Cherish the Blessing

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

In thinking about Thanksgiving, I was drawn to the word blessing. I have learned so much about that word this year. I am now able to look at all of the parts of my life, happy moments, suffering moments, and all those in between and see how God blesses me in the midst of them all. I now look at blessing as a nearness of God as the Spirit shapes my heart through people and circumstances. God knows me so well and He knows the best way to reach my soul and grow me closer to Him. This year has been full of difficult moments, but I cherish every single one of them because each of them brought me into a closer, deeper relationship with Jesus. He is who makes my life worth living and He has proven that over and over again this year. I am thankful for the blessings I have received this year through people and circumstances, but I am most thankful for Jesus, who He is and how He changes me. May you be blessed.

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Mercy and Compassion

Jude 22-23 Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. This is something I have struggles with, loving those who frustrate me. How can we be merciful to those who are "corrupt" without being judgmental? It is definitely not our place to judge one another, it is our place to love one another. Sometimes loving the people who are rude or cruel is the hardest part of being a Christian. My humanity would like to judge people for their behaviors and choices and lash out at them. I believe we are only able to show true mercy and compassion for others when we accept these for ourselves from Jesus and then He lives them through us. Allowing God to change our hearts in order that Jesus' mercy and compassion shine through is a journey. It's not always easy. On those difficult days, I remain quiet and ask God to love on me, so I...

Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord. This is God's word through Ezekiel in the Valley of the Dry Bones. There are a couple of thoughts that come to mind with this verse. First, I have to admit that sometimes I feel as though I have dry bones. I continue on my path and lose sight of the One who brings life. At times I am surrounded by things, people, or situations that suck the life out of me and I need the breath of life from the Spirit again. It is a conscious effort for me to not involve myself in things that are life taking. I make the decision to spend alone time with Jesus in order to experience His life giving power. Second, one word in particular stands out to me in this verse. It is the word settle. It is speaking to me today of a peace and calm that is ahead. Things ha...

His Strength

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. I was prompted to read this verse and it was perfect for today, of course. All of Psalm 100 is praise to God. For me today, I am praising God because He was faithful in something He had revealed to me a while ago. Let me explain. Have you ever asked God for His strength? Not just strength, but His strength. This is something that I was prompted to do about a year ago, not to just ask for strength in general, but to specifically request His strength to be given to me. I know it sounds a little like a bit of rhetoric, but keep reading. In requesting God's own strength, I have noticed something tremendous has happened each time. When God bestows His strength within me, it is so much more than just endurance. His strength comes with clarity of mind, lightening of the spirit, and a depth of inner joy that cannot help ...

Abbie Coffey

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