“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” -Luke 6:46-49 ESV
The foundation upon which you build your life upon matters. Eventually when the storms of life strike that is when the foundation of your life will be tested and tried. Are you building your life upon Jesus Christ, the Sure Foundation, or are you building your life upon what is temporary? Be like the wise man who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house upon the rock that could not be shaken when it was struck.
Linda A. Knowles
“even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:7-10NLT
So often, we look to something else or someone else for help that can only come from God, but the Word of God states (1 Peter 5:7NLT), “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” When we follow the simple instruction to cast all our cares on Him, we are walking in obedience to God and His Word.
As we go about our day, let us remember our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of the Heavens and the Earth.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'” -Matthew 11:28-30
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are my God, and I thank You for shepherding me. I give myself to You this day, knowing whatever comes my way, I trust You to help me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your Word which is like honey on my lips, and Your Word is true and stands forever. Your Word goes forth to accomplish the purpose for which You have sent it.
Thank You, Lord, for giving me Your Word so I can hide Your Word in my heart so I might not sin against You. May my words be pleasing to Your ear as I resolve to solely live for You, the Only Faithful and True Living God, because nothing and no one compares to You.
Your promises are lasting. Your Word is Truth, and You, O God, are faithful to me. Let me stand steadfast on Your Word always, and may the foundation of my life always be Jesus Christ for He is the Sure Foundation and Chief Cornerstone.
Help me to always remember the Word of the Living God is still alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, able to cut through joint and marrow and exposes my innermost thoughts. Help me to always remember that I am to study to show myself as an approved workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing Your Word.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Remember in your celebration and contemplation of the New Year to come to keep Christ first in all things. The cross cannot be separated from Christ, and Christ cannot be separated from the cross. On that cross, Christ paid the price. He has saved us, healed us, delivered us, and has set us free. Daily we are being made holy as we die to self.
“For even The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom in the place of the many.” -Mark 10:45 (Aramaic Bible In Plain English)
As we look forward to celebrating the New Year just around the corner, let us remember to continue living in wholehearted devotion to Him, never looking back, and pressing on into the future. Let us carry out the tasks He has placed before us and continue to grow in the love of Christ.
Linda A. Knowles
You are not alone.
The Lord Your God has not left you,
and He has not forsaken you.
Your God knows you by name,
And He hears you when you call.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You are the God who never leaves me,
and You are the God who never fails.
I know You are with me
and that You know my every tear, You know my every weakness;
But, Father, I put my hope and my trust in You
because You are faithful,
and Your promises are true.
Help me to remain steadfast,
and constantly remind me of Your promises.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
“He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.
Our Lord is great. He is bigger than any problem or struggle you have. He is the One who catches you, not permitting those who belong to Him to slip and fall. This old hymn of the church says it all, “WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.”
Remember the Lord hears you calling out to Him. He hears you when you cry out, and anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
Written By Joseph M. Scriven In 1855
Copyright Status Is Public Domain
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What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
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Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
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Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
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Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.
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“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'” -Matthew 11:28-30NLT
You might be thinking, “Seriously, Linda? Times of desperation are the best? Are you crazy?” Probably, but I have had a lot of time to think about desperation since I have been through desperate situations myself as well as knowing some others who have found themselves in situations and circumstances beyond their control. I have thought a lot about people in the bible who have found themselves in the most dangerous or crazy situations. *Let’s face it. We’ve all had those moments where we have come face to face with trials and not knowing what to do in those situations… those situations that have had us laid out before the LORD, those situations that have had us completely at the end of ourselves, that have us carefully tuning in to hear GOD’s voice speak, paying more attention to what the Word of GOD has to say, and clinging to GOD more than we usually do.
“In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.” -Psalm 34:6 (NLT)
REFLECTION: “For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses,” (2 Kings 18:6). You can be like Hezekiah who did not depart from following GOD but kept the commandments of GOD. Cling tightly to GOD at ALL times. Be faithful to the GOD who has been faithful to you and who has kept you. Be loyal to the GOD who has not let your enemies triumph over you. Walk with HIM and follow the LORD’s commandments, obeying Him with wholehearted devotion. Without GOD, you can do nothing. With GOD, you are an overcomer and made victorious. *PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Your power is made perfect in weakness. You are the Horn of My Salvation, and You are the Wellspring of Life. No matter what the circumstance, good or bad, I will put my hope and trust in You for with You all things are possible. Thank You for times of desperation because, in those moments, You teach me and show me more of Your goodness, Your faithfulness, and Your grace. Thank you for making my feet like a deer able to climb the mountain heights You have set me on, and when I come to You to have my strength renewed as I wait upon you, let me rise up with wings like an eagle. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.” -Isaiah 50:10
Yes, God does still speak to His children today.
As children of the Most High God, we do not take on the beliefs of those in the world whether they are the ordinary unbelievers you come across every day or secular actors, athletes, singers, and the like who believe that if you talk much about God they consider you to be a good Christian but then consider you to be crazy if you say God speaks to you. The vain imagination of man and the world’s philosophy is contrary to the nature and character of God and is in direct opposition to what the Word of God says.
Our God is THE personal God. He is so personal that you are fearfully and wonderfully made complex (Psalm 139:14). There is nowhere you can go that you can flee from His presence (Psalm 139:7-10). God knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). You CANNOT get more personal than that. He wants to talk to you (Isaiah 1:18, James 4:8, Hebrews 4:12), and He wants you to talk to Him (Jeremiah 33:3, John 10:27-28, 1 John 1:3). Having a relationship with God involves communication with Him, and you can talk with God anytime even if you are shopping, cooking, cleaning house, doing yardwork, tending to your children, and taking care of other responsibilities or anything you are doing in your leisure time (Joshua 1:9; Psalm 16:8, 145:18). You’re not limited in when you can talk to your Heavenly Father or in how often you can speak with your Heavenly Father.
“GOD DOESN’T SPEAK TO ME LIKE HE DOES TO YOU; WHY DOESN’T GOD SPEAK TO ME LIKE HE DOES TO YOU…”
Do you want to hear God’s voice? If yes, what are you doing to nurture your relationship with God in order to hear His voice? Are you being quiet enough to listen to Him? In other words, are you going into your prayer closet where it is just you and God alone, in place of solitude, where He can speak to you without you being distracted? Are you willing for God to interrupt you at anytime no matter what you are doing so He can talk to you? If you have a relationship with God, you should be daily spending time in the Word, developing discernment about what is right and what is wrong, and hearing Him speak to you through His Word. If you have a relationship with God, then you should be spending time in prayer, seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness. If you have a relationship with God, you should know the Word is clear when it states that “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19 NLT) Since God does NOT change, the phrase “God doesn’t speak” is incorrect, and, therefore, does NOT line up with the Unchanging God the Bible speaks of. God uses various ways to speak to His children.
It is important to note this: Do NOT complain God doesn’t talk to you (1) if you are not opening your Bible to study or read it, (2) if you are practicing a life of sin that is drowning out His voice, (3) if you are not paying attention to Him because you’re too “busy” to give Him your attention, (4) if you are complacent, non-committed, indifferent, or stagnant when it comes to God and the things that concern God such as His Will and His Ways, or (5) if you have cut yourself off from Him by actually choosing to be disobedient, disloyal, and have chosen your ways and your will rather than God’s.
“SO GOD SPOKE TO YOU AUDIBLY?”
Usually when someone says, “God told me” or “God spoke to me,” the automatic assumption and conclusion on the part of the listener is that the person heard God speak audibly. However, the Bible is filled with metaphoric language, which is “the changing of form or nature of a person or thing into something different by natural or supernatural means,” and anthropomorphic language, which is “ascribing human attributes to God.” For instance, in the New Testament, we are told “God is spirit,” (John 4:24) yet at the same time, we speak of being in the hands of God (Deuteronomy 7:8, Isaiah 49:16) and talk about God holding the waters of the earth in His hand (Isaiah 40:12), and we see, in Genesis 1:1, God spoke things into existence such as the heavens and the earth, and in Genesis 3:8, we see Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).
BAR OF MEASURE FOR THE BELIEVER
Within the pages of the Bible, we see the standard of morality and the standard of ethics are set forth by God, and therefore, any preaching or teaching is measured by the Word of God. If a teaching or preaching does not line up with the Word of God, then it must be thrown out. With that being said, since the Bible is the Authoritative Word of God for those who are believers, it should be no surprise to believers when their fellow brothers and sisters use phrasing often used within the pages of the Bible which they cherish to give them instructions for how to live a life pleasing to God. God speaks to us through both the Old and the New Testaments. If you believe in the New Testament, you must also believe in the Old Testament. The apostles and disciples did not have the New Testament you hold in your hand today. They got their teaching from the Law and the Prophets as well as those who were in the very presence of Christ and walking with Him during Christ’s time on earth as well as through the disciples who went forth into all the world to make disciples of all nations preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ and the testimonies of those who were witnesses and were saved through the hearing of the message of the cross.
“HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?” GOD SPEAKS IN VARIOUS WAYS.
Linda A. Knowles
Stained Glass Confessions 