In Quest Of Giving Thanks

In everything give thanks...God is pleased with a thankful heart.  

Once upon a time, I worked for a very difficult man...my position at the company was very likable, but this man made not only my life at work nightmarish, but almost everyone else, as well.   There were cuss fights and yelling matches between this and his two partners weekly, and sometimes daily.  It wasn't every moment of every day, but there were enough bad times with him that it just made the day bad when he showed up.

I decided in my heart to just be thankful anyway.   I often failed.  But I kept trying to overcome my anger with thankfulness and prayer for him and for my attitude.  After eight years of working for this company, one day I asked God for a job at a specific institution...and within months, He gave it to me!  I still work her, and it's the best job I've ever had.

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In Quest of Trust

Ps 144:1-2

Blessed be the Lord my Rock,

Who trains my hands for war,

And my fingers for battle—

² My lovingkindness and my fortress,

My high tower and my deliverer,

My shield and the One in whom I take refuge

It is time to wear trust!   Oh, the times He has told me to trust Him!  Trust is my shield; it is the hightower in which I seek refuge.   It is the righteousness of God; I must wear trust like armor; pick it up, put it on, sleep in it, bathe in it, swallow it, and keep it in my heart always. 

I must trust that He is in control!  I will submit to Him and find freedom, for freedom comes from trust.

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In Quest of His Promises

Do you believe what Jesus said?

Then believe in His promises.

He has promised us a light load and an easy yoke.
(And I believe with all my heart that if we trust in Him, 
this journey to health can be an easy yoke, too.)

If He promises Freedom, He is just to deliver it!

His peace is beyond our understanding.

He has heard our pleas for freedom, and His heart is moved toward us.

We must pick up our cross and follow Him.
(Seek Him first!  He knows our needs, and we need freedom 
from these food chains that have us bound.)

We are His children, and He never once has forsaken us. 
Nor will He ever. 

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 
and you will find rest for your souls. 
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:  28-30

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In Quest of Rest

Lean on Him, and not to our own understanding.   Trust Him, He alone is our deliverer, and the King of life.  In Him is the light, and in His truth is rest.  Where are the hurting, where are the hungry?  Where are those who seek His rest?   We must choose to follow Him and bring rest to a hurting generation.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

Phil 4:6-7

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In Quest of Your Sword

Purify your mind by studying the word of God, it is where your armor is!  It is your sword of defense against the thoughts and deeds that torment you, and the way to fight the enemy of your soul ("...it is written").  Fill your mind with the good word, His word, and you will see a change in your thoughts.

Don’t let the Word of God lose its power in your own heart.

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In Quest of Freedom

We are forgiven children of the living God!  We are indeed free, it was our for our freedom which Christ submitted His life to the brutality of the cross; and for our healing, He yielded his back to the stripes of a cruel whip.   Believe in Him, and also in the freedoms of our most merciful and long-suffering God.  Wait and see that the Lord has many good things in store for us when we trust Him.

Look to the left or to the right, but you will not find freedom there…only in Him, the one true God.   Hold fast to Him, for it is He who delivers us.

And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.  Samuel 7:28

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In Quest of His Voice

When we come to know His voice…a voice like the soothing sounds of many waters...we will rejoice in knowing Him.   More than we can dream, He wants to give us.  His requirement is that we remain faithful and steadfast, and hold to the hand that holds us!   We are His children, and we will never let us go!   As His children, our steps are ordered by Him.   Walk in His ways, and trust in Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

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In Quest Of Assailing Thoughts

He hears our prayers and He sees the earnestness of our hearts.   We are His children, and He is pleased with us.   Put away thoughts that assail you.   Put away negativity and speak of the sure mercies of God.  Speak of the freedom that He has provided for us…because He always provides a way out of every temptation.   We only need to choose His way.   Look to His face, because He is watching us.

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In Quest of Understanding

Our lack of understanding is a lack of knowing His word.

We have read, but have not studied,

We have read, but have not eaten,

We have read, but have not lived His words.

The relationship we desire is freely offered, we only have to grasp it.   Do not give up no matter what your situation is, and do not turn your back, but lift up your eyes to your Redeemer who loves you.

Rev. 7:12 Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen

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In Quest of a New Wardrobe

Your wardrobe for today?

Your Cloak of Trust

&

Your Crown of Obedience

Go this day believing in His word, 

and in His faithfulness, for He is our Shield of Life.

I will love You, O LORD my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies
Psalm 18:1-3

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In Quest of Peace

There is but one God, and one Way!  

That way is Jesus.   

He alone is our deliverance.

Why, then, do we search for peace in other places?   There is no peace in this world, unless He gives it.   Look to Him, and give Him your cares.  The Lord paid a high price for the calamities of our souls, and if we hang on to our worries and fears, it hampers our walk with Him.   

