We all have them, and they are so often every day we don’t even realize they are there? Distractions…

Take this morning, for example…I had finished my morning devotional reading! Check! I then said my routine prayer to the Lord, asking for his inspiration for today’s devotion! Check!

My freshly made cup of coffee. Check! iPhone off the charger and in hand for scripture checks and studying tools. Check!

Ping! Oh, it’s some of my teammates/girlfriends from my internet game!!! Some of them were busy and absent over the weekend; I must say, good morning. The conversations go from there!!! Ping! Ping! Ping!

DISTRACTIONS!!!

Romans 12:2 NLT “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing.”

1 Peter 5:8 NLT “Stay Alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

Did I do anything wrong this morning by a quick chat with my friends? Of course not but had I let myself continue in the conversation in which I was enjoying I would have allowed fleshly fun and joys get in the way of my designated time with My Lord!!!

I spend the beginnings of my day with My Father In Heaven. The enemy would love to interrupt that! Satan would have loved for me to continue visiting with my friends rather than send a message about his great enemy! God!!!

So, today’s message is about being aware of the millions of distractions that are out there, the many ploys satan uses to distract and sidetrack! It is up to us to recognize the distractions, tell our friends or self, I will be back! Shut off the TV, internet, music, or phone and dial into God’s word!

Start your day with his love and direction, let his peace fill your heart and spirit as your share time with him in his word! Then open the windows, breathe in the fresh air, and say good morning, world!

Thank you for sharing your time and busy days with me! May your day be blessed and your week full of wonder! 🥰

Dear Lord My Father In Heaven,

I bow before you this morning with thanksgiving for another day.

Another day to learn more of you and your love. To learn more of your word, assisting my walk in your ways. I am at an age, Lord; I look back on my many paths and see the times I stumbled and fell. Those times were the times I was walking far from you.

As I look back, I also see you never left me; you were always beside me, protecting and providing for me, even when I didn’t deserve it and certainly wasn’t worthy.

I know as I walked the wild side, the darker side, the disobedient side, I loved you, prayed to you, trusted in you, and walked in the assurance of your love. We, your children, need to share that message right now!!!

That even in our filth and grim of sin, you never left us, never left us to drown in the pit we created. We certainly had consequences of our choices; that’s spiritual law. But look at us now! We aren’t perfect and never will be, but we’re in better shape than before! Each day is a new day.

That’s the lesson; our actions are rewarded with the reaction of its kind!

Help us, Lord, to make the most of our lives, to use the time we have left on this earth to grow stronger and wiser in you and your ways so that we have the proper tools to share you with a world that is in pain and darkness.

Please help us to choose the correct side of the street to walk down, to walk in your grace, favor, and mercy! Thank you for giving us the strength when faced with opposition to speak your words with love, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through us!

Now is the time for your words and ways to be spoken, and give us your children the strength and power to do so! Your word tells us in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength.

Give us your strength Lord Jesus, and in your mighty name, I pray. With Thanksgiving and Praise…Amen!

Exodus 10:21-23 NLT “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with darkness so thick you can feel it.’ So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.”

In these verses, we see once again God separating His people from evil! He was making a loud statement of separation by showing distinction of his children, bathed in light, living within those surrounded in total blinding darkness!

In this incident, the Egyptians were stubborn, prideful, mocking, unbelieving, and resistant to God’s words neither did they heed his warnings. They were already living in darkness; God just turned off the lights for a few days!

Alongside the harsh Egyptian rulers were the descendants of Israel (Jacob) brought to Egypt through his son Joseph. These mighty men of God have passed, and their bloodlines have been reduced to slave labor!

God heard their pleas, their cries through their prayers! He delivered his children from the cruel hands that held them captive by protecting them with his own!

Today is no different! The God of Israel is the same God of today! Our land is quickly filling with more and more darkness, people can’t or don’t want to see what’s happening, and no one is moving!

