lean on Him... Isaiah 12:1-2...

You will say in that day:

"I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the Lord God is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation."

Isaiah 12:1-2 ESV

Our God has every right to be angry with us...

those whom He created... and gave charge of His creation...

took it... and broke it... in the very beginning...

But God... He is trustworthy... even in His anger...

He will not constantly accuse us,

nor remain angry forever.

Psalm 103:9 NLT

He does not constantly accuse... condemn... blame...

He chooses instead to save... redeem... forgive...

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,

that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

God Himself... became our means of salvation... through His Son... Jesus...

He took God's wrath... in its fullness... 

He took everything we deserved... and paid the price we couldn't...

How can you not trust a God...? who doesn't treat you as you deserve...? even in His anger...?

He does not deal with us according to our sins

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103:10 ESV

lean on Him... Psalm 143:8...

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalm 143:8 ESV

What this psalmist needed most to hear... be assured of... was God's steadfast love for him... and his confident cry... petition... comes from a heart of trust...

Trusting Him gives us confidence to cry out to Him... for what we need...

Jesus told us... we have a good Father in heaven... who will give us exactly what we need...

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ..."

Matthew 7:7-11 ESV

Trusting our heavenly Father... gives us confidence to ask... because we know... He will give us what's good...

Do you need to hear... be assured... of His steadfast love for you today...?

Do you need to know... the way to go...? 

Trust Him...

lift up your soul to Him...

take the psalmist's prayer...

make it yours...

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

lean on Him... Psalm 125:1...

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Psalm 21:1 ESV

Want an unshakable life...?

Trust in the Lord...!

Like Mt. Zion unshakable...

the home of God's presence...

the heavenly Jerusalem...

the eternal home of Believers...

Can you imagine anything more unshakable...? immovable...?

Trusting Him now... in the every day...

can bless you with a secure... peaceful... immovable spirit...

I think about the wise man... who built his house on the Rock...

living out life... through obedience to His way... trusting Him... 

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them

will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew

and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because

it had been founded on the rock. ..." ---Jesus

Matthew 7:24-25 ESV

Following Him... His Word... His Way...

makes our lives unshakable...

because we trust in Him...

How shaky are you feeling these days...?

The Journey Readings: Week 139... and nothing matters without His love...

We spend countless hours and resources in our culture rehabilitating... reaching out... to the lost... the broken...

We do this on a large scale... through programs...
individually... in the lives of loved ones...
all for the sake of helping people live better lives...

But the reality is... if the love of Christ... is not the sole motivation for transformation in an individual's life... it's all for nothing...

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers,

and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith,

so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,

but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV

Because apart from Christ...

His love planted in our heart's by the Holy Spirit...

there is no life...

Nothing matters without His love...

This week's readings...

Monday                  2 Corinthians 3-4

Tuesday                  2 Corinthians 5:1 - 6:13

Wednesday             2 Corinthians 6:14 - 8:24

Thursday                2 Corinthians 9-10

Friday                     2 Corinthians 11

lean on Him... Psalm 112:7...

He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

Psalm 112:7 ESV

I used to live my life... afraid of bad news...

this is the reality of one who lives worried... anxious...

Being fearful of the next bad thing... flows from a heart filled with unbelief...

I say this because I know...

I was...

fearful... unbelieving...

even as a new Believer...

and a decade or so after...

To believe in Him is to trust Him...

to trust Him... is to know He has your best at heart...

to trust Him... is to know nothing happens without His allowing it...

to trust Him... is to know it is for your good and His glory...

A heart firm... trusting in our good... gracious... loving... all-powerful... God... is a heart free from fear of bad news... free of worry... free of anxiety...

Where are you...? when it comes to fear of bad news...?

Exercise your faith today... trust Him... with your worry...

lean on Him... Psalm 91:1-6...

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Psalm 91:1-6 ESV

I've got your back...

it's a popular saying these days...

one that encourage trust... strength...

This psalmist tells us...

when we live God's way...

He's got our back...

The shadow of the Almighty...

looms large behind us... over us...

Do you see it...?

Us moving forward... trusting Him...

knowing He's got our back...

His shadow falling over...

lengthening beyond us...

In this place of trust...

following His way...

there is no need to fear...

the snare of the enemy...

the terrors of the night...

the threats of the day...

But there is a place...

we can wander...

out from under His shadow...

away from His way...

living in the world...

instead of His Word...

this is a deadly place... 

a place we don't want to be...

Stay near... under His shadow...

for whoever lives hidden in Him...

remains in the shadow of His strength...

