Tag Archives: God

Reflections Psalms 92:4-5

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“You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts.”
Psalms‬ ‭92:4-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we consider all that God has done for us personally and His wonderful works- His creation, His omnipotence, His salvation and His great love, we are filled with elation and joy!

David wondered in awe in Ps 8, how the God who made the glorious stars and heavens was mindful of us mere humans, to care for, empower and lavish His love on us.

Job exclaimed after his tribulations in Job 42, of things “to wonderful for me” when he finally saw who God truly was. He was complaining about His circumstances and had a limited view of who God was, but then experienced God is a new way and found joy.

The word joy is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible and “rejoice” is mentioned over 60 times. It is an essential component in our walk with God, and it’s source is derived and fueled by God Himself. This joy that God provides strengthens us to remain steadfast, optimistic and hopeful in challenging times. (Neh. 8:10)

While these verses focus on praising God for what He has done, we can always sing praises to God whether we are on the mountain top or in the valley- because God is always worthy, always good. He inhabits our praises, and in His presence there is always fullness of Joy, there is life, light and peace. Thank you Lord! #Rejoice #Joy #Praise #godshandiwork

Wisdom Fruit: Journey in Proverbs 3 – the Conclusion

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Proverbs 3:33-35

“The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright. The Lord mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame!” Proverbs 3:33-35 NLT

As we close out the final verses of Proverbs 3, we see that unlike the previous verses there is no command,or exhortation, but a listing of stark consequences to those who honor God and His precepts and those who choose unrighteousness. These are spiritual realities that are also mentioned previously in Proverbs and most notably in Deuteronomy 30, so that we understand that there are consequences to the decisions and choices we make. As Deut.30:19 says so poignantly, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”

The Lord not only detests the wicked, but He curses the entire household of the wicked included their dealings and concerns. People who willfully harm are far from the heart of God and bring misfortune not only on themselves but their families. However, God blesses the home, the habitation, of the upright, those who follow Him. This chapter already highlights the benefits of God’s principles and He brings those temporal (physical) and spiritual blessings to the entire households of the upright.

Likewise, those who mock and pridefully scorn God’s precepts and others, bring down the Lord’s scorn on themselves. But again, we see that God extends His abundant grace and favor to those who are humble, who yield to His counsel and serve others. Humility also means that we learn to trust God and seek His help when challenges or uncertainty arise. God extends his grace and blessing to those who trust Him.

The final verse of Proverbs 3 closes with the honor ( and glory) that comes when we operate and align our lives with wisdom and God’s principles. Solomon leaves his audience with the lasting inheritance of favor that wisdom brings that has generational impact. But the foolish, or “self-confident fools” receive a legacy of shame. Because they ridicule or ignore what is right and just, they bring about dishonor and contempt.

Lord, help us to trust in You alone, and help us to embrace all wisdom to learn, act and walk in Your principles, precepts that lead to life, abundance, grace and blessing not only for ourselves, but for our families, neighbors and our communities. Our desire is to honor and please you with our lives always.

Wisdom Fruit: A Journey in Proverbs 3- It’s a Heart Thing

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Proverbs 3:29-30

“Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you. Don’t pick a fight without reason, when no one has done you harm.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:29-30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this passage Solomon is going deeper to say that not only do our actions matter ( previous verses) but our motives matter! Heb 4:12 says “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Wisdom prunes and molds our character so we can be transformed in Gods image.

Sometimes we do things for others yet secretly hold resentment against them. Don’t allow thoughts of ill will or revenge get in your heart, especially those closer to you. The scripture uses the word neighbor, because it’s those people that are in our nearby community- it could be our families, friends, classmates, and colleagues at work. These people in our lives trust us, and we shouldn’t betray that trust! Jesus defined neighbor even further in the Good Samaritan parable, saying our neighbor is anyone who crosses our path in need. Our motives toward our neighbor should always be to bless, love, and support.

Additionally, even though we get frustrated sometimes, we shouldn’t take that out on others. My mother used to say, “hurt or unhappy people, hurt other people.” At no time should we instigate a fight with anyone who has not harmed us. Proverbs 16:32 says “He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.”