Our children aren’t in schools, and if they are, they fear being shot! We no longer can let our children walk to school for fear of them being abducted, the drugs, sex trafficking, gang violence, destruction, fear, homelessness, the darkness is everywhere we look!

Now is the time to cry out to the God of all creation! We need to pray his light into our nation, schools and the hearts and souls of governing bodies. We need to stand up for what is right and be a voice, a light within the darkness.

Now more than ever, God needs his children to stand up, speak up, show up, and shed his guiding light before it’s too late and the darkness permeates.

John 8:12 ESV “Again Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matthew 5:16 ESV “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We are a living example of God’s light, and we need to be sure and set that example because you never know who might be standing on the edge of darkness watching you, looking for that hand and invitation into your light! Gods light…

Be blessed today and be a light! Thank you for joining me! 🥰

You know the frustration of trying to convey your thoughts, feelings, or emotions. They often come out as graceful as a coughed-up furball and resemble something akin to a wad of rubber bands.

Often, the emotional mess is trivial to others but is a big deal to you. I have to admit that I get a bit hurt and aggravated when I am bothered about something, wish to relieve my angst, and then treated with impatience and my issue a joke!

I have been an ear many times when I don’t relate, but I always try and empathize. I understand that this is a real issue for this person, and whether I think it’s irrelevant, silly, a broken record, or of slight importance, I need to give respect, a soft ear, and my time!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Proverbs 27:9 ESV “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.”

Proverbs 17:17 ESV “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Our lives are so busy; we meet ourselves coming and going. We might look up and be saying, “I don’t have the time to sit and listen to this again, Lord!” Or “I can’t believe they are so upset over this little thing.” That little thing could have been the final straw that broke the camels back! Remember, we don’t know lives behind closed doors.

Here’s what the Lord says about a friend in need!

Galatians 6:2 ESV “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Philippians 2:4 ESV “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Romans 1:12 ESV “That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

So the next time the phone rings and you don’t want to answer it! The next time you are invited for coffee and really don’t have the time or strength. Let Jesus answer, let Jesus share that cup! This is truly what our world needs right now! A friendship with Jesus and that might begin with you!

Be blessed my friends and as always thank you for joining me! 🥰

Psalm 68:32-35 NLT “Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord.

Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky.

Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Isreal; his strength is mighty in the heavens.

God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Isreal gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!”

The Book of Psalm is a book of prayer, a book of praise and a book exalting God, our Lord and King! We can learn much about loving and serving our mighty God by studying Psalm. We can learn much about his love and support for us by studying the Psalms.

The book of Psalm is a soothing balm to your tired, stressed, worried, scared, uncertain world; it’s a peaceful place in which to spend time; it’s refreshing, uplifting, positive, and mindful! If you ever think to grab your Bible and read but don’t know where to start??? Go directly to the Book of Psalm!

These final verses are a continuation of King Davids’s praise and worship of his God of Isreal. His God, The God who saves! His God, The God who protects! His God, is Our God!

God will protect Isreal in these coming days, and he will protect you and yours. The times will come, and we have already begun to enter where the line will be drawn. You are either for God or against him, thus placing him either for or against you! Today we have the freedom of choice; tomorrow will not be as easy.

Keep your alliance with the God of Isreal and with Isreal, and all will be well in your land! Be blessed, be aware, and be alert because each day, the darkness gets closer. Thank you for joining me! 😘

Psalm 68:28-31 NLT

“Summon your might, O God. Display your Power, O God, as you have in the past.

The kings of the earth are bringing tribute to your Temple in Jerusalem.

Rebuke these enemy nations-these wild animals lurking in the reeds, this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.

Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute. Scatter the nations that delight in war.

Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals; let Ethiopia bring tribute to God.”

This is a prayer for help!

Summon Your Might O God! Display your power as you have in the past! In much of the life of King David he was a warrior, a strong man of battle! His prayer is recognizing God’s power, summoning his strength, and remembrance of the Lord’s deliverance and protection of the past, secure of his presence in the future.

