Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 11/7

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God has your tomorrow covered even though you haven’t been there yet. --Tony Evans

There’s something the enemy doesn’t want you to know. It’s a subtle, little verse tucked away in the last bit of the book of Romans and it’s an absolute atom bomb of encouragement. Ready? Here goes - “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Whoa. That’s not a typo. It says “your feet.” Life may be a struggle right now, but it won’t be for very much longer and then you get to stomp on the face of the one who has caused all this trouble. Hang in there, because this ends really well. —Lee Younge

Sometimes the stormy weather comes not in the form of a blizzard, a tornado or hurricane, but rather in the form of a crisis in our lives over which we have no control. I have wondered many times if my Heavenly Father has not allowed certain difficulties to come into my life just to remind me that I’m not the one in charge—but that He is. And He knows what He’s doing. --Rocky Henriques

We must understand God by His revelation of Himself, not by our own hunches, not by our own wishes, not by the way we like to think of God. --Mark Dever

The storms of life can be used for good in our lives if we let them drive our spirits higher and closer to God. --Roy Lessin

Sometimes God sends the brilliant light of a rainbow to remind us of His presence, lest we forget in our personal darkness His great and precious promises to never leave us alone. --Verdell Davis

One hundred years from now it won’t matter if you got that big break, or finally traded up to a Mercedes…. It will greatly matter, one hundred years from now, that you made a commitment to Jesus Christ. --David Shibley

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I Will Never Forsake You!!! Author Unknown
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!" (Hebrews 13:5)
In the original Greek, the word that's translated as "never" is actually not one word, but five words. If you read it as an exact word-for-word translation, it actually reads, "I will never, no, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you!" Five negative words! "I will never, no, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you!". It is a "synergistic compounding negative". It's a "forever never" which has no exceptions!
What does the word "leave" mean? In the original Greek it means "to leave behind, to abandon, to give up on, to send back." So far, then, this verse will read: "I will never, no not ever, no never leave you behind, abandon you, give up on you, or send you back!"
What does "forsake" mean? In the Greek it means, "to leave one in a helpless state, to disregard." It also can be further expanded to include "not relaxing in my watchfulness over you." So, this verse, in the full, amplified version reads: "I will never, no, not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, leave you helpless, nor shall I ever relax concerning my wachfulness over you!"
What a promise! God will always be there for us. Claim that promise! Live that promise today!

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Daniel and the Lion's Den Author Unknown
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lion's den. The king said to Daniel, 'May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!' (Daniel 6:6)
No question, Daniel got a rough deal. He was set up by jealous, lesser men who wanted him out of the way. It seemed like they succeeded, except for one thing they overlooked: Daniel's trust in God.
The interesting thing, however, about Daniel being thrown into the den of lions is that God didn't deliver him out of the den before Daniel found deliverance in it. Imagine if Daniel had fought against being thrown into the den (which he would have been justified in doing) and gone into the den fighting against it every inch of the way, chances are the lions would have torn him to shreds before he hit the bottom. But Daniel didn't. He accepted his lot and trusted his life to God who shut the lion's mouths.
On more than one occasion I have asked God that if I am not going to be delivered out of my "lion's den" (naming the frustrating situation I'm in), would he please deliver me in it.
Sometimes, like Daniel, God has a lesson for us to learn in our present difficult situation and before he delivers us out of it, like Daniel, we need to find deliverance in it.

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Integrity Author Unknown
In October 1985, Reuben Gonzales was playing in the final match of a professional racquetball tournament. It was Gonzales' first shot at a victory on the pro circuit, and he was playing the perennial champion.
In the fourth and final game, at match point, Gonzales made a super "kill" shot into the front wall to win it all. The referee called it good. One of the two linesmen affirmed that the shot was in. But Gonzales, after a moment's hesitation, turned around, shook his opponent's hand, and declared that his shot had "slapped" into the wall, hitting the court floor first. As a result, he lost the match. He walked off the court.
Everybody was stunned.
The next issue of National Racquetball Magazine displayed Reuben Gonzales on its front cover. The story searched for an explanation of this first-ever occurrence on the professional racquetball circuit. Who could ever imagine it in any sport or endeavor? A player, with everything officially in his favor, with victory in his hand, disqualified himself at match point and lost!
When asked why he did it, Reuben replied, "It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity."
Reuben Gonzales realized that he could always win another match, but he could never regain his lost integrity
"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity; And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." (Psalms 26:1)
Suggested Prayer: "Dear God, Please give me the courage to stand by my convictions, maintain integrity, and live honestly - before men and you. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen"

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A Different Season by Sally I. Kennedy
There is a time for everything. He has made everything beautiful in its time. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 14
We strolled casually along, crunching dry leaves underfoot. Autumn leaf color had peaked. The last vestige of fall was visible on the short path around the mountain lake.
Apricot and gold leaves silently floated from scratchy bare branches, piling up under trees where there had been a shady canopy of graceful green trees meeting overhead.
This was a different season from the last time we'd been at the lake. During this next season, these lovely, large trees could rest for awhile. In fact they would soon be laced with snow, predicted for later in the week.
In life we have more than four seasons. All of them are good, all a gift, although sometimes it doesn't seem that way. If, however, we search out reasons, there might be a valuable lesson involved or perhaps just a chance to rest and refuel.
Whatever it is, different seasons are part of God's big plan. And that's good news.

