4 WAYS SATAN BEATS YOU UP

Yesterdays post on Are you coming to the end of your rope? 

I shared 4 points on how to tie a good size knot so one may hang-on when they feel like letting go.

In point number 4 we discussed the importance of TRUSTING God and relying on His insight and understading.

Satan certainly wants to break that trust in any possible way.

Today I will share 4 strategies the enemy uses to break that trust so you can be on top of his schemes!

Remember You can do all things through Christ friends!

 
1. In your comprehension and understanding of God

But we buy the lie that God is mad at us then we get mad at God. That’s what Satan wants. Many people are mad at God. What are you mad at Him about? The Father sent Jesus to die on the cross for you so that He could restore and forgive you. What more do you want Him to do for you? You must believe that every morning His mercies are new. You must believe that His grace is greater than all your sin. Jesus bore it all. He said, “It is finished” before He died on the

2. Deception in  SELFYour no good. You’re a looser. You will never amount to anything.” Causing self pity. How do you overcome the accusations of the accuser? Rev.12:11 says “By the blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony.” Phil.4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We have to renew our minds to the truth.

3. Deception is when Satan gets to us through others
Satan tries to bring shame against you because of something you did. It could have come from physical or sexual abuse as a child. Many have deep rooted shame and the Devil tells you that you’re worse than anyone else, but the fact is that outside the grace and mercy of God we are all capable of anything. There is none of us better than another. Or best righteousness is as filthy rags.

4 unyielded areas in our life.
He will tell you that you have this problem with a demon.” No, you don’t have a demon problem; you have a problem with Jesus. You haven’t surrendered an area of you life to Him and you persist in known willful sin.

Romans 6:12-13 do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

Blessings!

　

COMING TO THE END OF YOUR ROPE?

Have you ever felt like you have come to the end of your rope?


Everything of value has been stripped away, you feel defeated, pushed over the edge and life has now become a burden.
Bitterness and loss of dignity is consuming your spirit.

Suicide is the answer for many when the times of pain run deep.

This past weekend I spoke to many prisoners that are sitting in a pit of despair with no hope of ever seeing a true future.
suicide is a huge problem for these in-mates. Using bed sheets to hang themselves. I know the picture is graphic below but I want to stress the importance of Using the same Rope to find HOPE!

After I finished speaking a very tough message several ladies approached me explaining how they have attempted suicide in the past month or they had a plan to end their lives in the coming months. I believe God helped them see their ROPES with a new pespective.

Sadly, I have experienced the reality of suicides in my own family. Yes the word suicide is plural because it has been more then one.

I have seen the reality of pain in  specific family members and then attended funerals for that specific person because they took their own lives to dismiss themselves from that very pain.

This was hard for me, I struggled afterwards with why I did NOT have the right words or boldness during their pain to save them from such a terrible ending.

My passion for  individuals coming to the end of their rope has grown deeper and my boldness to reach out has stretched me past my comfort zone.

Suicide is real and it can start with the slightest loss of hope followed by the lack of perspective in the painful situations.

WHEN YOU COME TO THE END OF YOUR ROPE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO TIE A KNOT AND HANG ON.

HOW DO YOU TIE THAT K N O T?

Listed below you will find 4 areas that will help you TIE A KNOT when coming to the end of your rope.

1. K  "I KNOW the plans I have for you declares the 
          Lord,  plans to prosper you and not hurt harm
         you, plans to give you hope and a future.
        (Jeremiah 29:11)
         
God sees past your pain and He has a plan to restore.

Think about the man named Job in the bible. He lost everything of value to him.
 His health, family, finances and livestock.
EVERYTHING was stripped from him.

His wife said, "How are you maintaining your integrity? Curse God and then die!"

In all this pain Job did not sin in what he said or did. In the depth of his impossible despair he did not commit suicide because he tied a knot and hung on to the fact that God had a plan and KNOWS everything.

2. N  "Luke 1:37 For with God Nothing is ever
            impossible and no word from God shall be
           without power or impossible of fulfillment.

NOTHING is impossible "with God" but living without HOPE in Gods future is worse then a death sentence.

Many times we prejudge our situation and misjudge Gods action on it.

Pain is part of life and that's unfortunate. However, we cannot allow it to take root and destroy our spirit. God says to BRING IT TO HIM.

Ahithophel in the bible in 2 Samuel 17:23 did not take his bitterness & hurts about family relationships to God.
When Ahithophel realized he could not control the situation himself or make it better he decided to hang himself.

3. O  OUR WEAKNESS
        2 Corinthians 12:9...
         But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my
         power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all
         the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power 
         may rest on me.

Have you exchanged verbally that weakness with God?
A super natural power exchange takes place!

For example, Judas in the bible had a weakness with MONEY!
He betrayed Jesus to make some money! However, in the end Judas could not face his weakness, guilt and shame and hung himself.

Do not allow your weakness to take you down. Seek God and Godly counsel.

4. T  TRUST
          Proverbs 3:5-6
          Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
          don't try to figure out everything on your own.
          Listen for God's voice in everything you do,  
          everywhere     you go;
          he's the one who will keep you on track.
          Don't assume that you know it all.
          Run to God! Run from evil!
          Your body will glow with health,
          your very bones will vibrate with life!
          Honor God with everything you own;
          give him the first and the best.

Satan will try to break this trust in several ways. Tomorrow on the blog I will share 4 ways that Satan deceives you and breaks that trust.

Please take the 4 steps I shared today and begin to TIE A KNOT and hang on!

God has a huge plan and He will position you past the current pain.

Blessings

                         

TRUST GOD TO LEAD YOU "OUT"

If you are looking for a great Easter activity with your family I encourage you to make a GRACE GARDEN. We did this activity last year take a look!

Its a great conversation piece in the home and very pretty when lit at night!

                                                   THE BAXTER'S GRACE GARDEN
                                                                        from 2011

                                                   Daddy Drilled a hole for the tomb

Before today's devotion I am posting a quick review of each blog devotion for the Trail to the Tree: This is the Easter devotions and activity we chose for 2012!

      Each link will catch you up if your interested!

       TRAIL TO THE TREE DEVOTIONS AND HOW TO MAKE

                                                                 GOD SEES TO IT

THE GIFT OF RESCUE

CURE FOR DISCONTENTMENT

                                                          A MESSAGE IN THE MESS

Today we will pause and listen to His word in  MATTHEW 2:13-18.
Please take a moment to linger silently and see what God wants to reveal through this passage for your life.

TODAY'S DEVOTION : TRUSTING TO GO INTO EGYPT

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."

After the wise men left, Joseph received a warning from God to flee to Egypt. Notice that Joseph immediately obeyed God. He did not question God or try to figure out what was going to happen.

 He did not try to come up with his own reasons for staying which could have been many. We know that the wise men visited Joseph and Mary in their own house. This could have been as long as two years after Christ’s birth. It is possible that Joseph had established himself as an important tradesman in the city of Bethlehem. Perhaps he had built up a number of customers. It seems he was doing well enough to have his own house. Then suddenly, God tells him to leave.

There was no hesitation on Joseph’s part. God had chosen the right person. Joseph had learned to trust God and was willing to sacrifice everything for what God told him to do.
 No doubt Joseph and Mary would be able to use the gifts from the wise men to help finance their trip and pay for their necessities in Egypt. Imagine how Joseph must have felt seeing all these miracles unfold before his very eyes.

KEY POINT: God sent along the provisions for the journey before the journey was to begin. And Joseph was willing to obey no matter what the personal cost to him.

Have you at some point in your life given your future and all of its dreams to God to handle as He pleases?

Do you need to reconfirm that decision?

 Are there areas in your life that you have not yielded to God for fear of the consequences?

Will you surrender them to Him and ask Him to help you trust Him?

 

 Have you learned to consult the Lord on every decision?

 Are you helping others build a stronger trust in you by developing a stronger commitment to the will of God?

  How can you increase that commitment to do God’s will?

God wants us to live our life in firm faith like Joseph displayed in today's reading. God wants to take the place in your life that looks like death and bring you to a place of of LIFE!

TODAY, HAVE FAITH THAT  THE  PLACES THAT SEEM TO BE DYING...GOD  PLANS TO BRING FORTH LIFE.

Have faith today my friend that God will meet you on your road and lead you to a place in which you will see signs of life.

Blessings,

WHATS DONE IN SECRET WILL BE REVEALED

APRIL 13th READING click here! (ANOTHER GREAT VLOG FROM LAST YEAR THIS TIME)
Thanks for your patience as NEW and FRESH site is in the makings!

Enjoy todays upclose and personal Daily 10minute Devo!

I will share a scripture in LUKE 12 that will radically help you uncover secrets and allow truth to be revealed in all relationships and within your personal life.

