WORD up!

I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:4 04/10/09 Heavenly Father, I come before You in the name of Jesus to praise you right now. Right where I am. Right where the world is. In spite of earthquakes and layoffs and tornadoes and pirates and suicide bombs, I thank You for Your love and Your grace and Your free gift of salvation. I praise You for the many opportunities You’ve given us to commune with You and apologize for all of the opportunities that we’ve squandered in favor of doing something else. I lift my hands in praise to You because You are God, the King of the Universe, and I am in awe. Thank you for today. Please teach me how You want me to serve You each moment of it. Give me time to spend in Your Word so that I might be prepared to tell others the reason for the hope that I have in Jesus, and provide instances for me to do that. Amen.

What price must she pay for true love? Her days marked by turmoil and faded dreams, Abigail has resigned herself to a life with a man she does not love. But when circumstances offer her a second chance at happiness with the handsome David, she takes a leap of faith to join his wandering tribe. Still, her struggles are far from over. How can she share his love with the other women he insists on marrying? Abigail follows the bestselling Michal and continues Jill Eileen Smith's rich story of David's wives. About the Author Jill Eileen Smith has more than twenty years of writing experience, and her writing has garnered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of David's wives has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill is the author of the bestselling Michal and lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Here is my review of this wonderful work of Biblical fiction: First of all, I wo...

He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:8 04/09/09 I learned something really exciting from today’s verse. The Greek word for “day” is hemera. The definition is rather lengthy and diverse, but part of that definition focuses on “the last day of this present age, the day Christ will return from heaven, raise the dead, hold the final judgment, and perfect his kingdom”. Hallelujah! I believe this verse relates specifically to that day, so I will concentrate on that part of the definition. To be blameless on the day of Christ’s return, is to be saved from the judgment that determines our final destination. Based on our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are saved. Our reservation for eternity in His presence is sure and secure. I cannot wait for that day! What a wonderful day that will be.

Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Psalm 150:1-2 04/08/09 I was just working on my latest memory verse, James 2:13 which says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” I believe there’s a correlation between that verse and our devotion verse. Think of it this way, praise triumphs over complaining. Not only is that so true…if the meandering Israelites had done more praising and less complaining, those who knew the slavery of Egypt may have seen the promised land! Instead, they grumbled and didn’t trust God and were punished so that all but two of them would die in the desert as they wandered past the same sand dune for the next 40 years! What did they have to praise God for? Deliverance from slavery… Manna… Clothes and shoes that didn’t wear out… God’s guidance… The ability to see His presence in the pillar of cloud and fire… Coolness from the cloud by day and warmth from the fir...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Genesis. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses you through this material. Much of what I learned for chapters 16 and 17 came from Liz Curtis Higgs' "Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible". I highly recommend it! Stacey Take a few minutes to savor Genesis Chapter 17. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 17:1-8 – The Lord appears to Abram, establishes a Suzerain-Vassal Covenant and changes his name to Abraham. NOW Abraham is ready to have the child that God promised him in 15:4. (LFL – wait on God or you may birth a new war-making people, like Ishmael’s descendants, the Iraqis.) 17:1 – God Almighty – El Shaddai. 17:5, 15 – God gives each a new name. Is this a fresh start apart from their sin? 17:5 – the...

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 04/20/09 This is it. Our final devotion for this scripture in this collection. I pray that it has been a blessing to you – helping you see the Lord in your midst, appreciating what you have, appreciating what you don’t have, and ultimately drawing so much nearer to Christ. May the Lord bless you. May He keep you. May He make His beautiful face shine upon you. May He be gracious to you. May He turn His face toward you. May He give you peace. Jesus is so good. He is so beautiful. He is so loving. He has so many wonderful things in store for your life. Take a minute right now to sit down with Him and thank Him for all that He’s given you and what is yet to come…

“Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Revelation 7:12 04/21/09 “Amen” is such a tiny word, but I learned so much while studying it for this passage. “Amen” is originally a Hebrew word that was transliterated directly into Greek, then into Latin and English and many other languages. This means that the word “amen” actually remains “amen” in all the languages into which it has been translated. The word is almost identical to the Hebrew word “amam” which means "believe" or “faithful”. So it came to mean "sure" or "truly", expressing absolute trust and confidence. At the beginning of a dialogue, “amen” means “surely” or “truly”. At the end, it means “so it is”, “so be it”, “may it be fulfilled”. When someone prays to God, and you respond by saying, “Amen”, you are, in essence, stating that you are in agreement with the prayer as if you’d uttered it yourself.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 04/27/09 I can’t even imagine what the anxiety on earth will be like after the rapture of the church. The Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way and evil will reign. We think that things are bad now (in spring 2009), but I can say with absolute confidence, “you ain’t seen nothin’, yet!” And do you know what? You don’t want to see it, either! But there will be some who are left behind when the church is taken by Christ Himself to prepare for the upcoming battle that will implement the fate of the satan, the antichrist and the false prophet. Right now, I pray for them, Father. That they will seek after You with their whole heart, that they will accept Christ and be saved, and that they will obey Your Word, cast their anxiety upon You, and be used mightily for Your will to be done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Warren Wiersbe and the book: Wiersbe Bible Study Series – 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon: It's Always Too Soon to Quit! David C. Cook; New edition (February 1, 2010) ***Special thanks to Audra Jennings of The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A man who has given his life to a deep examination of the Word of God, Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe is an internationally known Bible teacher, former pastor of Th...

