Your Love for Me

Amazing Grace - Rhema Marvanne 7 yr Gospel singer

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about myself...my circumstances. So much so, that I had fallen into a depression. I am always amazed however, how God works. As I lay in bed at 4am this morning, crying out to God and feeling as though He was not there...not hearing me, I felt led to open my devotional book (that I haven't looked at for a few days), and immediately God spoke to me, and gently corrected me! The words leaped off the page, "Thankfulness opens the door to My Presence." Scripture tells us in I Thessalonians 4:18, "Thank God in everything no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus the Revealer and Mediator of that will." (amplified) Immediately, I felt His presence. In the midst of tears, a smile filled my face, and peace entered into my heart and soul. Obediently, I began praising Him, and thanking Him for all He has given me, for the numerous blessings in my life, reminded that all I have, all I am belong to Him...drifting off to sleep.

As I awoke several hours later in the morning I checked my facebook messages, to find a note from a very special person asking me to pray for her today. I was reminded that praying for others also takes my mind off of myself. I am very blessed, and very honored that God has entrusted me with such an awesome task!

Today has been a good day.

Garbage in, garbage out...

Jesus says in Luke 11:33-36, “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” (New Living Translation)

Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. Early on in my walk with Christ, I was deeply convicted about the things I allow my eyes to see, and my ears to hear. Today's technology has provided an array of ways to absorb darkness. Everywhere I turn there is sexual content, foul language, violence. It is on almost every TV program, commercial, billboard, and even in our children's classrooms. We're just one click away from it on our laptops, iphones, ipods, blackberry's, and the list goes on. The media is filled with programs about witches, vampires, people that talk to ghosts, and the like. We might think these programs and movies are harmless, but are they? Scripture warns us against these very things. 

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 warns, "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you." 

It's very clear to me how God feels about these things. Ask yourself, "Am I taking darkness in through my eyes and ears, or am I taking in Light?" Even if you're not a born again believer ask yourself, "Is what I am taking in through my eyes and ears benefiting me as wife, husband, mother, father, son, daughter, or friend? Is it making me a better human being?"