He shall cover (interweave to make a hedge) you with his feathers, and under his wings you will trust (flee for protection): His truth shall be thy shield and buckler(surrounding you). -Psalms 91:4 KJV
Some days, there’s is no place I would rather be than tucked under the wings of our Father, taking complete refuge in Him. Wouldn’t you like to be so close that you could hear His heart beat and be enveloped in His love that warms from head to toe?
I enCOURAGE you to take cover under our Fathers wings. Snuggle up with Him and just hear what He lovingly has to say to your soul.
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. (Psalms 147:11 KJV)
The Lord takes pleasure in us that fear him. I could stop with that sentence. God is pleased by us. God delights in us! Really?
We all want to be accepted and loved. This verse goes farther and simply states the Lord is pleased with us. He delights in us that fear Him, that are in awe and amazed by Him. Every day that we choose to live amazed by our Creator, our Great God, He is delighted! The fact that God delights in us because we fear him is like relaxing into a warm, snuggly blanket in front of a roaring fire on a cold, frigid night. It warms my heart to know God is delighted by us.
The verse ends by saying God also takes pleasure in those who hope, expect and wait for his mercy and kindness. He is overjoyed because we hope (joyfully and confidently expect good) in Him. Wow. Just wow.
I enCOURAGE you to be amazed by our God. Be amazed by who He is. Be amazed by His great love. Be amazed by what he did for us. Hope in Him. It makes Him happy and he takes pleasure in it!
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, [and] the waters flow. (Psalm 147:5, 16-18 NKJV)
The sun gloriously rises in the east and sets in the west, every day. Ice crystals always form perfectly and are like no piece of art ever created by man. Majestic snow capped mountains stand immovable and proclaim their splendor. How can anyone believe all of this just happened?
I enCOURAGE to stop, breathe and appreciate creation. Give praise where praise is due. Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.
Can you guess which are happy, sad and onion tears in this photo by Rose Lynn Fisher?
By Tammy Phillips December 12, 2020
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 (KJV)
Johnson’s baby shampoo makes a promise of “no more tears” on the bottle! However, John boldly declares that it is our God who will wipe away all tears. I can hardly wait for that promised day. No more tears! No more death! No more sorrow! No more crying! No more pain! They will all pass away! Praise God! NO MORE TEARS!
However, have you ever felt like David when he said?
“My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where [is] your God?” (Psalm 42:3 NKJV)
Keep crying. God created tears for a purpose, actually there are 3 types of tears according to kellylaser.com:
Basal tears are the ones in our eyes all the time, and serve the purpose of lubricating, nourishing and protecting our eyes.
Reflex tears form to protect the eyes from irritants, such as wind, smoke or onions.
Emotional tears are tears that contain higher concentrations of stress hormones such as adrenocorticotropic hormone, and leucine enkephalin (a natural pain killer), which suggests that emotional tears play a role in balancing stress hormone levels.
When we cry what happens to all those tears? The Word says:
“You have taken account of my wanderings (shake, move to and fro); Put my tears in Your bottle; Are they not recorded in Your book?” Psalms 56:8
Every time I read God’s word, I find a new nugget. I am amazed by this verse.
First, God has his own GPS on us. He knows exactly where we are physically, mentally and spiritually. We cannot hide from Him. Second, He takes a count of when we are happy, sad, shaken, or moved. He records when we are so upset that we can do nothing but move to and fro. Last, He also collects our tears in His bottle. He cares so much that He captures everyone and records it in his book. Wow. Just wow.
So, for now, I enCOURAGE you to cry as often as you need. Cry happy tears or sad tears, they both have a God designed natural pain killer to make you feel better and to relieve stress. Treasure the fact that He captures everyone. However, My hope is in His greater plan to eventually wipe all tears away! Life pain free. No more tears!
by Tammy Phillips December 11, 2020 from December 12, 2019
I awoke about 4:30 am rehearsing the list of “to-do’s” in preparation for our Christmas party for my husband’s team of about 20. They would come knocking in about six hours. I ask the Lord if I could move the list from my head to paper before I sat down with him. The Gentleman that He is said. “No problem and while you are at it, go ahead and mop the floor. It will dry while we talk.”
I made some tea and began to mop the floor. All the while, more things to do encircled my little head.
Stop. Breathe. I heard gentle voice, “Everything you really need to do could happen in about 30 minutes.”
I recalled 1 Corinthians 15:57. It started playing in my head like I was hearing a tune from my Echo, “But thanks be to God, who give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” Over and over, I heard my victory march. I gave the day to my Lord and peace entered through his comforting words.
What do you have to do today? Is it big or small? Is it a hard task or easy? Does it seem impossible? Does it matter? No, because thanks be to God, no matter what it is, He has given us the victory over it! Glory!
I enCOURAGE you to march the victory march today with me over whatever obstacle you may be facing. Sing out loud, “But thanks [be] to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” Grace and peace to you.