Situations come to test us, and how we respond shows us what is in our hearts. Jer. 17:9 says that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick. It causes us, many times through rash emotions, so do many things we later regret. That is why we must meditate on the Word of God to let it penetrate to the core of who we are and let it transform us from the inside out. David prayed in Ps 139 “Search me,God, know my heart: try me, know my thoughts: see if there be any wicked way in me, lead me in the way everlasting.”

Wisdom Fruit: Journey in Proverbs 3- Delightful Paths

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Proverbs 3:17-18

“Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast.” Proverbs‬ ‭3:17-18‬ ‭AMPC‬‬
https://www.bible.com/8/pro.3.17-18.ampc

On my morning walks or on road trips, I am often delightfully surprised by what I see & experience along the way. Wisdom provides direction and guidance to “delightful” paths or as the amplified version says, “highways of pleasantness” and satisfying peace. The process of gaining wisdom/ understanding is not drudgery, but it guides us to pleasant, delightful & peaceful paths. In fact, wisdom illuminates those paths like a lamp/ flashlight in the dark.

Wisdom is the tree of life to those who embrace her. We are plugged in to the eternal wellspring of joy, happiness when we hold on, and blessed when we cling tightly. An embrace is warm close hug normally with a loved one or someone you care about. But when you give or get a little squeeze with that hug, you feel the flood of well-being, love and happiness in knowing how much you are cared for. That flood of blessing and happiness is what happens when we cling to wisdom. As the Amplified version says, we are blessed, fortunate, to be envied.

What wonderful imagery Solomon paints of wisdom. The gospel is relational, personal and requires close proximity to God, His principals and God’s people.

#wisdom #blessed #happy #embrace

Wisdom Fruit: Journey in Proverbs 3 : Incomparable

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Proverbs 3:14-15

Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. “For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Proverbs 3:14-15 NLT

Nothing Compares to Wisdom

These verses are often paired with the previous verse which declares the joy that accompanies wisdom and understanding. The benefits of wisdom are beyond any tangible thing of value: more profitable than silver, more wages than gold, and is more precious, valuable than rare jewels.

It is interesting that Solomon uses business or trade terminology in this passage to compare the value of wisdom i.e. profit, wages and other versions of the Bible use additional terms like merchandise, gain, and proceeds. “Trading” in wisdom yields far more consistent profitable return on investment than precious metals or jewels. Solomon is directly appealing to man’s desire and conquest in search of wealth and power. He emphatically says nothing we desire can compare with wisdom.

Solomon knew what he is talking about as one of the wisest and richest men/ rulers at that time. He knew the value of Godly wisdom early on, when God told him he could have anything he wanted and Solomon requested if God wisdom to rule. God honored that wish so much that He gave Solomon everything else also- riches, favor, prestige. Wisdom never disappoints and nothing we desire can compare.

As Ephesians 3:20 says “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”. God wants to blow our minds and take the limited off!

Wisdom Fruit: A Journey in Proverbs 3: Oh, what JOY

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Proverbs 3:13

“Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.” Proverbs‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s all about Joy this beautiful Monday morning. I’m focused on just this one verse because JOY is the byproduct of wisdom. Joyful meaning FULL of JOY- Completely filled with well-being and happiness.

It comes when we:
1 – Find Wisdom
2 – Gain Understanding

Most of the time we have to look for something in order to find something. Very rarely does something just fall in our laps, but to find anything, even wisdom, we have to look or ask for it.


When we are looking/seeking, God wants our wholehearted attention as mentioned earlier in Proverbs. We must seek Him and His wisdom with our whole hearts. ( Jer. 29:13) When we ask Him for wisdom, James 1:5-6 says we are to ask boldly in faith, nothing wavering, and He will generously give it to us.

We gain understanding as we get and apply God’s wisdom. Proverbs 2:1-3 tells us to apply our hearts, concentrate on understanding, cry out for insight and ask for understanding. Finding wisdom and gaining understanding is not passive, but takes intentional, consistent effort. But in acquiring wisdom and understanding, we experience deep abiding joy that makes everything worthwhile. Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit and it is something that God desires us to always have in abundance!

