Is God Thinking About Us?

Don’t you love it when you call someone and the first thing that comes out of their mouths is, “I was just thinking about you!”

It’s heartwarming to know that you’re thought of and when you’re thought of.

You know who else is thinking about us?

Only the most important Being in our entire universe – our Creator and Sovereign God!

before you were even born

God thought about you before you were even born.

How amazing is that!

Try to Count The Grains of Sand

What do you do when you love someone?

You think about them, pray that they’re happy and doing well, and keeping the faith through these trying times.

You think about them.

On a higher and omniscient level, God thinks about me and He thinks about you.

He has so many thoughts about us that the Bible says His thoughts outnumber the grains of sand.

Your thoughts for me would outnumber the sand

Sand can be found in a lot of places, but the next time you’re at a sandy beach, look around your towel.

Can you count the number of the grains of sand on the earth?

Let’s see: one, two . . . three thousand . . . one-hundred thousand . . .

You’d still be counting, right?

How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You. – Psalm 139:17-18, (NASB).¹

When I read passages like this in the Bible, my heart fills with joy and gladness.

We are thought of because He loves and cares about us.

Before You Were Even Born He Wanted to Bless You

Every good and perfect thing comes from God.

Those joyful things that have happened in your life? Those came from God.

“We cannot conceive how many God’s kind counsels have been concerning us, how many good turns he has done us, and what variety of mercies we have received from him” – Matthew Henry, Christian minister and author.²

I like to think that someday we will know, and we’ll be even more humbled in His presence.

We can’t thank Him enough!

Thank You, Lord, for your thoughts towards us.

How comforting it is to know that we are never out of Your sight.

Even in the darkest dark that is this world,

You are the Light shining through this darkness

leading us to eternal victory by sending us Your Son.

# # #

² Matthew Henry Commentary, “The Omniscience of God”. Courtesy of Studylight.org. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhm/psalms-139.html , n.d. para. 18. Web. Accessed 14 March, 2021.

Our Exceptional God

Has God Changed His Mind About Sin?

Does anyone even talk about sin anymore?

It’s obvious we’ve become an “almost anything goes” nation, and sadly, much of what appears on television reflects what’s going on in our culture.

Is taking God’s name in vain now okay?

I wonder what God would say about that.

Wait, He already did.

⁷You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. – Exodus 20:7, (NASB).¹

That’s not just an Old Testament thing.

Discussing how to pray with His disciples, our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:9, “Our Father, who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name . . .”

“Hallowed” as in He is “Holy.”

What about lying – to your family, your boss, the public – anywhere?

How about cheating on your spouse?

Is there any respect for the truth anymore?

Or, is it all about “my truth” and “your truth.” That “PC” concept is so absurd and sad.

God hates sin, (no matter what the false-teaching, self-proclaimed “liberal Christians” say).

almost anything goes world

We’re all sinful in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.

What seems to be so prevalent now is a lack of repentance and remorse.

Has God Changed His Mind? Hardly

The ways of the world are decidedly evil.

If the powers-that-be have their way – there will be no “wrong,” except if you’re a Christian and you honor God.

In fact, many politicians want us to leave our Sovereign God out of everything.

Haven’t you heard?

How about this brazen congressman making the statement recently that God’s will is of no concern to Congress?

On and on this blatant disrespect towards our gracious and merciful Heavenly Father continues, with much of this arrogance shared across the nightly news.

Here’s a question: would the foolish people who so easily mock Christianity be so bold as to also attack non-christians worshipping a different god?

Didn’t think so.

The hypocrisy is obvious.

What happens to a nation where more and more of the populace are turning away from God?

You’re seeing it.

The resulting devastation is clear, as marriages and families disintegrate; the violent death of the unborn is funded with tax dollars; gross immorality is championed; and some of our major cities are filled with bloodshed while entire city blocks are burned down.” – AFA vice-president, Ed Vitagliano.²

No Middle Ground

If you’re a Christian, alarm bells should be going off in your heart.

This ship is sinking.

People have to decide whether they’re with God, or against Him.

There is no middle ground, and time is ticking.

There will come a point of no return for the wicked.

I remember when I first accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. Reading the Bible and learning about fulfilled prophecies and what’s to come in the future of the world, my first question was: Why did no one tell me about this before?”

Good grief, this is important.

Every single one of us has had a hand at piercing His Son on the cross, and yet our Father continues to have patience and mercy with us.

It’s beyond human comprehension.

No one else will ever love you as much as God does. As sinful and broken as you are, He did this for you.

We need to pray, recognize our sinfulness and repent, and humble ourselves like never before.

The Most Important Decision Of Your Life

If you’re reading this and you’re not yet a Christian, I am praying for you. Please don’t wait to come to faith through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven. You’re going to hear a lot of false teachers and some “religious leaders to come” who will deny that fact.

Turn them off as fast as you can.

Has God changed His mind about sin?

In a word: No.

has God changed His mind

# # #

² Quotation from AFA Vice-President, Ed Vitagliano. Courtesy of AFA Journal magazine, “Revelation 13: Government That Serves Satan – When political power becomes a weapon against God and His people, it has turned demonic.” March 2021 issue, Page 14. Accessed March 2, 2020.

Our Exceptional God

Rhett Walker Gospel Song

March 2, 2021 Gracie

Curing the Hot Water Blues with a Rhett Walker Gospel Song

Do you know what I’m ready for?

