So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.
– Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!
– Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)
He is a rock. What He does is perfect. All His ways are fair. He is a faithful God, who does no wrong. He is honorable and reliable.
God, brilliant Lord,
Yours is a household name.
Nursing infants gurgle choruses about You;
toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
and silence atheist babble.
I look up at Your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?
Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
repeated to us Your Genesis-charge,
Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
whales singing in the ocean deeps.
God, brilliant Lord,
Your name echoes around the world.
Heaven is not here, it’s There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.
– Elisabeth Elliott
Life without God is a slow decline of heart and soul, ever accepting a lower standard, and gaining speed toward eternal darkness. Less happy every day and needing ever more distractions from the pain. Lost, miserable, and feeding on the greedy pull of things in the world. But never really enjoying anything because there is always this nagging in the back of the mind that Hell awaits. For those without God, the fear of dying must be overwhelming. As it should be.
– Rex Rouis
The Pull
is real
Luring, coaxing, beckoning
to eternal joy
or eternal pain
Without being saved
weighted by sin
the pull is ever downward
But as children of God
graciously saved
the pull is upward
We either await eternity
with dread
or peace
Choose wisely
You will be pulled to one or the other
– Susie Stewart
We know that if our earthly house—a mere tent that can easily be taken down—is destroyed, we will then live in an eternal home in the heavens, a building crafted by divine—not human—hands. Currently, in this tent of a house, we continue to groan and ache with a deep desire to be sheltered in our permanent home because then we will be truly clothed and comfortable, protected by a covering for our current nakedness. The fact is that in this tent we anxiously moan, fearing the naked truth of our reality. What we crave above all is to be clothed so that what is temporary and mortal can be wrapped completely in life. The One who has worked and tailored us for this is God Himself, who has gifted His Spirit to us as a pledge toward our permanent home.
– 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (VOICE)
On that day—when the clouds draw back displaying His powerful heavenly messengers in a fiery blaze, Jesus the Lord will appear from heaven dealing out perfect justice to anyone who doesn’t know God and anyone who disobeys the good news of our Lord Jesus. And what’s to become of them? They’ll pay for what they’ve done; their punishment will be eternal destruction. And what’s worse? They’ll be banished from the Lord’s presence and glorious power.
Only words of Light can drive out worlds of dark.
Only deeds of Light can drive out depths of dark.
Only lives of Light can drive out lies of dark.
Darkness can never travel as fast as Light. No matter how bad things get, no matter how black the dark seeps in, no matter the depths of the night — the dark can never travel as fast as Light. The Light is always there first, waiting to shatter the dark.
You can always hold His Word like a ball of light right there your hand, right up there next to your warming heart.
You can always count on it: Jesus is bendable Light, warmth around every unexpected corner.
– Ann Voskamp
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
– John 8:12 (NLT)
A light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazes through murky bottoms. It cannot and will not be quenched.
– John 1:5 (VOICE)
For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
– Ephesians 5:8 (NLT)
The deepest darkness of all is separation from God because of sin. You are in need of a savior and He will be that for you. Accept Him today as the only One able to cleanse you of ALL unrighteousness. His light will penetrate your darkness and change your life! Only let Him in. Humble yourself and accept His free gift of salvation. ~Susie
There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light.
– Luke 8:17 (GW)
Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!
– Luke 12:3 (NLT)
For God will judge every action—including everything done in secret—whether it be good or evil.
– Ecclesiastes 12:14 (VOICE)
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.
– Hebrews 4:13 (NLT)
* Disclaimer — This is not written about anyone within the walls of our home. Friend, if your life inside your home does not match up with your life outside your home, if you are putting on a facade, if you are being deceived by the enemy into not living out God’s grace and honor toward the people you are closest to, please wake up! Your enemy prowls and looks for those who he may devour. Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked. Bring all into the light and let God’s Spirit cleanse and mend.
