NIV Inspirations

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;

your love, O LORD, endures forever--

do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 138:8

This verse above reminds me of a little chorus our children's choir sings sometimes and also that we sing in our adult class to remind us that we are not a finished product. He will be working on each of us until the day He calls us home.

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Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

I've always heard, "if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your
plans." He has a specific purpose for each of us, and I would venture
to say, if we try and make our own plans without including Him or His
advice, our plans will fail.

I chose the picture on the right to depict our purpose on this earth which is to be labors and "bring in the harvest". As God says, the harvest is ripe, or ready to be picked, but the laborers are few. I am truly trying to learn to be a laborer. I do ok as a witness as long as I'm just carrying on a normal conversation, but get me in Bible Study mode or actually trying to teach, and I lose it. I get too nervous. So I am really having to get out of my comfort zone and work at it. With God's help, I will learn to be successful at helping people to understand God's plan and His Word better.

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Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens

and the earth by your great power and outstretched

arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to

thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers'

sins into the laps of their children after them.

O great and powerful God, whose name is the

LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and

mighty are your deeds.

Jeremiah 32:17-19

I am so thankful that after God came to earth, then died for our sins that He did away with the punishments for our "fathers' sins. We are only accountable for our own and that is truly a blessing. Even though we are forgiven for our sins, I'm thankful that God still "chastises those He loves for their good. I welcome it, as that shows me that he cares what kind of human He wants me to be, and He loves me as much or more than an earthly father would. I relish in the fact that there is nothing to big or too small for God to help me with. All I have to do is call on the Name of Jesus, and He hears me. He is always there for me in my times of trouble. I have asked him for something as small as helping me to find my car keys and He did, to something big as healing a friend of cancer, and He did that too. He is so amazing.

All of this, and the Only thing He asks of us is to love Him, and show our Faith in Him. I think I can handle that.

Good Night, and May God Bless You ALL!

PJ