it’s a choice

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

- Romans 12:12 (NIV)

 

This time of year can be extremely stressful for pretty much everyone.

A gentle reminder. . .

We all have limits that are reached, whether it is our jobs or our families, or the long lines at the store, and sometimes it is difficult at best to be joyful and patient, and even less faithful in prayer.

We need to remain joyful, hopeful, patient and faithful.

Oh, let me tell you, the struggle is real!

I don’t know about you, but there are times in my life when surviving day to day is a struggle and I simply must trust that my God will see me through.

It is not easy - but pray.
No matter the situation, no matter the struggle, pray.
Phil Ware, one of the contributing authors of Verse of the Day has this to say:

“Choosing joy through hope rather than despair, choosing patient endurance in times of affliction, and choosing faithfulness in prayer are all decisions of the will trusting that the God who raised Jesus from the dead can also change our circumstances because He hears our voice.”

It is our hope in Jesus that keeps us going, our faith that He is there, always,

Prayer is God's gift to us so that we can be patient and joyful, even when things don't appear to be going well.

Maybe knowing that He hears our voice is all we need to know to find joy, to be patient and to continue our journey of faithfulness.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

stand your ground

 If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

- Isaiah 7:9b (NIV)

 

It is that time of year when the haters come out to hate.
The other day I saw a post in a Facebook craft group that said “If I wanted to join a Christian group I would have” because someone posted a “Jesus is the Reason” craft.
I mean, come on, crafters are doing all sorts of Christmas crafts, and you really thought you wouldn’t see one about Jesus?
We wouldn’t have Christmas with out Him, but I digress. 

Most of the thousands of members of the group said the same thing, they were all standing together in faith.
It’s been a minute since I did any song reference, so let’s look at a snippet from Lauren Daigle’s “O’ Lord”, released in 2015:
Though times it seems like I'm coming undone

This walk can often feel lonely

No matter what until this race is won

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found

Oh! O' Lord, o' Lord, I know You hear my cry

Your love is lifting me above all the lies

No matter what I face this I know in time

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

Your strength is found at the end of my road

Your grace—it reaches to the hurting

Still through the tears and the questioning why

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found!

I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found!

Oh, O' Lord, O' Lord, I know You hear my cry

Your love is lifting me above all the lies

No matter what I face this I know in time

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

You'll take all that is wrong and make it right

What a powerful message.

We must stand up for what we believe in, because if we don’t, well then, we end up following the wrong people and doing the wrong things and then we aren’t standing at all.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

a sign

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

- Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)

 

Everywhere you look there are signs.
“Do Not Enter”, “One Way”, “No U Turn”. 

Oh, thinking about these signs just opened my brain to a whole new message!

We don’t have to look very far to see negative signs in the world today, they are everywhere.
This is not a recent development either, there have been negative signs for as long as there has been the ability to print.
Back in the 1950’s and 60’s you could see terrible signs at nearly every establishment in the United States.
Humans tend to discriminate against anything and everything. 
Stop looking for signs, especially the bad signs like “Do Not Enter”, “One Way”, “No U Turn” – because none of that is true in Christ.
The Bible says the Lord Himself will give you a signand that means that we are allowed to enter, it isn’t a one-way relationship, and we can certainly turn our lives around when we accept Christ. 
God loves us enough that He not only sent His Son, but He gave us a sign – many signs – that Jesus is the way, the truth, the life.
The life of Jesus is God’s sign that He will always be with us. 
I like that sign. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

I’m a mess

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

- Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

Have you ever just looked around yourself and thought, boy howdy, I’m a mess?
No? Then stop reading because today’s “daily bread” is not for those who are perfect.
Still here? 
Good, I thought you might be. 
So, boy howdy, I am a mess. 
As I have gotten older my anxiety has gotten worse, some days I don’t want to get out of bed.
But I do it anyway. 
Why?

