don’t ever be fooled

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Psalm 14:1 (NIV)

 

A long time ago I was challenged by someone because they did not like what I had written in my “daily bread” and posted on Facebook.

Instead of coming to me to talk about it and maybe getting my point of view, that person instead reported my post to Facebook, and well, we all know how Facebook jail is. 
The fool says there is no God.

According to the dictionary, atheist is “a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods”  agnostic is “a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God”.

Every person out there has the right to choose what they believe.

What is it about God that people find offensive?

Maybe I don’t have all the answers, but I am willing to talk.

Maybe we will leave the table and that person still won’t believe.

Maybe we will leave the table and that person will start a relationship with Christ.

I am still deeply moved by the quote “I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live as if there isn't and to die to find out that there is.” (attributed to Albert Camus)

You know what? I am going to continue to spread the word of God because that is what I do.

That is what He made me to do.

 

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patience for real

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

- James 1:12 (NLT)

 

I am probably the least patient person in the world.

When I want something done, I want it done now and without excuses!

But I do believe that God has a sense of humor and sometimes likes to make us wait for the good things.

Hurry up and wait – that is how I feel much of the time whether it is for test results, a big purchase or even the tiniest piece of good news to come my way.

I have found though that the longer I must wait for something, the harder I must work to get what I want, the more I appreciate it.

We all know of someone that has never had to work for any thing their entire life and we watch those people treat their stuff like it means nothing, then we watch the young woman that has saved every penny to buy herself a car and how she treasures that car because she worked hard for it.

I don’t have patience for worldly things, but I hope that I have shown patience for the gifts that we are promised from God.

At the end of the day, those are the gifts that matter.

 

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perfection is not me

But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

- 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

 

Everyone has a past of which they may not be particularly proud.

I have a past that is not pretty, I have been strong through some things that would break others and there were things that broke me that others sailed through with grace and their dignity intact.

But my past does not define me - I know that I sinned and that I still sin, but that sin does not describe the person I am.

I can admit my mistakes and own my sin, I am human and while I know that I have disappointed people, I also know that there is forgiveness.

If we can admit our mistakes and ask for forgiveness, then we should be able to forgive those who have hurt us.

Sometimes when people hurt us, they hurt themselves just as much and when we forgive them, we set ourselves and them free from the burden of sin.

I will never claim to be without sin because the truth is much better, the truth will set us free, free in the One who died for us so that we can be forgiven.

 

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no worries

Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

- Psalm 55:22 (NLT)

 

The last two weeks were pretty rough for me, I have come to the conclusion that I do not like the month of March because so many bad things have happened in March in my life.

A year a go I was dealt a crushing blow that nearly destroyed me yet here I am today stronger than ever.

Last week another ghost from the past moved in to take away everything that I thought I had under control and still I have persevered.

We can all give up when we are facing difficult things, but where does that leave us?

We can throw away everything that we have worked for our whole lives when one thing breaks, or we can mend that one thing and continue to build our happiness.

It can happen to you, you can be in the best spot on the mountain to have a mudslide wipe out your home.

You can let that destroy you or you can lay your burdens down and let God take care of you.

I’m not letting the devil win this, I will never stop fighting for what God has given me and I know He will take care of me.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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revenge is not ours

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels.

- 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 (NIV)

 

Memes are so much fun.

I especially like cat memes (imagine that!) but there is one that is kind of troubling to me.

KARMA.

No need for revenge.

Just sit back and wait.

Those who hurt you will

Eventually screw up

Themselves & if you’re

Lucky, God will let

You watch.

This particular meme is listed as “Daily Inspirational Quotes Facebook.com/D.I.Quotes”

It doesn’t feel very inspirational.

Sure, it is in the Bible that we should not seek revenge because that is God’s option but no where does it say we get to sit back and watch, nor should we seek revenge on our own.

Sometimes it is hard when we have been wronged especially if that wrong adversely affected our lives but remember that it is not up to us.

