Praising in the Darkness

"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed." (Psalm 22:1-5 NKJV) These verses start out with the same words Jesus Christ used on the cross. Feeling all alone, and suffering incredible pain, God didn't answer when Jesus called. But, God raised Him from the dead as He did Lazurus. Even in the darkest of times God hears our cries and answers us. It may not be when we think it should be, but He does answer our prayers. And, as the author of this psalm does, even in the darkest of times praise God. Because God is still, and always, good and steadfast, strengthens us, and delivers us. Trusting Him in the darkest times also bring us closer to Him. Praise be to God for both the good and the bad times! Love, Beau

Prayer and Thanksgiving

"...but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;...giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...." (Phillipians 4:6; Ephesians 5:20 NKJV) Mom and some people she knows were having a deep discussion about prayer the other day. It was so deep mom shared it with me and I wanted to share it with you. We pray for things we want and need, we pray for others needs and wants, and we pray when there are struggles. Also, we are hopefully quick to thank God for the things He gives. But, do we pray and thank for, not only the things we have not yet received, but also the things we have and or did NOT receive??? The former Bible verses states that EVERYTHING by prayer (and thanksgiving), and giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things. I believe that it's a good idea, when praying, to not only remember needs, wants, and gifts, but also to thank God for those things yet to come and for those things God said no to. After all, it lets God know how much we appreciate his gifts; AND, God is wise. Not getting things only makes us stronger and builds character. It also helps us appreciate what we do have! That's a good thing! So, remember to fully pray and be thankful! Love, Beau

God Given Freedom

"Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners." (Psalm 146:7 NKJV) No one is perfect. We are all sinners. And, sin is what keeps us from getting close to God. But God is a loving, generous, forgiving, compassionate god. He delivers, or frees, us from our sins. God breaks the chains of those who are prisoners to their sins. In addition, He feeds our souls giving us the bread of life; He gives us understanding and wisdom, and He is a friend to the needy, the poor in spirit, and the homeless. God is with those who need Him the most. God is merciful, compassionate, and forgiving...and He is forever. Let us go quickly to Him, and rejoice in the wonderful freedoms God gives us....Now and forever. Amen! Love, Beau

Have you not heard??

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." (Isaiah 40: 28-29 NKJV) The word of God, and His grace, should be enough to silence all fears and anxieties. God finishes what He starts, and the work God has begun in each of us He will finish and perfect. God will perfect His grace and He will help those who genuinely lean on Him. God is always available for us and His wisdom is far greater than we could ever understand. But, we must guard our hearts and minds. If we lean too much on our own understanding we will fail. But, if we put everything into God we will be raised above all our trials and tribulations, and be given the gift of eternal life in Heaven. "Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God...He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom!" Love, Beau

God, Our Father

"He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’" (Psalm 89:26 NKJV) God plays many roles in our lives. In addition to being our God and our salvation, He also is our father both spiritually and by inheritance. God loves us deeply. He gently and lovingly disciplines and guides us, helping us to mature spiritually. God disciplines us as needed, but He also rewards us as well! As David, the writer of this Psalm, shows, God is our everything and we can always count on Him. We can always turn to Him for everything. We can rejoice in these blessings, and take comfort in God's love for us! Love, Beau

Trusting Faithfully

"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5 NKJV) We all need help sometimes. That is how God made us...to lean on one another and be there for each other. Sometimes w have financial woes, sometimes life makes us sad or frustrated, and sometimes we just need a friend. Whatever it is that need, God is there for us. The Holy Bible tells us that if we trust in Him and commit our troubles to Him, we shall pass through it. The hard part is that once we commit it to God we are to completely let go of it, and not worry, stress, or think about it anymore. But human nature gets in the way. That is where faith and trust come in. Once we let go, we have to totally trust in God and have faith that He will do what He says. The blessing is that once we do, life not only gets much better, but God delivers. And, God ALWAYS has a plan, a backup plan, and a backup plan to the backup plan! Praise be to God! Love, Beau

Our Hope and Salvation

"O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption." (Psalm 130:7 NKJV) Only God can heal us from our sin. We often try to heal ourselves through ways the world suggests, and or we distract ourselves from our pain by working, getting involved in social activies, physical activities, or even worse drinking or drugs. But, at the end of the day we can't run from our sins and or the pain it has caused us (and maybe others). The good news is that we can turn to God for healing. And, as this Bible verse says, with the Lord is mercy and abundant redemption. With God (and only with God) we can be whole again! This is a wonderful gift and a blessing! Thanks be to God for His mercy and grace! Love, Beau