my soul

If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

- Psalm 94:17-18 (ESV)

 

My soul would have soon lived in the land of silence.

How often has that happened to us?

I am willing to bet, based on the number of songs and poetry that reference “it is well with my soul” that it happened a LOT.

I know it happens to me.

So many times in this life I have struggled and cried out and every time, every single time God has been there.  

So many times in this life we struggle and cry out, not knowing that God is there, holding us up, because we are simply overcome by our anger or grief that we cannot hear Him.

And we are in the land of silence.

So how are so many able to say “it is well with my soul”?

Because they know, we know that God is the reason that we get through our trials.

God loves us.

The Bible tells us so. 😊

 

#dailybreadbykitty

live wisely

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

- Colossians 4:5-6

 

It was a little over a year ago (May 13, 2020) that I used this same verse in my blog, before that I used it in June 2016.

It popped up on my newsfeed last week as a photo from a Facebook friend.

I often say, that if we hear or see something often enough, God is trying to tell us something so we ought to listen.

Last year I talked about how we were reopening the country after social distancing, and you important it is to remember that not everyone we meet is a Christ follower.

It seems people right now are very short tempered and intolerant.

As Christ followers, we have to be wise, we have to stay calm, we have to take opportunities where we are angry or upset because of someone else and we have to treat them with grace.

Treat everyone with grace. 
God calls us to support one another, to build each other up, but we can’t do that if we are not willing to listen and be respectful.

Every time we speak, we want to show kindness, care, and control.

We need to remember that words can hurt, even if we are not speaking directly to a person but instead they hear us talking.

Someone’s future may be determined by the words they hear from our lips. 

People are watching, your reaction may change a person’s heart.

Always be full of grace.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

open doors

I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

- Revelation 3:8

 

Crazy things happen in life.

People go through many ups and downs, don’t ever let anyone convince you that they have never had a bad day.

It’s all part of growing, life is not perfect.

How we handle the ups and downs, that is what people see and remember.

Look at Job, that man lost everything, more than once, yet his faith in God never failed.

When we are struggling with events and other things of this world, God knows we are tired and hurting, and that is when we need to turn to Him fully.

He knows, and He is with us.

Don’t turn your back on the One that loves you the most.  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

more than we could ask

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for His miraculous power constantly energizes you.

- Ephesians 3:20 (TPT)

 

What dreams do you have?

God knows our wildest dreams, whether we admit them or not, and God longs to do more than that through us!

He wants to work within us so that we can share His love with others.

Our dreams may be tiny in comparison to what He can (and will) do for us, in us and with us.

We are His precious children, destined to do good things for the glory of the One who made us, He can do mighty things, all we have to do is be open to His guidance.

Personally, I can’t wait to see how He continues to work in my life.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

soldiers

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

- 2 Timothy 2:3-4

 

Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, celebrated on the third Saturday in May, created in 1949 to provide a single day celebration of the Army, Navy and Air Force unified under the Department of Defense. 

Many of us either know soldiers or are soldiers, my youngest son (who is also celebrating a birthday today!) served proudly in the US Army, and I could list off all of my family members that have served or are currently serving but the list is far too long. 

To those amazing men and women, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Think about this verse from the viewpoint of a soldier, especially the part about pleasing his commanding officer.

Anyone who has been in the military knows that you don’t make your CO angry.

As a soldier of Christ, who is our commanding officer?

Shouldn’t we all strive to be good soldiers, to do what is pleasing to God?

When I read “no one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs”, my interpretation of this is that we should not let the things of earth tear us down, not the looting, the rioting, the constant battle of wills over leadership and government, but instead we should focus on serving our Commanding Officer, the Lord God.

Do good always, be a soldier in God’s army.

Happy birthday, Jordan!

 

#dailybreadbykitty

free

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

- Colossians 1:21-22

 

Mid-May finds many of us celebrating graduations.

Graduations from pre-K, kindergarten, grade school, junior high, high school, college, even specialized schools such as nursing, veterinarian, law, all kinds of graduations.

Graduation signifies a special sort of freedom – we are now established in our knowledge of what ever we are graduating from and are ready to move on.

We have another graduation to freedom when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  

We become established in the knowledge that we are free from sin, because He died for us on the cross.

But guess what?

Just like when we receive that diploma that shows we have completed our course, it does not end there.

Now it is time to go out into the world, get a job in our field of choice and make a living.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are free from sin, but we have to go out into the world and make our living in this freedom, we can’t go back to dong the same thing we did before, we have to live like we deserve His grace, even though we really don’t deserve it.

We are holy in His sight – let’s start acting like it.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

how great

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

- Psalm 8:1

 

Some days I just can’t.

There are days when this whole world just feels like it is coming down around me, that I just can’t take another step.

I have so many resources available to my, pastors, friends, family, people I can turn to when I just can’t pick myself up anymore.

My first go to though is the Bible, I will always find encouragement there, that usually leads me to song.

Here is another favorite:

Oh Lord, my God

When I, in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration

And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

I may sing that with tears streaming down my face, but I know how amazing my God is.

Don’t let the world bring you down, reach out to someone, anyone, a friend or a stranger (lots of hotlines out there).

Never ever give up.

Jesus died for you, do you think for a moment He won’t hold you when you are hurting?

 

#dailybreadbykitty