This is a solid foundation to model after; if the Lord has been there for you in past battles, why won’t he be with you in future ones?

Kings will bring you presents! In the ancient days, gifts were given to the king, to honor, to gain a relationship with, and often an alliance. David was confident in his days that God would always honor his covenant with his people, and in the end, the surrounding nations would bring gifts to Jerusalem to praise The God of Israel.

Rebuke the beasts of the reeds! He is speaking of the bullies, the trouble makers, the oppressors and the seducers. Rebuke-in Middle English from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French to rebuke was to beat or cut down!

To rebuke, to pray against, to pray for protection from The wolves in sheep’s clothing. The lies and agendas of our government and news media. Riots, shootings, murders, chaos, epidemics and poverty!

Scatter the Nations that delight in war! In the end, nations that have loved warfare and tribute, placing themselves or their gods above the God of Israel, will be humbled and despoiled (violently removed). All we need to do is watch the nightly news! Where does the US stand today?

Egypt and Ethiopia will bring tribute to God! This last line of David’s prayer became prophetic. Egypt formed an alliance under Solomon’s reign when he married the Pharaohs daughter. The Queen of Sheba arrived bearing a fleet if ships of treasure to present to King Solomon.

But this could also point toward Jesus and Christianity as there were Egyptians at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, who, St Hilary declares returned to their own country proclaiming what they had heard and seen and became ambassadors for Christ. The Ethiopian eunuch was the first among the gentiles to receive the gospel.

The God of King David is the God of you and me! He is still by our side protecting us from our enemies and the enemy! He was with you yesterday and He will be with you tomorrow. Put your trust and hand in the hand that can hold the waters of the world in his palm. That’s a big hand…that makes your giants small!

Be blessed today and thank you for joining me. 😘

Psalm 68:24-27 NCV

“God, people have seen your victory march; God my King marched into the holy place.

The singers are in front and the instruments are behind. In the middle are the girls with tambourines.

Praise God in the meeting place; praise the Lord in the gathering of Israel.

There is the smallest tribe, Benjamin, leading them. And there are the leaders of Judah with their group. There are also the leaders of Zebulun and of Naphtali.”

This is not the first time we read of King David’s procession into Jerusalem singing and dancing, celebrating as the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ being returned to its rightful place.

In 2 Samuel 6:1-2 NLT, “Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heavens armies who is enthroned between the cherubim”

There doesn’t appear to be much going on in these verses. However, David displays some very valuable attitudes and behaviors that line up with God and that we should adopt. In verses 24-26, we see dancing, praising, and celebrating!

The Ark of God was being returned to its rightful place, but the feeling that God has come home was exhilarating as the Ark had been exiled in another nation for quite some time. Praise God in the meeting place! A meeting place can be anywhere, a church, online churches, Bible studies, a small home study group, friends on their lunch breaks, a meadow full of wildflowers, or beside a giggling stream. Anywhere you are can be a meeting place with God, and we are free to praise to our heart’s desire.

Next, we read that the smallest tribe of Benjamin leads the procession, followed by the leaders of Judah, Zebulun, and Naphtali. The twelve sons of Jacob-(renamed later by God) to Israel are Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

The keys to take away here are: one, the smallest tribe of Benjamin leading the way is David’s predecessor. King Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin opposed David’s rise to the throne; they were ever faithful to Saul. David shows honor and respect to their fallen king by placing them ahead of him. The tribe of Benjamin, by participating in the glorious celebration, shows reconciliation and submission to King David.

Next follows King David along with his leaders of Judah and the tribes Zebulun and Naphtali. David himself, taking a second seat, shows honor and respect and reminds me of a scripture in the New Testament that speaks of the least or the smallest being first.

