Taste And See That The Lord Is Good

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

I remain confident of this;I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27:13-14

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:18

Years ago, I was up late at night when God gave me a prophecy for someone. I still remember the exact words. "Taste and see that the Lord is good. How will you know that the Lord is good if you will not taste and see?" There is darkness and disappointment everywhere we turn. God is asking us to taste and see that he is good. He wants us to see his goodness, to be strong and take heart. We are in the valley of the shadow of death. God is asking us to be aware of his presence more than the darkness. Habakkuk decided that even if many things looked all wrong he would rejoice in the Lord. There is a part of me that feels like a traitor. How can I rejoice when there is such suffering? Yet, this is exactly what God is asking of us. Taste and see that God is good. Not only will it make the suffering more bearable, it will bring change. Receive hope today. Rejoice in God, and that hope will spread to others and transform the world around you.

Regard The Lord Almighty As Holy

This is what the LORD says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people: “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. He will be a holy place; Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.". Isaiah 8:11-14, 16-18

God Is Your Coach

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
2 Timothy 2:4-7

God is your coach. You no longer have this job. He is kind and gentle. He is understanding and wise. He is way easier on you than you have been on yourself. What you are doing and going through isn't a waste or a sign of defeat. It is him training you for what is next. He is taking you through lots of skirmishes. He wants you to get the hang of living in victory. He wants you to see yourself win over and over so it can become a habit to expect victory. He wants to make the rules. You must give up this job. He is giving you a new identity. You are victorious!

Suely God Is My Salvation

In that day you will say:

“I will praise you, LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD himself,
is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

In that day you will say:

“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Isaiah 12

Victory Is Ours

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. Psalm 18:29

Victory is ours. We will conquer. We will win the battle fought for the lives of God's own. He has called us out of darkness and into light. We have been bogged down long enough. It's time to rise above this darkness and walk in God's way. It's time to follow God as he leads us in victory. We must leave behind our self-made agenda and our ideas of what victory is. God will give us true victory. Many have an agenda for us. Many have a definition of victory. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He will walk with us on this path to defeat the enemy. Rise up. Walk with God and he will show you the way.

Let's Play The Victory Game

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
Psalm 60:12

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
Psalm 44:7

God is asking us to see the victory that he is bringing us continuously. Let God define victory. Let him describe it to you. Taste it. Remember it. Watch for it. Expect it. Today, and each day from now on will be a day filled with victory. When you can't see the victory then ask God, "Where is the victory in this?" He will show you. It will be great fun. Come on. It's time to defeat the enemy and walk in victory.

We Are Risen With Jesus!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8:19b

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Luke 24:1-6a

I am becoming very aware that there is a part of me that is my own worst enemy. It believes the lies, is intimidated by the opinion of man, and walks in constant shame and defeat. This part is very vocal and drags me down and confuses me. Sometimes it is yelling so loud that I can't even hear God. I am becoming aware that this part of me is dead. It was crucified with Christ. It no longer lives. Why should I listen to it? "The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God." I do not live by faith in this crucified self. I am being asked by God to turn and hope only in him. I am sure the angels are singing. God is throwing a party. I am waking up to the fact that I am no longer dead. I am risen with Jesus. Hallelujah!

God Wants To Lead You To Unexplored Territories

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Isaiah 42:16

He will lead you on paths you have never considered. Lay down your agenda and follow him. He has plans for you that you do not know, that no one knows. You feel safe in the explored territories. God wants to take you to unexplored territories. Look at Christopher Columbus. He had a plan, but God took him somewhere new that he didn't even know was a possibility. God wants to take you on a journey of hope. Let him take your hand and lead you to freedom.

God Never Gives Up On You

Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. Hosea 2:14-15

Francine Rivers wrote a book with Hosea in mind. She writes of a prostitute that gets rescued and is married to a good man. All she knows is prostitution. She doesn't know what true love is or what a healthy relationship between a man and a woman looks like. The man is good to her and teaches her of true love. Even when she runs back into prostitution, he brings her home again and loves her all the more. Eventually she starts to get it. She starts to understand and receive love.

