Weekly Spiritual Meditations - June 6

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So many times we say that we can’t serve God because we aren’t whatever is needed. We’re not talented enough or smart enough or whatever. But if you are in covenant with Jesus Christ, He is responsible for covering your weaknesses, for being your strength. He will give you His abilities for your disabilities! -- Kay Arthur

Give me, O God, this day a strong and vivid sense that Thou art by my side. --John Baillie

His love for me is ever the same. It is the one constant left in life today. --Alice Chapin

The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator. --Louis Pasteur

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

God guides us, despite our uncertainties and our vagueness, even through our failings and mistakes. . . . He leads us step by step,
from event to event. Only afterwards do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us. --Paul Tournier

There are times when I can not feel His presence, when the clouds of doubt obscure the Master's smile. But when I'm still enough to hear his whisper, I know my Lord has been there all the while. --Author Unknown

Let us walk softly on the Earth with all living beings great and small, remembering as we go, that one God, kind and wise created all.

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Wonderful Peace by June Heale
John 14:27 – I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid. (CEV)
Like many in later years, I was having a tossing-and-turning, sleepless night. This is not unusual for me, as I have been under spiritual attack for many years. I must cope with audible voices 24/7, and nighttime is the most difficult. Often, I only get to sleep when it is time that most people are arising.
Often after such a night, it is difficult to finally awaken once I do get to sleep. Early this morning, still asleep in a dream after an all-night attack, I started to hear the beautiful old hymn, Wonderful words of life by Philip Bliss, being sung by multiple voices. Then as I was becoming fully awake, I was hearing these words from Wonderful peace, by Warren Cornell, being sung:
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.
This got me moving and out of bed to come alive and begin my day. I felt so good — it was like a choir of angels was serenading me. I went to my piano, got out my hymn book, sat down, and played this beautiful old hymn. The words are still going through my head several hours later. This has made my day so peaceful.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 – I pray that the Lord, who gives peace, will always bless you with peace. May the Lord be with all of you. (CEV)
Although few of my readers may toss and turn all night struggling with voices, many people have other struggles that keep them awake at night: financial uncertainties, health concerns, relationship issues, parenting problems, addiction pressures, and marital worries. In all of these, however, we can trust Jesus' promises, and that trust brings calmness and peace.
Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (NKJV)
Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the peace which You send to us by ministering angels or by Your promises. We ask that You would send this wonderful peace to each of us and to others who are going through similar circumstances. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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WORKING FOR DAD by Joseph J. Mazzella
When I was growing up my Dad would often give me chores to do to help out around the house. Some were easy but the three I remember the most were the three toughest of all. The first was helping to weed the four gardens we had. It was tedious work. I would much rather have been riding my bike than crawling in the dirt on my hands and knees pulling the thousands of weeds that choked our gardens. The second was stacking firewood for Winter. It was tough work and I got more than my share of splinters. I would much rather have been walking in the woods than stacking it in rows. The third was hauling water from a mountain spring to our house, because our well water had too much iron in it to drink. It was a long trip carrying five gallon jugs. I would much rather have been playing basketball than carrying them.
Over the years, though, I learned to see the rewards in all the things Dad made me do. Having fresh vegetables for dinner was a delicious delight. Enjoying a cold glass of iced tea made from the mountain spring water was a pure pleasure. Standing by the wood stove on a snowy December day was a wonderful way to warm up. I saw as well that all this work Dad had given me had gradually made me a better, stronger, and more caring man. Most of all, I realized that when I did my work with a happy heart it didn’t feel like work at all.
Over the years I have learned something else too. When we do the work of our Heavenly Father with a loving spirit it doesn’t feel like work either. It feels like joy. Every act of kindness, word of encouragement, and gift of love we share will only make our lives better, make our hearts happier, and bring our souls closer to Heaven.
I am so grateful then to both my Dad and my Father in Heaven. They showed me the value of work and more importantly they showed me the pricelessness of love.

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Under The Table by Cassandra Wessel
Mark 7:28 – "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." (NIV)
At ten-plus years of age, my dog, Elliot, lives to eat, sleep, and watch the birds fly to and from the feeders in the front yard. Most of all, he loves his food — it doesn't matter what brand or type. He will even scarf up crumbs from beneath the kitchen table and the grain that the birds spill beneath the feeders. Since he had to scavenge whatever he could find in garbage pails a couple of years before he came to live with me, the veterinarian thinks that abandonment instilled a fear in him that makes him crave food. He fears that there will be no food tomorrow … or that he will be abandoned again. Thus, he overeats and scrounges whatever he can find.
Elliot's core problem is that he doesn't trust his human to provide for him. I wonder if we can be a bit like my dog. Perhaps we overeat and hoard more than we need, from fear that we will be abandoned or lack sufficient provision in the future. This makes me wonder if our core problem is also one of trust. Do we trust God to provide for us?
The woman in today's passage from Mark trusted Jesus to heal her daughter. When He tested her motives, she likened herself to the dogs scrounging beneath their owner's table. She begged Jesus for crumbs — a simple healing word for her afflicted daughter. She trusted that Jesus' compassionate heart would not turn her away.
Mark 7:29-30 – Then [Jesus] told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. (NIV)
Where do we place our trust?
Prayer: Father God, help us to trust You no matter how small or large our need, in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Trying to Please Everyone
The story is told of a man and his grandson traveling down the road, walking and leading a donkey. They met a man who said, “How foolish for you to be walking. One of you should be riding the donkey.” So the man put his grandson on the animal.
The next traveler they met frowned and said, “How dreadful for a strong boy to be riding while an old man walks.” So the boy climbed off the donkey and his grandfather climbed on.
The next person they met said, “I just can’t believe a grown man would ride and make a little boy walk.” So the man pulled the boy up and they rode the donkey together. That is, until they met another man who said, “I never saw anything so cruel in all my life -- two human beings riding on one poor defenseless donkey!”
Down the road a ways, they met a couple of men. After they passed, one of the men turned to the other and said, “Did you ever before see two fools carrying a donkey?”
The point is: You can’t please everyone! And it can be very frustrating to even try to do so because it’s impossible. The truth of the matter is, even if we could please everyone, we shouldn’t. In fact, trying to please others can distract from the One we should be pleasing, if we’re not careful.
Though Paul was certainly mindful of the feelings of others, he wrote: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10, NIV)
Living our lives so as to receive the praise of people around us will only get us into trouble. I think of the chief rulers who “believed in Him [Jesus], but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:42-43). When we become attached to public opinion and pleasing others around us, we will eventually end up denying God.
Have you found lately that everyone isn’t pleased with your decisions? Don’t lose any sleep over it, as long as you’re seeking to please the only ONE that really matters! First Impressions

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Solitude and Silence by David Massey
Solitude and Silence, great-sounding words, neat concept, but practical and obtainable? We are bombarded with noise from the moment we wake until we retire at night. Think about it. We wake up to a clock radio blaring, turn the TV on during breakfast, listen to more radio in the shower, hop in the car with the cassette player going, enter our workplace with our minds racing about the urgencies awaiting us, and then it's back home again with a mind cluttered with noise. Where is God in all this? When do we have time to be still and know our Lord?
Solitude and silence are the key to all the Spritual Disciplines. You can't effectively read your Bible, pray or meditate without clearing out the clutter of noise -- whether the noise is external noise or the internal noises of your mind. I am firmly convinced that distraction is the evil one's great tool to prevent us from becoming closer to God.
Matthew 14:23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
Mark 1:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Luke 4:42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.
Psalm 62:1 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength."
The Bible is very clear that God expects us to spend quiet time with Him in His presence. I have found it helpful to spend my solitude time with God, first thing in the morning. I go to the same room and the same chair every morning.
It is also very helpful to take time during the day to have just 5 minutes of solitude whenever you can grab the time -- in the car, in your office, at your desk in school, or wherever you may be. Just try to focus on Christ and clear the clutter from your mind. Let Christ replenish you.
Dear Father, we live in such a busy culture. We all move at a faster and faster pace, as life marches on around us. Lord, help us to slow down, be still and know that You are with us. Help us clear our minds so we can focus on You and grow in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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DEAR CHILD
I just wanted to remind you today of how beautiful you are because there is a father of lies who will try to deceive you.
He will try to tell you that you are not good enough, not attractive enough, not thin enough, not strong enough, not smart enough, not righteous enough, and that you are simply unimportant to Me.
He will try to tell you that you have broken one too many promises, that you have fallen one too many times, that you have lived one too many lies, and that you've been going in the wrong direction so long that it is pointless to turn back now.
But guess what? YOU DO NOT BELONG TO HIM. HE IS NOT YOUR FATHER. I AM.
You see, you are My creation. My workmanship. You have been borne of My thought, every part of you placed together by My hands. You have My thumbprint upon you. You are a princess/a prince, did you know that?
You are My child, the child of THE King! I look at you and see a precious, priceless pearl. There is no ocean I would not swim, no mountain I would not climb, no price I would not pay to have you and to be with you and call you my own. I already have.
I have done all that I could, given all that there is. I desire to be with you every moment of every day. How I long for you to talk to Me every day.
My love for you never grows cold. My promises are never broken (contrary to what he might lead you to believe). My character never changes.
And you, my child, have been made in My image. I love you dearly, unconditionally and completely.
I understand every emotion that you have. I've been there. I count every tear that you cry. I know every hair on your head. And do you know what? I even know your weaknesses and your failures and your fears. I know those hidden parts of you that you wish would go away. Those dark corners of your world that you stuff deep down, praying that no one will ever see. I have already seen them and they will not change my love for you. Nothing will.
I love your heart and I desire all of it.
I just wanted to remind you today of how beautiful you are and how precious you are to Me.
With Unmeasurable Love,
Your Heavenly Father

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Jesus Loves Me Author Unknown
Many years ago, while home watching TV on Sunday morning, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years...... He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the church had asked the old gentleman to preach.
After a warm welcome and introduction of this speaker, as the applause quieted down he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gate to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind, he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak......
"When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50 odd years preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me...
"Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong.....
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so."
When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his footsteps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it.
A pastor once stated, "I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best."
When all is said and done, all our theology can be boiled down to Jesus loving us so much that He died for us. Oh, the simplicity of it all!
Now, for those who have white hair, or no hair at all - those over middle-age - check out this newest version of "Jesus Loves Me". Read, sing and enjoy:
"JESUS LOVES ME"
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow.
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME...
YES, JESUS LOVES ME,
THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.
Though my steps are oh, so slow
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)
Though I am no longer young,
I have much which He's begun.
Let me serve Christ with a smile,
Go with others the extra mile
(CHORUS)
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
(CHORUS)
When my work on earth is done,
The curtain closed, the race been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love
(CHORUS)

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
You may be reeling from recent events, but I am bringing you to a new place of equilibrium and balance. I will give you the strength to put the past behind and move forward with faith and confidence. Refuse the temptation to condemn yourself with thoughts of regret. I am still with you, says the Lord. 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.

Strong and silent; I want you to be strong and silent. When you are quiet, you can begin to do an inner work of knowing Me that will become a deep resource for sincerity and resolve. Your faith depends on the depth of that relationship. Become a deep well of life in the Spirit, says the Lord. Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Changes are taking place in the realm of the Spirit, and you may find yourself feeling disoriented, disconnected, or even lost. Take this time to seek Me for wisdom and direction. Do not make any major decisions until you are clear and more settled. Refuse to be afraid or allow confusion to become a stronghold. Quiet your soul and be still, says the Lord. Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God...

Make sure that your faith is not misplaced, and that you trust Me alone and not people or circumstances. I answer the prayer of faith according to My will, says the Lord. Circumstances will change. People will disappoint you. But, I am the same forever, and My Word is truth and trustworthy. James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Do not stop; do not lose your forward momentum. It is important to keep moving because I cannot direct you when you sit down and refuse to take the next step. Your life has purpose, so do not buy into the lies that bring condemnation. Believe in Me and My ability and willingness to open up the land of promises to you, says the Lord. Get ready to advance. Jeremiah 7:24 "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward."

In the midst of difficult challenges, be assured that I am your very present help, says the Lord. I will give you the wisdom necessary for breakthrough on every front. And, I will give instruction and direction. Refuse to allow a fear of failure to undermine your potential victory. Be strong. Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Get it right with regard to your relationship with Me, says the Lord, and with regard to allowing My Holy Spirit to live and dwell in you. Get your relationship on track--on course. Become one with Me. Walk with Me. Talk with Me, and do those things that I have encouraged you to do, so that I can do the things I said I would do on your behalf. For, this is the season in which I will indeed show you the way into the promise of the land that I have for you. Do it! Today!

