“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:10-11 NIV Read full chapter
May our hearts be a storehouse of God’s Word so that the Holy Spirit can bring to mind the verses necessary for our guidance.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
I never knew, how my hopes grew, so silently they spread. Like ivy leaves on chimney wall they grew inside my head. Until the bitter breezes blew, and left them all for dead. I felt them shrivel up and fall, and it was then I knew, that down inside my hopes had died, and they were mine no more.
Whole fleets of expectations,
like hungry merchant ships,
had sailed into my harbor heart,
and docked among the slips.
They'd tied themselves with sailor's art
to wait their promised store.
And when, with hulls still empty,
they were ordered to depart,
they rose in bloody mutiny
and stormed upon the shore.
Oh how they wailed,
and loud their cries
for longings unfulfilled,
as vacant satisfaction's lies
slipped through their hands
like desert sands,
to lie
upon the floor.
Enough.
Delib'rately
I turn my eyes
away from where
lament was spent,
and to the place my certain home
lies high above the skies,
where moth and rust do not destroy
and thieves can steal
no more.
The kingdom of the Righteous One, whose lips can form no lies, prepares for me a mansion, grand, and beckons me with outstretched hand up where ev'ry shattered hope becomes a bright kaleidoscope, there stands, for me, an open door.
"See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapter 3, Verse 8
Craig Sabin is my favorite poet. His poetry touches my heart. It will touch your heart, too. Read Craig’s story at the post below.
Today, I am writing specifically to persecuted Christians around the world. My prayer is that these precious Words from God will encourage you and strengthen you through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 Read full chapter
“To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:1-4
I noticed that James’ letter is addressed to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” They were scattered throughout the Roman world because of persecution. Some of you know that kind of persecution today. There are many Christians around the world who are praying earnestly for you.
” … we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:18-19
May God bless you and keep you. May He strengthen you and give you hope as you trust in Him.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:14-16 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
“Zion, the city of Jerusalem, is personified as a desperate woman who believes that God has forsaken her. Yet God’s love is so infinite that an adoring mother will forget to have compassion on her child before He will forget His children.” Jeremiah Study Bible Notes
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:9-11 NASB Read full chapter
My thoughts: Man makes plans that may never come to pass, but God’s Word will never fail!
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
Hopelessness is the cruelest emotion. I felt hopeless once. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Hopelessness is like being in a dark hole. You don’t know how to get out and you don’t care. I held on by repeatedly telling myself that I wouldn’t always feel like this. Eventually, God rescued me from the pit of despair.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
“How priceless is your unfailing love, O God.” Psalm 36:7
“When you go through deep waters I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2
If you have ever experienced hopelessness, and you’re still around to tell about it, you will understand the inextricable need of all human beings to have HOPE.
Suicide, the intentional termination of one’s own life, is a significant public health concern worldwide. The contributing factors can be complex; however, it often stems from a deep feeling of hopelessness and the inability to believe that there are any solutions to the problems the individual faces.
As Christians, we can bring hope to people trapped in discouragement. What greater motivation could there be for devoting time each day to God alone? My prayer is that because I seek Him, others will see Him and take hold of that hope that anchors my soul.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.” Hebrews 6:19-20
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”Romans 8:24-25
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
Hope is a powerful thing. God’s Word has much to say about it. As a Christian, you can bring hope to those who need it because you know the God of hope.
“God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope.” Catherine Marshall
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Read full chapter
“What Paul is urging is that we find the truth of scripture and stand in that truth together.” Carolyn Dawson Unity Matters
My thoughts: We don’t have unity in the body of Christ because we are accepting and tolerate false teaching. We will have unity only when “we find the truth of scripture and stand in that truth together.” Amen!
Visit Carolyn’s post Unity Matters for more on this topic.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
Jesus said, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:13-15 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
My thoughts: God has given us His Word so that we might know truth. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will guide us into all the truth. Obviously, not everyone has been guided into all truth. Why is that? It’s because we have to love the truth above anyone’s opinion, including our own. We have to be seeking truth and only truth no matter where it leads us. That is different from looking for verses to support our own opinions or the opinions we want to be true.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
On October 7, 2023, the world witnessed the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Israel’s enemies want to take their land. But not only that, they want to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth!
Some people question Israel’s right to their land. They cry “Free Palestine!” They call Israel “occupiers”. But did you know that the territory God gave to Abram’s descendants includes all of present day Israel plus much more?
“On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” Genesis 15:18-21 Read full chapter
Interesting Facts:
The wadi of Egypt refers to the Euphrates River which originates in the Armenian Highlands of southeastern Turkey and then flows through the countries of Syria and Iraq, and finally drains into the Persian Gulf.
Later, God appeared to Abram again…
“I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:6-8 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
Does God’s covenant include the descendants of Abram’s son Ishmael?
Then God said, “… your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.”
The best evidence indicates that Moses wrote Genesis between 1440 and 1400 BC. By my calculation, that’s about 3,465 years ago! AND YET this book is still relevant today! I am thankful that God has recorded in His Holy Word the precise boundaries of Israel!
On today’s map, the land God gave to Israel includes everything modern-day Israel possesses, plus all of the territory occupied by the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
And yet, many people claim that Israel is stealing a land not their own. How absurd!
Israel has many enemies. The biggest is Satan himself. He lies and deceives the nations. But the enemies of Israel will not succeed in their quest to annihilate God’s people, Israel.
God also said to Abram:
“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3
Israel has had to fight for their very existence for thousands of years, and they fight for it still today. Stand with Israel and be blessed.
In His Love, Cindy
Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6
All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.
Real Christian Women 