This is what I feel like is happening to me today. Somehow God is getting through. I have been clueless of true love and what God expects from me. I am starting to get it. I am being set free from my old way of thinking. I am being set free to love and be loved.

Step Back Into God's Arms

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

Step back into God's arms. Taste and see that he truly is good. Watch the good work that he is doing. Trust that he is in control and that he is doing a good work in the lives of those that you pray for, including yourself. It's too big for you, this job that you undertake, this job of controlling the world around and within you. Step back and know God's love. See the joy and love on his face when he looks at you. See the hope in his eyes. He has great things planned for you. He won't let you down. He will be by your side through everything. He will hide you under the shadow of his wing. He will not forsake you.

There Is More

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

For years I have been praying with two wonderful friends. Over and over, God keeps saying to us, "There is more." We always tell him that we want this "more" that he is referring to. Sometimes we can guess what he is talking about and sometimes we haven't a clue.

The "more" that he has for me today is that I matter. I matter more than conquering obesity, addictions, a dirty house, debt, and circumstances that are defeating and discouraging. On the other hand, I matter so much that these things must be conquered. I saw a picture of an exhausted athlete, lying on the ground panting. His coach has been training him and pushing him beyond his comfort zone again and again. Breathlessly, he asks, "Tell me again, why we are doing this?"
The coach answers, "Because you matter."

He pushes me to conquer because I matter. On the other hand, he wants me to know that I matter more than conquering.

"We are more than conquerors." To some it would seem that I am taking this scripture out of context. But in reality, I am seeing this scripture in a deeper way than I ever have before. I am seeing the "more." I used to think that it only meant that Jesus helps us to be super good at conquering. Now I know that not only is this true, but it also means that we have more worth to God than whether we conquer or not.

A Shelter From The Storm

LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble,
the fortified town a ruin,
the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will honor you;
cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall
and like the heat of the desert.
You silence the uproar of foreigners;
as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 25:1-8

God Is The Source Of Positive Thinking

I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Or for as he thinks within himself, so he is. Proverbs 23:7

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

God is the source of positive thinking, but our hope is in him. We fix our eyes on him at always. At the same time he is asking us to not dwell on the negative, but instead to think about good and true things. Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before him. There is darkness all around us. God tells us, "Don't look at the darkness. Look at me and remember the promises I give you."

You Have Great Worth

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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 8:38-39

You have great worth and you always have. There is nothing that anyone can believe or do that will change this. If God is for you, who can be against you? God is for every human on the planet. Like J.J. Heller sings, he loves us, "not for what we have done or what you will become." We don't have to prove our worth by trying to accomplish great things. God already says we have worth.

His love is very basic. It is the source of our existence. In fact, we couldn't exist if God weren't sustaining us. That is why nothing in the whole world can get God to stop loving you.

Because God is for us, he pursues us constantly. He offers his love and loyalty at every turn. He will not give up. No matter how many times we choose against God, he still chooses for us. He has called us to be part of his team. He wants us, not so he can use us, but because he loves us. There is no power that can separate us from his love, none.

Walk With The Wise

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16:11

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 13:20

They say that you become like whoever you hang out with. Lately I have been becoming more and more aware of God's presence. I want him to be the biggest influence in my life.

All Is Well

Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Isaiah 3:10

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
Deuteronomy 28:6

This verse in Isaiah really jumped out at me this morning as my husband read it. It felt like God was literally asking me to show you this verse. It resonated with what God has been teaching my friends and I. He has been saying that hard things are coming to the world so that people can be drawn to God. In the meantime, he wants the righteous to be at peace. We don't need to be afraid, because God promises that it will be well with us.

I am, again, reminded of the time my friend and I flew to Bosnia. God promised that he would bless us when we came in and when we went out. On the way home, the turbulence was terrible. The steward told us that in all of his years of flying he had never seen it this bad. In the midst of it all, God reminded us of his promise. So we declared it out loud. We worshiped and spoke of how wonderful and trustworthy our God is. We could get away with this, because, when you are put in a situation like that you don't care what anyone thinks of you. You just do what you need to do. The whole plane was full of people praying out loud. Anyway, my point is, that God had already promised that we would make it home safely. So we were at peace.

