Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Notice the the beautiful boundary line in Ray’s photo. Join us for See You Saturday by clicking the link. We share on boundary lines and our circle of control.

Isaiah 60:1 NIV — Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

Do you think you’re not worthy? Well, the glory of the Lord is upon you, shining brightly. It would be easy to think we are unworthy when life is full of ants and brokenness, right? 

I am here to encourage you that the Lord rises upon you. As you arise to this day and your present situation, remember that God picked you to shine His light. He knew I would have a really overwhelming few months. He saw my negativity and ungrateful heart. He still loves me unconditionally and is the source of my strength and joy. 

I encourage you to worship with “Rejoice” by Andrew Ripp. Some of the lyrics sing: “Until I rise like the morning. Wake up in the arms of glory to finally see the sun above the pouring rain.”

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for rising upon me. Thank You for calling me worthy and redeemed. Help me remain in You and rise above my situations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalms 92:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible — The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon.

With God, we can thrive in every situation. We are no different than the palm trees. I encourage you to read the full chapter surrounding today’s verse: Psalm 92: 1-15 HCSB

Did you notice that we thrive in God’s courts and bear fruit in old age? First, we need to plant ourselves in God’s courts, then we must remain there. We also need to stay on guard because Satan isn’t going to want us to stay there. I admit, it is hard to remain when you’re on Day 6 of Living With Ants. Like Home Defense bug spray, we must intentionally and proactively remain to thrive. Thankfully on Day 7, the ants were evicted. I think God was making sure He had my attention and kept me laughing.

Let’s pray. Dear God, For You have made me rejoice oh Lord, by what You have done. I will shout for joy because of the works of Your hands. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen (Psalms 92:4).

Isaiah 43:18 NIV — Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

We must not dwell on our past, nor our current situations. However, when it rains it pours. The same day I threw my leaky coffee pot out, my Keurig needed cleaning and refused to work. No problem, I have a spare coffee pot! Yet, I had no filters. This is when coffee desperation kicks in. A tip from a professional coffee drinker, a folded paper towel makes a fabulous filter in a pinch. If only you could be an ant to be a witness in this scene.

I knew that God was trying to get my attention. Remember, I shared on Sunday that I had been letting negativity consume me. I know in this season, God wants me to keep moving forward, not allowing Satan’s schemes to thwart me. God doesn’t want us to dwell, but rather slow down, evaluate and execute. We can’t help but to laugh at His sense of humor along the way. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank you for making me laugh. Help me not to dwell on my past or my present situation. Show me how to positively move forward with Your strength, love and joy. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

What is your go-to drink in the mornings? Mine is coffee. The rich aroma and dark, bold taste bring me joy. Upon the discovery that my coffee pot was leaking, I evaluated the situation for several days to see if it was truly broken. This wasn’t just any coffee maker. It brewed drip coffee and espresso. After completing my evaluation I determined it was beyond repair. I was devastated.

Are we broken, yet fixable? We must remain in God so that we can bear His fruit and share His love with others. If we are not connected to the branch, what happens? Like a leaky coffee pot, we can let life drain us of the strength, love, and joy that we have in Christ. Instead of letting our brokenness seep negativity into our daily lives, let’s ask God to mend our cracks so that we can remain fruitful. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for always being there to mend my brokenness. Thank You for the interruptions to remind me that You are the source of my strength, love and joy. Help me intentionally remain in You so that I can bear fruit. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

John 10:10 Amplified Bible — The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

According to Merriam-Webster, abundance means an ample quantity. This past week Deborah shared some thoughts on interruptions. In case you missed it, you can watch our “See You Saturday” by clicking the link. I personally experienced an interruption that week with a home invasion of ants. Let’s just say there was an abundance of ants and I was not praising God all day long. Although this interruption was frustrating, I discovered my coffee pot had been leaking, causing water damage to my baseboard. 

Satan wanted me to fail with the abundance of ants, but God had different plans. Satan tried to steal my joy, but God used it for my good. How often do we give in to Satan’s schemes? Next time we feel thwarted, remember that God is overflowing with greater plans for us. 

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for lessons learned from interruptions. Help me to be on guard and not thwarted by Satan’s schemes. I desire to have an abundant life with Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Psalm 71:8 NIV — My mouth is filled with Your praise, declaring Your splendor all day long.

Imagine if our mouths were filled with God’s praise all day long. I will be transparent and admit that for the last few months I have let life consume me. As a result, my mouth has not always been filled with praise. I’ve complained and probably sounded ungrateful at times. What can I do to change this? 

I may not always be able to change my situation but I can build healthy boundaries so that my heart and mind can remain joyful. Will you join me in speaking life through God’s word over our situations? 

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for my heart and mind. May they be filled with Your word. Thank You for my tongue. May it outpoor with Your glory. Thank You for my actions. May others see You through me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.