My Child,


You may not know me, but I know everything about you. (Psalm 139:1)


I know when you sit down and when you rise up. (Psalm 139:2)


I am familiar with all your ways. (Psalm 139:3)


Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-31)


For you were made in my image. (Genesis 1:27)


In me you live and move and have your being. (Acts 17:28)


For you are my offspring. (Acts 17:28)


I knew you even before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:4-5)


I chose you when I planned creation. (Ephesians 1:11-12)


You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. (Psalm 139:15-16)


I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. (Acts 17:26)


You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)


I knit you together in your mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)


And brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6)


I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me. (John 8:41-44)


I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. (1 John 4:16)


And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (1 John 3:1)


Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (1 John 3:1)


I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. (Matthew 7:11)


For I am the perfect father. (Matthew 5:48)


Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. (James 1:17)


For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. (Matthew 6:31-33)


My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)


Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)


My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. (Psalm 139:17-18)


And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)


I will never stop doing good to you. (Jeremiah 32:40)


For you are my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5)


I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:41)


And I want to show you great and marvelous things. (Jeremiah 33:3)


If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. (Deuteronomy 4:29)


Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)


For it is I who gave you those desires. (Philippians 2:13)


I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)


For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)


I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)


When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psalm 34:18)


As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isaiah 40:11)


One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. (Revelation 21:3-4)


And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. (Revelation 21:3-4)


I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. (John 17:23)


For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26)


He is the exact representation of my being. (Hebrews 1:3)


He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. (Romans 8:31)


And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)


Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)


His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. (1 John 4:10)


I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. (Romans 8:31-32)


If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. (1 John 2:23)


And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. (Romans 8:38-39)


Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. (Luke 15:7)


I have always been Father, and will always be Father. (Ephesians 3:14-15)


My question is … Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13)


I am waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32)


Love, Your Dad.
Almighty God


You fall and make mistakes; you do things you regret. You understand the feeling of dejection when it feels like things could never be made right again. You might have felt at one point that God is angry with you or has never existed in the first place!


In those moments, it might be difficult to remember that God still loves you. It might even be hard for you to pray and ask for help.


But God knows you better than you know yourself. Remember that God is close, is extremely interested in you, and above all else, He LOVES YOU!
(above from Active Christianity)

If you've never called on Jesus to save you, please continue below:

Admit you're a sinner.

Understand that you can't save yourself no matter how "good" you are, or how much good you do, and that the ONLY way you can be saved is by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (who came, suffered, died and rose again for the forgiveness of your sins).

BELIEVE in His sacrifice so that you can be forgiven, and then put your TRUST in Him with your very life, and with that, you WILL be saved! 

Jesus did His part, the rest is up to you. 

(Romans 3:10, 3:23, John 3:16-17, Romans 10:9-13 and Ephesians 2:8-9)

I now have a completely different picture of God standing beside my hospital bed while I was hurting and begging Him to help me. He wasn’t ignoring me. No, I believe it took every bit of holy restraint within Him to not step in and remove my pain. He loved me too much to do the very thing I was begging Him to do.


He knew things I didn’t know. He saw a bigger picture I couldn’t see. His mercy was too great. His love was too deep. Indeed, He is a good, good Father.


He was not far off like I’d imagined as I lay writhing in pain. He was near. So very near. Just like Psalm 145:18 tells us, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”


He was loving me through the pain. It was necessary pain — life-saving pain I can see now with new eyes. It’s given me a whole new outlook on times when God seems silent.


His silence was part of the rescue.


Father, You know the heartache and pain we are facing. Help us trust and believe You are not far off, but are very close — holding us, comforting us. We know You are good. And we trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


-Lysa TerKeurst

This life, right here right now, is your time for "choosing".

​Will you choose "yourself", and all that this world has to offer you (both pleasures AND struggles), or will you choose to "surrender" yourself to Christ and live a life of obedience to God? You are free to make this choice. That's how God wants it, as He doesn't desire slaves, but rather faithful servants who are willing to carry out His will here on Earth.

Howevever, with this choice comes consequence. If you choose the things of this world, you are putting yourself ahead of God. What does that say to Him? It says, "I can do just fine on my own. I know what decisions are best for me and, quite frankly, I don't NEED you." If you're telling God you don't need Him during this time of choosing, then why would He think you'd want a relationship with Him for all eternity when this life is over? Answer: He wouldn't. God will honor your decision, not only now, but forever in fact, unless you repent and ask for His forgiveness. Have you thought about what a billion lifetimes would be like in the "absence" of God? I wouldn't even want to ponder what a world would look like where evil was left unchecked by God's goodness. A world without love. A world without light. A world where only despair and regret remain.

Not my world (thank you Jesus).

On the other hand, by choosing to make God your focus in this lifetime, you are telling Him that you DO desire a relationship with Him, both now and forever! You're saying that you acknowledge His love for you. A love so great that He sent His only son down from heaven to suffer and die for the forgiveness of your sins and to provide you a path to salvation. You're saying that you CAN'T do it all on your own and that you NEED His help in this life.

What does this choice require of you? Asking. Just asking Jesus to come into your heart and begin to guide your NEW life with Him at the center. A NEW life where you'll want to love others as He has loved you. A NEW life of spreading the "good news" to all those you encounter who are still struggling in darkness and unbelief. A NEW life where, once completed, you'll enter into an eternity of unimaginable joy with your Heavenly Father. This, all because of the choice you are making today.

Sounds like a pretty good "life" to me.

Don't let today, nor anything in your past, get in the way of making a choice to follow Jesus my friends. This is by far the most important "choice" you'll ever (and I do mean EVER) make .

​"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10: 9-10)
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And when you "don't" put Jesus first, it's unfair to whomever (or whatever) you did put there, because that person or "thing" can't possibly live up to your expectations.

