God Is With You

Genesis 21:22 NKJV
God is with you in all that you do.

If we truly consider the above statement to be as true for us as it was for Abraham, then I believe our day to day activities would radically change. It's a sobering thought. He is with us in all that we do; from the lowest common denominator of just sitting/standing and breathing to the most incredible grief that any of us can bare. Is He just standing idly by, watching us, twiddling His thumbs, wishing He was somewhere else? Is His presence marked by observation and curiosity? Or is He an active, vibrant, engaging God? Does He watch over us as a true "Father'? Do we feel that without His presence there would be no breath to even speak of or grief to even lament over?
Personally, I can only believe that He is with us at all times. He has provided not only Himself but also His Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as well. The Trinity can not and will not ever be seperated. His words and my experience dictate that He is constantly engaged in a Christian's life. His love is what sustains me and without it I would not exist. Furthermore, I must consider His presence in the bad as well as the good. When I sin, He is there! I must not forget that. He's not just there when I'm doing well or living righteously. Praise God that He sees the bigger picture of our lives; that He sees us as a whole, not just at those "micro moments" when we've turned away from Him or even have done an instant and short-lived "good". God is with us in all that we do...so we must do our all for Him. - JSS

Healing Faith

Matthew 14: 35-36 NIV

People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

If only we would/could get sick and hurting people to Jesus, to touch Him, to get close enough to Him, then they would be healed. Jesus rewards faith and our willingness to help others encounter Him, receive Him unto themselves. Jesus honors the faith of others. - JSS

2 Corinthians 8:12 NIV
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

Whatever We Ask

In John 14:12-14 and 15:7 and 15:16, Jesus said that whatever we ask in Jesus' name it will be given to us. Of course, this puzzles me because not all prayers asked in Jesus' name are given to us. The truth may lay in this: If our heart is fixed to/on bringing about God's Kingdom and fulfilling His will in obedience then our prayers will be oriented to reflect this. Thereby, our Heavenly Father will honor our prayers and allow them to come to fruition. Our prayers, if this be true, must contain less selfish pleas, bullying through God's promises, and half-hearted attempts to be sanctimonious. We must be so in tune with the Father so as to understand His intentions within our lives so that when we pray we are merely an unhindered vessel or clear channel/conduit to bring His salvation to the world. Jesus was/is one with his Father and was in full obedience to Him and so we must be also. - JSS

Lord, Help Me To Be A Barnabas: A Prayer

Lord, help me to become a Barnabas, a "son of encouragement". Help me to encourage others in their daily walk and to point them to You. Like Barnabas did for Paul, help me to see the true character in other people, to see them the way You see them, and to believe in them when there has been a definite change in their heart. Help me to value others as Your special creation, worthy even to the point of death like Your own Son displayed on the cross.

People are hurting Lord...they need a savior. They need You! They need to feel and believe that someone believes in them. Please use me Lord to "stand in the gap" for others, to offer encouragement through the revelation and prompting of the Holy Spirit. Help me to be a Barnabas...
In Jesus name I pray, amen. - JSS

Are You Grateful?

Our world promotes [discontentment] dissatisfaction with our lives...contentment frees you to enjoy every good thing God has given you. Contentment demonstrates your belief that God loves you and has your best interest in mind. Discontentment stems from the sin of ingratitude and a lack of faith that God loves you enough to provide for all that you need. Strive to be grateful for all that God has given you. A grateful heart has no room for envy.
- Taken from Experiencing God Day By Day by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, pg. 121. Used with permission.

God's Word (A Poem)

May Your Word, O' Lord,
trickle down
from the mountains
of my mind,
and rest in the deep
valleys
of my heart,
and finally settle
in the firm richness
of the soil
of my soul.

May roots of freedom
and truth
be planted,
sprouting praises
and thanksgivings
from my mouth.

Your Word, O' Lord,
is a gift.
It fills those places
that have only known
barrenness.
It partners with the Son
in bringing
the light of wisdom,
hope and grace.
And it stands
as a sacred
testament
of God's intense,
uncompromising
love for us.

