“He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”” Matthew 17:20 NIV
Yesterday I encouraged you to look back and reflect while still looking ahead. On this Move Mountains Monday I want to throw a twist in that idea and encourage you to look back, reflect, and use what God has done in the past to strengthen your faith for the road ahead. How has God shown off in your life? What miracles have you witnessed from the hand of God? Use those faith building experiences to be a catalyst for your faith in God’s ability to move the mountains ahead of you. Believe and trust that your God is bigger than any giant or obstacle you face. As it says in the song by Chris Mcclarney, let’s “speak to the mountains” in our path and tell them “it’s time to move.” Click here to listen to the song and gain strength in the promise that our God is bigger, better, stronger, greater than any mountain we face.
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care”. Psalms 95:1-7 NIV
This photo was taken one morning on my way to work. As I drove, I was thinking about the day ahead and various tasks on my to do list. That particular morning I was enjoying the various stages of the sunrise as I often do on my ride to work. However this morning was different. When I turned toward school my eyes were drawn to look in the mirror on the side of my car. My breath was taken as I saw what beauty was behind me and I was struck with the idea of how valuable it is to look back and reflect while still moving forward.
Today is Sunday. Thursday was Thanksgiving and yesterday was my 50th birthday. So today I am reflecting while still looking ahead. Today I am looking back at this year and how my word for the year has affected me. My word for 2022 has been “simple” and my mantra has been “be a light.” I am also looking ahead at what word God has laid on my heart for 2023. I imagine you did reflect on Thanksgiving Day and counted your many blessings. Did you have a word for 2022? How did that word affect your actions? Have you begun to look ahead at 2023? Has God laid a word on your heart?
As we worship this Sunday morning, may each of us do as we are directed in the above scripture; “come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel down before the Lord our Maker.” Psalms 95:6
As we worship may each of us reflect while still keeping our eyes on the road ahead. We mustn’t get too distracted by the beauty that lies behind us. Let’s admire it, thank our Maker for it, and continue to move forward with the knowledge of lessons learned. Let’s allow this time of reflection to encourage our steps forward with Christ as our guide and may we each become more like Christ as we march onward with time.
“neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 NIV
In this photo by Ray White, we can envision that even through the hills and valleys, nothing can separate us from God’s love.
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10 NIV
Today many of you will be taking advantage of great black Friday sales with just five Fridays till Christmas. Today some of you may be putting up and decorating a Christmas tree with just thirty days until Jesus’s birth. In this verse from Luke, the Angel is telling the shepherds of Jesus’s birth. He is bringing news that will cause great joy.
Evergreen trees keep their leaves all year long. They are a symbol of new life, hope, and eternal life. On this faith-filled Friday, I hope we can remember that Jesus is the true source of our everlasting joy. As we go about our day and the coming weeks, let’s look for the simple and ordinary things to remind us of the reason for the season. I encourage us all to worship with Thanks Giver by Crowder. Some of the lyrics sing, “You make joy out of simple and ordinary things. You fill life up with stories I’d never think to dream”. Will you allow God to fill your days with new faith-filled stories?
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalms 34:8 NIV
This verse from Psalms encourages us to taste and see the goodness of God. He desires us to be happy, full of His goodness and lacking nothing. What better day to cling to this verse than a day like today? We should all be able to find simple gratitude. In the above image from Ray we can see God’s beauty as He paints the sky. In the picture below we can taste the goodness that God provides for us.
My wonderful work family gifted me this beautiful fruit tray. Chocolate-covered fruit is a favorite of mine. In case your wondering, the turkey was a delicious chocolate-covered pineapple. Just like the detail in the fruit, God cares about every detail of our lives. In church on Sunday we sang; Amazing Love. I encourage you to listen to this version by Chris Tomlin. How can it be that God cares so much for you and me? How can we give back to God for His wonderful blessings? By extending His love and grace to others. By sharing His word and faithfulness. By taking delight in our days.
We pray everyone has a Happy and safe Thanksgiving from Water Walkers! Deborah, Ray, and I are so thankful for your continued support. God bless and may we all take delight in our day!
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalms 130:5 NIV
Sometimes Water Walking means waiting. When we can’t see a clear path or hear from God, we may just need to dig deeper in His word. In the meantime, God wants to hear every detail from us. He desires our whole being to be in His presence. This includes specific prayer along with our concerns, desires, and joys. Just like we enter into an earthly marriage and our partner becomes our best friend, God desires to be our bridegroom.
Let’s choose today to make prayer a priority!
Lord, Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for the hope that only you can offer. You know the desires of my heart and you also know what tomorrow holds. I pray for your favor and perfect will to be done. Give me the eyes to see the way and the heart to hear your word. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
As hard as it is, I encourage us to worship with, Not My Will by Stephanie Haavik
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV
Let’s face it, the holidays can be a stressful time of year. Whether it be financially, relationally, or logistically, somehow stress can creep in. We all have triggers that set us up, right? We must be alert to children fighting, the mirage of perfection, or even grief. In 1 Peter 5, we learn that the Devil likes to prowl. We may not have lions walking around but we do have alligators. My point is that the Devil can come in all shapes and sizes. We must resist the urge to be triggered to say or think unwanted, unhealthy words, or thoughts.
How can we stay on guard? Take in all the joys and don’t let anyone or anything steal them. Surround our hearts and minds with the love and word of God. Remember that perfection is a mirage and not really attainable. Life is too short to miss out on the wonderful blessings that Thanksgiving brings. What brings you joy over the holidays? Family gatherings, a grandmother’s recipe, the crisp air, Hallmark Chritmas movies? I encourage us to make a list of our joys so that when perfection doesn’t happen, we can count them.
Remember that in 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV, God provides a way; “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
