kingdom hearts

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

- Hebrews 12:28 (NIV)

 

Yesterday I proposed a challenge to you this week, to find something to be thankful for every day, no matter how tiny it is, and focus on how that something has blessed you.

Today I choose to be thankful for hearts. 

Not the card game, not the candy and Valentines kind, but for kingdom hearts (not the action game or movie).

Jesus talks about the kingdom of God being with us, in our hearts.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we ask Him into our heart and we receive that kingdom of God that cannot be shaken or broken.

I am thankful for the hearts that Jesus has changed, for the people that have come into my life as a direct result of His work, I am thankful for the hearts of those who can see through the evil in this world to the good that still exists and for those who work endlessly to show others that we need to be thankful for what we have been given.

If you are reading this, I am thankful for your heart.

 

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brrrr it’s cold out there!

Our God has blessed the earth with a wonderful harvest!

- Psalm 67:6 (CEV)

 

Here we are, Thanksgiving week 2021.

Even though it has been a rough year for many, we still have a lot for which to be thankful.

Sometimes though we find it difficult to see these things when life throws us a curve ball and often we find ourselves trying to encourage others through a challenging situation, yet our words only hurt them more. 

Our God has blessed us, even when we don’t see it.

This week, I challenge you find something to be thankful for every day, no matter how tiny it is, and focus on how that something has blessed you.

Today I choose to be thankful for the change in the weather. 

Even though I don’t like cold, the change in seasons gives the earth a chance to regenerate and rebuild, and with the change of seasons comes life. 

We celebrate the birth of Jesus in this season, His birth brought us life.

While the cold air is chilling, the love of God warms our soul, and that is a blessing.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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through water and fire

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters,  I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

- Isaiah 43:1a-2

 

Indulge me for a moment while I say happy birthday to the love of my life, I hope today brings you so much happiness. ❤

I asked my husband what his favorite verse is because I wanted to honor him in my daily verse, after all, he is pretty special to me. 
He immediately talked about this verse, which also happens to be one of my favorites.

When we read Isaiah 43, we find that God promises to protect us from water and fire, and that we are His, He calls us by name, we are His own.

This is a promise from God, that we belong to Him.

God formed us and redeemed us, He will never ever abandon us.

No matter what challenges, trials, struggles or difficulties we face, He will deliver us and bring us to safety and victory. 
We can look throughout history and see the one constant, the one truth, God is always there.

Time and time again He has rescued His children, He will not forget us.

We know this to be true, because it is His promise, we know it from history and we know it by faith. 
He calls us by name, there is no way He will let us be overcome. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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taking steps

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.

- Jeremiah 29:13

 

A few years ago at an event held in a church, I witnessed a young autistic girl that kept asking her daddy “Where’s God?”.

She knew she was in a church and she had been taught that God can be found in the church.

Many times I hear people ask “Where was God when this happened?”.

People forget that He is with us always, even when bad things happen.

God is always there, we just need to let Him in, to seek comfort from Him.

Song reference: 
Oh God, You are my God

And I will ever praise you

Oh God, You are my God

And I will ever praise you

I will seek You in the morning

And I will learn to walk in Your ways

And step by step You'll lead me

And I will follow You all of my days

We won’t have to look far when we seek Him, He is waiting for us to let Him into our hearts. 
Where is God? He is right beside you, all you have to do is ask Him to come in. 

 

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rise up

Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it. (NIV) 

Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it. (ESV)

- Ezra 10:4 

 

This was an unusual verse that came across my desk, I was not sure how to use it, but somehow I knew that I need to find a way to post it.

So I did what every person does when they don’t understand something, I googled it! 
There are a lot of commentaries and explanations of the meaning of this verse, but John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible found in Bible Study tools it was broken down for me.  

Arise or rise up: Ezra was on his knees praying for guidance. 
this matter is in your hands: Ezra was a priest and he had the authority to put the law of God into execution.

we are with you: the people in the church were there to help him, he was not going to be doing anything on his own.

be strong and do it: his task was going to be tough and there would be some opposition to it, but he would be successful. 

Like Ezra, we often face things in our lives and the way we handle them does not bring us a lot of popularity votes, but when we handle these things with God in our hearts, we have His support and we have the support of other believers that we are doing the right thing, even when it’s ugly.

When we are faced with these challenges and need to make a decision, the best place to find answers is on our knees asking for God’s guidance just like Ezra did and more often than not, we will find the answers there. 

#dailybreadbykitty

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wondering why

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

- 1 Peter 3:18

 

This verse says a lot, I mean, Christ suffered – like really suffered tremendous pain like we have never experienced when He was crucified.

He didn’t suffer for sins that He had committed, but for the sins of the world.
That is my sin, your sin, our sin, every single sin, Christ took that sin upon His shoulders and died.

Died.  

Why?

To bring us to God.

To give us a chance to turn away from an eternity in Hell.

To show us what the love of the Father can do.

The Message translation of this verse is as follows: 
If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.

Do you know His name?

Do you know the Man that God raised from the dead so that you could enter His kingdom?

As followers of Christ we need to be ready to tell our story. 
It may not be glamourous (it probably isn’t), but it is our story and we need to share it so that others would come to God too.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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when we need help

Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, and glory in Your praise.”

- 1 Chronicles 16:35

 

Life is hard, the struggle is real, and there are times when we just want to give up.

But we can’t give up, there is something that is driving us forward, preventing us from withdrawing from the world.

It is those times that we need help, we need to cry out to God and ask for Him to rescue us.

Song reference: 
Father to the fatherless

Defender of the weak

Freedom for the prisoner

We sing

This is God in his holy place

This is God clothed in love and strength

Sing out, lift your voice and cry out

Awesome is our strong God, mighty is our God

With us in the wilderness

Faithful to provide

Every breath and every step

We see

This is God in his holy place

This is God clothed in love and strength

Sing out, lift your voice and cry out

Awesome is our strong God, mighty is our God

When we cry out to God, He does hear us and He is there for us.

God really will defend us and we find freedom in Him, God in His holy place.

He is a strong and mighty God.

When we find ourselves out of the shadow of the gloom that we are feeling we can be thankful that He really is our Deliverer.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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