From Psalm 103:2-4: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His benefits—who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”
From Psalm 103:13-14: “As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear Him. For He knows how we were made; He remembers that we are dust.”
If God is not at the center of your life, something else is.
From Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
Tim Keller (1950-2023) was an American pastor and Christian theologian.
From John 15:1-2: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit.”
When you offer yourself to God as His servant, He first expects to shape you into the instrument of His choosing. He will always work in you before He works through you.
From Philippians 1:6:Â “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Henry Blackaby (1935-2024) was a Canadian pastor and Christian author.
From Psalm 37:23-24: “Our steps are made firm by the Lord when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”
We must remember that the shortest distance between our problems and their solutions is the distance between our knees and the floor.
From Isaiah 40:30-31: “Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Charles Stanley (1932-2023) was an American pastor and Christian writer. He was dedicated to leading a teaching ministry.
God takes us through struggles and difficulties so that we might become increasingly more committed to Him.
From 1 Peter 4:12:Â “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”
Charles Swindoll (born 1934) is an American pastor and Christian author.
Young Lydia awakens on this December’s early morning of peace. Her imagination embraces new hope to be found in the season.
She understands that Christmas means much more than a decorated tree, wrapped presents, and fresh baked cookies. As her intuitive eyes peer outside of her bedroom window, the dawn sky offers a view of a brilliant star.Â
Inside her quiet thoughts, she whispers, “I need to see more.”
Throwing a long winter coat over her pajamas and remembering to wear her snow boots (just as her Mom always insists), Lydia ventures outside. Standing on the front porch, she feels surrounded by the tranquility of the winter scene.
The snow-covered yard appears perfectly groomed, and the nearby pine trees are all powdered in white. To her wandering eyes, the heavens’ star appears even closer. She feels a tug at her coat to step down from the porch.
Her steps quicken as she edges into the nearby woods. The cold air actually brings warmth to her heart. Suddenly, she stops with eager eyes looking forward.Â
Again Lydia’s imagination begins to wonder, “What will I find if I walk some more?”
An undistinguished pine tree, holding candles of light, invites her to enter a clearing. Right in front of her waits an unbelievable scene.
A tiny feed trough filled with hay stands alone.
From the shadow’s fringes come a man, a woman, and a newborn baby. The woman carefully places the baby in the feedbox, because there is no room for them at the inn.Â
Lydia’s pulse quickens as she realizes what is happening. A “real life” nativity landscape . . . or is it the story predicted through prophecy’s promises? Her young mind just isn’t sure.
She looks back up into the heavens and fixes her eyes upon the morning’s star. Suddenly she feels joy surrounding her heart. Indeed, she believes in the love found in her Savior.
Kneeling in the soft snow, Lydia offers a short prayer:
I will have reached the point of greatest strength once I have learned to wait for hope.
From Lamentations 3:25-26: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
George Matheson (1842-1906) was Scottish pastor, Christian author, and hymn writer. His faith in God matured after becoming blind as a young man.
Big Sky Buckeye 