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind
on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3 ESV

lean on Him... Psalm 84:12...

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Psalm 84:12 ESV

A prayer of praise... to the Lord of thousands upon thousands...

Blessed are those who trust in You...!

Blessed... the Hebrew... 'esher...

The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament teaches us 'esher... is a word of  envious desire...

To be envied with desire... is the one who trusts in Him...!

Trusting in Him brings blessings which people see... want...

desired blessings...

What blessings have you received by trusting in Him...?

Do others see...? and want...?

If you are really trusting Him... leaning on Him...

they will see... and want... what you have...

O Lord of hosts... blessed is the one who trusts in You...

lean on Him... Psalm 62:5-8...

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8 ESV

For God alone...

No other is worthy of our trust...

only God...

He alone... is the one we encourage our souls to wait on... when fear or panic stir...

He only is my rock...

He only... is the Rock Everlasting...

a firm foundation for our lives...

the way of salvation...

and unshakable strength...

Trusting in Him as our only refuge... our only way...

no plan B... or C...

is where we find peace... stability... security...

No one else offers what He offers...

we can pour out our hearts before Him...

no matter what's in it... He can take it...

And not only can He take it...

He has the cure for it...

When we encourage our own souls to wait on Him...

trust in Him... we find Him a trustworthy refuge...

which inspires us... to share it with others...

From our own shaking boots...

to a confident cry...

Trust in Him... at all times... O people...!

God is a refuge for us... calling all... to come... and find unshakable peace...

lean on Him... Psalm 56:3-4...

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;

I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 56:3-4 ESV

Leaning on Him...

trusting Him...

allays all our fears...

Need we say any more...?

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them,

for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 4:4 ESV

The Journey Readings: Week 138... and... flesh vs spirit...

Living in the world but not of the world... keeping focused on the eternal in a world full of distractions... seems to be Paul's overarching message to the church in his letter to the Corinthians...

The Corinthian church reflects many of the ailments found in the western church today... division... jealousy... sexual immorality... factions... all signs of a spiritually immature church...

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people,

but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk,

not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now

you are not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is

jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh

and behaving only in a human way?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ESV

An immature church becomes distracted by the things of the world... the flesh... and forgets to live by the heart of the gospel...

Paul encouraged the Corinthian Believers to live unentrenched in the world... hold onto things and positions loosely... pour out their lives for the gospel... because time is short...

This is what I mean brothers: the appointed time has grown very short.

From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,

and those who mourn as though they were not mourning,

and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing,

and those who buy as if they had no goods, and those who deal

with the world as though they had no dealings with it.

For the present form of this world is passing away.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 ESV

We too need to live life in this world focused on the eternal...

poured out for the gospel... 

holding loosely to all in this earth...

To live married as if you had no spouse... is not to go out looking for another... or date... but to not allow a spouse to hinder you from the call God has placed on your life in sharing the gospel... because the marriage is not eternal... honor it yes... as God calls us to... but your spouse should not be the primary focus of your life...

The same with mourning... rejoicing... whatever causes either has simply come to pass...

The goods we buy... hold them loosely as if they weren't ours but God's to use as He will... and our dealings in the world are not the most important... it's how God wants you to use those dealings to advance the gospel... save souls...

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all,

that I might win more of them.

1 Corinthians 9:19 ESV

We miss the heart of the gospel and our role in it when we become distracted by the temptations of the world... not understanding what is to come... what is at stake...

Paul calls each Believer to be intent on sharing the gospel... comparing the preparation and the course of Christianity in our lifetime as a race... or athletic event...

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.

They do it for a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

But I discipline my body and keep it under control,

lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV

Currently the 2016 Olympics are wrapping up in Brazil... the self-discipline and work put in by the athletes in each event is evident... what they have sacrificed in order to have a shot at winning a medal... a perishable medal... of gold... silver... bronze...

But we seem to forget... that we... as Believers... run a race for an imperishable treasure... something far greater than anything the world offers... and we easily become distracted by the desires of the flesh... tempted by power and pride... pleasure and sin... which is fleeting...

We just don't know... or don't believe... that there is something far better than what the world offers...

It brought to mind a quote... a teaching... from CS Lewis...

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

---CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Far too easily pleased... with the passing pleasures of the world... when there are treasures and pleasures unimaginable... if we stay focused on Him... and not get distracted...

Forgive us for we know not what we do...

Remember this week... with each choice you make... flesh vs spirit... you are moving toward a great reward far beyond your comprehension... one that will last forever... or pouring out your life... settling for... mud pies in the slums...

To help open your eyes to the eternal... join The Journey...

This week's readings...
Monday            1 Corinthians 12-13
Tuesday            1 Corinthians 14
Wednesday       1 Corinthians 15:1-34
Thursday          1 Corinthians 15:35 - 16:24
Friday               2 Corinthians 1-2

lean on Him... Psalm 52:8...

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.

I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

Psalm 52:8 ESV

Those who trust in His steadfast love...

are like green olive trees in His house...

First of all... a tree is rooted...

it will not be easily removed from the house of God...

Trusting His steadfast love...

makes us immovable from His presence...

Second... the Hebrew translated as green...

means... luxuriant... fresh...

a green... healthy... tree...

a fruitful tree...

Trusting in His love...

keeps us fresh... vibrant...

useful to His Kingdom...

filled with life...

No need to fear dis-ease...

root-rot...

or drought...

His love...

keeps us green...

when we trust in Him...

How lively... fresh... do you feel...?

You might need to question... What am I trusting in...?

lean on Him... Psalm 40:1-3...

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-3 ESV

In an earlier lean on Him... post... we saw waiting as a sign of trust in God...

We don't wait for people who aren't going to show up...

Here... in Psalm 40... the psalmist waited patiently for the Lord...

he waited in a pit... a miry bog...

he called out to God... trusting Him...

and He acted...

God drew Him out...

set him in a secure place...

on a rock... 

the Rock...

Trusting in God... waiting on Him...

resulted in His action...

and the psalmist was filled with a new song of praise...

But the greatest benefit... in addition to being rescued...

was the witness he gave to those in his circle of influence...

The psalmist's trust in God...

led many others to trust in Him too...

How amazing...

Our patient trust in Him...

draws others to Him...

Don't ever think people aren't watching...

to see if you believe... trust... rely on... Him...

because they are...

and in that pit... whatever pit it might be...

you have an opportunity to witness to others...

just how great He is...

All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him...

go therefore and make disciples...

by living out your trusting faith in Him...

Amen...

lean on Him... Psalm 37:5...

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

Psalm 37:5 ESV

Commit. The Hebrew here literally means... roll on...

Way. This way means... manner... habit... course of life...

So... if we roll our course of life onto Him...

trust Him in all our ways...

He will act...

Trusting Him brings His active power into our lives...

but this trust requires committing all our ways to Him...

I think about this verse often when I'm struggling with an emotional issue in my life... you know those relational issues... angst over loved ones...

I roll it on to Him...

give it to Him...

but the next thing I know... it's rolling around in my mind again...

I've taken it back...

Often I roll things onto Him multiple times a day...

but that is not the way to be...

The new way I want to live...

is leaning on Him in all my ways...

not just the things that cause angst...

or the things that challenge me beyond my limits...

but everything...

My entire way...

I want to see Him act on my behalf each and every day...

in multiple ways...

because I trust in Him...

Trust Him with it all...

and watch Him work...

Amen...

lean on Him... Psalm 37:1-4...

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:-4 ESV

Sometimes... we fret... get all stirred up... over evildoers...

who appear to be getting away with murder...!

We wonder why they don't get caught...

why they are allowed to prosper at the expense of others...

His Word tells us... Don't do it...

don't get all bent out of shape... or envious... of those who do wrong...

they will get what they deserve in the end...

He will see to it...

like grass... they will simply fade... wither...

they will be no more...

Trusting in the Lord... we are to continue to do good...

lean on Him... faithfully...

no matter what others are getting away with around us...

We are to befriend faithfulness...

delight ourselves in the Lord... and His ways...

because when we do...

He will give us what we truly desire...

And what we truly desire is what lasts forever...

not the things of this world that pass away...

Trust in the Lord...

lean on Him...

be blessed with the true desires of your heart...

lean on Him... Psalm 33:21

For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

Psalm 33:21 ESV

We trust in Him...

because His name... His character... is holy...

Holy... separate from the common... sacred...

totally good and entirely without evil...

(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

He is only good... 

no evil... no darkness... 

can be found in Him...

Because He is holy... holy... holy...

He is trustworthy...

And trusting in Him... makes our hearts glad...!

Our minds... wills... emotions... rejoice... 

in Him who is holy...

when we trust Him...

Trust Him...

Be glad...

The Journey Readings: Week 137... and... it's all about the gospel...

Paul wrote a letter to the churches in Galatia...
churches he founded in Jesus's name...
churches he labored over...
aching for Christ to be formed in them...

...my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish

of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

Galatians 4:19 ESV

His letter prompted because he'd heard others had slipped in to lead them astray...

teaching a different gospel than what he taught...

they taught Mosaic law... instead of freedom in Christ...