God knows what we are going through and He will protect us and avenge us.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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rooted in trust

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

- Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)

 

Trust is a hard thing to give sometimes, especially if you are trusting in someone that others cannot see.

I like that this verse compares confidence in the Lord like a tree planted by the water.

If we are the tree, and the Holy Spirit is the stream, when  we fill our souls with the Holy Spirit, we too will have no worries and we will never fail.

What does an outsider, a non-believer or even someone that is not in a close relationship with the Savior see when they see us?

It is our personal responsibility to be sure that people see the right thing.

We are all going through a lot, even those of us who are really good at hiding our emotions, every single one of us is going through something.

The world wants to make us victims of our tragedies, and when we become a victim, we become ineffective Christians.

We are warriors, warriors fight, warriors train and we are called to refuse the victim status and not become neutral in a very polarized world where intolerance is acceptable and the refusal to allow any other opinion than your own is the norm – we must fight to show God’s love, to stand in the truth of who God is, of what God says.

We need to take our thoughts captive and act counter-culturally, to stop being in judgement of others because when we judge others we are setting them up for failure.

It is not an “us against them world”, it is us against the powers of darkness and we are called to be bold, to be brave, to press in, to be firmly rooted in Christ, to dig deep and grow.

 

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the real hero

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

- 2 Timothy 4:18 (NIV)

 

As children I think we all had those moments where we were very frightened, whether it was the monsters under the bed or the strangers in the store.

For most of us we had a trusted adult that we could run to for safety.

Did you know that we still have our Heavenly Father that will rescue us?

Here is a cool Zach Williams song:

There I was empty-handed

Crying out from the pit of my despair

There You were in the shadows

Holding out Your hand, You met me there

And now where would I be without You?

Where would I be, Jesus?

You were the voice in the desert

Calling me out in the dead of night

Fighting my battles for me

You are my rescue story

Lifted me up from the ashes

Carried my soul from death to life

Bringing me from glory to glory

You are my rescue story

You are, You are

You are my rescue story

You are, You are

You were writing the pages

Before I had a name

Before I needed grace, oh

Singing songs of redemption

'Cause every time I ran away

You were louder than my shame

And now, where would I be without You?

Where would I be, Jesus?

You were the voice in the desert

Calling me out in the dead of night

Fighting my battles for me

You are my rescue story

Lifted me up from the ashes

Carried my soul from death to life

Bringing me from glory to glory

You are my rescue story

You never gave up on me

You never gave up on me

You are my testimony, oh, oh-oh

You never gave up on me

You never gave up on me

You are my testimony, oh, oh-oh

You never gave up on me

Oh, You never gave up on me

Oh, this is my testimony

Oh, You were the voice in the desert

Calling me out in the dead of night

Fighting my battles for me

You are my rescue story

Lifted me up from the ashes

Carried my soul from death to life

Bringing me from glory to glory

'Cause You are my rescue story

You are, You are (You are my rescue story)

Oh, You never gave up on me, never gave up on me

You are, You are

Yeah, You are my rescue story
I hope that we all find comfort in the words of this song and more importantly in the words of our Father.

He is our rescue story for sure.

 

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don’t be afraid

I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid.

- Leviticus 26:6a (NIV)

 

Quite often in my “daily bread” I have talked about my struggle with anxiety, it is a very real thing.

When my anxiety gets the best of me I shoot straight into “flight or fight” mode and many times it’s a little of both plus a nice mix of shutting down.

I am learning that I can’t go through life like that – I have already missed out on so much – but it is not an overnight cure, it takes time.

A lot of people do not understand anxiety, they think you don’t care or that you are not prioritizing your time for the things they deem are important which simply is not true.

I am leaning on God a lot as of late (as I should have been all along) to deal with people who say they want no drama yet insist on bullying to get their way.

God will grant us peace.

These are really strong words.

“No one will make you afraid.”

These are words we can take to heart.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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we are messangers

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

- 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)

 

“Don’t shoot the messenger.”

Have you ever wondered where that phrase even got its start?