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Make My Joy Complete Author Unknown
“Make my joy complete.” Those are Paul’s words in Philippians 2:2. He follows it with an explanation on how to make it happen. “ By being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” His desire was unity.
Jesus prayed for the same thing shortly before He went to the cross, message, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23, NIV)
Complete joy comes from being united in love, spirit and purpose.
You see it when a team wins a championship. We saw last week when the San Francisco Giants won their third World Series in the last five years. The pitching staff did their job. The fielders did their job. The batters did their job. The coaching staff did their job. The fans did their job. By working together, by being like-minded, by being united in spirit they win championships, and they experience complete joy.
You see it during a wedding reception. The bride and the groom were united in their decision to be married. The very language in the ceremony describes the oneness and union of hearts and spirits of the couple. The cooperation of both sets of parents, brothers and sisters, members of the wedding party, caterers, and all involved make the event a celebration of complete joy.
You see it when a life is transformed from the self-love to self-surrender. Everyone who has ever had a part in teaching, encouraging, nurturing, and praying for the new created one are rejoicing with complete joy because all involved have been like-minded, having the same love, and one in spirit and mind.
Paul was writing to a church when he suggested that they make his joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. His desire, his dream, his hope was that the Philippian church would make his joy complete by experiencing and displaying true unity.
What could we accomplish if we, God’s people, were like-minded, if we had the same love and were one in spirit and mind? How may lives could be transformed? How many marriages could be saved? How many children could grow up in homes filled with love? How many churches would be reaching more people and impacting and their communities? How often could we bring and experience complete joy if we would “be like-minded, have the same love, become one in spirit and of one mind.”
Paul had confidence that unity in the Body was possible. Let’s try. Let there be unity and harmony in our lifetime. Let us experience complete joy.

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I Don't Think It's Supposed to Fit This Way by Katherine Walden
“Isaiah 61:10 – “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”
During the 1960s, Montana, Idaho and Washington State were popular vacation destinations for Southern Alberta families. Gasoline was cheap, and the Canadian and American dollars were at par. Families loaded their cars and tent trailers with sleeping bags, air mattresses and all the other camping gear necessary and headed south. As food prices were much lower in the States than in Canada, it only made sense to pack enough food for the road trip and buy more provisions upon our arrival. Such was the case in my family. I also assumed my mother knew we’d be living in our swimsuits, shorts and tank tops as our suitcases were light and easy to carry to the car.
On one such camping trip to Montana, early one morning, my mother made sure we were presentable enough to head into a large town not far from our campground. It was a designated shopping day! I noticed that many of the parked cars along the main street bore Alberta license plates. Weary mothers led their sunburned children in and out of every clothing and department store in town buying jeans, t-shirts, running shoes and school clothes in multiple sizes. Shoppers tossed new undergarments and socks in the shopping carts for good measure. Fathers sat patiently in their cars or wandered down the road to do some shopping of their own, visiting the liquor stores and stocking up on cigarettes if they were so inclined.
During our last days of camping, we wore our new clothes and broke in our new shoes. On our very last morning, we reluctantly packed our gear. It was time to return home. I thought it was a bit strange that my older brother was wearing an undershirt, t-shirt and a light buttoned shirt as the weather was still blazing hot at the end of August. I didn’t have time to process his odd clothing choice as my mother was urging me to put on a new pair of thick winter tights under a skirt. I complained when my mother ordered me to wear a new undershirt under a new t-shirt under a new blouse; all under a light fall jacket. With all those layers, I was uncomfortable, and nothing fit properly. My pretty skirt looked baggy. The undershirt tugged against my sunburned shoulders; the blouse bunched up on my arms and my jacket was smotheringly restrictive.
My siblings and I were miserable as we crammed in the back of my parent’s sedan. When we came to the border crossing, my mother stayed in the car with the younger children and my father led my older brothers into the little customs hut. After what seemed an eternity, the border guard asked my father to open the trunk of the car for a quick inspection, then waved us through.
At the first rest stop down the road, my father pulled over. My mother declared we could all change into more seasonable attire as the car was so hot. Looking back as an adult, I realize that my parents hoped to avoid duty charges. Any of our new clothes that my mother had not run through the camp washing machine at least once, we wore that day.
I thank God that the clothes and armour He provides for me were never designed to be burdensome or ill-fitting. As long as I wear His attire as He intended, I will not feel constricted or overburdened. If I try to place God’s armour over my armour of self-protection, then God’s armour won’t fit well. If I try to wear my self-righteous rags under His robes of righteousness, I will find them chafing. As I exchange my former attire for the garments He provides, I move with freedom that I never thought possible. I am free from my self-imposed restrictions.
Ephesians 6:11-14 – “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The Lord calls me to put on the full armour of God, and he has given me a fine robe of righteousness to wear as well. They are the perfect ensemble, a perfect fit!

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Opportunities will present themselves, but you must discern a real and beneficial opportunity from that which is just a distraction. Ask Me for wisdom with regard to every new and potential situation. Do what is right and good, and endeavor to avoid traps of the enemy that will take you off course, says the Lord. Use good judgment. Hebrews 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Establish and maintain good boundaries. You belong to Me, and your spiritual structure will cause you to be strong and will give you the ability to stay on course. Refuse to be drawn away from what you know to be a standard of excellence regardless of the pressures to compromise. Your worth is not measured in human terms of acceptance, but in spiritual terms of sacrificing carnality, says the Lord. Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

I am dealing with areas in your life that represent insecurity. Examine yourself to find those places that need to be submitted to Me for healing and restoration. It is time for you to be done with feeling inferior and condemned. Take your rightful place in My kingdom and be who you were designed to be, says the Lord. I will help you! Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

You are in a time of heightened awareness. It will be possible for you to perceive things that you normally would not discern. However, you will have to position yourself to pay attention if you are going to notice and realize the nuances of your surroundings in this season, says the Lord. I will give you the ability, but you must exercise it. Ephesians 5:14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."

Be aware of the opportunities that come to make changes in the most basic part of your life. I am calling to the core of your being to be transformed completely to reflect My nature and values. It is a work of purity that can only take place through absolute, spiritual surrender. It will require a renovation of your own value system as you prioritize according to that which will withstand the test of time, says the Lord. 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.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Rejoice and know Me; know Me as I am. Know My love for you and that I care for you. Know that My great desire is to walk with you and to lead you in the ways of righteousness. I know your heart, and I know your struggles. One day soon you are going to look behind you and you are going to say, "What trouble?" For, I will walk you right out of this valley of the shadow of death and into the light of My joy and freedom. I will make you understand My purposes in these days, says the Lord.

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JOYFUL THINGS Author Unknown
At times I'm so discouraged
with problems of the day
I fail to see the joyful things
that are along the way
When troubles overwhelm me
It's then my nerves may fray
that's when I need to take the time
To simply sit and pray
Reflecting on God's many the gifts
It makes me so aware
Of all the joy in little things
around me everywhere!
I must try to remember
though problems come my way
not to miss the joyful things
and the beauty of the day.

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Could You Afford It? Author Unknown
Suppose God charged us for the rain
Or put a price on a songbird’s strain
Of music, the dawn, mist on the plain.
How much would autumn landscapes cost
Or a window etched with winter’s frost
And the rainbow’s glory so quickly lost?
Suppose that people had to pay
To see the sunset’s crimson play
And the magic stars of the Milky Way.
Suppose it was fifty cents a night
To watch the pale moon’s silvery light
Or watch a full in graceful flight.
How much, I wonder, would it be worth
To smell the good, brown, fragrant earth
In spring? The miracle of birth—
How much do you think would people pay
For a baby’s laugh at the close of day?
Suppose God charged us for them, I say!
Suppose we paid to look at the hills,
For rippling mountain rills
Or the mating song of the whippoorwills
Or curving breakers of the sea,
For grace and beauty and majesty;
And all these things He gives us free!

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You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans 13:14

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17

Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:1-2;4

"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Hebrews 7 :25

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not you heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with god through our Lord Jesus Christ… Romans 5:1

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

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THE KEY Author Unknown
Zig Ziglar tells the story about an elderly man playing an organ in a cathedral in Europe. He was playing sad and melancholy music. It was sad because this was his last day as organist of the cathedral. He was being replaced by a younger musician.
At dusk, somebody stepped into the cathedral. Seeing the younger man, the organist stopped playing, locked the organ and slipped the key into his pocket. He was approached by the young man, who simply said, "Please, the key."
On receiving the key, the young organist went to the organ and began to play. While the old man had played beautifully and skillfully, the young man played with sheer genius. Music such as the world had never heard came rolling out of that beautiful old organ.
This was the world's introduction to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. The old man, with tears in his eyes, said, "Suppose - just suppose - I had not given the master the key!"
Have you given the Master the key - the key to your heart and to your life? Have you given Him complete control? Does he hold the key?
"No man can serve can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

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Lord, Make what I have enough for me. Help me to see that all I need is you. You will make my plate full. You will guide me in the way that I should go. I will do the footwork. Amen

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Read Through The Bible
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah Prays for His People
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.

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Father, I ask you to bless my friends and relatives. Show them a new revelation of your love and power. Holy spirit, I ask you to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubt, release a renewed confidence through your grace. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.