by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
Do you ever find yourself thinking about getting older? You know, thoughts like…“What will it feel like? What about wrinkles? Will my mind stay strong till the end or will I live in a state of “blonde-moments?’” I realize that these questions may have haunted you in the past, but what I am about to share with you today is better than Ginkgo biloba & Botox!!
As the daughter of the King of Kings, you have the promise in God’s Word that you can grow old in grace! Listen; if Moses can live to be 120 years old with strength in his bones and eyes that did not dim, then you too can grow old in grace!!! I am a firm believer that what we say will come to pass – good or bad.
One example that comes to mind is the story of the actor, Jim Carrey. Did you know that Jim Carrey at one time was turned down at every audition in Hollywood and he could barely pay his utility bills? But every night, Jim would drive to the top of a hill overlooking the Hollywood sign and he would not leave that spot until he believed that he would one day be famous. Jim also wrote himself a fake check made out to him for millions of dollars and he believed that one day he would be able to cash such a check. Even when things were at an all time low, Jim Carrey continued to believe and boy did his confessions come true! Let me ask you, what would happen if you believed for the impossible like Jim Carrey? God’s Word tells us in Matthew 19:26 that with man it is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.
As a Professional Counselor, I am aware of the power of the mind. Did you know that if you confess something long enough, your body believes what you say and will eventually produce whatever you are confessing? Friend, if you confess daily that your memory is lapsing then guess what…. your memory will lapse.
What I am about to share with you in God’s Word will show you how God’s blessing to grow old in grace is for you! The question is, are you ready and will you meditate on these scriptures each day until you see them manifest? If so, then grab a pen or get ready to push the print button because you will want to begin confessing these scriptures over you mind, body and spirit today!
Psalm 92:12-15, AMP
“The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Psalm 91:14, AMP
“ Because she (put your name here) has set her love upon Me, therefore will I deliver her; I will set her on high, because she knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake her, no, never]. She shall call upon Me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.
Deuteronomy 34:7, NKJ
“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.”
Prayer:
“Lord, I choose from this day forward to embrace growing older because I understand that I can do it in grace! I am a living memorial to show the world that You are upright and faithful to Your promises. Because I set my love upon You and I understand of Your great love for me, You will deliver me and set me on high, with long life will you satisfy me and show me of Your salvation. Just as Moses left this world with perfect vision and vigor, so shall that be said of me. Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Psalm 86:5, AMP
Do you have trouble forgiving yourself? If so, I have good news for you today because our scripture above tells us that we are not only forgiven but our sins have been sent away, let go completely and forever by our merciful and loving God!
Do you remember in Elementary School when a teacher would put our name on the chalkboard if we disobeyed in class? Having our name on the board would stir up feelings of embarrassment and awareness of our wrongful behavior. It was the very act of seeing our name on the chalkboard throughout the day that kept our bad choice in front of our face and before your peers. This is the very thing the devil longs to do to God’s people. Satan is the accuser of the brethren and he wants to keep us focused on our past sins rather than on God’s grace.
Satan understands that sin conscious people live a state of hopelessness and depression. He does not want you to fulfill your destiny and focusing solely on your past sins – will do just that! You see, Satan does not want you to know that Jesus is the “eraser” of all sin. The chalkboard that once listed your sin was erased with His precious Blood the moment you gave your life to Him. That my friend is the power of the Cross!
The truth is that you may not feel forgiven but God’s Word supersedes feelings. Psalm 86:5 is clear, “For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Your feelings will LIE to you, but God’s Word is ALWAYS TRUE.
If forgiving yourself has been a struggle for you then I would like for you to do something…Take out a pencil and a piece of paper. Then write down all the sins that have tormented you. Once you have completed your list, I want you to re-read Psalm 86:5. As an act of faith, I now want you to use an eraser and erase your list until it is completely gone. And now with your blank paper in front of you, it is time to thank Jesus for His Blood and forgiveness of sins!
I would also like to encourage you to put this piece of paper somewhere for you to see (a kitchen cabinet or bathroom mirror perhaps) and anytime you feel un-forgiven or tormented by your past sins, walk up to this piece of paper and declare: “The Lord has forgiven me of my sins. My sins have been erased, sent away, let go completely and forever out of God’s abundant mercy and love for me. Feelings you must submit to the Word of God. I am forgiven, redeemed and an over comer in Christ Jesus. Amen.” That my friend is what it means to be forgiven completely & forever!!
Prayer: “Lord, Your love is amazing and I am so thankful that my sins are forgiven, let go of completely and gone forever. Help me to believe Your Word over how I feel. I declare that my feelings must line up with the Word of God and I ask that You help me receive this truth deep within my spirit. Thank Jesus for Your precious blood that came to erase my sins away. Help me to walk in the abundance of Your grace forevermore. Amen.”
by Tracy | Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
Dinner Anyone?
“I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street…Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! I’ve prepared a wonderful spread – fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning.” Proverbs 8:11,9:3-4, Message Translation
Do you ever have days when you feel as if you are losing your sanity? There are times when confusion and worry fill my mind and when this happens, I literally turn into a different person! And while I am usually a person of peace and joy, those precious gifts are nowhere to be found. I have learned that when I am in this state, I need to sit down and have “dinner” with God! The truth is that according to Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom is calling to us everyday. The Wisdom of God will show us how to live well and enjoy life. The problem is that there are other voices calling us as well: The voices of the world, opinions of man, fear, temptation, greed and the list goes on and on.
My question for you today is: whom are you dining with tonight?
Let’s choose Lady Wisdom as our dinner host and enjoy a wonderful meal. You see, if we choose to dine and fellowship with the other voices listed above (the world, opinions of man, fear, temptation or greed) -we will surely be eating worms…to which my daughter would reply “ehh”! It is our choice to which dinner invitation we reply a “yes.” I don’t know about you, but fresh-baked bread and roast of lamb sound good to me. Will you join Lady Wisdom and I for dinner tonight? I promise you will leave her table feeling spiritually satisfied. And remember that Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street – who knows maybe we can join them for dessert – I’m sure they will be serving chocolate🙂 .
Prayer:
“Lord, I seek You for Wisdom this day. I give you all the concerns heavy on my heart. I ask that you take away the plate of confusion and worry from my life and replace it with heaping portions of Your Wisdom and Peace. Thank you for inviting me to eat “dinner” with You. I answer, “yes” to your invitation. I know that everything I need will be discussed and that your guidance will be given as we dine together tonight.” Amen.