Matthew 19:30 NLT “But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

I think about that a lot, the quiet, behind the scene warriors of God, that nobody knows, sees or hears about. The meek and mild who have been trampled on by the mighty and strong. The rich and the famous seem to have everything while so many more have nothing. One day it will all right itself. The right will be rewarded and the wrong will receive their due.

But until that day, as we live in a world that feels like the bad guys always win, keep your faith because in eternity…The Good Guys take the Gold!

Be blessed today and thank you for joining me. 🥰

Good Morning Dear Lord,

I need you!

I need your peace in my heart and spirit today!

I need clarity of mind. I need to hear your thoughts and answers to mine.

I need a renewing in my heart and spirit, Lord, a gust of fresh air to sweep through and remove the hurts, scars, walls, and anger.

I need your help Lord to grow into the person I aspire to become. I thank you for my hopes and dreams and for the ability to accomplish all that is within your will.

Thank you for the changes you are bringing within me, and please help those around me notice them too.

Thank you for my family and the friends who are family.

Thank you for the many great teachers teaching your word!

Thank you for your word!

Thank you for your love, patience, understanding, and growth.

Thank you for a day filled with your peace and quiet within and around.

Thank you for you!

I love you, and in your glorious name Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen

May you be ever so blessed today and thank you for joining me. 🥰

Psalm 68:20-23 NLT

“Our God is a God who saves! The sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.

The Lord says, ‘I will bring my enemies down from Bashan; I will bring them up from the depth of the sea.

You, my people will wash your feet in their blood, and even your dogs will get their share!”

Our God who saves, Our God who delivers us from death! God the Father, from the beginning of man’s time on earth, has had to step in and save us from our follies and enemies. He has a covenant with his children; he is with us always, his loving hands protect us.

Death can also represent; an actual death and a significant change in life or lifestyle of the one left behind—the death of a marriage or job and the accompanied differences. You might be in a place that feels hopeless, never-ending, no way out, dead! Put your hand in the hand of the creator. He’s bigger than any problem you are facing! Trust Him to deliver you!

God also saves as he stepped down from his throne and became human for you and me! He walked our tainted world, spreading the news of his love and way. He died in our place as the ultimate sacrifice, rescuing those who believe in him from the final death! Hallelujah!!!

Smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love evil. Dang, these are some intense statements! The biggest enemy of Gods and ours is Satan! God is actually speaking of Satan and Pride! In ancient days a person’s hair was a crown of glory for both men and women. Some translations read ‘a hairy scalp.’ The Lord detests pride and sin, which go hand in hand! The guilty, rebellious, unsaved, and evil will have their day of judgment and Jesus will not be their lawyer! Think about that!

Down from Bashan, Up from the depth of the sea. We learned yesterday that Bashan is a very tall, rugged, majestic mountain; the depths of the sea, self-explanatory! The Lord is stating that there is nowhere you can go to hide from him! From the highest peaks of the mountain tops to the lowest level of the sea! No one can escape the Lords’ eye or wrath. But, He also sees you and your world, your needs, your trials, along with your love, trust, tithe, faith, and praise! Rest!

Wash your feet in their blood, the dogs will have their share, Ewww! Again, in the ancient of days, there was no more awarded victory or humiliating defeat than for kings, generals, leaders, and warriors to be abandoned on the battlefield where they fell. To be discarded and left behind for the wild packs of dogs. Disrespected! The Lord tells us he will give us the ultimate victory if we lean on him, trust him, and believe in him! Your enemies, well…Romans 12:19…Vengeance is mine saith the Lord! Let God answer the door to trouble. Let him fight your battles!

We, because of the bloodshed on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ, are triumphant over sin, evil, lust, addictions, anger, old ways, sickness, and habits. We are victorious over Satan, as in the name of Jesus, he flees! James 4:7 NCV “So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you.”

So, today pretty much sums up, not only does the God of Isreal love his nation and will fight for her and protect her always…He does and will do the same for us! I don’t know about you, but I am very secured by that!

Thank you for joining me today and I pray you have a blessed day! 🥰