“I run for dear life to God, I’ll never live to regret it. Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.” Psalm 71:1-3, Message
Did you know that God could be your “guest room?” God and His Word can be our place in which we can retreat and get some needed R&R. Psalm 16 tells us that in His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. He even promises in our scripture above that His door is always open for us. As one Hotel has marketed itself, “He’ll even leave the light on for ya!”
When we are overwhelmed, our earthly bodies long for a place of tranquility and today I am here to tell you that it is in God’s presence that you can truly unwind and rest from the difficulties of life.He is a refreshing drink to our thirsty spirits, He is the healer of our mind, body and spirit, and He wants us to lay in green pastures with total confidence that He loves us and will fight every battle before us.
Just as you are able to rest and receive while staying in a guest room of a close friend or family member, when you run to God for dear life, He is our guest room – our fluffy bed, luxurious sheets and soft pillows. He is our “calgon take me away” bath salts and He is everything we need.
I want you to know that God loves you and He has amazing plans for you. Hold on because your BEST days are yet ahead. No eye has seen and no ear has heard the plans that He has for you! And when things get difficult remember to run to the true “guest room” of Jesus.
Prayer:
“Lord, I run to you for dear life today and I declare that I will never regret it! You are my salvation and everything I need in my life. I give you every situation on my heart today and choose to find my retreat in You and Your Word. Thank you for always loving me. Amen.”
“For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord! And this will be a sign for you (by which you may recognize Him): you will find (after searching) a Baby wrapped in a manger. Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest (heaven), and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased (men of goodwill, of His favor).” Luke 2:11-14, AMP
What is Christmas anyway? Is it presents and Santa Claus? Is it sending and receiving Christmas cards and cookies? Is it seeing the Nutcracker and Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer? Is it green bean casserole and eggnog? No, Christmas is about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a day to remember the greatest gift given to man – Jesus. Jesus is our redemption and it is through His life, death and resurrection that we are saved, healed, forgiven and made the righteousness of God and that is something to be merry about friends!
I recognize that the world is desperately trying to take “Christ” out of Christmas. They want us to be “tolerant” while they remove “In God We Trust” from our money, pull out the Ten Commandments from our Court Houses and they want us to be satisfied with the greeting “Happy Holidays,” but friends let’s remember what this day is about – it’s about the birth of Jesus. I know I may be stepping on a few toes about now, but friends, Christmas is my favorite day of the year and I cannot help but shout from the mountain tops, “MERRY CHRISTMAS” & “HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!” As for me and my house, we will not participate in “Happy Holidays,” nor will you see a big, fat, red-suited man taking over our home…no, as far as me and my house, Christmas is and will forever be about JESUS!!
Let’s not be silent. Let’s not smile and be tolerant. Let’s declare that Christmas is about Jesus!
So from my family to yours:
Merry Christmas!
Happy Birthday Jesus!
O’ Come let us come and adore Him!
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!
Point to ponder: Do we want our children to believe in the temporary “magic” of Santa Claus or grow up believing in the eternal MIRACLES of Jesus Christ?
If you like this post then I know you will enjoy watching 4 year old, Avery Winter, as she sings Happy Birthday Jesus!
The faithful readers of Tuesdays With Tracy, have picked the devotional below as one of their “favorites.” Read & enjoy – It’s that time once again to…. Seize Your Summer!
“Have the roots (of your being) firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded (in Him), being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7, AMP
It is officially summer my friends – school is out, the weather is hot, pools are open and life as we knew it, is no more (I know all the mom’s are shaking their heads in agreement with me right now:)! But, I have an important message for you today: It is important that you seize the summer and not let the summer just pass you by.
Summer is often a time of activity, rest and relaxation, but it can also be a season where the days feel like they are never-ending! I made the decision several months ago to enjoy my summer, but hadn’t yet grabbed a hold of what my summer would entail. The problem was that I had no vision for what the days of summer would hold for me. I was quickly becoming either overwhelmed with activity or feeling the dread of a new day with nothing to do! You see, I was letting the summer seize me, instead of me seizing my summer!
Just this morning, I sought God about the next few months. I heard the Holy Spirit clearly state, “Tracy, how you spend your summer will determine how you spend your fall.” I felt within my spirit that the summer(for me), is a time of preparation and that I have three main goals: (1) Word (Spending time with Jesus and reading my Bible), (2) Workouts (walks and weights) and (3) Quality time (spending time with those that I love). Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God), the people perish…” With these three goals in mind, I now have a vision for my summer. I can already see myself getting up early to spend time in God’s Word, I can see Alyssa and I taking walks and I can imagine enjoying precious time with family and friends! With this new vision I know that I am going to have an awesome summer!
What is your vision for your summer? If you are not sure, then ask God. He will give you some guidance on how you can enjoy your summer and be prepared for your fall, which is also known as harvest time! What you sow in the summer, you will reap in the fall. I pray that God speaks to you today. Remember to seize your summer and do not let summer seize you! Be encouraged because no matter what your summer holds, God will use these months to prepare and propel you into your promise land!
Prayer:
“Lord, please speak to me today. I want my summer to be filled with purpose and destiny. Show me the areas of my life you want to strengthen. As You give me a vision for this summer Lord, I can see goodness and mercy following me. I see days of laughter, revelation and enjoyment! In Christ I seize my summer. These next few months will prepare me for Harvest – get me ready Lord, for my greatest days in You are yet ahead! Amen.”
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.” Proverbs 3:27
I found this in the archives and I thought it was fitting to share it with you once again as we prepare to celebrate the gift of Motherhood this Sunday!
