Saturday, July 15, 2017

July 15

Do you long for Jesus? Is He the source of your passion? Or, do you run after other things? When I read the Psalms of King David, I see his  passion and desire for God. He doesn't hold anything back! He laid his heart out for God and exalted Him like no other. When you lift God up, in worship and praise, as David did, He rewards you. David has the honor of being called a man after God's own heart, can that be said of you? I fall short of that honor daily. My heart desires to be that kind of worshiper, but the things of this world are a distraction and it pulls my attention in a different direction. David was chased by a mad man and he still managed to offer God His heart. We have no excuse for not giving Him our best and worshiping Him as He desires. Spend a little time with Jesus today. Pursue Him with the same passion you have for the other things you love. The reward is great and the honor is glorious!


O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalms 63:1-4

Friday, July 14, 2017

July 14

If you've ever sold a home and are waiting for it to close so you can move on to the next home, you realize that there is a lot of preparation involved. There is cleaning and packing that needs to be done and the process can be quite overwhelming. The home you're moving from, is now a temporary home, even though you've lived in it for a long time. You begin to get rid of the useless things that you have accumulated throughout the years and pack only the best things to take to your new home. If only we could be more proactive in decluttering as we go, we wouldn't have as much to do. As a Christ follower, we are living in our temporary home and our new home is Heaven. You can't take all the clutter you've accumulated inside into our Heavenly home, so get rid of it now! It's time to clean up and start looking like the being that resides within you. It's time to start looking like Jesus.


Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Colossians 3:5-9

Thursday, July 13, 2017

July 13

Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the incredible things of God. Once again, I'm awakened early, five-twenty to be exact, and I took my dog out. As I turned around to see where she had gone, I saw this green ball of fire shooting across the sky! That's not all, I could see the smoke from it after it burned out. I'm thinking it was pretty close for me to be able to see the smoke! I have no idea what it was and I didn't find anything on the internet that could offer a good explanation. The things of God are often unexplainable; like how He is there, but you don't see Him. Sometimes you get to see the unusual works of His hands with your own eyes. When you feel alone, isn't that because you are blocking Him out? Open your heart, He's right there. He chased after you to make you His own, now turn around and receive all He has for you. His love is better than seeing that green ball of fire rushing across the sky, and it's more tangible!


nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

July 12

After what seemed like months of drought, we finally get the much needed daily rain of the summer. July is notorious for afternoon and evening thunderstorms in Florida. The grass grows at an uncontrollable rate, which makes it necessary to get out and get the yard work done during the heat before the rains set in. What a joy it is to mow and pull weeds! It's a great reminder that we don't live in the Garden of Eden. But, one day, we will be in a place like it! Until that day, we are to be the trees planted near the river. We are to produce fruit, bring the gospel, to feed the world. Our leaves, words and actions, are to bring comfort and healing. Assess yourself. Are you planted firmly near the river, which is Jesus? Are your roots reaching into that water? Are you keeping your grass mowed and the weeds pulled? Fruit trees that are left unkempt don't produce as much fruit. Make sure you are maintaining your garden so you produce large crops!


through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

July 11

For twenty years I've had blinds on the windows for privacy and to help block the sun. It wasn't until we began preparing our home to sell that we decided to show off our view and raise up those blinds. We've always been able to see through them, but I didn't realize how much the slats were obstructing what we could see. Oh, what a glorious view! All that light filling the room brings such joy! Then, a new problem arises; that additional light exposed all the flaws! The window sills were full of dust and insect carcasses, all needing to be cleaned up and have a fresh coat of paint applied. Until it was cleaned up, it was an eyesore! This is the same thing that happened to Isaiah when he saw the Lord in his vision. Seeing the Lord was magnificent, but he was exposed, and he saw himself for what he was, a filthy sinner. What's more is that Isaiah was a great prophet! Humble yourself before the Lord, we are but filthy rags.

And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Isaiah 6:5


for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

Monday, July 10, 2017

July 10

On this journey, I was given the responsibility of cleaning a home that has been sitting vacant for several years; it stinks and has been overtaken by spider webs. I get busy cleaning up the webs so I'm not creeped out, and wash the windows so I can see through them, and begin cleaning this unusual black out "curtain" that's just a monstrosity: it was heavy and filthy! I worked on it for about an hour, using a whole bottle of cleaner. After all that work, it was suggested that we take it down. What! Are you kidding me? All that work and now you want to take it down! I couldn't be happier! Things don't always pan out the way we plan them in our minds and that's not always a bad thing, it's just different. This journey that we're on feels like driving down a curvy road, but that's because we don't see the whole picture. Rest assured that God is preparing the table in this dark world and the enemy will watch as you feast!


You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalms 23:5

Sunday, July 9, 2017

July 9

My son and his friend took a drive down to the keys for a fishing trip. He was longing to catch and land a bull dolphin. So they chartered a boat and went out to the Gulf Stream and began looking for some rubbish floating on the surface, because they tend to hang out there. Lo and behold, he gets one hooked! He fought that fish until he had blisters on his hands. Just as he was about to land him, a mere twenty feet from the boat, a twelve foot shark snatched him and took off with the whole thing. The captain said that in all his years of fishing, he had never seen anything like that. My son was disappointed, but what a story he has to tell! This is a good lesson for those of us who are fishers of men. There is an enemy out there waiting to devour those people who are hard-pressed to make a commitment to Jesus. Sometimes, as we are reeling them in, the enemy snatches them away. Remain committed to bringing the lost home, but remember, you're not responsible for the outcome, He is!

And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19