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WHERE DOES GOD HIDE? by Kevin Kensick
There once was a man, who went looking for God
Searching everywhere, as he walked on this sod
He said, "God, oh God, where can you be?"
"If you're up there, show yourself unto me."
So God cleared the rain, which fell through the night
And turned on the sun and made it shine bright
A beautiful rainbow, had painted the sky
Unfortunately it didn't catch, the man's blinded eye
Birds started chirping, as the sky became clear
Church bells were chiming, but the man didn't hear
Flowers were blooming, as the sun wished them well
A beautiful fragrance, which man didn't smell
Then God gave the man, his daily bread
But the taste didn't register, with the pride in his head
A mother and baby smiled, as he finished his meal
God loved him through them, but he didn't feel
Then man became humble, "WHERE DOES GOD HIDE?"
And God said to man, "I'm right here inside!"

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TRIUMPHS by Ruth R. Martin
I've never climbed a mountain high;
Perhaps I never will.
But I have walked in fellowship
With God upon a hill.
I've never braved a torrent,
'Tis much too wild for me.
But I have stood by waters still
And heard God speak to me.
I've never been to royal court
And bowed before a king;
But I shall kneel before God's throne
And hear the angels sing.
I've never lived in foreign lands,
Though pleasant it would be,
But I shall dwell in Beulah Land
Beside the crystal sea.
I've never strolled in marbled halls
Their beauty fair to see,
But I have been on Holy Ground
For God was there with me.
I've never seen a battle fought
Upon a bloody field,
But I have seen Life's vict'ries won
Upon Golgotha's Hill.
I've never crossed the ocean
Or channel deep and wide,
But I shall cross o'er Jordan
With Jesus by my side.
I've never felt an earthquake's rage-
I hope 'twill never be,
But I have felt God's still, small voice
Bring peace and joy to me.
I've never strayed midst hist'ries ruins
Their glories past to see,
But God has planned my future-
And that's enough for me.

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Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:6-9

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:8

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Isaiah 26:3

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Matthew 6:19-20

You are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:14

My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. John 4:34

"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." Luke 12:8, 11, 12

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." Hebrews 1:9

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Jesus Is the Way the Truth and the Life by Sarah Young
Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. — John 14:6 (NIV)
Put your trust in Me, and I will keep you safe. There is a deep, deep yearning in your heart for safety and security. You can mask these longings with activity for a time, but only for a time. These feelings actually serve a very good purpose. Properly used, they can point you to Me and My sufficiency.
I am the only One who can really, ultimately keep you safe.
Whenever you start to feel insecure — about anything — come to Me. Talk with Me about your fears and concerns; then affirm your trust in Me. Voicing your trust connects you with Me at a deep level. It also pushes back the darkness of deception. The evil one has been deceiving people ever since time began, since the Garden of Eden. Do not listen to his lies. Instead, put your trust in Me, for I am absolute Truth. As you come to know Me — the Truth — better and better, I make you increasingly free.
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. — Proverbs 29:25
The Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.' — Genesis 3:13
Jesus said to [Thomas], 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' — John 14:6 (NKJV)
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. — John 8:32 (NKJV)
Your Turn: What do you think about when you read "safety and security"? Take a moment to tell God that you trust Him over those areas and receive His peace.

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Almighty Father, we praise you for the blessing of your presence in our lives. May your grace abound in us so that we may do good works with and for those with whom we come in contact. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
Job 7
Job: My Suffering Is Comfortless
1 “Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hired man? 2 Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages, 3 So I have been allotted months of futility, And wearisome nights have been appointed to me. 4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, And the night be ended?’ For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn. 5 My flesh is caked with worms and dust, My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh. 6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope. 7 Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. 8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be. 9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up. 10 He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore. 11 “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me? 13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,’ 14 Then You scare me with dreams And terrify me with visions, 15 So that my soul chooses strangling And death rather than my body. 16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath. 17 “What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him, 18
That You should visit him every morning, And test him every moment? 19 How long? Will You not look away from me, And let me alone till I swallow my saliva? 20 Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? 21 Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me diligently, But I will no longer be.”

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Dear Heavenly Father, You are Lord of all. I want you to be Lord of every area of my life. In Jesus' Mighty 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.