May Your Word, O' Lord,
settle
along the edges
of my heart.
- JSS (written 07/30/09)

Keeping Promises

Don't make a vow to God unless you are going to fulfill it completely. There are sober consequences if you do not fulfill your vow or act in obedience to your promise. God upholds and honors our covenants we make to Him. Every vow, promise or covenant he has made to us He has fulfilled or will fulfill when the proper time comes. His standards are high and we must honor our relationship to Him at all times. - JSS

Lord, help me keep my promises to You and to others and in love, mercy and grace to hold others to the same standards. Thank You, Lord for placing godly people in my life to hold me accountable; to walk like Christ in obedience, faith and truth, amen - JSS

The Lord Is My Strength

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NIV
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Psalm 9:9-10 NIV
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
   a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
   for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 18:1-2 NIV
I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 34:17-19 NKJV
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

To Not Take God's Grace For Granted: A Prayer

Dear Lord,
I believe I too often take Your grace for granted. I don't seriously consider the incredible sacrifice or price that Jesus Christ paid for me. I fall into the same old lies the devil used in the Garden Of Eden. Like Eve, I'm aware of the incredible gifts that are around me, how You have blessed me abundantly and have given me the ability to have a deep, personal relationship with You on a daily basis. I can truly walk with You in the cool of the day. Yet, when I am tempted and follow that temptation into sin, it's as if I'm listening to another voice, my flesh, possibly Satan, maybe my own inner voice of rebellion. It seems to be saying, "It's ok, it's just a little sin, you deserve it, you're a good person, God will forgive you anyway..." And the litany goes on to justify my sin. The flesh is willing and the spirit is weak seems to be the norm. Paul, in Romans 6:1-4, warns us, "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin, how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Lord, I know that if I continue to persist in leading my campaign of hidden rebellion I may potentially be fully under the control of Satan. You may decide to turn me over to a reprobate mind to receive the same fate that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 10:8 toward Israel. Lord, I've realized by now that you send signals or warnings prior to my falling into sin. Often times these occur before I'm faced with a temptation. Help me Lord to heed the warnings or danger signs, to recognize the patterns more that lead to sin and have the strength to overcome before it's too late. A reoccurring sin signifies a deeper problem and struggle that can no longer be faced alone: it must be conquered by the saving blood of the Lamb.
Heavenly Father, help me not to take Your grace for granted. When I'm tempted help me to tremble with fear at the possibility of falling into sin. Lord, You deserve more from me, expect more, and long for a deeper relationship between us. Sin hinders love! Thank You Heavenly Father for Your forgiveness and grace and mercy. May my disappointments be few and my love for You become greater. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. - JSS

Afflictions

Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trials of extraordinary graces. - Archbishop Leighton

Psalm 66:10 NIV84
For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

Psalm 60:11-12 NIV84
Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Whether it be in trials or temptations, we must turn them over to God to achieve victory. We cannot defeat them in our own strength. They must be totally released to Him. Laid upon the altar to be consumed in Christ's death and resurrection. - JSS

Psalm 65:3 NIV84
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.

Psalm 55:16-18 NIV84
But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me.

Great trials must have great faith. - JSS

Thoughts On Prayer

James 5:16 NIV
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

All that a christian does, even in eating and sleeping is prayer, when it is done in simplicity, according to the order of God, without either adding to or diminishing from it by his own choice. - John Wesley

Your life can be a continuous prayer to God; an everlasting expression of your love and devotion to Him. - JSS

Perhaps no sin of omission more frequently occasions this than the neglect of prayer. - John Wesley 



Romans 12:12 NIV
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Our prayers must be in-line with God's will. [This is the secret that unlocks effective prayer.] This requires us to be in daily communion with Him; to be in close relationship with Him; to listen deeply for His voice and trust His guidance; to join our heart with His so that they are indistinguishable: they beat as one. - JSS