Praise Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Tabetha’s Devotions

May 2, 2018

Fight to Fly

1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

No one likes pain and struggles. But what is the alternative?

How many times have you read a book or saw a movie with that spoiled rotten person who was handed everything. He never worked a day in his life. He never faced any consequences for any of his actions. He just lives to enjoy himself no matter what the cost or who he hurts.

You are probably scowling right now just thinking about it. You may even no someone in real life like that.

News Flash! That is the alternative!

You are the product of all your actions and reactions. You learn and grow through your struggles.

We are very much like the caterpillar. What would happen if it just continued to lay around and eat or crawled into the cocoon and stayed asleep? It would never learn to fly!

April 25, 2018

Yes, I Can!

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Today is going to be short and sweet! I am combining two verses in the bible that pretty much sum up my life right now.

Psalms 37:7
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

We all know being still is NOT an easy job. Some people even try to say it is being a “woosie!” Those people have no idea how much strength it takes to just sit back and wait.

So, when God puts me in those holding patterns I have devised a little plan. I simply repeat the second verse I want to bring up today.

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Yep! I can even be a conqueror at waiting!

This is normally where I would pump my fist in the air and say, “Bring it on!” However, I would much rather just take it on as it happens.

I may be a conqueror over impatience through Christ, but I would still prefer to not have to test that theory anymore than I have to.

April 18, 2018

The LORD’s Great Love

Leviticus 3:22-23
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and months into years. Some seasons we go through are down right tough. But we must always rememer that the LORD’s great love for us is what sees us through any stormy sea.

Tonight I would like to just pray for you just as Paul did over the Ephisians.

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephisians 3:14-21).

April 13, 2018

Always Hope

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

HOPE is simply

Having

Obscure

Peace

Everlasting

No matter how dark life gets, I have a hope that tomorrow is a new day. It is this hope that gets me up everyday. It is this hope that carries me through everyday! It is this hope that allows me to sleep.

I can’t explain the peace that comes over me while the storms continue to rage all around. I can’t explain the joy I still find when I see only darkness around me.

I can only say thank you Lord for never leaving me. Thank you for your peace and joy. My hope is in You Lord.

And I pray may the God of hope fill you my friends with all joy and peace as you all trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

April 11, 2018

Troubles Will Come and So Will God

Psalms 91:1
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

When my life hits a rough patch, I love to read Psalm 91. It reminds me, God still rules. God is still in control. I have a place to go to breathe!

There is no such thing as a life without troubles. When those troubles hit there will be pain. There will be sadness and anger. There will be hatred and worry. There will be lots of tears.

However, the psalmist has also promised there will be God!

God will provide a refuge, shelter, protection, a place to breathe.

Yes, troubles will come, but God will be with me every step of the way.

Psalm 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

April 9, 2018

I am Not OK, But I will be!

Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid I put my trust in you. In God whose word I praise in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

There are some pains in your life
That seem to have no end.

Evertime you start to smile
the tears well up again.

This season of my life
is the worst it’s ever been

Devastaion all around
and yet I cling to Him

It is well
with my soul!
Its Well
It is Well
With my soul!

April 2, 2018

Matthew 11:30 Friend

Matthew 11:30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all be Matthew 11:30 friends? I think if we followed the commandments we would be just that!

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:2)

This is my command love one another. (John 15:17)

And let us consider how we may, spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up on meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:24-25)

If we spent more time loving each other instead of gossiping

If we spent more time walking next to each other instead of tearing each other down.

If we turned to encourage instead of turning to criticize.

As Christians, we are to reflect Jesus. Jesus described himself as a Matthew 11:30 friend. Isn’t it about time we try our hand at it too?

You want the pain to cease
Extend the yoke of peace
We may not agree
But believe you me
What a lighter burden it will be!

March 30, 2018

You Can’t Earn It

Luke 22:42
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

Daddy, if I am really good, can I have ice cream?

Mommy, if I clean my room, can I go to the park?

If I exercise all week, I can eat out on Saturday!

If I lose weight, I can go on vacation.

There is nothing wrong with rewards and incentives. We all respond better when we get something for our efforts. If you don’t believe that, ask yourself how long you would continue working at your job without a paycheck!

There is one place where rewards and incentives don’t apply. God! No matter how good we are we cannot earn our grace. We cannot earn our salvation. We can’t even gain blessings and the answers we want to prayers for our “goodness.”

How can I say this with such boldness? That is easy. Can you come up with anyone full of more goodness than Jesus? He is perfect. He is blameless. He is sinless. He asked for one thing, he really wanted out. He didn’t want to suffer. His will was to find another way. He asked to please “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

If anyone deserved a reward, it was Jesus! He did everything he was asked. Yet he was not rewarded with what he wanted.

So what makes you think you deserve something just because you have been a “good Christian”? It doesn’t work that way. Grace and blessings are gifts. God loves to bless his children. Blessings come in many shapes and sizes. Yes, they even come as “No!”

God loves you right where you are, even when you make mistakes. That is one blessing I am glad I don’t have to earn. I am pretty sure I am not the only Christian who stumbles and fells. I am sure glad I don’t get the rewards that I deserve.

Thank you, Jesus, for taking the reward I deserved and giving to me grace and unfailing love that I will never earn.

March 28, 2018

What’s Your Dream?

Hebrews 10:23-25
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I spent some time praying and reading my bible yesterday. It became one of those deep thinking times. I admit some days I just go through the motions. I read and pray and then get on with my day. However, yesterday was not one of those days.

I felt a like I was being drawn very close to God. I just couldn’t get enough of him. Then at one point, I heard a still small voice whisper, “What is your dream?” I was flabbergasted. I mean I was really speechless. I couldn’t answer.

For the past month, I have hit a desert spell you often hear Christians talk about. I knew God was around. I still had faith and hope. I saw blessings and answers to prayer, but I felt depleted. I just didn’t know where I was going and what I wanted to do. I felt like a warrior without a mission.

So when God asked me what was my dream, I answered the only way I knew how. I prayed God give me a dream. This morning he did just that!

I opened my bible study and again there where the words “What is your dream?” It was followed by some suggestions and the one that sang into my heart was writing. Earlier this month I was hit with some rejection of my writing. It really blew the wind right out of my sails. In many ways, I was giving up on my dreams. The good news is God wasn’t!

He popped Hebrews 10:23-25 in my lap to remind me why I wanted to write in the first place. Right before my eyes was my dream! I realized I had let one rejection kill my dream. Good thing I have a God in the business of resurrections! He certainly resurrected my dream.

What about you? What is your dream?

February 26, 2018

I Want it MY Way

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

I have faith in God
I don’t worry that God Can or Cannot do something
I worry if and when he will do something
Will he do it my way?
Will his way be painful?

I know the verses also about him loving me
If you being evil give good gifts
How much more God will give those who ask. (Matthew 7:11)
But will It be my way?
But will it be painful?

Realization:
God will work out everything for my good! (Romans 8:28)
No, It will not be my way!
Yes, It may be painful!
But In the End
It will be perfect and wonderful!

Tag: Praise

Fight to Fly

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Yes, I Can!

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The LORD’s Great Love

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Always Hope

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Troubles Will Come and So Will God

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I am Not OK, But I will be!

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Matthew 11:30 Friend

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You Can’t Earn It

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What’s Your Dream?

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I Want it MY Way

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