When we have joy, we also have strength! The Joy of the Lord is our strength! When we have joy, we don’t mind working hard and it helps us endure seeming impossible tasks. The Bible tells us that Jesus endured the cross when He thought about the Joy of reconciling us back to Him. God wants us to have abundant unspeakable joy!

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Cast EVERY Care

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This morning I woke up with a strange weariness, realizing that I had been carrying the burden of the recent tragic senseless murders of two young black and brown men/ boys at the hands of those meant to protect them in my heart. All week I was distracted – I had to fight to stay focused on work, get through meetings, and even dealing with mundane household issues that come with the new pandemic norm of everyone working or taking classes at home.

As the mother of a 21 yrs old son ( pictured above) who has already tasted of police bias against him several times ( just being a young black carefree male), I continue to draw near to throne of grace to place this burden in God’s very capable hands. In times like these, His word is a great consolation and anchor for my soul.

In I Peter 5:7 God encourages us to cast ALL our cares upon Him, not just some of them. The NLT translation puts it this way,“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” His great concern and love for us are designed to carry every worry and every care that we have. In Philippians 4: 6 He actually commands us to “Don’t worry about anything & pray about EVERYTHING. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all he has done. ”

Trusting God with my children has been a daily commitment for me as they have gotten older and especially now as they are transitioning to adulthood. Placing their protection and growth in God’s very capable hands is something that I am growing in faith, and I need His abundant grace to break free from the traps of worry that try to overtake me when triggering incidents like these recent events happen. My heart aches for these families.

May God have mercy on the families of Daunte Wright and Adam Torres who have to endure senseless and unimaginable pain. I pray that God’s promise to comfort them in times of mourning would embrace them and help them heal, restore and relieve the aching pain of loss. He is the God of ALL comfort. We are to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find FIND GRACE in the time of need.

Ps 31:19 also promises that as we come to the Lord for protection, He lavishes us with His goodness which He has stored up for us in great measure. That goodness is not just for our benefit, but so we can pour it out to others. As we are restored, we can be ( should be) that conduit of Gods grace to a world(our families, friends and community) desperate for healing and wholeness.

Praying for other parents of black and brown sons and daughters who share this concern, that God’s abundant grace will empower them also to move forward beyond worry into trust in Gods goodness. Reach out to someone with a word of encouragement, overlook an offense, give grace when someone doesn’t immediately respond, write a note of thanks. Already you have made the world a better place and eased a burden.

21 Days of Grace – Day 21

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Revelation 22:21

Revelation 22:21
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.

So very fitting that I conclude this 21 days of Grace series with the final verse of the Bible which emphasizes Jesus’s desire for His grace be with US, Gods people. This is the heart of God toward us, this is His desire – that His empowering, amazing grace and favor be with each of us always. He is waiting on us to receive it. And that is great news!

Thanks you all who walked with me on this grace journey. I hope we return to these verses again and again, hide them in ours heart, so that we can truly walk in Gods abundant grace so that we can be His vessel of grace to others. God bless you! #Grace #favor #GodwithUs #21Days

21 Days of Grace – Day 20

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2 Corinthians 12:9

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me

This verse is actually the Lord’s response to Paul to remove or cure a “thorn” in his flesh. God’s answer was to say, My grace is all you need, for my strength, my power works best or is amplified best in weakness.

How do we respond when God tells us no?

Paul immediately knew that God’s “No” was always going to be better than a Yes to answered prayer.

God promised him that He would be with him at his weakest. Paul desired and valued Gods presence so much that he said he “gladly boasted” of his infirmities, his weakness so that Christ power would rest (dwell) on him. When we are most vulnerable, as we cry out to God, He promise that His power will be amplified and leverage our weakness to bridge any problem and lead us to victory. But Paul knew and we must also know, that growing in Gods presence and grace, is always the answer to every problem – it is the only solution.