The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11 NKJV)
When life begins to boil, how comforting it is to know that God will strengthen us? It is His word. It is his promise. And, He will bless his people with peace.
Hello? You, I, We are his “people.”
The word peace is one of my favorites in the Old Testament. This word peace, shalowm, in Hebrew means more than just a peaceful state. It means completeness, wholeness, soundness, welfare, safety, health, prosperity, contentment.
Whole, healed and complete! What else do you need?
I enCOURAGE you today to walk in peace, knowing that God has blessed you with abundant peace! You are whole, healed and complete in Him!
I was slow getting started today and I knew I needed help to get through. So, I called the Great Physician this morning and this is what the Doctor said:
“My son(daughter) attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.”(Proverbs 4:20-22 AMPC)
He prescribed some capsules of enCOURAGEment:
(Take as many as you need as often as you need to regain your strength, to get you through the day)
Exodus 15:2 (KJV)
The LORD [is] my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he [is] my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
2 Samuel 22:33-34 (KJV)
God [is] my strength [and] power: and he makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like hinds’ [feet]: and setteth me upon my high places.
Psalm 18:2 (KJV)
The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.
Psalm 28:7 (KJV)
The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psalm 27:1 (KJV)
[[[A Psalm] of David.]] The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 12:2 (KJV)
Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:19 (KJV)
The LORD God [is] my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ [feet], and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
I enCOURAGE you…Finally, my brother, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10 (KJV)
Look at the different meanings of strength:
In Exodus 15:2, Psalm 28:7, Isaiah 12:2… Strength is might, power, firmness
In 2 Samuel 22:33, Psalm 27:1… Strength means a place of safety, protection, refuge, stronghold, strong fort, and defense
In Psalm 28:7… Strength is a ROCK
In Habakkuk 3:19… Strength means MAN OF VALOUR, might man of strength, efficiency, wealth, force, or army
I talked to the Lord about something He has asked me to do. I simply stated that I didn’t want to do it. I heard my inner man, the Holy Spirit, rise and plainly question: “Do you think Jesus wanted to go to the cross? He was sinless? Do you think he really wanted to take every sin? No!” In
Luke 22:42: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.”
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours. Those are challenging words when you really do not want to do something that he has called you to do.
However, obedience beckons. I hear my Lord echoing the words of David to Solomon, his son in 1 Chronicles 28:20 (KJV):
“Be strong and of good courage, and DO IT: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, [even] my God, [will be] with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.”
When David told Solomon to do it. It was if he was telling Solomon to, “Make it happen! Deal with it! Get to work, boy!”
I enCOURAGE you to join me and JUST DO IT! I enCOURAGE you to boldly proclaim, “Father not my will but yours!” Whatever He has called you to do, He will empower you to walk through.
“Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and richly dwell in you, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. Colossians 3:16 AMPC
We are to be doers of the word. How do we do it? Paul says in Colossians 3:16, we need to “let the word dwell in us, find its home with us, richly occupy the house.”
When we marry, we occupy our home with our spouse. When we accept Christ as our groom, he comes to live with us. Picture it. The relationship begins with a gentle call from Jesus. He chooses to develop a relationship with you. He says, “Trust me. Believe me.” He showers you with words of love and forever. He professes his eternal love by dying for you. You accept his tender advances. You accept him as your gift, your Savior and Deliverer, who died and rose again for you. (He literally went to hell for you.) He is the best thing that has ever happened to you. You say: “Yes, I do!” Then this man, Jesus, literally moves into you physically home. Do you live differently? Do you lock some rooms in your home, so he doesn’t see the mess? Or are all doors open to him?
I enCOURAGE you to let the WORD, Jesus, occupy. Let Jesus have free run all over your home.
I am ever amazed by God. I wrote this devotion in 2019 ON THIS DAY. I started studying and reading through Galatians just this week again. God is amazing how He aligns everything to teach us, if we will just listen and do….
I love me some Paul. He is such an encourager. I could camp out for months in Galatians, Ephesians,Philippians, & Colossians, etc.. However, I was chewing on some word in Galatians. To be honest, they were a little hard to chew on. Here’s what he said to “off-track” Galatia:
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (Galatians 1:6)
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (Galatians 3:1)
The word foolish here doesn’t mean stupid or inept. It means they knew what to do and didn’t exercise their mind to do it.
This is how the Holy Spirit spoke these verses to me:
You guys blow my mind. Why was it so easy for you to change sides? Who side are you on anyways? You were called into the grace, unmerited favor, of Christ. You turn so easily to something else. A fake news. A distorted news, not the Truth.
Oh foolish Galatians, you know what to do, but you don’t exercise your mind to do it. You just don’t get it. Who has charmed the pants off of you? Who has lied to you and moved you away from the truth? You’ve seen what Jesus has done. Come on now.
Hard words to here on an early morn. We must keep our eyes on the Truth, Jesus. I encourage you. I encourage me. Let’s exercise our mind, do the word & the right thing.
Complete in Him 