What I appreciate most about Paul's letter to these converted Gentiles...

is his use of the Old Testament... when they had no background in it at all...

Paul establishes faith in Christ as the only means of salvation...

using Abraham to explain about faith's primacy to the law...

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and work miracles among you

do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith---

just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness?"

Galatians 3:5-6 ESV

Then he tells them of Abraham's two wives... one slave... one free...
one giving birth by the flesh... one by God's faith-full promise...

For it is written Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman

and one by a free woman. ...these women are two covenants.

One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.

... But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ...

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 

Galatians 4:22, 24, 26, 28 ESV

Teaching these baby Christians...
the law enslaves... the promise of the gospel frees...

And what I see... Scripture is all about the gospel...

Paul's Scripture was the Old...

he points to it time and again...

to prove the legitimacy of Jesus...

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,

preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying,

"In you shall all the nations be blessed."

Galatians 3:8 ESV

The whole of Scripture...
it's all about the gospel...
it preaches the good news of Jesus Christ...

Ask Him to reveal it to you...
so you can see Him through and through...
it will only help establish Him in your heart and mind...
who He really is... and what He's done for you...

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross

of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been

crucified to me, and I to the world.

For neither circumcision counts for anything,

nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy

be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Galatians 6:14-16 ESV

This week's readings...
Monday                 1 Corinthians 4-5
Tuesday                1 Corinthians 6:1 - 7:24
Wednesday            1 Corinthians 7:25 - 8:13
Thursday               1 Corinthians 9:1 - 10:22
Friday                   1 Corinthians 10:23 - 11:34

lean on Him... Psalm 32:8-10...

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,

which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love

surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.

Psalm 32:8-10 ESV

God... He offers to instruct us... teach us...

show us the way to go... counsel us...

while He watches to make sure we get it right...

But do we let Him...?

He warns... be not like a horse... or mule...

who needs a bit and bridle... because they don't understand...

Are you like the mule... the horse...

only going His way... when He tugs... pulls...

causes a little pain in your life...?

Being teachable... obedient...

is the best way to learn to trust God...

Leaning on Him... day in... day out...

asking Him the way to go...

actively seeking His counsel...

He interprets obedience to His instruction... His counsel... as love...

This is love for God: to obey his commands.

And his commands are not burdensome.

1 John 5:3

His way is not burdensome... when we love Him with an obedient teachable heart... there is no need to be pulled or tugged... no need to fight against the bridle... no need for a bit...

Those who don't go His way are called wicked... full of sorrow...

but those who trust Him are in a place to receive His love...

recognize its steadfast... unfailing... nature...

because they have allowed Him to teach them...

Lord teach me... show me the way...

I want to lean on You each moment of each day...

Amen...

lean on Him... Psalm 28:7...

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 28:7 ESV

Strength... material or physical... personal or social or political...

When we lean on Him as our strength...

discover His strength... for every area of our life...

allow Him to shield us from whatever seems bigger than us...

our hearts grow in trust... because we find He is our help...

Our hearts exult... rejoice... triumph...

Our mouths fill with songs of thanks...

Let Him be your strength...

lean hard into Him...

trust in Him with all your heart...

be helped...

rejoice...

give thanks...

Amen...

lean on Him... Psalm 25:2-3...

O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame;

let not my enemies exult over me.

Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame...

Psalm 25:2-3 ESV

Those who trust in the Lord...

wait on Him...

even in the face of their enemies...

We only wait... when we trust someone...

when we expect them to show up...

when we know... they... will... come...

Leaning on Him...

requires waiting on Him...

not taking things into our own hands...

but waiting in hopeful expectation...

knowing you will not be put to shame...

Those who wait on Him...

trust in Him...

lean on Him...

will never be shamed...

for placing their trust Him...

He is worthy of trust...

lean on Him... Psalm 13:5-6

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13:5-6 ESV

Trust in God is based on His steadfast... unfailing... love...

His love that sent His Son to die...

when we were the ones that deserved to...

His love that causes the sun to rise and set...

seasons to come and go...

producing food for all...

whether you love Him... or deny Him...

His love that seeks the lost...

when they don't want to be found...

or don't even know they are lost...

His steadfast love that holds all things together...

when we should be falling apart...

When we trust in Him... in His steadfast love...

our hearts rejoice... in His salvation...

We see and know... He has dealt bountifully with us...

far more than we deserve...

and... so... we... sing...!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

Amen...

lean on Him... Psalm 9:10

And those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:10 ESV

To know in the Hebrew... is to sense...

knowledge gained by the senses... (Theological Wordbook of the OT)

We can't see... touch... hear... God physically...

but spiritually... we sense Him in many ways...

