"God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us." (The Message, Eph. 3:20)
I know there are times in your life that your circumstances seem impossible. Remember what God has done. Money is nothing to God, He paved the roads of heaven with gold. Sickness is nothing to God, He formed me in my mother's womb. Despair is nothing to God, He parted the Red Sea and let His children walk on dry ground. Fear is nothing to God, He calmed the storm with just a word. Death is nothing to God, He will give life to all those who are His.
The only things God can't handle, are the things we don't bring to Him.
The next time the world closes in on you remember "I can't, God can, I think I'll let Him."
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Ears to hear
Ps 25:4-5 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.(NIV)
Recently my prayers have included a phrase that describes my hearts desire, when it comes to my walk of faith. The phrase is this "Lord, give me ears to hear, so you only have to tell me once." God has said in Heb 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?""(NIV) I want that faith, so today, I am making the choice to trust God. Today I proudly proclaim "I trust God." When the car breaks down, I trust God. When the air conditioner freezes over, I trust God. When dreaded news comes, I trust God. When my life is over, I want to be able to look back and say "I trusted God."
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Recently my prayers have included a phrase that describes my hearts desire, when it comes to my walk of faith. The phrase is this "Lord, give me ears to hear, so you only have to tell me once." God has said in Heb 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?""(NIV) I want that faith, so today, I am making the choice to trust God. Today I proudly proclaim "I trust God." When the car breaks down, I trust God. When the air conditioner freezes over, I trust God. When dreaded news comes, I trust God. When my life is over, I want to be able to look back and say "I trusted God."
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
YES
Have you ever had a day that just screamed "YES"? You know the day, it is the day when the sun seems brighter and the birds sing sweeter, it is the day when you have an extra bounce in your step and a little grin on your face. I love those days, and they always seem to come just when they are needed. They sneak up on you, sometimes just after the hard days.
Jesus had been crucified, and it appeared to those who loved Him that those "good" days were gone forever. In one moment all of that changed. With just seven words, the angels proclaimed a message that gives every believer hope. With just seven words the angels turned every day into a day of "Yes". With just seven words everything changed.
When the angels in the tomb of Jesus Christ proclaimed "He is not here, He has risen!" the only thing the heart of the believer can ever say is "YES!"
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Jesus had been crucified, and it appeared to those who loved Him that those "good" days were gone forever. In one moment all of that changed. With just seven words, the angels proclaimed a message that gives every believer hope. With just seven words the angels turned every day into a day of "Yes". With just seven words everything changed.
When the angels in the tomb of Jesus Christ proclaimed "He is not here, He has risen!" the only thing the heart of the believer can ever say is "YES!"
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Jesus Love Me, This I Know
I love the way that the "The Message" translates Romans 8:39, "absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." I love that picture. This is the picture of a parent holding a precious little child. This is the picture of companion giving strength to the exhausted. This is the picture of a friend giving comfort to the broken hearted.
How many times have I relied on the promise that "nothing can get between me and God's love"? So when you sing those little songs that help you through the day, sing this song and remind yourself of the great love of our God.
"Jesus loves me this I know"
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
How many times have I relied on the promise that "nothing can get between me and God's love"? So when you sing those little songs that help you through the day, sing this song and remind yourself of the great love of our God.
"Jesus loves me this I know"
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A God Who Cares For Me
This morning, Julie shared with me a passage she was reading in her daily Bible reading. “Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.” (Deut. 4:9)
I am beginning to think that the word “impossible” defines our faith. God loved doing the “impossible”, the “improbable” and the “unexpected”. Satan is constantly telling us what is “impossible”, “improbable” and “unreasonable”. How many times have we told ourselves that “Nothing good can ever come out of this?” That may be true except for God, He likes to do the impossible. God took a baby found in a river and turned him into the leader of Israel. God took a virgin and gave her a child, who saves the world. God takes sinners and transforms them into His children, and God takes hearts full of despair and gives them hope.
I don’t always know how God does the impossible, but today I saw God at work. I needed somebody to talk to. A friend who lives hundreds of miles from my home showed up today, unannounced and unexpected. Before I ever knew I would need somebody to talk to, God started my friend on a journey. Some might say that was just “luck”, but you know what I saw today, I saw the hand of a God who cares for me.
I am going to put today in my heart and remember “I have a God who cares for me.”
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
I am beginning to think that the word “impossible” defines our faith. God loved doing the “impossible”, the “improbable” and the “unexpected”. Satan is constantly telling us what is “impossible”, “improbable” and “unreasonable”. How many times have we told ourselves that “Nothing good can ever come out of this?” That may be true except for God, He likes to do the impossible. God took a baby found in a river and turned him into the leader of Israel. God took a virgin and gave her a child, who saves the world. God takes sinners and transforms them into His children, and God takes hearts full of despair and gives them hope.
I don’t always know how God does the impossible, but today I saw God at work. I needed somebody to talk to. A friend who lives hundreds of miles from my home showed up today, unannounced and unexpected. Before I ever knew I would need somebody to talk to, God started my friend on a journey. Some might say that was just “luck”, but you know what I saw today, I saw the hand of a God who cares for me.
I am going to put today in my heart and remember “I have a God who cares for me.”
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Do not go together
Have you ever thought about those words that don't go together? We have all heard the jokes about terms like "civil war" or "black light". There really are some words that can never truly go together, here is a list of some that we should think about.
(Time) Before God
Unknown to God
(Time) After God
Unloved by God
Unseen by God
As children of our precious Father, you and I can never fall into one of those categories. Those categories will never exist for us. In fact what He says to us is this "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt. 28:20(NIV)
Think about it
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Count Your Blessings
I was reading my sister-in-laws blog the other day, and she had one that was entitled "Counting your blessings is a full time job". I remember growing up and singing a song that had the words "count your blessings name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done." When was the last time you stopped and just savored the blessings God has lavished you with? God has given me a wife who loves me, ... thank you. God has blessed me with children, ... thank you. God has given me a few talents, ... thank you. Everything in my life that is good, God has blessed me with, ... thank you. God has blessed me with a good family and good friends, ... thank you. God has given me the opportunity to proclaim His love and hope to unknown numbers of people He loves, ... thank you.
There is no way that I deserve what God has done for me, so I bow my head and say thank you. There is one other prayer I offer, God I am yours, use me.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.(NIV)
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
There is no way that I deserve what God has done for me, so I bow my head and say thank you. There is one other prayer I offer, God I am yours, use me.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.(NIV)
In Him
J. Tom Washburn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)