Because I don’t have to fight every battle, especially the ones that Christ already won.
We are more than conquerors means that those who are saved by faith in Christ can overcome anything.
Any thing. 
No matter how big or small our mess is, God is for us, and we can have confidence knowing that He will help us overcome.  
Victory is ours because the Lord loves us and promises us that His love is the guarantee of our conquest of all the things that come against us.
Be a mess, God doesn’t care how messy you are or how big your messes seem to you, because He loves you.
No matter what problem comes our way, we can overcome it through Christ Jesus.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

the race is on

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

- Acts 20:24 (NIV)

 

There are 22 days before Christmas.
We made it through Thanksgiving, black Friday shopping, hanging Christmas lights and decorating the tree.
Now we begin the rat-race of Christmas parties, shopping frenzies, eating ourselves silly, and we forget the reason for the season.
Rat-races. 

Over the years, I have heard many variations of the term “rat race”, from joining the rat race to escaping the rat race.

Wikipedia says A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit.

The phrase equates humans to rats attempting to earn a reward such as cheese, in vain.

It may also refer to a competitive struggle to get ahead financially or routinely.

Urban dictionary defines rat race as a term used to describe a frustrating, hard-to-break financial lifestyle.

It is a lifestyle that is lived by countless people, oblivious to the very nature of it, to a degree that even when called upon, vehemently deny it.

Have you ever wondered if we are in a rat race to find salvation?

Earlier in Acts chapter 20, Paul is telling us that he is going to Jerusalem, knowing that he may go to prison.

In fact, Paul went to several prisons over the course of his life, because he was testifying about his God.

What is your life if you don’t share the Gospel?

What might come of you if you don’t stand for what you believe?

Someday, someone may look at all these words I write since I started sharing my email/blog, and I may be arrested – it happens in other countries, and I fear it will happen here someday too.

But . . .

If my words, caused one life to turn to Jesus, then it was worth it.

Jesus gave His life for you; would you give your life for Him?

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

with thanksgiving

I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

- Psalm 69:20 (NKJV)

 

Thanksgiving is tomorrow!!!

It is a day set aside to reflect and be thankful for all that God has given us.

Fun facts for today: although we mostly consider Thanksgiving Day that is something celebrated only in the United States of America, did you know other countries celebrate similar holidays and feasts? 

For example:

• India celebrates harvest in various regions
• Canada celebrates thanksgiving in October
• The cornucopia is traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It comes from Greek mythology and was said to be a “horn of plenty” that was given by the Greek god Zeus. The horn was believed to magically produce an endless supply of anything desired by the one who owns the horn.
• The Chinese Festival of “Chung Ch’ui” — on this day many in China eat moon cakes (small yellow cakes) to celebrate the harvest moon
• The Jewish feast of Sukkot is observed during the harvest season
• Ancient Egyptians had a feast in honor of Min, the god of harvest and fertility
• Lamas Day, was celebrated in the British Isles. On this day people would take a loaf of bread to church. The loaf was baked from the first harvest.
• Harvest Festival is celebrated in the UK and as time goes on many of the American traditions and foods are added to celebration dinners.
• Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in Croatia on August 5th. But rather than a thanksgiving holiday it is really a memorial to the day that the city of Knin was seized by the Croatian Army during the War of Independence.
• Other countries such as Germany, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, and Korea also have thanksgiving and/or harvest festivals

 

We should not just be thankful one day a year but celebrate the greatness of our God with thanks every day!

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

it’s all about giving

I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

- Acts 20:35 (NKJV)

 

As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, be reminded that it is not so much what we get, but rather much more what we give.

Helen Walton was quoted as saying that what is important in life is not what we gather, but what we scatter.

Let’s make our goal to bless someone each day in a small but special way.

When the world is filled with worry and sadness, we have a huge opportunity to be light, joy and hope this Holiday season.

Many people think that thanksgiving is for giving thanks but what if it means giving because I am thankful?

We can’t out give God, but we can follow His model by giving.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible