7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”The Year of Jubilee, which came every 50th year, was a year full of releasing people from their debts, releasing all slaves, and returning property to who owned it (Leviticus 25:1-13).Luke 19:37-40 (NKJV)
37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying:
“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”I Believe it Now ( lyrics: Sidewalk Prophets) Oh, my God I remember when I cried Shook my fists up at the sky I wondered why You felt so far from me Oh, God It was in my deepest pain That I heard You call my name I heard You say That You were right there with meLord, I pray that the Holy Spirit would lead and guide me in all things, and that I would learn to listen to the gentle promptings of His voice, as I read Your Word daily. Lead me into the New Year following Your will for my life. Thank you Lord for sending Your Holy Spirit to help me in my walk with you. In Jesus name I pray, ~ AmenGod can breakthrough any difficulty you face! God is our ‘wrecking ball’ through adversity!The Bible Stands : hymn by Ron & Shelly Hamilton The Bible stands though the hills may tumble. The Bible stands though the earth may shatter and crumble. I will plant my feet on its sure foundation, all around is sinking sand, the Bible stands.Yield to God’s trials & tribulations…He is turning us from ‘coal’ to ‘diamonds’ in His perfect timing! To God be the glory forever & forever! Almighty God, you are the great I am, nothing is too difficult for you. Father, I am currently facing a difficult time, I need to make a major decision in my life, but I don’t know how to go about it. Uncertainty has clouded my mind, and I feel like I am drifting away. Lord, remove hesitation from my heart so that I can be able to make the right decisions. Fill me up so that I may follow your guidance without any fear or doubt in Jesus’ name. Amen.Lord, much like Lazarus I was ‘dead’ in my transgretions and sin. Lord, I did not know you as my Savior. I thank you Lord that like Lazarus who was physically dead, you called me out of the ‘grave’ where I was spiritually dead. Thank you Lord for giving life to me by dying on the cross for my sins great and small. Joy, love, life and salvation are mine because you called me out of the grave. I didn’t know how my life would be enriched with you in my heart! In Jesus name I rejoicingly and gratefully pray. ~Amen~I was a Sunday School teacher for many years. I love working with children because they are full of questions. Every ‘where,who,when what and how’ questions are asked by them on every topic imaginable. One morning I was asked by young boy “How big is your heart? ‘Cause you sure have a lot in your heart! Doesn’t it get so big that it EXPLODES!?” 😄 We proceeded to sing this song in class: ‘I’ve got the Joy ,Joy, Joy, Joy Down in my Heart’ The song lists all the things that are in your hearts that God provides: • Joy • Peace that passes understanding • Love of my blessed redeemer • Love of Jesus Yes, if you have the Love of Jesus in your heart it does explode! Our earthen bodies explode with the wonderful love & light our Savior gives us because they can not contain this treasure without letting it seep out into our lives!Jesus, I am humbled that You consider me worthy to be used—in ways big and small—to accomplish Your will here on earth. Help me respond without hesitation whenever I perceive Your voice calling me into action. I will follow you forever Lord. Even when Your path seems unclear to me, I will follow. In Your power and precious name, Jesus I pray. ~AmenTo become a teacher it is required that we first begin as students. Morning by morning His mercies and grace are brand new. New understanding, new comforts, new edifications and exhortations. Lord, awaken my ears to your instruction so that I may open my mouth in reverence and awe of You!Lord, I Need You (Song by Matt Maher)
…Lord I come, I confess Bowing here, I find my rest Without You, I fall apart You’re the one that guides my heart
… Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need YouFather, help me to not only discover and understand your guidance and your will, but to bend my will to obey yours. Give me ears to listen carefully to what I should do, and a willing heart to carry out your directives. Guide me into all wisdom, even when it looks different from the “wisdom” of the world. Help me speak what you tell me to say and do what you tell me to do. In Jesus name I pray ~Amen.Water is needed for every living thing on earth. Physical water can be scarce, as in a drought. Eternal springs of water will never be lacking though. Jesus is the source of fountains of living water which leads to everlasting life!Satan’s lies begin small so they are palatable to us. The more we become accepting of these small lies the easier it is to build upon these untruths. Do not let Satan gain a foothold in your life. Do not be deceived by his lies.Every person is significant with God. He relentlessly seeks those who are lost, helpless, abandonded and missing! No one is ever left behind!
Lord, I come before you now asking for your protection over our military who valiantly serve our great nation. I pray that you comfort those families who have lost loved ones. I pray for those seeking refuge from a hostile environment. I seek your wisdom to guide those who are anxious to leave but don’t know who to trust. Lord, you are well aware of the situations we are facing now. I pray for peace not only in these situations but in my own heart and mind. You are my strength Lord. Grant those in charge, those serving and those seeking refuge Your strength, wisdom, compassion, safety and peace. In Jesus name I pray. ~Amen
God, I bring my fears to the foot of the cross today and exchange them for Your promises. Where I feel powerless, I ask for Your power to overcome my situation. Show me which step of faith You want me to take today, and help me to take the opportunity immediately when it comes. I pray that my faith and testimony will continue to grow in You. May my devotion and proclamation of who You are Lord be greater today than it was yesterday. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.Lord, I release all of the painful memories I have to You, and pray that You would help me to renew my mind day by day and to focus my thoughts on You Jesus. Help me also to forgive all those that have caused me pain so that by Your grace, You would help me to fill my heart with new and joyful thoughts. Lord, may the words of my mouth and all the thoughts in my mind be filtered through You, and may I build up new memories that are sweetened by the beauty of You. In Jesus’ name I pray, ~Amen~In Christ we will be reunited ❤
Encouragement for the Sojourner 