Google is your friend but sometimes it too can be misleading.

I believe the original meaning was that we should not bring harm to people that are merely delivering news be it good or bad.

We are called to be messengers, but the news we bring is so very good – it is the news of a Savior, a resurrected King and of eternal life in Heaven with the Father.

That being said, not everyone views this news as good – there are still people out there that don’t believe, they don’t want to believe and they are quite offended if we try to tell them about our God. 

You know what?

I don’t care and neither should you.

We are to tell His story, to share His word – this is pleasing to God.

There are still places in this world where being a Christ follower can get a person thrown in prison or killed, the United States is not one of those places so if you live here you are blessed and you should share!

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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Saint Patrick of Ireland

Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.

- 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NLT)

 

It is said that Saint Patrick published a lengthy prayer before his death, this prayer has found its way in snippets to many refrigerator magnets, posters, picture frames and other reminders of God’s love for His children. 

I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me;

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's hosts to save me

From snares of the devil,

From temptations of vices,

From every one who desires me ill,

Afar and anear, Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

The fact that this prayer starts with “I arise today” serves as a reminder to me that we need to live our lives every single day as a child of God. 

From the moment that our feet hit the floor in the morning until we close our eyes to sleep at night, we are to live for Him.

As today’s verse states, this is a fragrance that appeals to God but not so much to others.

Things have not changed that much since Biblical times – Christ followers are still persecuted.

There are still places in the world that even uttering the name of Jesus can get you killed.

These are the places that we must continue to preach, the places we must continue to pray for their safety and healing.  

God's shield to protect me,

God's hosts to save me . . .

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

Let me show Christ to someone today.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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refined like gold

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness

- Malachi 3:3

 

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! 
I hope you are wearing your green (it’s supposed to hide you from leprechauns) and that you find your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

According to the weather there is a chance of rain today so you might see a rainbow but I doubt there is a pot of gold to be found at the end of it (how does one even tell where the “end” of the rainbow is?). 

Instead, let’s focus on God and let’s have one song reference this week:

Purify my heart, let me be as gold

And precious silver

Purify my heart, let me be as gold

Pure gold

Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire

Is to be holy

Set apart for you Lord

I choose to be holy

Set apart for You my Master

Ready to do Your will

Purify my heart, cleanse me from within

And make me holy

Purify my heart, cleanse me from my sin

Deep within

Ready to worship

Ready to follow

Ready to do Your will

Refiner’s fire was used to heat metal to the point that all of the impurities would come to the surface.

Fortunately, we do not have to go through fire because God purified us by sending His Son to wash away our sin.

I need that kind of cleansing, how about you?

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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keep preaching

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

- Matthew 24:14 (NIV)

 

I mentioned yesterday that Saint Patrick was not Irish at all, but he was born in Britain.

He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by Irish raiders and spent six years in captivity where he turned to his faith.

He escaped after a dream in which he writes that he heard God’s voice telling him to leave Ireland, and began 15 years of religious training so he could follow another dream where an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. 

Talk about spreading the word, history tells us that for twenty years he traveled Ireland to baptize people and build monasteries, schools and churches. 
We were given a Great Commission from Jesus: to share the word of the Lord. 

Saint Patrick shared the gospel during a time in our history when he could have been imprisoned or even killed, but he did it anyway.

God’s word says to share the gospel to all nations and right now I think many need to hear His word.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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shamrocks and snakes

My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.

- Psalm 31:15 (NLT)

 

I am completely and totally terrified of snakes, I have been since I was in grade school when my class took a field trip somewhere that had snakes that they let the students hold.

My classmate held a huge boa constrictor draped across her body and the only thing I could bring myself to hold (we were told we would fail the class if we did not hold one) was the teeniest tiniest garter snake and it gave me nightmares for weeks. 

Continuing on my Saint Patrick’s Day theme for this week, I thought we could look at a couple of the legends around Saint Patrick, specifically the shamrock and snakes.

Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, and using a shamrock, the national flower of Ireland to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to unbelievers by showing them the three leaved plant with one stalk. 
He is also known for having chased the snakes out of Ireland, and folks I may have to move to Ireland because the fact is snakes have never existed on the emerald isle!

Christianity was a new idea in Ireland when Saint Patrick began teaching God’s word to the people, he was never canonized as a saint and in fact was not even Irish!

What he did do though is rescue the people of Ireland by teaching them about Christ.  

Saint Patrick was passionate about sharing Christ with others and while he may not have really done all the things that the legends say, he did convert many people to Christianity and helped build churches all over the country. 

Rescuing people seems to be a theme in the Bible.

I am so glad that God sent Jesus to rescue me.

 

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a pot of gold

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

 

I’ve decided to do a St. Patrick’s Day theme for the week, because St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday and there is so much more to it then leprechauns, pots of gold and green beer.

Let’s talk leprechauns, depicted a little bearded men who are mischievous and have a pot of gold that they have hidden somewhere, usually at the end of a rainbow, they are noted for their practical jokes and heavy drinkers. 

According to Irish legends, you can capture a leprechaun and he will give you his treasure (or three wishes, depending on which myth you read) in exchange for his freedom.

Many leprechaun tales are a warning against trying to get rich quick or taking what is not rightfully yours; a reminder that we should not let greed rule our hearts. 
Leprechauns are said to be solitary creatures, but as children of God we are not made to be alone and in fact we have proven over time that together we are strong.

When we let God guide our hearts, we don’t need a pot of gold or any other valuables, because it says right in the Bible that God will take care of us, God will supply our every need. 

We can search for the proverbial pot of gold in every corner of the world, but we will never find true riches unless we give our lives to Christ.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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no one left to trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

- Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

 

As I seek God’s help finding verses each day, I often go back through my blog to see what I have talked about before.

This can be very helpful because most of the time these are reminders that I personally need to hear. 
This verse in particular took me back to some pretty sad memories; when our son left for basic training with the Army, when my mother suffered her first extreme fall, when my beloved cat fell ill.

Each time I wrote about this verse I referenced the same Lauren Daigle song: 
Letting go of every single dream

I lay each one down at Your feet

Every moment of my wandering

Never changes what You see

I’ve tried to win this war I confess

My hands are weary I need Your rest

Mighty Warrior, King of the fight

No matter what I face, You’re by my side

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings

There’s not a day ahead You have not seen

So, in all things be my life and breath

I want what You want Lord and nothing less

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

You are my strength and comfort

You are my steady hand

You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand

Your ways are always higher

Your plans are always good

There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood   

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

It's pretty clear what I need to do now. 
It's Yours, God. 
Lead me, I trust You. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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so bright

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.

- 1 John 1:5 (NIV)

 

Did you know that God did not abolish darkness at creation, instead, God added the light.

But for many darkness symbolizes all that is negative, harmful, evil and fearful.

God gave equal importance and prominence to darkness and light, and all life, including human life, begins and develops in the dark. ( I found this in a news article from Reverend Ken Cadette.)
Light is the symbol of salvation and spiritual growth. 

I love this snippet from a TobyMac song: 
Lights shine bright everywhere we go

Music for the people, making music for the people

Lights shine bright everywhere we go

Lights shine bright everywhere we go (lights)

Everywhere we go

Music for the people, making music for the people

I wanna magnify your light

I wanna reflect the sun

Cut like precious diamonds

With the colors by the millions

This is the only world we know

And for now this rental's our home

If we gonna be a reflection

Gotta make this third rock glow
Lights shine bright everywhere we go

Music for the people to illuminate the soul

Lights shine bright everywhere we go

Music for the people, making music for the people

Lights shine bright everywhere we go

Music for the people to illuminate the soul

Lights shine bright everywhere we go

Music for the people

Jesus music for the people

I often feel surrounded by darkness, especially with all the horrible evil going on right now, but it is good to know that we have light to illuminate our soul, and that light has a name.

Where do you find your light?

 

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