Daily

So to be completely honest, I've been struggling with being consistent in my quiet time. I get really lit on fire when I'm at church, sitting in the sanctuary listening to Pastor Dean and praise and worship get me going; and the day after church and before church I'm most definitely in the word. Now sometime in between now and then I like fizzle out. I skip a day, maybe two and then get back in the word.

Now you may think that's ok, like give me the benefit of the doubt. But the truth is my life is like a roller coaster because I don't have this constant flow of peace and joy that only God can provide to me through His word. 

So this evening I make a decision to turn off my Netflix and open my bible. I read the Gospel of John and read a few verses; verse 17 was like whoa! The King James Version reads like this, "sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth". So God's word is the absolute truth, the highest truth, the ONLY truth. His word needs to be DAILY applied to my life so it can purify my heart and mind.

Well duh, no wonder I struggle. I struggle because I give God some days and get lazy with others. I think he can have a few and I'll have a few and we will both be happy. But neither of us are. He can't help me when I don't give him my days, my thoughts, my emotions, or my words. And I am certainly not happy when I don't give him days because I am run by my thoughts, my emotions and my words. It's just like I said before I put my own self on the roller coaster when I don't DAILY make an effort to spend time with My God. The God who thought about me before I was born, who made a way for me through Jesus to get back to Him, to have eternal life with him, and also to enjoy a life of happiness and peace and love and joy here on this planet too!

So I wanna say good bye to the struggle, you are real but I refuse to quit. I refuse to give up. I endeavor DAILY to open my bible, to listen to a message, to praise God because I am alive and I have purpose and I still have time.

Daily, every day, every minute, every second for the rest of my life God may I continue to seek you, your word and your way for my life.

The Blood

I was reading my bible devotion and it was over Luke 22:20. I’m sitting here thinking about Jesus, about the night before His death and what he must have been feeling. In the Living Bible translation, it says “His blood was poured out for my soul to purchase it back from the enemy” This man, this Jesus, my savior DIED so that I could live. He died so I wouldn't have to be separated from a Father who loves me like no one else can. That's a big deal. I try to picture myself and think if I could do it, honestly I think I probably would have chickened out. Like He had to physically do what someone else wanted him to do and die. I may have been able to do it for the people I love. My kids my husband some of my family, but even then may is a far stretch from actually doing it.  But He died knowing that not everyone would accept what He did for them. He knew it would be questioned by some and that some would perish but he still did it, He knew it wasn't going to have a 100 percent success rate but Jesus did it anyway. Seriously this is why his name, the name of Jesus is the name above all names. Honestly who else could fill his shoes?

So I have this huge miracle taken place for me so I can go to heaven and live out heaven on earth but I don't fully take advantage because of what I may want to do in the moment? So Jesus I apologize you died for me but I'm going to be selfish and do me first then you. FRAN you are being so stupid! It won't ever work that way. You have to do things God's way and then my heart, my desires will follow. Being lazy and doing what I want totally slows the process.

And not to mention what if Jesus said, oh I'll wait a year or so then die for you, I've got to see this, do this and make sure everything else is good before I take on anything for you. Don't be selfish that's not what he paid for. He paid for me to be overcoming in this life and most certainly the next. So do it remind yourself that blood was shed for you and you don't have some ordinary boring life with no purpose. That is a lie!!!!

You have purpose and you are extraordinary! Jesus died for you!