Getting Over Yourself

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 74. It’s the next step after the pity party’s over. Verses 1-11 is where I’ve found myself before. You’re wondering, “How long is this going to take, God? Are you going to do something, or are you just going to stand there and watch them destroy me?” One time God asked me, “How long did it take you to decide to turn to me?” I did like Job, and said, “I’ll just shut up now.”

Verse 12 is a reminder that God has been at this a lot longer than you have. “Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.” Since the beginning, God has had you. He saw this day, and all those days before this one…you know, your downhill slide. Verses 13-18 recount God’s power and the works of His hands. I love verse 19. “Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.” “But, Daddy; I’m your little girl!” LOL I can laugh now; and I hope God did then. That manipulation thing doesn’t work very well with Him. But, oh, don’t we love to try it?!

Verses 20&21 is where we start. “Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.” Consider your covenant with God! It’s the one Jesus blood was used to seal. Your salvation was not the only thing Jesus secured for you. Jesus secured and assured your redemption as well. Redemption is not only about redeeming you from the power of Satan over your eternal soul. Redemption is about giving you back your power over your life here on Earth; right now! God will help you redeem your clarity, your sanity, your peace, power, joy, and love-love for Him, for yourself, and for others-even those who have hurt you. The greatest commandments, according to Jesus are 1. Love God with all your might, your heart, and soul, and 2. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Self-loathing, self-doubt, self sabotage, and self defeat are part of that vicious circle we can find ourselves caught up in. This is especially true when we’re dealing with generational curses. The biggest reason addicts and alcoholics relapse is that they never get to deal with the cause(s) of their addiction(s). Those can be found in the daily lives of the generation(s) before you, and in your own. When you begin to see and understand them, you can begin to overcome them.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly – May 1, 2021

Most of you know I crochet. I love to take my little odds and ends of leftover yarn, and make doll clothes or other fun little things for children. I recently gifted a friend with a couple of little purses, and some Barbie clothes and accessories I’d made. I was told that the two year old loved the purse; and Grandpa put a dollar in it for her. She ran to Mommy and asked if they could go to the store, and stated that she was going to buy something for Mommy, because Mommy always buys her things. Mommy was so touched by this, that she gave the little lady another dollar, and told her to save it and the one Grandpa gave her. Mommy insisted that she was going to buy the little princess something as a reward for her thoughtfulness and generosity. I, having had four two year olds myself, when I heard this, couldn’t help wondering, “Do they know that they’ve just been robbed by a two year old?” LOL! Great job with those girls, Mommy! Hugs and kisses to you all.

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Increasing Your Days

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 61. it’s a psalm of King David’s, and a short one, so I’ll post the whole thing for you.

(Psalm 61 -ESV) “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.

The NIV reads: Increase the days of the king’s life. I like that word better than “prolong.” Here’s the reason: Increase also means to make greater in size, intensity, or degree. This tells me that I don’t have to live an ordinary, or humdrum life. When we allow God to lead us to that rock that is higher than we are, we can increase in every way. -Dear Jesus, I do not need to increase an;y more in size, by the way. Jesus said, “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31)

King David prayed that he might be enthroned before God forever. This is what Paul meant when he said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24) In this way, we are truly enthroned before the LORD, because He sees our striving and serving.

When we allow steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over us, and to guide us, we learn to go the extra mile; we learn to give that extra whatever it is that makes for excellence. An example would be not only doing the dishes, but drying them and putting them away, cleaning the sink, sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, etc. for Mom or Dad, or for your mate. That’s an increase in your thoughtfulness, in the quality of your work, and in your sense of self-worth-because you’re striving to do an excellent job. This is growth on your part. Can you see the increase? When we make a habit of following the path of love and faithfulness, we increase our days with so much love, peace, and joy. And in a family, we actually increase everyone’s days.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Let Him Encamp Around You

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 53. It was written by King David. I have to wonder if it didn’t come to him the way it comes to all of us; after the fact. You know, you’re going through the storm, waves coming over the edge of the boat, wind tearing the sails apart…JESUS where are you?!!!!! All of a sudden, it’s over, and you don’t know how. And, here you are, still in one piece, still breathing, and the enemy is seen in the distance…limping away with his tail tucked between his legs. Praise God! That’s when it hits you: “O you of little faith…” And you realize just how awesome God is; how fiercely protective of you He is, and how swiftly and silently He can get the job done. He’s the original stealth bomber. LOL

