Press Through

Today's Scripture
“Keep on asking and it will be given to you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7 AMP).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
In Mark, chapter five, there was a woman who had been sick for twelve years. The doctors gave her no hope. But she heard that Jesus was coming through her town. Something deep on the inside said to her, “This is your season. This is your time to get well.” In the natural, when she saw all the people around Him, she thought, “I’ll never get to Him. It’s so crowded and I’m weak. I just don’t think I can do this.” She almost missed her season. But instead of dwelling on those negative thoughts, she started reminding herself, “If I can just get to Jesus, I will be whole.” She made the choice to turn her thoughts in the right direction. She kept pressing her way through the crowd until she got just close enough to Jesus to reach out and touch the edge of His robe. Instantly, she was made whole. Jesus said to her, in Mark 5:34, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Notice it’s our faith that activates God’s power. What have you been believing God for? Don’t give up! Press through! Keep praying! Keep asking! Keep seeking! God is faithful! As you press through, He’ll meet your faith with His miraculous power, and you’ll step forward in the victory He has planned for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, I come to You today with an open and humble heart. I ask You to fill me with Your strength, peace, and joy so that I can press through to victory today. Show me the good plan You have for me and fill me with Your spirit of faith. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Appointed Favor

Today's Scripture
“For we are God's handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live” (Ephesians 2:10).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God has already prepared paths for you to take in your future! When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. In your future, He’s already released favor, supernatural opportunities, and divine connections. The breaks you need in life have already been preordained to come across your path. If you will stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence, you’ll walk into these appointments of favor. It will be just as if you stumbled into God’s blessings! When you really understand this principal, you’ll begin to get excited about every single day! You’ll have a spring in your step as you think about what blessing is coming next! It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. Keep expecting. Keep believing. Stay focused on the fact that God has already released into your future everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Start declaring seasons of increase over your life. Declare that the favor is on you and opportunities are coming. As you do, you’ll move forward into the favor and blessing God has ordered for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for setting up a good life for me. Thank You for ordering good things for my future. Help me to understand Your goodness more so that I can trust You and follow Your path for me all the days of my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Two Days Worth of Joel & Victoria

Seasons of Sowing

Today's Scripture

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:5).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

The Scripture talks about seasons of sowing and reaping in your life. In Psalms, it talks about sowing in tears and reaping in joy. That verse is saying that the sowing seasons are usually the most difficult. It’s hard to keep a good attitude when all your friends are being blessed, but you’re not. You may feel like they don’t work as hard as you do. You may feel like they don’t give like you do or don’t deserve the blessing. That’s a time of testing. It’s hard to go through disappointments and stay positive and hopeful. These are seasons of sowing. If you’ll do the right thing even when it’s hard—when you sow in tears—you will always reap in joy! I’m asking you to have a new attitude toward what God has placed in your heart. It may be taking a long time, but God still has a plan to bring it to pass. Don’t give up. Your time is coming. It’s never too late! God is saying, “This is your season. Keep your faith stirred up.” Keep sowing because in due season, you will reap the bountiful harvest with a song of joy in your heart!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You and sow into the lives of those around me. I ask for Your strength today to do Your will and keep a good attitude. Help me recognize my season of sowing so that I can be ready in the time of harvest. I love You and bless Your holy name today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God-Ordained Moments

Today's Scripture

"For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord”, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

God created every one of us to be successful. Before the foundation of the world, He laid out an exact plan for our life. And in this plan, He has marked moments that are going to come across our paths. These moments are not ordinary. They are destiny-altering moments. They are designed to thrust you years ahead. It says in Ecclesiastes that “time and chance come together for every person.” That means you’ll have opportunities to meet the right people, opportunities to advance in your career, opportunities to fulfill your dreams. God has already pre-arranged times of increase and blessing. You may not be seeing a lot of good breaks right now, but let me encourage you; there are seasons of favor and seasons of increase marked for your future. There are God-ordained moments planned out for you. Don’t miss these moments! Don’t stop believing, and don’t get distracted by what’s going on in the world around you. Focus on removing the clutter from your life so that you can hear the still, small voice. Approach today with an attitude of faith and expectancy. As you do, you’ll embrace the God-ordained moments that are ordered for you!

