WITHOUT LIMITS ~ {Good Things Thursday}

There is No Limit to What God Will Do For His Children When We Ask in His Name

I love reading the prayer of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21.   In this prayer Paul made three requests for his friends in Ephesus:

 

First, in verse 16, that they would "be strengthened with might by His Spirit"

Secondly, he asked in verse 18 that they "may be able to comprehend...the love of Christ"

And then in verse 19 Paul asks, that they "might be filled with all the fullness of God"

And, just in case we might think that this is too much to ask, Paul reminds us that these requests are made to the One who is more than able to answer them. 

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us"  Ephesians 3:20

 

Paul's Knowledge of God is Revealed in the Way He Prayed

Paul knew that God is able to answer our prayers because He is the

Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent GOD.

                       

Paul knew that God's blessings are always abundant,
exceeding our expectations beyond all
that we've read, seen, heard or imagined. 

Paul knew that God is aware of our needs before
we put thought into them and even 
if we forget to ask, He will do it
if it is according to His will. 

Paul knew that there is no limit to the power of God

at work in us to change our lives.

Finally, Paul reminds us in verse 21 that all these abundant and limitless blessings are not intended for our own glory but for the eternal glory of God in and through the local, visible church that has been purchased with the blood of Christ Jesus.  Amen! 

My prayer for you is that God will bless your day exceeding abundantly!                                             ~Pamelyn 



GOOD MEDICINE ~ {Good Things Thursday}





Vintage Medicine Ad



I'm just getting over a dreadful cold that lasted into the 3rd week.  What made it worse was that I managed to "share" my cold with at least 4 members of my family ~ while on vacation.  Yep, I'm anticipating coal in my stocking come Christmas morning! 

The Bible has quite a lot to say about treating various diseases and ailments of ancient people.  God gave Moses numerous medicinal treatments and preventions as part of the Levitical Law.  It is obvious to me that God desired His people to enjoy good health.  One way to be healthy, according to Proverbs 17:22, is to strive for a cheerful attitude.  

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine;
but a broken spirit drieth the bones." 

The Amplified Bible says it this way, A happy heart is a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries the bones. 

A cheerful attitude is important in the life of a Christian in at least 3 ways:

1. A cheerful attitude is essential to effectively serve the Lord with gladness. 
2. A cheerful attitude will draw people to us, giving us opportunity to share the gospel. 
3. A cheerful attitude is good medicine for our health.  A sad countenance will eventually cause the body to waste away.

At times we all struggle with our attitude.  Remember, the Great Physician is always "on call" bringing Divine healing when our hearts need it most.

Blessings for a Good and healthy Thursday   ~ Pamelyn

God's Big Picture

 "When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto

death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."   John 11:4

I've been reading Joanna Weaver's wonderful book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.  If you haven't read it, do so.  Here's a LINK to her website.  Every chapter of this book has been inspiring to me.  Currently I'm in the chapter that deals with Lazarus' death and subsequent resurrection by the Lord in John chapter 11.  It teaches us about God's Big Picture. 

What intrigues me most in this story is when Jesus was told that his dear friend Lazarus was sick and dying He (Jesus) "abode two days still in the same place where He was" (verse 6).  In our way of thinking we would say "some friend".  But, Jesus is the artist of the "big picture"; seeing beyond what Mary, Martha and all the others were seeing.  They failed to see that Jesus was using this tragedy to glorify God and so that "many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him"  (verse 45).

  We are PRECIOUS to Him

His PLANS are based on Divine PROMISES

This passage clearly teaches God's Big Picture for mankind.  Lazarus and his sisters were precious friends of Jesus.  Jesus' plan was to glorify God and He kept the promise that Lazarus would rise again.  

 
Being an habitual planner and list maker, I often miss the Big Picture as well.  I'm a fan of Day Planners, to-do lists, calendars, and shopping lists. However, 
the Lord is teaching me that some things I plan will inevitably get side-tracked, postponed or simply eliminated.  Everything does not always work out just because I've painstakingly planned it!  I thank Him for keeping me humble by reminding me my plans and ways are not His plans and ways. Even though I plan, I don't know what tomorrow may bring, but I do know the One that holds the tomorrow. I also know that the Artist of the Big Picture has the perfect plan for my life.

COMFORT ~ {Good Things Thursday}

2 Corinthians 1:3,4 "Blessed be....the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 

Physical Comfort  

What comes to mind when you think of comfort?  I think of comfortable shoes, soft pillows, 70 degree weather, and a LazyBoy recliner!  It is good to be comfortable.  However, comfort, in this passage, means so much more than being physically comfortable. 

Spiritual Comfort 

"...to impart strength and hope to; to encourage; to relieve; to console; to cheer." (Webster).   God gives strength, hope, encouragement, relief, consolation, and cheer to His children because He loves us.  He also gives us comfort so that we are equipped to offer comfort, consolation, and encouragment to others that may be going through hardships and difficulties. 

Don't get TOO COMFORTABLE

The Christian life is always about sharing and doing for others.  Comfort is not for us to keep all to ourselves.  It is interesting to note that comfort in Scripture can be both an object (noun) and an action (verb) word; something to have and something meant to be shared!  

Notice the words ALL COMFORT 

We, as humans, are limited to the amount of comfort we are capable of offering.  However, we can point others to the One who is not limited in giving eternal comfort to His children.  God is the God of ALL comfort and His supply never runs low!

John 14:26, Jesus Promised,

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,

whom the Father will send in My name,

He shall teach you all things,

and bring all things to your remembrance,

whatsoever I have said unto you."

****

Have a good Thursday!

              ~ Pamelyn





Friend with Friend

O the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and

With Thee, my God,

I commune as friend with friend!



Fanny J. Crosby

Several years ago I read this poem in an article about prayer.  It was only later that I realized it was actually written by Fanny J. Crosby in 1875 as lyrics to the 3rd stanza of the wonderful hymn, "I Am Thine, O Lord".   These words, written so long ago, speak to the heart of the matter of prayer.  As evidenced by over 8,000 hymns written during her lifetime, Fanny J. Crosby certainly knew a thing or two about communicating with the Lord.  Blind from an illness as an infant, she understood how essential it was to stay in touch with the Lord. 

Along with reading God's Holy Word,  prayer is the method in which the Lord communicates to His servant's heart.  Prayer is how we, as children of the Lord, communicate with Him.  Prayer is never one-sided communication.  The Bible teaches us to speak to the Lord in prayer, as well as listen for the still, small voice as He speaks to our heart. 

I Timothy 2:1 speaks of four different types of prayer.  "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men".  All four types are essential to the Christian in order to communicate with our Lord.  The notes from my KJV Study Bible explain each type:

• Supplications are precise requests for specific needs
• Prayers is a general word embracing various kinds of prayer, namely confession, adoration, etc.
• Intercessions are prayers to God on behalf of others
• Giving of Thanks are prayers of praise

I Thessalonians 5:17 encourages us to "Pray without ceasing".  To pray non-stop every day may seem to us to be a bit extreme.  However, consider this:  Prayer involves both spoken words as well as an attitude of the heart.  In light of that, we can move about our day with "non-stop praying" and communicating with the dearest Friend we could ever have.  How delightful is that!
 



Feel free to use this image

My friends, I am praying for you and

ask that you pray for me 

                            ~Pamelyn