This is God's message to you today. Life is full of turbulence at this time. Be at peace. It will be well with you. You will enjoy the fruit of your deeds. Receive his peace and joy and walk on in confidence. All is well.

High Hopes

Today, I want to remind you that your hope is in the Lord. You are little, you are weak, your situation is too big for you. God is offering you high hope. Look up to him. He will give you the ability to do the impossible. David was little, but he killed Goliath. Gideon had a small army, but they conquered. Let God give you his hope. I know that all the other voices are shouting that it can't, or maybe even shouldn't be done. If God is for you, who can be against you? Look up and let the other voices fade in the background as God gives you his hope.

Next time your found, with your chin on the
ground
There a lot to be learned, so look around

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant

But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time your gettin’ low
’stead of lettin’ go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant

When troubles call, and your back’s to the wall
There a lot to be learned, that wall could fall

Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin’ that dam

’cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time your feelin’ bad
’stead of feelin’ sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam

All problems just a toy balloon
They’ll be bursted soon
They’re just bound to go pop
Oops there goes another problem kerplop

(music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Sammy Cahn, sung by Frank Sinatra)

Let Hope Arise

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

"Let hope arise and darkness tremble
In your holy light
That every eye will see Jesus our God
Great and mighty to be praised" (Joel Houston- Hillsong United)

The words from Joel Houston's song kept going through my mind this morning. God wasn't telling me to get my act together and start hoping. He was saying to let
hope arise.

There is a movie called,HOPE FLOATS. In all honesty, I can't remember what it is all about. I just like the title. It reminds me of the story in the bible where the guys axe head falls in the water, and through prayer it is made to float. It is impossible, in our own strength to make hope arise. It's impossible to make axe heads float.(2 Kings 6:1-7) This is an important point. You cannot, in your own strength make hope happen in your life. God is the source of all hope. He is asking you to turn to him, be still, and let hope arise. I pray this blessing on you today. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

He Will Guide You Under The Shadow Of His Wing

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 68:11

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

This morning, I was mumbling prayers as I made tea. I accidentally prayed, "You will guide me under the shadow of your wing." I loved it. It is so true. God promised that he will guide us always, not just every once in awhile. He promised to protect us. We can be at peace knowing of his provision for us in this way.

It reminds me of what a real estate agent said to us once. She commented, "I don't put much stock in faith, but it's almost as if someone is holding an umbrella over you everywhere you go." By the way, that lady eventually became a Christian.

So visualize this as you go through the day. Be aware of God's wing over you and his continuous guidance and care. He is a good Father. So rest and have fun seeing where he leads you.

Look For Good In Others

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:6

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” . John 4:28-30

Did you know that if you look for the good in others, they can be set free more and more to be that goodness? Sometimes though, the darkness is too great and it is best to not even look at another person. In that case, look to God and praise him for his goodness in them. Or if that is too difficult, then quickly put them in God's heart and just turn and worship God. God's kindness and love is greater than any darkness in any person. The more we personally open to God's kindness and love, the more we will see God's goodness and love in others.

God is the Father of us all, even if we don't acknowledge it. He never gives up on anyone here on earth. God is a river in the desert of every life. He offers living water to everyone, just like he did for the woman at the well. She was an adulteress and didn't know God. That didn't scare Jesus away. Nothing in our lives scares him away. Receive his living water. Open to his love and kindness.

The following song is by Amy Grant from her album, SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD. It is so beautiful!

Awaken

Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
Psalm 57:8

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth--for your love is more delightful than wine. Solomon 1:2

God is doing a major shift in your life. You have been lifted up out of the dust. You have been placed up with the branches that are bearing fruit. He has washed you clean and kissed you. He has blessed you and sung songs of love over you. You are opening your eyes to the brightness of his goodness.

You see everything from a different perspective. It's easier to breathe up here out of the dust. All of life looks different. You can even see God more clearly.

Your hope is shifting to God. You are gradually turning from trying to be good to being more and more aware of God's goodness. It's like an awakening. You have been bound up tight, with eyes firmly closed, as the storms of life beat against you. God has lifted you up, and now you are truly like a flower that is starting to bloom. You are beautiful, and the sweet aroma of God's love is coming from you and touching others. Hope has arisen. Praise God!