Only through a personal relationship with Jesus can one be saved.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)

It has become popular nowadays to believe there are multiple paths to heaven. Even some quote/unquote "Christian" churches have began to be swayed by this notion. "If I'm a good person, surely God will let me in" or "there are so many different religions that there can't be just one way to heaven and it's arrogant for one religion to think that." Oh, how this must grieve our Heavenly Father.

​From the beginning we have rebelled against our Creator. Yet, God so loved us still, that He sent His only son down from heaven to die for the attonement of our sins and provide us a pathway to salvation. Folks, there is only ONE way to an eternity in heaven. It is not through our good works or being a generally good person who loves others, but through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

​Repent of your sins today, invite Jesus into your heart, and BELIEVE that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved! Not through anything you did, or can do, but through God's grace.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

​

I often want to immediately see the good that God promises, but sometimes God’s good answer is “not yet.” There is a timing to everything.


You may be living under a promise of God but not yet see the fruit of that promise. You might pray for something that hasn’t happened yet and even see no hope of it ever coming to pass.


Though we may not understand, we must trust God’s timing is perfect.


Our God is a God of completion. He makes promises and then He fulfills them. Even if we don’t see it in this life — He will complete what He has set out to complete.


Father God, thank You for reminding me today that I can trust You in my wait. When my circumstances and my own weary heart beg me to believe You have forgotten me, help me remember You are still very much at work. Even in the silence. Even in the unknown. Even when I can’t see anything on the horizon. I want to trust You more and more each day — knowing that not only are all Your ways perfect, but Your timing is perfect too. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


-Lysa TerKeurst

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

When satan was cast out of heaven, he didn’t go alone.  Along with him, went a third of God’s angels who also rebelled against the Lord.  So, where are they all now?  They are demons here among us.  Each day satan and his hoard are working to capture and then “keep” your soul from God.  Once Adam and Eve rebelled against their Father, we became sinful beings.  We can't help it, which is why it’s so easy for satan to keep us in darkness.  Through our hatred, pursuit of money, lustful thoughts, selfish pride, etc., the devil has many tools to keep us out of God’s light.  The more we concentrate our thoughts on worldly “things”, the easier target we become for evil’s strategies.  But, all is not lost.

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).  Remember, only a third of God’s angels were hurled from heaven.  That means two thirds remained faithful to God and are being commanded by the none other than our Lord and Savior.  We don’t have to fight evil on our own.  “The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." (Exodus 14:14) and “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22).  I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty confident with “GOD” in my corner as I enter the battlefield each day.  What must we do?  Resist temptation and live a godly life.  “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).  By living in God’s light, He will fight our battles for us when satan and his demons come calling.  Acknowledge, profess and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and God will be with you...ALWAYS!

As you rise in the morning, give glory to God for another day, and all the blessings He’s bestowed upon you.  “Also, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6: 13-17). 

Upon thanking the Lord for all you have, and suiting up in His armor, you are now ready to take on the day.  Even if you do find yourself under attack, remember this, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:8).  “And if God is with you, who can stand against you?” (Romans 8:31).

Certainly NOT the devil! 

​Amen.

"Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:6)

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." (Philippians 1:6)

What do you think the disciples where thinking the day after Good Friday when Jesus was crucified?  Just think of the thoughts that must have been racing through their heads that day.  “He was the Messiah, how could this have happened?”, “What are we supposed to do now?”, “Where are we going to go, because if they recognize us, we may suffer the same fate?”.  You want to talk about sitting in God’s waiting room!  Not understanding, not only what just happened in your life, but also WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?
 
In life, we are going to encounter times when something happens that we just don’t understand.  Maybe a sudden job loss strikes, marriage difficulties arise, there's a bad medical diagnosis, or we lose a loved one, where we find ourselves looking skyward asking, “Why?  I don’t understand!”.  Therein lies the test.  The time we spend in between these situations and a resolution is the “wait”.  We can handle the “wait” in two ways.  We can search around for answers and evidence for why this is happening to us, in hopes of then coming up with a verdict as to the “why,”…OR…we can trust that God knows the “why” and that He knows what He’s doing.  That is what we call FAITH.  When we approach difficult issues with FAITH, we “begin” (not end) with the VERDICT.  We may say something like, “God, I may not understand what’s going on right now, but I know that YOU do, and that’s good enough for me.”  That is showing God we can’t handle these difficulties on our own and we want Him to help us.

When we are in God’s “waiting room”, that is waiting for His next move for us, there are some things to remember.  First and foremost is Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Even if the situation resolves itself in such a way that we didn’t desire, remember it was God’s will and there IS a reason for it.  Isaiah 55: 8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  What this means is that we might not understand the “why” at that moment, or maybe even in the years to come, but in the end God will use the outcome for our good “and” for His glory down the road.  Next, trust God’s timing, as it will be perfect.  God is omnipresent, meaning He already knew the "outcome" before you even knew of the difficulty!  So, TRUST in the wait, no matter how long it takes for the answer to appear.  Lastly, remember that you are NOT in the waiting room all alone.  God is always with you, God is always for you and God is always good.
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Waiting is never easy.  Struggles are never easy.  Waiting for an “answer” during a struggle is a double whammy.  Are you patient in your struggles or are you running around trying to fix everything all by yourself?  If you’re doing the former, stop it.  Lift up your concerns to the Lord, pray for His guidance in resolving the situation, and then “wait”.  Just wait.  Watch for His “nudgings” as He begins working on your behalf, but don’t try to “force” the issue yourself.  Remember, this journey isn't about knowing all the answers and then trusting God, but rather it's having faith in God FIRST and then He'll reveal His goodness and plan for you.