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.

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

Join us for See You Saturday as we recap on the week.

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‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭ESV — Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Notice the word tender has appeared three times this week in our verses? I want to give you a mantra to ponder: “Filter before it’s final.” We have learned this week that perfection is not attainable. Life is messy. We should remain teachable and learn from our regrets. 

Let’s be kind to ourselves and others as we are all in need of gardening. We can choose to focus on today and filter moving forward. When tomorrow comes and we realize yesterday wasn’t filtered, we can start fresh. 

Join me in worshiping with, “Tend” by Emmy Rose, Bethel music. Some of the lyrics sing, “Be the gardener of my heart. Tend the soil of my soul.”

‬‬Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for being my Master Gardener. Have Your way with me. I desire to remain in You and You remain in me. Help me to filter my words and actions before they are final. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭78‬ ‭NIV — Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.‬‬

Have you ever stopped to think about the tenderness of God? As an earthly parent, relative, or mentor it isn’t always easy to offer tenderness to our children. We have a desire for them to be good humans and to be successful. Although parenting and mentoring are vital, we are human and sometimes can be callous in our words and actions. As I shared earlier, life is messy. 

Perfection isn’t attainable for the parent, mentor, or child. Thankfully we have the perfect example of love and tenderness from our Heavenly Father. Let’s ask God to soften any areas of our hearts that may be calloused. May our example and instruction come from love.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for Your perfect example of love. Show me any areas of my heart that are calloused. Soften my heart. Help me with any tendencies that are not acceptable to You and give me the tenderness I need. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.