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."

Isaiah 43:1-3

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In Quest of His Majestic Throne

There is only one true God;  

Majesty cloaks His throne.

The blood of Jesus flows from that majestic throne to break the chains and loosen the bonds of His children.   One day, we will all stand before that throne, but through our obedience, before that day, we can lay our chains at the feet of our Savior.  

Great freedoms await us if we diligently seek His face, for only in His name shall the chains of bondage drop. 

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
 They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment;
 Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not fail.”

Hebrews 1:8-12

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In Quest Of No Survivors

No Survivor Am I

My worth isn’t measured by my current condition,

Opinions of others, or my present position.

Though my foot may slip, I am not incomplete,

My failures are never my final defeat.

By God’s grace, I’ll dance though the fire,

Knowing by faith I’ll not drown in the mire.

A survivor is never what I shall be

But a powerful overcomer for others to see.

My suffering, I’ll know, was never in vain,

Seeing someone’s miracle brought out of my pain.

My destiny isn’t sealed by today’s situation;

My current position is not my final destination.

~Margaret Brown, 2009~

Romans 8:

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”[c]

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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In Quest of Understanding Who We Are

We must learn to trust.

Know Him
Love Him
Trust Him

He chose us before He laid the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 4), and He has loved us always, even before we existed.  We have always belonged to Him, and His help will always be available to us.  We need only reach out and take what is rightfully ours, because we are children of the Most High God, our Redeemer, the King of kings.

Do you hear what I'm saying?   

We are children of the Most High God, 

the King of kings!!

If we grasp who He is, and see who we are in Him, we will fully understand that we are His, and all that He promised us is ours, for His words do not fall void to the ground; no, His words fall on us, and His Word tells us that in Jesus, we are free.

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 hope and a future.

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In Quest Of Forgiving Yourself

When we do not forgive ourselves, we hold back a part of our lives back from God.  Refusing to forgive ourselves is an unintentional refusal to wholly give our hearts to the One who made us.   We are His children; we can breathe in His goodness, and trust in Him always.   We are, to Him, a precious gem, and He loves us.

"The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

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In Quest of His Rest

We are His, and He protects what belongs to Him with a jealous love.

We have fear at time because we do not fully understand that He lives within our heart, and He is just that close in times of trouble…inside our hearts!   He hears every prayer.   He does not want us to fear tomorrow, because tomorrow is always in His hand.    Nor should we fear the night, because He sees us through the darkness just as he sees us in the light of day.   He is, after all, light.   

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalm 139:12

Don’t look to the left or to the right…but keep your eyes on the Master, for He alone will give you rest.

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains

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In Quest of Claiming the Promises

When we give ourselves fully to Him, the battles we face in our minds are easily won, for we have dominion over our thoughts through daily renewal of the mind in God’s Word.  We are free through Christ, and there is no power on earth able to take that from us!  Rest in all his promises; reach out, claim them, and lay fear at the altar. 

Remember that it is He who is in control, 

and not the powers on the earth.   

Romans 12:2

Photo:  Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains

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In Quest of the Pure Goodness of God

  

I find my strength in You

It’s You that I choose
I put my trust in You

No one loves me like You do.

Ah, the pure goodness of our Lord!  The mercies of forgiveness that He bestows upon each day us are countless and unending!   His great and awesome love astounds a human mind, and the joy of His love is our strength. 

Trust Him, dwell in His strength, live in His love, and He will rain down freedoms untold.  We never have to rely on our own strength to break free. In His power, chains that bind us drop, addictions flee, and freedom embraces us.

³ Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
⁴ His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.

⁵ Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶ Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
⁷ Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

Psalm 146

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In Quest of Prayers and Storms

Our prayers are precious to Him, and He hears each one we pray.   Put your life in His hands, and trust Him always.   The storms of our lives, just as the storms of the land, are in His control, and He will always protect His chosen.   We are precious in His sight, the apple of His eye, He knew us and named us before He created time. 

When we look to Him and put our trust in Him, He will pour out His spirit upon us, and He will leave no stone unturned until His people are blessed by Him.  He only requires that we believe; that we trust. He has so many gifts for us!   

   

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7

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In Quest of His Trustworthiness

When we look in places other than God for answers, we often find ourselves going down a path that only frustrates us.  In all things, we must seek Him out, and refuse the easy road.   Learn to trust in Him, not in the words of others, because we can’t hope to recognize His voice by listening to the voices of others.  Trust always involves the unknown, questions for which we don't yet have answers; but He is always trustworthy in every situation that we face.

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”  Psalm 18:2 

Read more: Scripture on Trusting God

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