Take a journey with me as I speak to you from my daughters room and share a verse that is often prayed as I sit on her bed.

Have a great day and remember "What is done in SECRET will be revealed"

LIFT THE LID IN YOUR LIFE! VLOG

MARCH 23 READING!

HELLO FRIENDS, I DECIDED TO POST A VLOG FROM LAST YEAR, I HAVE RECEIVED MANY EMAILS ASKING FOR ME TO VLOG MORE!

A NEW WEBSITE IS IN THE MAKING AND I PLAN TO HAVE A WHOLE SECTION WITH WEEKLY VLOGS AND SOME OF MY SPEAKING EVENTS INCLUDED UNDER THAT PAGE SO BE WATCHING OUT FOR THIS IN THE WEEKS TO COME!

NEW SITE WILL BE UP SOON, THANKS TO KARI FOR ALL HER HARD WORK AND TIME!

TITLE OF VLOG: A LID LIFTER(no not toilet lid lifter) lol!

Joshua had many great victory's in life, lets take a moment to study the character traits that earned Him Victory in many areas of his life.


May we learn from Joshua and be committed to doing whatever it takes to gain VICTORY!


Have a great day friends and let me know your thoughts on the VIDEO BLOG!

BROKENNESS

Happy Wednesday friends,

In between my weekly Lenten devotions I have been posting the most popular blogs from last year.

This May I will be speaking a message titled "My Alabaster Box" at a women's event, I will post this speaking message soon after for you to hear but take a sneak peak today at a great message hidden in this piece of scripture.

Allow God to touch the broken areas of your life friends.
-----------------------------------------------------------
March 14, 2011 Blog Post
My Alabaster Box

After reading Mark chapter 14, I was reminded of the meaning of the Alabaster box. In this chapter a woman named Mary came in to see Jesus at the house of Simon. She walked in and went to the table with an alabaster flask in her hand. It was full of costly ointment and she began to pour it on His head. Mary found her way to this table with boldness.The oil she used was worth more than a years wages and was very precious. Mary came to him with all that she had. She was very sensitive to the timing, it was right before the burial of Jesus.


The Alabaster flask had to be BROKEN for the release of the oil.


How does this compare to us today?


ALABASTER in Greek means a VESSEL. A vessel is something that carries something.
We are all a vessel carrying something inside.

Do you happen to Carry your brokenness around?
Failures, hurts and mistakes?

A THOUGHT TODAY AND PROMISE:
If you have Christ living in you then you have a treasure in an earthen vessel that has the excellence of power and it is of God and not us.
This in confirmed in 2 Corinthians 4:7.

The power of Christ works in us and many times we need to just pour out what is broken and locked up inside of us and exchange it for the excellence of His power.

In order to make the exchange we must be broken:

Psalm 51:17 states "The sacrifices of God are a BROKEN SPIRIT a BROKEN and contrite heart.
This is very precious in the eyes of God.

We carry so much around in our alabaster box.
Alabaster is made from limestone, a very soft stone. The stone is very flexible and translucent. Limestone is also a very costly and precious, Isaiah 13:12 states "I will make a man more PRECIOUS than fine gold."

We're all so very precious and believe me God cares so much about what is inside of our vessel. Do not lock up your brokenness because he can see right through us. 

Jesus was a broken vessel for our transgressions and He poured out his perfect love on the cross and into our hearts and minds to accomplish His goal and our victory.His brokenness was very costly and precious.

Is Christ in you? The HOPE and GLORY?

He was the precious ointment that was poured out for us and it should be sealed inside our alabaster box.

Let His grace flow down and cover you my friend. Please allow your vessel to be broken.
Pour out your hurts and allow His precious ointment (HOPE AND GLORY) to cover you today!

Make your way to Him today, I encourage you to write down your brokenness and hand it over to God, stop carrying around that heavy load. God has a plan a future and a hope for you. Make the exchange today.

Blessings,

A MESSAGE IN THE MESS

LUKE 2: 8-20

^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."
^13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
^15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
^19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lets take a moment and linger over the high lighted words in today's Lenten devotion.

The shepherds, sheep herders were not of royalty, they were considered social and religious outcasts. These men spent their lives around mess, yet the invitation to see Christ was extended to them in the middle of their mess.

