1 Kings 19:11-12 And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Our God is all-powerful. When He wants our attention, He will get it! Sometimes He does it in unexpected ways.

Elijah was frightened. He'd experienced great victory against the prophets of Baal - proving that God alone was to be worshiped. But that hadn't stopped the contract put out on his life by wicked Queen Jezebel. Elijah ran away, afraid for his life and certain that he was the only one left who truly believed in God.

When God wanted to speak to His discouraged servant Elijah, He took him up on the mountain and told him that He Himself would pass by. Then came a wind powerful enough to shatter rocks, an earthquake and a fire - but the Lord was not in any of those things. Instead, His voice came to Elijah in a quiet whisper (1 Kings 9-13).

When Elijah heard the voice, he went out and talked to God. Elijah told the Lord his fears and worries. The quiet and soothing voice of God responded with comfort and with a further assignment, getting Elijah back on track.

When you are weighed down by fear, doubt, and worry, you may need to sit quietly and simply ask God to breathe on you. He will restore your weary soul and speak to your heart with His gentle whisper.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Exodus 15:11  Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

Many have attempted to set themselves up as "gods." Confucius and Budda were men of great wisdom. Hare Krishna spoke of peace. The Dalai Lama tells others how to show kindness and compassion. Movements, cults, and full-fledged religions surround these men, but they all have one thing in common - they were and are just human beings. Confucius, Buddha, and Krishna are dead and they never rose from the grave.

Like those self-made gods, Jesus spoke of peace and love and showed compassion to those who needed it the most. Unlike them, however, He was capable of more: he healed the sick and even raised the dead. He walked on water and calmed the raging storm. He offered Himself to God as payment for our sins that we might not face the judgment of God. And He did something else that no one else has done - He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, never to die again! Now,He sits at the right hand of God interceding for us and forgiving our sins.

So stand up and give Him the praise! The Lord strong and mighty, He is the only one worthy. There never was and never shall be anyone like Him. No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth is like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

Sometimes we wonder if God hears our prayers. We pray and plead, and then we wait. Sometimes, the waiting is the hardest part. But we can rest assured that God does hear us when we call - He will answer our prayers and give us a new song, a hymn of praise to sing of our joy!

Take Abraham for example. He prayed and asked God for a son; twenty-four years later. God granted his request and Isaac was born. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" the angels asked Abraham in Genesis 18:14. In the heart of Abraham was song of hope, a song of peace - God had blessed him with a child.

We can have that same joy when we put our trust in the Lord! We can sing a new song, one of hope and peace, liberation and victory. "The music He gives sets the nations free." As His children, we know He hears our prayers as well as our praises. His song sets us free!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

John 7:37-38 If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.

When we come to the end of a long and tiring day, when our strength and energy are depleted, we need something to revive us. As a long, cool drink of water quenches our thirst on a sizzling day, so we need something to quench our thirst for meaning behind all of the endless activity of life. The world offers only empty platitudes, leaving us dry and unfulfilled.

When we let Jesus quench our thirst, however, we find that He fills us up to overflowing. As the psalmist said, "My cup overflows" (Psalm 23:5). And He fills us with living water. As He told the woman at the well, "The water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life" (John 4:14).

So Jesus says to you, "If you are thirsty, come to me!" (John 7:37) When you thirst for meaning, purpose, revival, or restoration, you need only to seek the Lord and ask for more of the living water. All you could ever need or desire can be found in Him, and He is faithful to satisfy.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 95:6 Cone, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Kneeling humbly at the feet of Jesus is the highest place we could be. Two women who were contemporaries of Jesus found this out themselves.

Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, welcomed Jesus into her home. While her sister was preparing the meal, Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus listening to what He said. Jesus praised her, saying she had chosen what was better - spending time with Him. Her devotion was more important than anything else (Luke 10:38-42).

At another time, Mary again sat at Jesus' feet, this time pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair. Her sacrifice provided a lesson for the disciples about the divinity of Jesus (John 12:1-11).

In a separate, yet similar incident, a woman referred to only as having "lived a sinful life" entered the house where Jesus was a guest and knelt at His feet. She, too, poured perfume on His feet and it mingled with her tears. Jesus extended the ultimate gift to her for her love and devotion when He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven" (Luke 7:38-50).

We, too, will find our highest glory and our highest calling when we humbly kneel at His feet.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Acts 2:21  And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, for that name brings life and power to all who call. His name is many different things to many people, and each name describes His attributes.

He is the Lord of Glory, Lord Almighty, and the Kin of kings - strength, power, and majesty pour down from His throne. He is the Eternal Father - we can run to Him with our problems and He will lovingly guide us. He is the Bread of Life - He sustains us and provides for our most basic human needs. He is Yahweh, Redeemer, Deliverer - He purchased our freedom with His own blood as the payment for our sins. He is Messiah, Jehovah - the Anointed One who delivers us. He is the Prince of Peace - no one else could bring peace to our hearts, minds, and souls. He is the Soon and Coming King - those who know Him will meet Him in the air.

Every aspect of our lives is enveloped by the many names of the Lord. He brings light to the darkness and healing to the broken spirit. When we seek Him in all of His righteousness and glory, we find exactly what we need, for He is everything to everyone in every situation. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

1 Corinthians 2:12  We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

A true desire to change comes from a heart that trusts in Jesus. Before we put  our faith in Him, we could not understand spiritual things. We couldn't comprehend God or how He could possibly work in our lives.

While no one, believer or non-believer, can ever fully comprehend God, by the help of His Spirit we can be led to obey and grow. The Spirit will whisper in our hearts and fill us with the desire to follow the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 2:14, the apostle Paul tells us that those without the Spirit of God cannot understand or accept the things that come from the Spirit. Why? Because the lines of communication were never established. Because they were not willing to change, to grow, or to obey the Spirit of the Lord.

Praise the Lord that He provided His Spirit to those who trust in Him. He has taken away the desires that drive us from Him and has replaced them with the desire to follow Christ. No matter where He leads, we will follow. We will trust and obey.
Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,