Recognizing Him in creation...

Hearing Him in His Word...

Feeling His presence through His Spirit...

But all this begins... with knowing... sensing... He Is...

Once we know He Is...

we then begin putting trust in His name... His character...

and we discover... He never forsakes... those who seek Him...

The more we know... the more we trust...

the more we lean on Him...

How have you sensed Him in your life...?

The Journey Readings: Week 136... and a lovely thought...

I found it tucked away in the book of Malachi... a lovely thought...
about how God sees those... who faithfully seek Him in His Word...
gather with others... to talk about Him...

Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another;

and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance

was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully

feared the Lord and who thought on His name.

And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when

I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels

(My special possession, My peculiar treasure).

And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

Malachi 3:16-17 Amp

He listens in on those who gather to study His Word....

to seek Him out... worshipfully...

He records it in a special book of remembrance...

a book to be read publicly one day...

and each in the book... labeled a jewel... a treasure...

Maybe it's such a lovely thought for me now... in this season...

as the Bible study with sisters comes to a close on Tuesday...

that's what we do there... gather... talk about Him...

worship...

It's what The Journey is all about...

reading through His Word in three years...

gathering weekly... seeking Him...

And you know it's what we do here...

we might not gather physically...

but I believe He's listening in... taking note...

I find it particularly encouraging...

as in this season I've spent so many hours...

so much energy... poured so much into His Word...

I wonder sometimes... Why...? 

Is it really anything important...?

Well... Yes... it is to Him...

Amen...

Join The Journey... have Him take note of you...

This week's readings...

Monday             Galatians 1:1 - 3:14

Tuesday             Galatians 3:15 - 4:31

Wednesday       Galatians 5-6

Thursday           1 Corinthians 1

Friday                1 Corinthians 2-3

inspiration to explore...

In the Encouragement Planner...
where it said... note to self...
I wrote...
LEAN on HIM!

Today... I followed up with what that means...
where in His Word... it talks about leaning...

What I discovered is interesting...
because lean isn't used when referring to God...
lean is used when trusting in the things of the world...

For example...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 ESV

The Hebrew translated as lean means...

to lean on... trust in... support oneself...

(Enhanced Strong's Lexicon)

A different word than that translated as trust... in the same verse...

The Hebrew there means... 

to trust... trust in... have confidence in... 

to feel safe... be careless...

(Enhanced Strong's Lexicon)

The word lean means to trust in for support...

but when it comes to God... He is completely worthy of all confidence...

no need just to lean... He can be fully trusted...

Over the next few days... I sense...
inspiration to explore the verses I found...

and what it means to... LEAN on HIM!

inspirational recommendations...

Inspirational recommendations...
are on my mind today...
one... a planner I thought might be too much...
two... an audiobook I downloaded because I thought someone else would like it...

The planner... a gift...
as I began to use it...
something happened...
it really is encouraging...

For my few days using it...
going to it... considering the prompts...
I find it inspirational...

The Encouragement Planner... by Dara Lorraine Stationery...
16 months... August 2016 to December 2017...
I recommend a look...

Second... the audiobook... I'm almost done...
but would highly recommend this memoir...
which reveals Him as Father to the fatherless...

The Tank Man's Son... by Mark Bouman...
A boy... who had a father... but who wasn't much of a father...
and how God came into his life...

I listened... but I'd recommend the read too...

If you have an inspirational recommendation...
share it with us by leaving a comment on this post...

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up...

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

[To find the comment box... click the post title... whether you've received this email or reading at Jeremiah's Menu... scroll to the bottom of the post... you'll find the box... then follow the directions...]

inspiration...

Inspiration... it comes from many places...
usually surprising... and unexpected...

Lately my inspiration has been to encourage others...
what a joy...

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love,

any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,

being in full accord and one mind.

Philippians 2:1-3 ESV

Ask Him to inspire you to encourage someone...

at the end of a long day...

At the end of a long day...
I'm ready to rest...

But the temptation to rest in something besides Him creeps in...

Remembering to rest in Him alone...
the only true refuge... who refreshes and strengthens...

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 61:1-2 NIV

nearing the end...

Nearing the end... seeing the light... feeling the burden ease...

Five weeks of Sister Talk: Resuscitate Your Faith written... (or just about)...

Five weeks of seeing Him show up again and again...

Five weeks of stretching and growing faith...

For your steadfast love is before my eyes,

and I walk in your faithfulness.

Psalm 21:3 ESV