In honor of Mother’s Day, I have asked “My Moms” to share some words of wisdom with us. Their messages are timeless and great reminders to us all. Whether you are single, married, divorced, with or without children – these pearls shared below are priceless! So sit back and enjoy hearing from these Godly women.
A Message from my Mom, Penny Kenton:
As funny as it may sound, my daughter, son and I all have fond memories of a vacation-on-a shoestring we shared when they were young. I was a single mother at the time and did not have extra money for a vacation, but as my mother had taught me, you can have fun on a shoestring budget!
Instead of eating meals out, we went to the grocery store and bought food. For breakfast we would eat cereal out of little boxes. For lunch we ate peanut butter, bananas and honey on pitas. As we munched our lunch on the beach, a sandstorm came along and our gourmet delights now included a crunch of sand with
every bite. In the evening as we watched movies on TV and ate snacks in our motel room, we laughed and talked and just shared time being together.
It’s hard to believe but that was 16 years ago. Even though in subsequent years the three of us shared more extravagant vacations, I think we all agree, the shoestring trip holds precious memories.
My message to mothers is this – don’t be afraid to be creative and adventurous. It’s not about how much you spend or how luxurious things are when you do things with your child or children, it’s all about creating precious memories. You may be surprised how some of them can be created on a shoestring budget.
A Message from my Mother-in-Law, Linda Hurst:
When I was a young mother with three small children I asked the Lord, “What special things do I need to do in raising my children?” The answer came softly in my mind – “Just be.”
“Just be” – That seems so simple, I thought. Looking back I realize that to “just be” is not as simple as it sounded. The world we live in does not encourage one to “just be.” The world is constantly telling us we need to do this, we must have that and we should never be satisfied with the status quo – whatever that means. Many voices call us to get involved in various activities that take our time away from our families.Being involved in activities is important and beneficial, but should not be a priority over our family. As a mother, I feel that it is very important that we are there for our children and to always be in prayer for every aspect of their lives.
A Message from a Spiritual Mom, Ann Platz:
I am glad that I’m now sixty years old. So much of life is trial and error. Rearing two daughters alone for seven years taught me a lot. That I needed
the Lord in my life! I also learned that His love is stronger than anything else. That in time God will restore everything that you allow Him to.
My ambition as a child was to be a wife and mother. That was it! When my first marriage ended it was catastrophic for me. What I did not see at that
time was that God was unfolding a plan for me that would supercede my wildest imagination! What He did was bring my husband John into my life.
Along with John came a new stability in the home. I was able to come back to my early desire to be a mother and a wife. A miracle? Yes!
Celebrate being a mother! And to every single mother, I pray for hope, grace and love.
A Message from my Step-Mother, Rosemary Randell:
“TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO; AND WHEN HE IS OLD, HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT” – PROVERBS 22:6
As I was watching my young adult child walk away from the Lord, this verse was going through my mind often. I felt guilt as only a mother can.
What could I have done differently? This was a child that had loved Jesus so much when she was a young, but now she was saying that she didn’t think God’s Word was true.
After a couple years of tearful prayers and continuous feelings of false guilt, the Lord gave me peace. One morning as I was making breakfast, not really thinking about anything in particular, the Lord said to me, “Rosie, you take care of others and I will take care of her.” I just sat down and cried a peaceful and grateful cry. I didn’t understand what the Lord completely meant, but I knew that He was in charge, not me, and that she would eventually be alright. One year later, as I looked over and watched her singing to the Lord on a Sunday morning, my heart was full of love for my Lord. Thank you Jesus!
Happy Mother’s Day and may the blessings of the Lord chase you and overtake you this day!
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright.”Psalm 20:7-8
Are you currently in a battle? Or have you recently thought to yourself, “we are living in strange times?”If so, I have some good news for you today.A few weeks ago during my quiet time, I heard a still small voice say, “anti-nuclear missile.”Then God directed me to Psalm 21:11-13 and it states, “Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed.For they will turn and run when they see your arrows aimed at them.We praise you, Lord, for all your glorious power.With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.”What this scripture tells us is that although there may have been an attack sent against you and your family, it will not succeed.
My husband, a former US military paratrooper, shared with me how and when our military would need to launch an anti-nuclear missile. He explained that this type of missile is only needed when a nuclear attack has been launched from enemy territory and is headed toward us.What the anti-nuclear missile does is cause the enemy’s missile to explode in the heavenly atmosphere, therefore disarming it and having no affect to us on earth.
Isn’t this good news?No plot or scheme of the enemy will succeed over you – instead an anti-nuclear missile (arrows of God) will be aimed at the enemy thus causing them to turn and run.Just hold friend because when an attack is launched against you from the camp of the enemy, God will launch an anti-nuclear missile on your behalf and their schemes will never touch you!All we need to do is aim God’s arrows toward the enemy through our weapon of praise and worship as we focus on God’s glorious power!!
Prayer:
“Lord, I give you my life.Some trust in money and fame, but I trust in You.I acknowledge that I am under attack at this time, but I declare that no plot against me will prosper.I praise You Lord for all Your glorious power.I celebrate Your mighty acts and will continue to stand in faith as you launch an anti-nuclear missile on my behalf this day.Amen.”
Tracy became a Christian at the age of 16 and her life was changed forever. She went from being a depressed, suicidal, rebellious teenager to a dynamic leader for Christ. Immediately after accepting Jesus as her Savior, Tracy fought the school board in order to begin a Bible study on school grounds at her high school in Illinois. The dramatic transformation in Tracy's life has inspired many, including her own mother, to give their lives to Christ.
