterfeits.  Glad we have the Bible to find what the truth really is. Graadma Joan

Promises to help us be more Gentle

I am sure that we can all be a little more gentle in our actions and in our words.  I know that I need to be, so hopefully this little study will help me and all who face this need.

Isaiah 40:11  "He tends His flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those who have young."

Matthew 11:29  "Jesus said, 'Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls."

Colossians 3:12  "As God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

1 Peter 3:4  "(Your beauty) should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Philippians 4:5  "Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near."

How much I needed this today!! I pray that I will be a very gentle person with my actions and my words.  How about you.  These studies aren't very long but they sure do touch the heart with my needs.  Grandma Joan

Promises to help us be more generous.

Some people are penny pinchers and some people throw their money away like it was water and some people like to help those less fortunate then they and some people like to keep up with their neighbors, at any rate it all has something to do with money, doesn't it?  Where do you fit in, or did I leave something out, probably did but you can add in your own.  Let's see what God says about it.

Acts 20: 35  "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

2 Corinthians 9:6  "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

Proverbs 11:25  "A generous man will prosper;  He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

Luke 6: 38  "Give and it will be given unto you;  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use will be measured back to you."

It really is God's plan that we be generous and he rewards generosity greatly, doesn't He.  I like these promises and hope that I can be that kind of generous person.  I have known Christians even that are stingy and penny pinchers.  I am not advocating to waste your money, but I think we should be generous in helping those in need if we have the means to do it.  Grandma Joan

Promises about our real identity

Do we really know who we really are?  Let's just see what the Scriptures say who we really are.

1 John 3: 1  "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us;  that we should be called the sons of God."

Isaiah 43:1 last part  "Fear not for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."

Isaiah 49: 16  "Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of Mine hands; thy walls are continually before me."

Romans 8:16  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with out spirit,  that we are the children of God."

Romans 14:8  " For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord:  Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's."

It is pretty obvious that we are the children of God, isn't it?  If we have given ourselves to Him, we are His and His eye is on us continually because He loves us so very much.  I hope you feel a lot better now that you know who you really are.  Grandma Joan

Promises about integrity

Integrity is honesty, and honesty is a big part of being a follower of Christ.  There is a lot of dishonesty in this world today and we don't want to be a part of it, do we?  Or do we?  Let's be honest with ourselves, there are so many ways we can be dishonest, I won't name them but you know what they are, but God will make our lives, lives of integrity if we allow Him to.  It's our choice of whether we want Him to or not.  Here's some encouragement.

Proverbs 16:7  "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

Jeremiaih 17:9,10  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?  I, the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings."

Psalm 41:12  "As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever."

Titus 2:7,8   "In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you."

Integrity, honesty is a very important aspect of the Christian's life and it even makes his enemies to be at peace with him.  It causes us to be a pattern of good works, showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech, it makes those who oppose us to be ashamed so that they have no evil to accuse us of.  What a beautiful life is involved in integrity.  God has promised to uphold us in our integrity and set us before His face forever.   I want to live a life like this don't you?  Grandma Joan.

Promises to help us to be kind to others, even our pets.

It is not always easy to be kind to someone that has hurt us, but it is necessary.  If we want to be like Jesus, then it is important to be kind even to those who don't like us and like to hurt us.  I know, it is not easy.  But we have promises of help, so let's check them out.

1 Thessalonians 5: 15  "See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all."

Romans 12:10  "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another."

Matthew 5:44  "But I say, love your enemies, bless those that curse you,  do good to those that hate you, and pray for those that spitefully use you and persecute you."

Ephesians 4:31,32  "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

When we have instructions, it is the same as a promise, because remember the previous posts where I quoted a couple of verses where God Himself says He will do it for us, but we have to surrender the problem to Him and it is true, He takes care of the problem for us.  I love that and He has kept that promise to me, so that's why it is easy to overcome all our faults, is because He has promised to do it for us.  The hard part is surrendering them to Him, because self gets in the way.  Isn't that true?  So let's ask Him to subdue self and He will do that too.  I love it.  Grandma Joan

Promises of the mercy God gives us.

This is going to be a great blessing for those of us who feel the need of a merciful God, I know that I do and I just imagine that you do too.  The Bible says that His Mercy endures forever and I am so thankful for that because it means His mercy endures for me until I am no longer here.  That is such a wonderful thing to remember.  He 'IS' a merciful God.  So let's check out some promises regarding His mercy.

James 5:11  "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Isaiah 55: 6,7  "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.  Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon."

Psalm 51:1  "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions."

Psalm 103:17  "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children."

Are you convinced of His mercy now?  We should be shouldn't we?  I know how merciful He is because of the many times I have had to come to Him seeking pardon and He always forgives and I always feel a hundred percent relieved of the burden I carry when I have done wrong.  Sometimes I don't forgive myself and that is a no no, because if God is willing to forgive us, we need to forgive ourselves if we have made everything right.  It is a wonderful thing and a wonderful feeling.  Grandma Joan

Promises to those who repent.

It is against our carnal nature to admit that we are wrong and say we are sorry, but it is very necessary in our walk with our Lord.  It seems like I need to repent every so often and sometimes more often.  I want to share some scriptures with you to help you see the importance of repenting when we sin in any way.

Psalm 103: 2,3  "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:  Who forgives all your iniquities."

Luke 5: 32  "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

1 John 1: 9  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

2 Peter 3: 9  "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,  as some count slackness, but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

Isaiah 43: 25  "I, even I, am He that blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins."

The Bible says that 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God' so  with that said, I am sure that at some time we all need to come to repentance and probably many times.  First we need to tell the person we hurt that we are sorry and then tell God, or if we have done something wrong that hasn't harmed another then we are to go to God alone.  I feel so much better and lighter after I have confessed my wrong and repented.  Don't you?  It is so refreshing to know we are clean throughout.  If you haven't tried it, do try it, I know you will like the feeling.  Grandma Joan

Promises to help us with our thoughts.

Do you have trouble controlling your thoughts, I am pretty sure that all of us have battled the habit of wandering thoughts, and lots of times it is not good.  When you pray, do your thoughts wander?  My do and I don't like it.  I try to keep them in tow but I guess I just don't try hard enough.  You see, I am just like most of you and I do these studies to enhance my Christian experience, and hopefully they will enhance yours.  Let's see what the Scriptures say about our thoughts.  This first one is my favorite.

Philippians 4: 8  "Finally Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue or anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things."

Psalm 94:11  "The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile."

Romans 12:2  "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Romans 8:6  "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

So many times our thoughts are futile and also we worry about things and think about them when God already has things planned and under control.

What things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, these are the things we are to think about.  This takes prayer to control our thoughts and keep them on these topics but we can pray to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and we will know what is good and acceptable and what the prefect will of God is.  I want to have victory over my thoughts, don't you.  Let's pray that God will give us this victory. I will and I hope you will too.  Grandma Joan

Promises to help us deal with stress.

I don't know about you but I hope this study helps me in dealing with stress.  I don't cope with stress very well, I had an incident happen recently that was very stressful, my blood pressure shot up to stroke level, so you know I was stressed.  I should have and I tried to give it to God and I think I did, but when all is said and done, I could have done a lot better at giving up on it and letting God take care of it and that He did and in a miraculous way.  He does care about our stresses and I hope I never have to go through anything like that again but if I do, I hope I handle it much better with no blood pressure problem.  God is so very good and I praise Him how He took care of it all.  I suppose everyone has stress of some kind and I have read that some stress is good for you and to some extent I think that is probably true, but we have help in the scriptures and I am anxious to get to them and see what they are.  I do these studies from scratch, they are not planned ahead of time, I do have some help from literature etc. but as I do them I am learning too.

Psalm 55:22  "Cast all your care on the Lord, and He will sustain you;  He will never let the righteous fall."

2 Thessalonians 1:6, 7  "Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest."

Isaiah 26:3  "He will keep you in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

Jeremiah 31:25  "For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul."

Proverbs 16:3  "Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established."

Psalm 37:4  "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

I am sure it would have helped tremendously if I had done this study when the great stress hit me, but I didn't think about it even being stress until it made me sick.  I prayed my way through it and that is what we ought to do but should have read these scriptures too,  but didn't think about it.  Some of these verses I have memorized which is good but the two I haven't I had better do that, just in case.
How about you are you stressed, there are so many things to cause us stress, try memorizing these scriptures and see if that doesn't help.  High blood pressure can kill, bad stress needs dealt with in a positive way with God's promises at the top.  Take it from me.  Grandma Joan

Promise of all Promises!

I have been sharing God's promises with you and I will share some more too, but as I was reading the scriptures this morning for my worship my mind kept going to 2 Peter, the promise of all promises.  I would like to share what Peter says about promises, it's an outstanding promise of all promises.  I know it will be a blessing to you as it has been to me.  Knowledge of God is so important to us.  Peter says in 1 Peter 1: 2 that grace and peace is multiplied unto us through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, so right there is a promise of grace and peace as we gain knowledge of God and Jesus.  Also in verse 3, life and godliness comes through the knowledge of God, so it is important for us to obtain the knowledge of God through the studying of His word.  And that is what we have been doing each day as we read His promises, but I want to give you the promises of all promises today.

1 Peter 1: 4  "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of His divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust."
Do you see the promise of all promises here?  We have been given these exceeding great and precious promises that we might be partakers of His divine nature.  As we study His promises, we become more and more like Him each day, that's what it says and I believe it to the fullest.  The more we study these promises the more we want of His promises and the more we will be a partaker of His divine nature.  And this is what will happen to us:

Verses 5 - 8  "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity (which is love).  For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is the promise of all promises that as we study these promises that we have been studying, we will become partakers of His divine nature and all these things will be added to us if we give all diligence to our study.  If we keep studying we will become very fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a warning in Verse 9, "But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."  And then some encouragement in Verse 10
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things you will never fall."  This is added to the promise of all promises that we will never fall if we give diligence to do these things.

I am so thankful for these verses in 1 Peter.  There is so much hope and encouragement in them.  I hope that you have found this true for you too.  God bless you as you study His promises day by day.  Grandma Joan

Promises of who shall abide in God, in His kingdom.

Have you wondered who shall abide with God?  I have, until I read these verses in Psalm.  It is my hearts greatest desire to abide with God.  I know I don't have a lot of time left in this world, I am 84 years old and it weighs on my mind a lot and I try to rest in the arms of God, knowing that I can safely abide in Him and I like to read these verses to be assured that I am abiding with Him.  Check these verses out and see if you are abiding with Him.  If not, you have the directions right here of who will.

Psalm 15:1  "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?"

Verse 2  "He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."

Verse 3  "He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor takekth up a reproach against his neighbor."

Verse 4  "In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoreth them that fear the Lord.  He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not."

Verse 5  "He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent.  He that doeth these things shall never be moved."

Do these seem out of reach for you?  Yes, I am sure they do to some, but you have to remember the two verses that I always lean on for help.  They are:

Philippians 1:6  "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."  and:

1 Thessalonians 5: 23,24  "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;  and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it."

Of ourselves we cannot do these things, but in full surrender to God, getting rid of self in our life, He will do it for us.  He also helps us in our full surrender by reminding us of what we need to surrender.
Be sure and stay close to Him and He will take care of you and see that you will be abiding in Him and He will finish the work He has started in you if you allow Him to.  Grandma Joan

Promises to give us strength for the day.

My greatest physical needs are relief from pain and strength to do my daily duties.  I don't know why I am suffering so but God has a reason, I am very sure of that and I don't hold it against Him at all, most of us have brought our conditions on ourselves, not everyone but I am sure that I am guilty of this very thing.  I don't endure stress very well, and it gets me down really fast, how about you? Well, this study is not about stress but about strength, Spiritual strength, emotional strength, physical strength and mental strength.  Here are some verses to help us.

Isaiah 41: 10  "Fear not for I am with you, I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 40: 31 "But they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;  they shall run and not be weary;  They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:29  "He gives strength and gives power to the weary, and increases the power of the weak."

Nehemiah 8:10  "Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Philippians 4:13  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

We should all have strength after reading these great and precious promises for strength.  What would we do without His promises for us.  I really don't know what I would do, I am so thankful for them.
This is yours and my strength for this day and all of the tomorrows.  Grandma Joan

Promises to instill the desire to serve others.

I have always loved serving others, all my adult life.  I love having friends over and serving them in anyway I can.  I had four children that I loved to serve and steer in the right path.  Not that I was the best mother in the world, I know I wasn't, I had many faults but God has been good to me.  We bought a Nursing Home when I was in my early thirties and I loved to serve my patients, I worked on the floor with the others and it was so fulfilling.  After that I did foster care for the elderly in my home and there I was serving again. then we volunteered for a ministry and was serving again.  Then my life hit a downhill road and I didn't know what to do with myself when I became disabled to quite an extent.  My mind started working again and I remembered that years ago my husband and I went to Portland Oregon and fed and clothed the street people, serving again and just recently I was so upset that I wasn't serving anyone, my son and I decided to make sandwiches and take juice and  went to town to feed the homeless here.  There are so very many, maybe 30, so we make 30 sandwiches and take juice and we are making friends with the homeless here and it is the joy of my life.  I know that serving others is a talent God has given me and I love doing it and we are making friends downtown and really it is a lot of fun.  So I am going to encourage you to try serving others for a pastime, it brings me joy and makes my life more meaningful.  Check our these verses:

Matthew 25: 34-36  'Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father,  inherit the kingdom I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me."   Most of us are not able to do all those things, but we can do some of them, even if it is one thing, it is done as unto the Lord when we do it.

Acts 10: 38  "Jesus went about doing good. . . .for God was with Him."

1 Corinthians 3: 9  "We are laborers together with God."

Ephesians 6: 7, 8.  "With goodwill, doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free."

There are many blessings in serving others, the joy that it brings my heart is probably one of the best blessings I receive from serving.  God has many rewards for those that serve, start out small and the longer you do it, the more blessings you will receive. Today is the day that we feed the homeless, I am looking forward to it, my highlight of the week.  Grandma Joan

Promises for our security.

I know that there is a lot of fear in some parts of this world and even here in the US in the big cities.  There is so much crime these days, we need all the security that we can get to make it through this world without something terrible happening to us.  I have had fear a few times but nothing like a lot of people have had to endure, so I think it's time to study the subject of 'security'.  There is a place for security for the Christian.  Let's check it out.  This first verse tells us why we need security.

1 Peter 5: 8  "Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  This adversary is behind all crime and everything that would cause fear in the heart for any reason.

Psalm 91: 4  "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge;  His truth shall be your shield and buckler."

Proverbs 18:10  "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

Psalm 121: 7,8  "The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;  He shall preserve your soul.  The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, even forevermore."

Psalm 4: 8  "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;  For you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Proverbs 1: 33  "But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil."

Now there is a lot of promises that should take our fears away.  The condition to these promises is, that 'whoever listens to me will dwell safely.  So let's study His word like we learned a couple of days ago and spend time in His word and follow His instructions and we will dwell safely.  God bless you and take all your fears away.  Grandma Joan