it’s difficult

The LORD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him— my father’s God, and I will exalt Him!

- Exodus 15:2 (NLT)

 

Here we are in the year 2022.

We have just experienced some of the craziest things ever, things we never thought were possible.

We have been forced into isolation.

We have seen friends and loved ones destroyed by a virus that was supposed to be no worse than the flu.

Then we were forced to take vaccines that we knew very little about, but we were supposed to trust the very people that have mislead us for years.

Additionally, many have lost their jobs, their homes and are living just above poverty level, barely making ends meet.

Where does it end?

Why is this happening?

What did these people do to deserve the trials they are suffering?

I don’t have all the answers, I wish I did because I see this suffering in someone that I love very much.

All I know is that God has a plan, and that for all the awful times we go through, there is a lesson, there is a way.

All I can say to my friends and loved ones that are going through struggles, is keep your faith, keep praying, keep loving God because He is real and He will see you through this. 

**side note – I will not be sending “daily bread” April 25-29 as I will be on vacation. Please enjoy some of my previous posts by visiting my blog.  Have a blessed week!!**

 

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it hurts

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

- Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

 

I’d like to think that I am a very forgiving person.

I’d like to think that, but as it turns out, I may not be as forgiving as I would like to believe that I am.

I had a friend (past tense) who for some reason decided that she could no longer be my friend.

I had done nothing to her and she has never explained why she chose to turn away although I have my suspicions.

When I see her, she turns away.

It hurts.

I have tried to talk to her and it is the most uncomfortable conversation, like sitting on a cactus.

I have another friend that hurt me very deeply, but that friend has not hidden from me and encourages me to talk about the pain that I feel by the betrayal as I work through the forgiving process. 

It still hurts.

One of the best things that I have heard a pastor say is “forgiveness is when you no longer wish ill against that person”

Whoa . . . we have to want good for the people that hurt us.

Forgiveness does not mean that we will be close with the people that hurt us again, some people are toxic and we simply do not want or need them in our lives.

There re some hurts that are big hurts, that affect us spiritually and emotionally as well as hurting our soul.

We have to forgive in order to heal and yes, it is hard.

Ask God for His help on this, He will be there for you.

 

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a message for you

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved.

- 1 Corinthians 1:18 (CEB)

 

Easter may be over for this calendar year, but it is hardly over for those who follow Christ.

I know there are a lot of people that don’t believe, but those of us who do, those of us who have seen His work, we know His power.

The beauty of the Gospel is that we are FORGIVEN.

That is right, forgiven.

There is nothing that you can do that God won’t forgive, but the caveat is that you have to come to Him.

And the only way to come to Him is through Jesus.

I am saved by the power of His blood and I really strive to change the minds of those that don’t believe - I mean there are miracles around us every single day.

YOU are miracle!

Let’s make it a goal to talk about our faith, to change lives by changing hearts.

God’s power is amazing, why wouldn’t you want to share?

 

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pay up!

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

- Romans 13:6-7 (NIV)

 

Hopefully everyone has filed their taxes or requested an extension for 2021.

In the US we pay taxes on everything from food and fuel to clothes and activities.

We pay taxes when we receive our paychecks and we pay taxes when we buy stuff.

We pay taxes when we live and believe it or not we pay taxes when we die!

And we still have to file taxes before the middle of the third month and sometimes we have to pay more taxes then!

It feels sometimes like we pay more in taxes that we do for actual products or services!

Accountants love tax time (I can’t imagine loving math and all those numbers!) I think the general population hates tax time.

Regardless of how we feel about taxes, it is the law that we pay them, both government law and God’s law.

I am glad that most tax collectors are nicer today than they were in Jesus’ time.

God directs us to give what we owe, and that is often more than just money, it is also about honor, respect and even love.

You can’t expect to be honored, respected and loved if you don’t show the same to others.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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alive and well

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

- Mark 16:5-6 (NIV)

 

He is Risen! He is risen, indeed!

Jesus died, was buried, He descended into Hell, on the third day He rose again, He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. (the Apostles’ creed).

The resurrection was and still is one of the greatest miracles of all time.

He lives so that we can live.

He suffered so that we don’t have to suffer.

God loves us so much that He wants us to live with Him forever and to ensure that happens He gave up His Son for us.

Even though there has been sorrow in my life, I am so happy to be alive!

In Him I have life!

Celebrate the risen King!

 

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a compelling theory

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

 

Starting today’s verse in the New International Version, I struggled a bit with what to write, how to work this into a “daily bread” that makes sense.

So, I opened my Bible app to the compare section and found The Message translation that also included verses 11-13: 
That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.

Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in His life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

That is pretty deep, I know.

I like multiple translations because it helps me understand His word better.

For example, the NIV translation reads “One died for all, and therefore all died.”, that can be confusing trying to discern the meaning behind the verse but know that as the Message translation reads that Christ “included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in His life”, well that is pretty powerful, and that is just what I need to know,

Jesus didn’t just die.

Jesus didn’t just die for use.

Jesus died to give us life.  

That my friends, is a very compelling theory.

I like it.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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richness of grace

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

- Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

 

I’ve talked about forgiveness in my “daily bread” before.

Isn’t it amazing that we can be forgiven for everything only by asking?

There is more to it than that really, not only do we have to confess our sin and ask forgiveness, but we must sin no more - that is when the richness of God comes through.

We are redeemed, we live by faith, we are richer than all the billionaires in the world when we have the riches of God’s grace.

That’s rich my friends, very rich indeed.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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