 For many of us today life has been an experience surrounded by mess. Messy relationships (husbands, wives, siblings,children), messy financial situations (foreclosures, repossessions, unemployment, layoffs, downsizes, etc) and messy tragedies (abuse, rape, incest, loss of love ones, etc.) I agree life can be messy and like the sheep herders you feel like everyone has forgotten about you.

The scripture says God sent his angels with a word to the shepherds; it was a moment of illumination.
Illuminate is another word for light, one of the definitions of the word light in the bible means to make known or to reveal, or to bring understanding.

Gods wants to ILLUMINATE your situation with His light!

 Just like the word was accompanied by illumination to the shepherds, God continues to send His word through messengers today to illuminate the hearts of all who will listen and obey. The shepherds heard and obeyed the instructions of the angels and  they went to see Jesus.

The shepherds left giving God the glory and praising Him, in addition they now had a testimony about what they had experienced.

Want to know if you have really met Jesus?

Look at who or what you are giving glory to in your life? And are you testifying about what you have seen and heard or is your story all about you and your accomplishments?

Is your story always about the MESS?

God took ordinary men, who were living a life surrounded by mess and introduced them to Jesus. And their story became an extraordinary testimony!

  Extraordinary

 Can you imagine what God could do with your ordinary?

We too need to set off running and wanting to see more of Jesus.

I am not sure what MESS is going on in your life or the life of a loved one.
I don't know what dream you're holding on to or what miracle you're holding out for, but I offer this exhortation: "Get over and see for yourself what God wants to reveal to you." Then let loose and praise Him for what He is doing in your mess!

Take a moment to read a post from last year called MY ALABASTER BOX. This is another great devotion as you journey through the Lenten season.

Today we will place this devotion on our Lenten tree.

For more information and ideas to bring family devotions during Easter to your dinner table or just for your personal use please Check out this Post Called GOD SEES TO IT.  You will find a link for the devotional booklet!

Blessings and I welcome you to this Blog as we trail to the tree this Easter!

A CURE FOR DISCONTENTMENT

Please click on  Numbers 21:4-9  for today's word followed by a brief devotion. (please read the whole passage)

I am journeying on a trail to the tree during the season of Lent.

Join me as we look at significant passages that help us focus on Jesus and His amazing grace.

⁵ They set out from Mount Hor along the Red Sea Road, a detour around the land of Edom. The people became irritable and cross as they traveled. They spoke out against God and Moses: "Why did you drag us out of Egypt to die in this godforsaken country? No decent food; no water—we can't stomach this stuff any longer."

Take a moment and linger over the above word. Focus on the words I have highlighted and then think of a situation in your life that has  felt like a long detour causing you irritability.

Have you come to a point that you just could not stomach any longer?

Adultery, pornography, addictions, relationships, marriage conflicts and finances are the highest rating stomach aches. I cannot tell you how many women are trying to stomach their spouses pornography addiction . Not to mention a husbands lack of respect because his wife decided on a detour around their relationship without his knowing.

This is a great time for me to take a second and introduce a teaching video just for women. I taught on this about 5 years ago , it's about the brittle detours and damage that we can make as women in our marriages! I highly recommend THIS LESSON! Click here and it will take you to my past church website, you will even find several more of my bible teachings!

As we travel through life these real situations happen everyday.
We feel bitten by the snake and he leaves us with the poison of discontent.

Many times when bitten by discontent we begin to grumble and complain of all the wounded situations that we can no longer stomach.

What is your discontent situation at this present moment?

What can you no longer stomach?

What has you extremely irritable?

In today's word we learn to take that snake bitten situation and place it on a pole and then cause our eyes to look on Jesus.
 With Jesus, we have more than enough.


WHEN THE SERPENT OF DISCONTENT BITES, CHOOSE TO LOOK TO JESUS WHO HUNG ON THE TREE FOR US.
HE IS  EVERYTHING WE NEED.

Take a moment and linger over this word again, lift up a few words in prayer over your situation and then go live the word today by placing the situation on the pole and only view it through the eyes of Jesus!

Elevate your spiritual life to new levels in Christ. Allow  this promise today to penetrate your soul.

With knowledge comes responsibility! Responsibility is your ability to respond to what you know! 
 
I strongly encourage you to visit this post called  Shake off that Snake!
Take a moment to read for more help and lessons on how to shake off that snake before it bites!

If you need a truth my friend, I would love you to stay connected to my blog. Its free and easy to sign up. Just put your email address in the top box located on the side of this blog. Confirm your subscription with a link that will be sent to your email from feed blitz. Then you will start getting my simple truth notes in your email box!

Thanks so much!

HAVE YOU BEEN RESCUED?

The GIFT of RESCUE:EXODUS 12:21-30

I encourage you to click on the link above and read today's bible reading. LINGER in His word and then go LIVE the word for today!

                 And so we pulled another tag from
                 our Easter basket of devotions and then placed it on
                 the tree...

WHAT IS THE GIFT OF RESCUE?

In today's bible reading we read about the FIRST passover.

Passover is a memorial of an actual event that occurred long ago in Egypt.

Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are also shadows of events to occur later in the New Testament. What Yahshua(Jesus) did by becoming the Passover Lamb was fulfilled only in part.
He spoke of a yet another fulfillment of Passover in the future.
 Throughout history we see the importance of this special observance. From ancient days to the Kingdom, the Passover is key to Yahweh’s blueprint for salvation of His creation...
                                          (YOU AND ME)
 When the Egyptian firstborn from every house died, Yahweh sent a clear message of obedience to all of mankind. It was the firstborn that got twice the family inheritance, which was known as the birthright.

With the death of Egyptian firstborn, Yahweh dramatically demonstrated that those not covered by the blood of the lamb will have no life or inheritance in the Heavenly Father’s Kingdom.

The connection with the Passover is more than circumstantial.

The Son was sent to earth to take human flesh - to live perfectly in the stead of imperfect humanity. He carried our weaknesses in himself, resisting temptation to depart from his chosen path.

 He came *knowing* not only that he would die
on our behalf, but *choosing* so to do. His death came during the time of Passover in Judah, as the children of Abraham praised God for his deliverance of his people from Egypt, the land of bondage.

As the people in Jerusalem were remembering the lambs' blood painted over their forefathers' doors, the ultimate Passover Lamb was being prepared for the slaughter. His blood would be painted over sinful humanity, and all who
believed that the death of Jesus brought the final deliverance from their sins would become heirs of new life in his resurrection from the dead.

The Passover was the defining moment in the life of the Covenant people Israel. It was God calling them out of slavery and into his family.The other lesson we learn is that we are covered by that blood only if we follow Yahweh’s instructions explicitly.

If anyone in Israel had not done exactly as Yahweh commanded, not putting the blood on the top of the doorpost but only on the sides, for instance, he would have faced the same consequences as the Egyptians.

Yahweh had to see the blood on the lintel, as well as on the doorposts, Exodus 12:23. The entire door frame had to have a blood covering, symbolic of a complete protection from death by the blood of the lamb.

We lingered on this during our family devotion:

For us, it means that if we aren’t totally covered by the blood of Messiah, we face everlasting death. 

Upon our salvation we have painted our temples "our bodies" with Jesus' blood so that Satan cannot enter into this soul place to wreck ruin and death, but that Jesus would come through the door of our heart so we could have HOPE and exercise His presence through the Holy Spirit now living inside.

WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED!

PASSED OVER!

TAKE THIS EASTER SEASON TO BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP YOUR SAVIOR

As a family we have been challenged to live out this devotion by wearing a necklace, bracelet, red shirt or some visible reminder that we have chosen to clothe the lintels of our soul in Jesus' salvation. Because of the blood and the cross of Christ, we are PASSED OVER and we live and will live to Worship God forever.

I asked my youngest daughter today as I dropped her off at school what she chose to wear today to be her visible reminder... she showed me her big bracelet with a RED heart!

Have you chosen and accepted Jesus Christs sacrifice He made for you? if not I would love to share the Gift of rescue with you.

The truths of God’s word below will show you how to know Jesus Christ as your personal savior. You may have this gift of eternal life the moment you believe and receive it with your heart!

1. I'm sure God loves Me- John 3:16 "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."

2. I know I am not perfect - Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

3. I know Jesus Christ loves me and paid the penalty of my sins - Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

4. I know I can receive Eternal life!

What must I do? - Romans 10:9 "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Dear Jesus

I know that you have died for me. I may not understand everything but I acknowledge today my need for you. I believe your spirit will begin to move in my life through a relationship not a religion

I am thankful for the passover sacrifice which was Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. Help me to grow and follow after your plan for my life. I am ready to walk in my new faith.

In Jesus Name, AMEN

If you prayed this for the first time please let me know! I will pray for Gods hand upon your life in Christ.

