When someone gives me a plant, I can’t assume it will grow and blossom unless I take care of it. If I ignore it, it will die. (I have a black thumb, so premature plant death is, sadly, a common occurrence in my home.)
Fortunately, faith is a little different. Our faith is a gift from God. Yet, that doesn’t mean we should get lazy about strengthening our faith by reading Scripture, regular prayer and attending Mass. Just like athletes’ muscles get bigger and more sculpted when they spend time in the gym, so too must we spend time with the Lord to keep our faith firm and strong. We cannot risk being soft on ourselves—or our faith—if we want to live like Jesus.
Sharing with you, “DAY FOURTEEN “He who sits on the throne will shelter them…” *** READ “They are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He Who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence.... For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘He will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” Revelation 7:15, 17 *** REFLECT In Revelation 7, the seemingly relentless punishment of the wicked described in Revelation 6 appears frozen in time as the focus shifts to the security God promises the faithful. In Revelation 7, we discover wonderful reminders of God’s enduring attributes and character. From the verses above, we discover that God cares deeply for His people. He is a personal God who shelters us in times of suffering and turmoil. God is our shepherd—He leads, guides, protects, and cares for His people. God is provider—He leads those who follow Him “to springs of living water.” And God is compassionate—He “will wipe away ever tear from their eyes.” *** PRAY In what ways do you need the shelter of God’s presence today? Revelation 7 reminds us that God knows our suffering and sees our pain. He is not distant and oblivious to our suffering but compassionately cares for His people. Ask the Lord to help you rest in the shelter of His presence today. Consider praying through Psalm 23 as you ponder God’s character and provision in your life.”
I am also reminded of James 2:26. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
*** Here is the circumstance/situation in Isaiah 7:5-6, "Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have planned to destroy you (Ahaz, king of Judah). They said, “Let’s march into Judah and attack it. Let’s tear everything down. Then we can share the land among ourselves. And we can make Tabeel’s son king over it.” *** God's response to the circumstance/situation in Isaiah 7:7, 9b, "But I am the Lord and King. I say, “ ‘ “That will not happen. It will not take place...If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” ’ ” *** How do I stand firm in my faith? Ephesians 6:13-18, "So put on all of GOD'S ARMOR. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing. So remain strong in the FAITH. Put the belt of TRUTH around your waist. Put the armor of GODLINESS on your chest. Wear on your feet what will prepare you to TELL THEGOOD NEWS OF PEACE. Also, pick up the SHIELD OF FAITH. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Put on the HELMET OF SALVATION. And take the SWORD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The sword is GOD'S WORD!" At all times, PRAY by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people!" ******* What is faith? Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see!" ***Are you ready to stand firm in your faith? *** Are you ready for battle? *** This battle is not against others and you cannot fight this battle on your own in Ephesains 6:10-12, "Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can remain strong against the devil’s evil plans. Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world!"
AMEN!
Kate thank you for sharing your words for us to reflect on and strengthen on. Blessings to all the LFF, especially those needing extra help these days and may we all go out and spread Gods love through all the world.
‘Lord, give me the discipline to keep my faith firm’. Amen. Prayers for Victor
LFF please pray for our neighbor Victor who died after a car accident yesterday. May the Lord have mercy on his soul.
Funny story for you today. I too have a black thumb. When friends talk about all their beautiful blooms I become a wall flower. I know some of you remember me posting about my mom years ago. Mom always ran late for everything. Before she passed she gave me “Maggie”, a Christmas cactus and said “take care of her for me”. Oh my, what did she expect!? The first year after mom’s death Maggie bloomed abundantly 2 weeks before Christmas, wow how nice, a little early. Come to find out through social media that Maggie is actually a ‘Thanksgiving’ cactus not a Christmas cactus….and there you have it, through Maggie mom is still running late :) Many other Christians don’t believe in praying for our deceased but, like Ken, I value that so much. We know that we can pray for them in their eternal homes as they can also intercede for us just like the saints. Two & half years later Maggie has been replanted and is huge and God uses her just as He does my statues and crucifixes and framed pictures to remind me to pray for those in my past, my present and even some who maybe in my future , like a daughter in law or a grandchild—maybe one day. God will speak in so many ways if we just listen!
Amen!!
Amen. :)
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Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those experiencing natural disasters, Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, the Sudan, and all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.