Hidden Treasure

You know we see the Lord all around us every day.  We see Him in a sunrise, in a sunset, at the beach and even in the rain.  God is everywhere.  And although He is evident in all we see, He tells us in Jeremiah 29:13 to "seek Him".  He wants us to look for Him, and even more...He wants us to find Him.

God wants us to search for Him before anything else.  He wants to be first in our lives. (Matthew 6:33)  He wants to have a relationship with us.  God...the Creator of the heavens and the earth...has invited us to seek Him out, to talk to Him, to spend time with Him.  He cares about every little detail of our life, and He wants us to share every moment of our life with Him.  But seeking God needs to be consistent...not just when we need Him...but all the time.  No matter our circumstances, no matter what's going on in our lives - good or bad - we should always look for God.  

I believe we're all searching for something, and I believe that something is God.  So search for Him as if you're hunting for hidden treasure, and you will find Him.

                               "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
                                                                                                                                Jeremiah 29:13

There's Just Something About That Name

"Head of Christ"
Warner Sallman

"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there's just something about that name.

Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away

But there's something about that name"

This song was written and composed by Bill and Gloria Gaither in 1970.  It's always been one of my favorites.  Just the sound of Jesus' name on my lips brings me comfort.  And you know the Lord tells us that when we're scared, when we feel lost or distant from Him, all we have to do is just whisper His name.

Are you scared today?  Is there something troubling you?  Are you at your wits end with worry?  Or are you trying to find Jesus today?  Just whisper His name...He's always there.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name 

under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12 (NIV)

Just Breathe

 

A Friend Loves At All Times

The dictionary tells us that a friend is a person who you know well, a person you like...a person you trust.  I believe a friend is someone who understands what you're not saying.  A friend listens; a friend cares.  A friend is someone who knows you well, yet they still love you when you're not very lovable.  They love you through the good times and the bad.  They love you at your worst.  A friend is someone we can turn to when we need a lift...someone we treasure.  They make the world a better place.  We lean on them; we confide in them.  We laugh with them, and we cry with them.

Our friends are always there when we need them, and we should be there for them as well.  We should pray for them, care for them, help them with their needs.  We are to love them, we are to support them, even if we don't agree with their situation.  We are to love them no matter what.  We need friends to tell us what we need to hear, not what we want to hear. 

In Proverbs 18:24, we're told, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother".  Jesus is the very definition of a friend...a true friend.  He proved this when He gave His life for us on the cross.  He made Himself our friend with a love so unimaginable.  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

We don't meet people by accident.  They are meant to cross our path for a reason.  Maybe it's to teach us a life lesson, to help us figure out who we are, or to be who God meant us to be.  I believe that friends are angels sent by God to help us discover these things.

                                          "A friend loveth at all times..."
Proverbs 17:17

Just Trust Him

God has a plan for your life.  Do you believe that?  To believe is to trust.  Do you trust God?  Do you trust that He's able to do the impossible in your life?  Do you trust that He has a plan for your life?  A plan far greater than anything you could ever imagine or dream of.

Sometimes it's hard to trust when you have a past that has taught you anything but that.  Maybe you've been hurt by someone.  Maybe someone made you a promise they couldn't or didn't keep.  I think we tend to judge God by what others have done to us.  I know I have.  I've been hurt alot, and trust comes hard for me.  But with each passing day...the more time I spend with God, the more I learn about Him, the closer I get to Him...the more I love Him and trust Him.

He doesn't want us to worry, to stress, and He doesn't want us to figure it out.  He wants us to just trust Him and know that everything will work out for the best.  He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you... thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

God will meet your needs.  He will answer your prayers.  Everything may not come in the exact package that you wanted, but God will give you what He thinks is best for you.  And it may take a little longer than what you wanted, but it will come to you in God's timing. 

Have you ever considered that maybe He closed that door because He knew you were worth so much more?  And maybe He knew that what you needed would be better suited for another time.  God knows what He's doing, and He's looking out for your best interests.  We just don't always see that. 

Sometimes the best thing you can do is not think, not wonder, not imagine, not obsess.  Just breathe and have faith that everything will work out for the best.  So keep praying, keep trusting, and God will make good on His promises.

                                            "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

                                                                                                                                                                                        Proverbs 3:5