A Prayer for Today

Father God, thank You for ordering my steps. Thank You for making a way when there seems to be no way. I choose to step out today with faith and expectancy so that You can move in my life. I trust You with my destiny and thank You for fulfilling every desire of my heart today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Your Time is Coming

I received this in my email today. I have been waiting for a very long time for a new job. I was whining this morning to God on how long it was taking.

Today's Scripture
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time…though it tarry, wait for it” (Habakkuk 2:3 KJV).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Your time is coming! The dreams and desires, the things you want to accomplish, the situations you want to see changed will happen. Just because it has taken a long time, or because you’ve tried and failed, don’t give up on those dreams. Don’t be complacent about pursuing what God has placed in your heart. I encourage you today — get your fire back! It may be taking a long time, but God is a faithful God. No matter how long it’s been, no matter how impossible it looks, if you’ll stay in faith, your time is coming. Every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God not only put it there, but He has every intention of bringing it to pass. Start declaring today, “My time is coming… God is working behind the scenes on my behalf… I will fulfill my destiny… I will fulfill the plan God has for my life!” As you declare and expect and wait for the appointed time, your faith will grow. Your hope will grow. And you’ll step into the destiny God has in store for you!
A Prayer for Today
Father in Heaven, I receive Your truth today. I receive Your promises today. I ask that You ignite my heart with Your holy fire so that I can pursue Your perfect plan for my life. Make my thoughts and words agreeable to Your will. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Trust

Do you find it hard to trust God when things are going poorly? Or is it harder when things are going well because you're more self-sufficient? ~ Life Lesson from Devotional Bible

When things are going well I find it easier to trust God because I can see the things He is doing. When things are going poorly and I am waiting on Him, I am probably trusting more, but it is more difficult because I am not seeing Him moving.

Lord, help me to trust You and to rely on You and give me a greater faith while I wait on You. Amen.

Tired of waiting?

From the Life Lesson of the Devotional Bible I am reading:

Tired of waiting for a career break? [YES!] A loving spouse? Children? Pray through this psalm [Psalm 40] when you feel impatient. Let God know your feelings, and tell him your frustrations.

I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of destruction, out of the sticky mud. He stood me on a rock and made my feet steady. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many people will see this and worship him. Then they will trust the Lord. Happy is the person who trusts the Lord, who doesn't turn to those who are proud or to those who worship false gods. Lord my God, you have done many miracles. Your plans for us are many. If I tried to tell them all, there would be too many to count. You do not want sacrifices and offerings. But you have made a hole in my ear to show that my body and life are yours. You do not ask for burnt offerings and sacrifices to take away sins. Then I said, "Look, I have come. It is written about me in the book. My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart." I will tell about your goodness in the great meeting of your people. Lord, you know my lips are not silent. I do not hide your goodness in my heart; I speak about your loyalty and salvation. I do not hide your love and truth from the people in the great meeting. Lord, do not hold back your mercy from me; let your love and truth always protect me. Troubles have surrounded me; there are too many to count. My sins have caught me so that I cannot see a way to escape. I have more sins than hairs on my head, and I have lost my courage. Please, Lord, save me. Hurry, Lord, to help me. People are trying to kill me. Shame them and disgrace them. People want to hurt me. Let them run away in disgrace. People are making fun of me. Let them be shamed into silence. But let those who follow you be happy and glad. They love you for saving them. May they always say, "Praise the Lord!" Lord, because I am poor and helpless, please remember me. You are my helper and savior. My God, do not wait.