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Susan May Warren and the book: Double Trouble Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (January 11, 2010) ***Special thanks to Stephanie Garvey of Litfuse Publicity Group for sending me a review copy. Also three cheers for Mavis Sanders of Tyndale House Publishers for getting the FIRST group the chapter needed for the tour!*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steep...

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 04/27/09 I mentioned when we looked at this verse previously that the New American Standard Bible says, “…He knows those who take refuge in Him.” The phrase “take refuge” is one Hebrew word: chacah. It means “to seek refuge, flee for protection.” I never thought of myself as a refugee before. But that’s exactly what I am. So are you if you belong to Christ. Sort of. But instead of running away from our home to a place of sanctuary, we have come to realize that the place of refuge that we run to is really our true home! Still, the idea of seeking refuge, of fleeing something to find protection somewhere else implies that we are in a dangerous situation, running to a place of safety. And let me assure you that the safest place to be is as close to Jesus as you can get!

Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth. Isaiah 42:10 03/31/09 “Weak and wounded sinner, lost and left to die, O, raise your head for Love is passing by. Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus and live. Now your burden's lifted, and carried far away, and precious blood has washed away the stain... so Sing to Jesus , Sing to Jesus , Sing to Jesus and live. And like a newborn baby, don't be afraid to crawl, and remember when you walk sometimes we fall... so Fall on Jesus, Fall on Jesus, Fall on Jesus and live. Sometimes the way is lonely, and steep and filled with pain, So if your sky is dark and pours the rain... then Cry to Jesus, Cry to Jesus, Cry to Jesus and live. O, and when the love spills over, and music fills the night, and when you can't contain your joy inside... then Dance for Jesus, Dance for Jesus, Dance for Jesus and live. And with your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye, then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's s...

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 06/01/09 What does this verse mean by every good work? Everything God has prepared for us to do? Absolutely! Is it a specific ministry like music or drama or teaching or preaching? Definitely! Will you only be called to do one thing during your entire life? Not likely. I don’t know about you, but I have been called to so many different good works by the Lord. I have witnessed to friends and family. I’ve been involved in music ministry and drama ministry. I have taught Bible study and Sunday school. I have written Bible studies. I have been part of a prayer team. I have sent letters of encouragement to fellow Christians and ministers. I have served in children’s ministry and stewardship. What variety of things have you done to serve the Lord?

Blessed are those who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your name; they exult in Your righteousness. Psalm 89:15-16 06/04/09 Are you blessed? How blessed are you? Why are you blessed? Who has blessed you? Don’t gloss over these questions. Think about them for a few minutes. There are no formulas for answers to these. What specific events or moments have made you realize that you are blessed? They can involve Jesus, family, friends, quiet moments that you’ve had one-on-One with God, or concert events. Where have you been blessed? At home? At work? At school? At a friend’s house? In church? At someone else’s church? When have you been blessed? As a child? As a teenager? At a specific church service? Right after your greatest sin when you realized and repented and felt Christ’s love wash over you? Take a minute right now to thank Jesus, the source of all of those blessings.

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Genesis. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses you through this material. Much of what I learned for chapters 16 and 17 came from Liz Curtis Higgs' "Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible". I highly recommend it! Stacey Take a few minutes to savor Genesis Chapters 16 & 17. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 16 – God-sized problems cannot be solved with man or woman-sized hands. 16:1 – now – “meant to ‘interrupt the flow of the story – that is, it marks the beginning of a new episode.’” (Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible – Higgs – John D. Currid “Genesis”, 1:301) 16:2 – “go sleep with my maidservant” – “An Assyrian marriage contract, dating from about 1900 BC, stipulated ‘if the wife does not give b...

About Life Lessons from a Horse Whisperer: A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. In this book, Lew tells the stories of his work with these horses and the lessons each one has taught him. Sometimes heartbreaking and often uplifting, Lew has condensed his lifetime of learning into messages for the Christian life. Today, Lew shares these messages with more than 50,000 people each year through horse training presentations at Miracle Mountain Ranch and nationally through his Sermon on the Mount Ministry. The author's engaging style and adroit mixture of well-tested anecdotes and thoughtful instruction make this a winning read-and not just for horse lovers. About Lew: A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Street has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. Lew Street (Ph. D) had little idea that his boyhood interes...

“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.” Hebrews 13:5-6 06/12/09 God is definitely a better helper to me than I am to Him! He is more faithful. He has more integrity. He loves better. He forgives better. He forgets – Hallelujah! I need to give up more control to Him each day. I need Him to shine through my life more tomorrow than He did last week. I want to let Him be the beacon inside of me that everyone sees, but too often I don’t give up control. And when I don’t give up control, people only see me. Not Him. And I am nowhere near as beautiful as He is. Because I am a lousy helper. Compared to Him, I am selfish and irresponsible. I am vain and ignorant. But He is the wonderful, selfless, beautiful Creator and King of the Universe. I should be His helper, but I am incapable. Lord, be my helper so that You may be glorified in Christ’s name. Amen.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Rene Gutteridge and the book: Listen Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (January 11, 2010) ***Special thanks to Vicky Lynch of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rene Gutteridge is the critically acclaimed author of more than fifteen novels, including the Storm series, the Boo series, the Occupational Hazards series, and the novelization of the motion picture The Ultimate Gift. She lives with h...