As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, butfew things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
– Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him! Fear the Lord, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
– Psalm 34:8-10 (NLT)
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
– Psalm 84:11 (NLT)
This is a comprehensive promise, and is such an assurance of the present comfort of the saints that, whatever they desire, and think they need, they may be sure that either Infinite Wisdom sees it is not good for them or Infinite Goodness will give it to them in due time. Let it be our care to walk uprightly, and then let us trust God to give us everything that is good for us.
– Matthew Henry
“No good thing will He withheld,” but how is this true, when God oftentimes withholds riches and honors, and health of body from men, though they walk never so uprightly; we may therefore know that honors and riches and bodily strength, are none of God’s good things; they are of the number of things indifferent which God bestows promiscuously upon the just and unjust, as the rain to fall and the sun to shine. The good things of God are chiefly peace of conscience and the joy in the Holy Gost in this life; fruition of God’s presence, and the vision of His blessed face in the next, and these good things God never bestows upon the wicked, never withholds from the godly, and they are all cast up in one sum where it is said, “Blessed are the pure in heart (and such are only they that walk uprightly) for they shall see God.”
– Charles H. Spurgeon
For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
I cling to You;
Your strong right hand holds me securely.
– Psalm 63:8 (NLT)
For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is His name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.
– Ephesians 54:5 (NLT)
Revere the Lord your God, serve Him, cling to Him, swear by His name alone!
– Deuteronomy 10:20 (CEB)
…cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now.
– Joshua 23:8 (NLT)
Husbands, you must love your wives so deeply, purely, and sacrificially that we can understand it only when we compare it to the love the Anointed One has for His bride, the church. We know He gave Himself up completely to make her His own, washing her clean of all her impurity with water and the powerful presence of His word.
– Ephesians 5:24-26 (VOICE)
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following Him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.
– 2 Kings 18:5-7 (NIV)
Men ought to give their wives the love they naturally have for their own bodies. The love a man gives his wife is the extending of his love for himself to enfold her. Nobody ever hates or neglects his own body; he feeds and looks after it. And that is what Christ does for His body, the Church. And we are all members of that body, we are His flesh and blood! ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’. The marriage relationship is doubtless a great mystery, but I am speaking of something deeper still—the marriage of Christ and his Church. In practice what I have said amounts to this: let every one of you who is a husband love his wife as he loves himself; let the wife reverence her husband.
– Ephesians 5:30-32 (PHILLIPS)
Let us be glad and rejoice,
and let us give honor to Him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
and His bride has prepared herself.
She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”
For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”
A worshipful lifestyle entails an orientation that views all of life as sacred. Whether you are at church, home, work, or in your community, whatever you do, it is to the glory of God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.
…My mother would reference anything and everything in life as connecting with God somehow. She wanted us to know that God was in the midst of everything, and that everything in our lives was somehow tied into His providence, involvement, and plan. Even if what she said or did bothered those around her, she wouldn’t budge from connecting the sacred to all of life, because her life was lived in an attitude of worship. Paul indicated that spiritual maturity…ought to produce a lifestyle of reverence and worship.
– Tony Evans
All of it, Lord,
Yours
No part hidden from Your eyes
Everything touching the Sacred
A Life of Worship
Not just Sunday demonstration
Poured out
Focused
Intentional
All of it, Lord,
Yours
– Susie Stewart
So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect.
– Romans 12:1,2 (NCV)
…give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].
– Colossians 4:6 (AMP)
A Christian must always be kind, gracious, and wise in order to conquer evil by good.
– John of Kronstadt
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!
– Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)
But the Eternal One was gracious and compassionate toward them. He was good and turned His face to them because of the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Eternal, true to His promise, had protected them and remained near them until now.
– 2 Kings 13:23 (VOICE)
And you know, when you’ve experienced grace and you feel like you’ve been forgiven, you’re a lot more forgiving of other people. You’re a lot more gracious to others.
– Rick Warren
Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
Susie Stewart 