Only the Lord can save

I alone am the LORD; only I can rescue you. I promised to save you, and I kept my promise. You are my witnesses that no other god did this. I, the LORD, have spoken. I am God now and forever. No one can snatch you from me or stand in my way. ~ Isaiah 43:11-13 (CEV)

Lord, please save me. Please move me from working at Unhappy to Happy. You have told me to wait on you. I am waiting, but right now I feel discouraged. My trust is in You. Would you please send me a little sign today that You are still working on a place for me? In Jesus' Name I Pray. Amen.

Waiting Patiently

Are you waiting patiently for God to work out his loving plan? Instead of trying to "make things happen," trust God's timing and submit your dreams to him.

That is from the Life Lesson in my bible reading today. Can you guess what I am going to write about? Why, of course, my new job that I am still waiting for! I have been waiting and praying for a long time now. Yesterday I wanted so bad to call my brother and ask. (He works there and "sometime" we are supposed to go to lunch with the guy who is over the division that is having job openings soon.) Instead I just sent him an email asking a question about our niece. I refrained from asking about lunch. Interestingly, if I had done my bible reading yesterday (instead of reading from the Devotional Classics), I would have read this yesterday and I wouldn't have even had a struggle with myself on whether or not to ask. Wow! I was heading this message before I read it (but just barely).

Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for speaking to me through my daily reading. You are such an awesome God that You take the time to put a tiny little message out there for me. I will trust in Your timing. I know that Your timing will be best and perfect. Thank you for helping me to be patient and to trust in You. Amen.

Addendum: When I read My Utmost for His Highest is said this:

When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing. Never try to help God fulfill His word.

Puzzle Pieces

From the side bar in my Max Lucado Devotional Bible:

Find an enticing jigsaw puzzle and try putting it together. As you experience the challenge and frustration of finding the right pieces, stop and read these psalms again (16&17). Note the connections you can make with these psalms, the puzzle, and your life. Rest in the fact that God has already put together the "big picture" of your life.

I laughed when I read this as I have been working on a puzzle since Saturday. Since we have lived in this house, I have done a Thomas Kinkade puzzle every winter (except last year, we never had enough snow to stay home and do a puzzle). I thought about how when I am working on a puzzle, I will work on sections at a time - dark areas, light areas, the flowers, houses, etc. That is also how life is - sometimes are life is dark, sometimes filled with flowers - God is working on the different parts of the puzzle of our life. Sometimes things feel difficult and we don't understand, but God has the box with the picture on it and He knows what it will look like when our life is complete. We must trust Him that even the dark areas are important to the whole picture.

Thank you God for putting the big picture together for me. I don't know what is is but I'm sure it will be beautiful. Help me to be patient as I wait for the next piece to be placed. Amen.

Attitude and Circumstances

When you feel anxious today, STOP. Pray: "God, I trust in your faithfulness to change both my attitude and my circumstances."

This statement was in the sidebar of my bible reading this morning. I was already feeling anxious about work today, so it was appropriate. I realize that no matter where I work I will have days that I am anxious and will probably dread going to work, but I am hopeful that it won't be as often as I am experiencing them now.

God, I trust in your faithfulness to change both my attitude and my circumstances. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Wait for God to Move

Lord, listen to my words. Understand my sadness. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, because I pray to you. Lord, every morning you hear my voice. Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer. ~ Psalm 5:1-3

Guess what! It's me again. Praying for my new job. I pray and I wait. Yesterday I read about waiting in My Utmost for His Highest. It said:

Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt—wait. At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, or something else you feel is distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for God’s timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.

So I wait and pray and wait and pray. I know that God is preparing a place for me. He has given me too many confirmations of His plan. I have faith and I will wait.

Thank you God for my new job. I trust in You. I will wait for You. I will praise You and glorify You. Amen.

By the way, Sugar Pop is reading My Utmost for His Highest also. Last night he asked me if I thought this passage was referring to my job. I said, "Yes, and when I read it I knew you would be reading it too and I wondered if you would think the same thing." God is Good!