As I read the psalm, I couldn’t help but look to time ahead, when there will be only a remnant left to deal with the evil. That remnant will be those who perhaps heard the gospel and came to believe when the church disappeared into thin air. As I think about that time to come, and the present darkness we live in now, I’m inclined to bow my head and pray even harder for those who will be left here. I’m also finding myself so very grateful for those who taught me about Jesus; from my grandmother, to the Sunday school teachers, Summer Bible Camp teachers, pastors, etc., and most of all, Jesus, Himself. Just think, if He hadn’t come and talked to us…If He’d only come and died for us…what we would be missing in terms of love, peace, power, and joy.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Maybe He’s Doin’ You A Favor

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 30. Psalm 30 is King David singing to the LORD. The whole thing is beautiful! (Psalm 30:6-7)”As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.” (ESV) This one really caught my attention. I’ve had three or four of those mountains in my life. There’s a twofold revelation here. First, we can get so caught up in our success(es) that we forget who got us there. “King/Queen of the hill, I am.” You’re already in trouble the minute you think it. I know; you think God would say, “Oh, yeah?” He doesn’t. God says, “Oh, no!” He knows what you’re in for. The devil loves to knock you down. That’s where the second revelation comes in. “By your favor,” O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong.” Oh, oh; what happened to my mountain? My high place just turned into a desert wilderness! It’s a mountain of sand! And here comes the storm! “God, why did you let that happen? God, can you hear me down here?! GOD, ARE YOU LISTENING?!! GOD, HELP ME!” “Yes, my child, I am listening. Now you’ve got it right.” (Matthew 5:1-14) (ESV)

Proverbs 30:1-9 reinforce Psalm 30. It’s almost like a small recap of Job. “I’ve learned my lesson, and I’ll just shut up and praise you now, LORD/Lord.” LOL Proverbs 30:7-9 go on with a short request by Agur, of the LORD. Then the rest of the proverb gives us some observations Agur has made. He ends with a bit of wise advice.

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Bold As A Lion

Today’s message comes to us from Proverbs 28. Proverbs 28:1 tells me that I am bold as a lion. As a child of God, I should be. Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. I’m being conformed to His image. My God says I have nothing to fear because He is my refuge and my strong tower, my help in times of trouble. Jesus also promised He will never leave me or forsake me; but He’s with me always. There’s also that first verse in Psalm 27, where King David asks, “Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?” God is our light and our salvation.

Keeping that in mind, Proverb 28:2 gives us a clear picture of whom should be our leader; or what kind of leadership we should have: “When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.” Turn a couple of things around here: “When a land has many rulers, it transgresses.” This speaks, not only of idolatry. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 33:12). When you think about opposing views (Mom says no, Dad says yes), too many things on the agenda (Distraction), and everyone trying to run the show (everybody’s job gets done except his/her own-and you have constant friction as a result of personal agendas), what you have is a big mess waiting to happen. All that stuff inspires confusion, anger, bitterness, envy, and malice. (2 Cor. 13:11) – “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” As parents, you cannot create a stable and peaceful environment if you’re not of one accord, and constantly oppose each other. Stability, knowledge, and wisdom go hand in hand; each one empowers the others.

Proverbs 28:4, 5, and 10 remind us that our duty, and especially as parents, is to fight wickedness; to strive against it. The knowledge of the LORD brings us the understanding of justice, we’re told in verse 5. Verse ten is a revelation about sowing and reaping. “Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.” Parents will suffer the consequences of misleading their children into sin. (teen pregnancies, drugs and alcohol, sloth, disrespect, idolatry, etc.) Proverbs 28:13 is a powerful revelation about what might be hindering your progress; especially in terms of overcoming. Proverbs 28:18-19 remind us that integrity (truth,honesty), which requires boldness, by the way, delivers us from sin. This is also a two-fold thing. Integrity should also help you recognize your sin, and help you overcome it. Proverbs 28:23 tells us that correction is better than flattery. We prosper as our soul prospers. You are your land. Be bold as a lion in maintaining its standards and boundaries!

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Silence Can Be Deadly

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms 28. Psalm 28:1-2 are so powerful! “To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.” (your innermost sanctuary) This tells me that when I lift my hands up, I’m appealing to my Daddy’s heart for me. Hear me, Mom, Dad! And, answer me; answer my need for reassurance, admonition, correction, instruction, encouragement, etc. Remember Job? Yeah, God answered him, didn’t He? LOL My favorite line from that whole book is when Job says, “I’ll just shut up now.” I giggle every time I read it. And, yes, I’ve said that same thing myself; more times than I care to disclose. God walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Your silence can be lethal. Interaction stimulates even infants in the womb. Admonition, encouragement, instruction, empower us with knowledge, wisdom, and courage. Correction reveals error and makes way for instruction and encouragement. It also reinforces standards and boundaries; helping to realign us with truth and integrity. All of theses empower bonding in love, and cement relationships. Relationship empowers boldness. Verse 2 Begins “Hear the the voice of my please for mercy.” You can tell by the way that voice sounds what’s going on inside that person. (fear, desperation, frustration, overwhelmed, etc.) Those pleas for mercy. Mercy is defined as: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. (definition from Oxford Languages) We need to stop the onslaught dead in its tracks and make it manageable. My oldest daughter was just overwhelmed by a Math lesson dealing with decimal places. I drew a chart for her, like the one I’d learned decimal places on, and showed her how to use it. She aced that section in her math class. She hadn’t been shown that in class.

Psalm 28:3 is a powerful revelation about inappropriate places, people, and things. Some I thought of were bars, parties, gossip sessions, adult conversation, and age inappropriateness. That stuff comes back on us; we’re sowing seeds, and we will reap. That 9 year old that acts and sounds like a 37 year old comes to mind. Jesus did not take us to Hell; He went there for us. Psalm 27:7 is the next powerful one here. It gives us a revelation of two things. First, you must trust God to be helped by Him. (How can you believe and obey Him if you don’t trust Him?) Secondly, you must be trustworthy in order for your children, mate, friends, and others to feel they can be helped by you. (Why would, or should they turn to you if they can’t trust you?)

Proverbs 28 tomorrow.

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His Perfect Love Is Beautiful

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us the our enemy prowls like a lion, seeking whom he can devour with fear. Fear is the devil’l favorite weapon. We are bid to seek, think about, and speak of Jesus often. We’re encouraged to build a strong relationship with Him. This is what the parable of the house on the rock teaches us. This is one of my favorite songs; I’ll never tire of it! Thank you, Jason Upton, for a beautiful job!

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Suited To Fit You

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that God adjusts the yoke to fit us. God knows us; has known us from the beginning, and already knows exactly what size, make, model, every little detail, needs to be.

The key to Divine Revelation about God’s way, is the simple acceptance of God’s will. When I say God’s way, I mean the way He has mapped out for us. Each one of us, strengths, weaknesses, limits, etc., have been carefully considered by Him. This is something to keep in mind when you’re not feeling like you’re doing anything significant for God. First, let me tell you, there is no such thing as insignificant in the Kingdom of Heaven. The little one year old who’s helping Mommy polish spoons is doing a bang up job! He/she is significant! As we obey our LORD/Lord, we grow, and God readjusts the yoke to fit us, now at this level.

I hear people say so often, “I’m seeking God’s will in this.” True, we do need to get specifics. But, for that everyday living, God’s will has already been stated. “I came to destroy the works of the devil; and I’ve come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” If we could just have that firmly settled in our minds, and hearts, half of the hotline phones in Heaven would be silent. It makes such a difference in your whole frame of mind, your attitude, and your heart, when you have that one little anchor. It brings an immense and profound peace to your whole being. Ephesians 5:8 is referenced: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

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Every Day It’s There For Us

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that for every task given us, God supplies all that we need to get the job done. We are admonished not to fear, and to claim the wisdom and strength we need; sure that it is there for us.

There’s a statement in the message: “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” That’s a powerful revelation about choosing to have a good day, or a bad one. One thing that helped me so much to have the day, instead of the day having me, is my morning time with the LORD/Lord. Whether it’s in prayer or praise, make time for God first thing. That sets the tone for the rest of the day. It’s like giving, and receiving that all important hug! I hope you’ll be as blessed by this song as I am. There truly is nobody like our Lord, Jesus! Thank you, Paul Wilbur.

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