If you need a truth my friend, I would love you to stay connected to my blog. Its free and easy to sign up. Just put your email address in the top box located on the side of this blog. Confirm your subscription with a link that will be sent to your email from feed blitz. Then you will start getting my simple truth notes in your email box!
Thanks so much!

Blessings,

GOD-SEES-TO-IT

OUR JOURNEY TO THE TREE...


                                     Family Easter Tree

                                                

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ Ann Voskamps POST ON LENT.
WOW, SHE INSPIRED ME TO EMBARK ON NEXT 18 DEVOTIONS THAT WILL LEAD TO EASTER DAY!
ANN'S POST WILL INCLUDE EACH OF THE 18 DEVOTIONALS ALONG WITH A CUT OUT PICTURE FOR YOUR PERSONAL EASTER TREE..

EACH PICTURE TAKES YOU ON A JOURNEY WITH JESUS TO THE TREE AND THEN THE FINAL VICTORY ON EASTER SUNDAY.

JESUS WANTS THIS JOURNEY TO BE ALIVE AND PERSONAL IN YOUR LIFE!

AS A FAMILY WE WILL TAKE EACH DEVOTION AND LISTEN TO HIS WORD AND LINGER OVER THAT WORD DURING DINNER. WE THEN LIFT UP THAT SPECIFIC WORD IN PRAYER AND CHALLENGE EACH OTHER TO TAKE THE WORD AND THINK OF A WAY TO LIVE IT OUT THE NEXT DAY.


WE HAVE 18 DIFFERANT PICTURE SCENES THAT MATCH A VERSE OR PORTION OF SCRIPTURE FOR THE TITLE OF THAT DEVOTION. ONCE WE HAVE DISCUSSED THEM WE HANG THEM ON OUR EASTER TREE.

I THEN WRITE THE VERSE AND THE TITLE ON OUR FAMILY CHALKBOARD IN THE KITCHEN SO WE CAN SEE THE "TRIAL TO THE TREE"

I WILL POST OUR LENT DEVOTIONS ON THIS BLOG DURING THIS SPECIAL SEASON WITH HOPES TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO SEE GODS AMAZING GRACE, EXPERIENCE HIS PRESENCE AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO LIVE OUT HIS WORD AND FEEL FULLY ALIVE THIS EASTER!

I PRAY GOD SPEAKS TO YOU AND REVOLUTIONIZES YOU FRIENDS IN AMAZING WAYS!

TODAY I MADE AN ENTIRE COPY OF THIS 18 DAY EASTER DEVOTIONAL AND PLACED THE COPY IN MY GIRLS TREASURE BOXES SO THEY MAY DO THIS WITH THEIR  FAMILIES.
 
THE DEVOTION AND BOOKLET

BEFORE GETTING STARTED ON TODAY'S DEVOTION I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THIS UNIQUE BLOG WHICH I WROTE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. THIS POST SHARES OUR FAMILIES VIEW AND IDEAS FOR A GREAT TIME OF FOCUS DURING LENT.


TODAY WE WILL READ: GENESIS 22:1-14 

KEY POINT:"THE RAM IN THE THICKET"


TAKE MINUTE AND READ THE WORD ABOVE, A LINK HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVIENANCE
 LISTEN TO THE WORD ABOUT THE "RAM IN THE THICKET" AND LINGER OVER WHAT GOD MAY WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU.

God's provision is always there.

The longer we live the Christian life, the more we tend to see His faithful answers in the midst of hard situations.

He will never fail the person who puts his whole trust in Him.
Romans 10:11 promises us, "Whoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed."Getting through difficult circumstances is almost always costly to our faith.
It often seems as though we are hanging on by our fingernails, and it is a very uncomfortable feeling!

Abraham must have felt like that.
Think about His fear and anxiety as he walked His son to the alter to sacrafice in obedience to God. God may call us to steep and difficult demands but He will always provide beyond our understanding! 

But he chose to believe the promise God had spoken to him. Hebrews 11:17-19 says of him, "It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.' Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death …."God came through for Abraham by providing a ram in the thicket.

What will He do for you?

Trust Him to "see to it," and He most assuredly will provide your answer, too.

GOD HAS A PLAN, STAY FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT MY FRIEND. GOD SEES YOUR FEAR AND ANXIETY. CHOOSE TO LAY IT DOWN AND KEEP POSITIVE BECAUSE GOD WILL PROVIDE A RAM IN THE THICKET FOR YOUR SITUATION,

BLESSINGS,