I’ll give you a hint.

Our hot water heater is still not fixed after its tank dive during the historic snow-mageddon in Texas.

Just over two weeks without hot water.

I’m ready for things to settle down.

Calgon, take me away.

Thank you for listening.

But wait – you know what else I‘d love right now besides a hot shower?

A really good gospel song to cure the hot water blues.

Eureka, I’ve found it!

Have you heard Rhett Walker’s “Gospel Song”?

Let me help you with that. 🙂

Check out his fun video which premiered on February 14th.

A Toe Tapping Feel-Good Song

It’s a catchy melody, right?

Rhett Walker is an accomplished singer/songwriter with a Grammy nomination to boot.

“Gospel Song” is now in my music library, and it didn’t end there.

I started listening to more of his music. I was hooked!

Kind of a Christian, country, and southern rock vibe going on here.

Ain’t nothing like a gospel song
Makes me want to sing it all day long
Something ’bout that amazing grace sound of praise
Makes my troubles not seem so strong. – Song lyrics, “Gospel Song.” ¹

Even if it’s just for the length for the song, it’s nice to have a musical escape when troubles overwhelm.

Some good advice from Rhett: REFOCUS.

A musical break from all the bad news can do us a world of good.

As he said in a recent interview,

This song is a reminder that God is still in the business of redeeming stories and changing lives,” Rhett Walker shares about the poignant tune.
“It’s easy to lose our focus and be surrounded with negativity, so I wrote this song to help refocus each day and look to the Gospel and its good news. – Rhett Walker.²

Refocus with “Gospel Song” and let it stir your soul.

# # #

* Opening photo credit. “The Rhett Walker Band” by Jeffrey, on Flickr, used under CC BY-ND 2.0.

¹ Song lyrics, courtesy of AZLyrics.com.

² Rhett Walker interview. “Gospel Song,” The New Single And Video From Rhett Walker Drops Today. [Jesus Freak Hideout]. February 12, 2021, Web. Accessed February 24, 2021. Retrieved from: https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2021/02/12.RhettWalkerDropsGospelSongToday.asp

Our Exceptional God

The Snow-mageddon Disaster That Slammed Texas Hard

February 23, 2021 Gracie

Snow-mageddon Disaster That Slammed Texas Hard

Look out the window! It’s snowing!

After all these years, it was really sticking this time.

But oh how quickly things change.

In a matter of hours, what started out as pretty snowfall in Texas, turned deadly for the morning commute.

snowfall turns deadly

Freezing rain and black ice created absolutely treacherous driving conditions across the state.

The snow-mageddon disaster that slammed Texas hard

*Photo Credit Fox 4 News

Six people died and several more were injured in one of the most horrific, morning rush-hour, chain-reaction, 100+ car pileups on an interstate we’ve ever seen.

When Will It Stop?

Hours later, the snow continued to fall across Texas (and other states) in its path.

At one point, it was snowing so hard and fast that we couldn’t even see the other houses on our street.

Our community wasn’t part of the original rolling power outages so we had no heat for extended periods of time.

There was nothing to keep us warm except an occasionally-working gas fireplace, several blankets, and layer upon layer of clothes.

On top of that, our water heater broke and snow from the ridge vents settled in our attic.

boiled water for sink baths

We are thankful that we bought food ahead of time, and thank the Lord for old-fashioned hand lighters.

At least we could light our gas burners to make soup on the stove.

It was a stressful time for everyone, but also life-threatening for the elderly who were confined to their homes with no way to get out.

When you haven’t bathed or washed your hair for several days, the idea of a hotel room seemed ideal.

Apparently, others had the same thought because area hotels were booked up tight.

When all the comforts of home we sometimes take for granted disappear, you really start to realize how blessed we all are to even have anything, because there are people in our towns who have it much worse.

What we are also blessed with are dear friends and neighbors. The American spirit has not been destroyed. Neighbor checked on neighbor and even lent supplies when needed, whether it was emergency lighting kits, food, or bottled waters.

historic winter storm

The snow-mageddon disaster that slammed Texas hard will not soon be forgotten.

When Peace and Safety Are Just An Illusion

The snow-mageddon that slammed Texas last week reminded me of some passages from my Bible studies.

During the Second Coming at an unknown time in the future, disastrous judgments will befall the earth.

While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. – 1 Thessalonians 5:3, (NASB).

In this verse, the apostle Paul is speaking to the Thessalonians about God’s righteous judgement.

“Peace and safety” are just a fatal illusion during this time.

Politicians and alleged peacekeepers will promise both, but those are empty promises.

Unbelievers will go about their daily lives in ignorance of the prophetic events to come.

There is no shelter for the wicked during this unavoidable and sudden storm of destruction.

They will die in their wickedness.

The Book Of Life

Is your name in the Book of Life?

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Life can change in an instant. You are not promised tomorrow.

Our only rest, our eternal peace and safety, is in Him.

It’s not just saying a sinner’s prayer, and then going about your business as usual.

Salvation is marked by recognizing that Jesus is the only way.

A true conversion will be evidenced by a Holy Spirit transformed life, conviction of our sins with repentance, a consistent prayer life, and telling others the good news.

Psalm 91:2

# # #

* Opening photo credit: Nguyen, Lynnanne. “End may soon be in sight for Arlington’s boil water notice, officials say.” Fox 4 news, 19 Feb. 2021, https://www.fox4news.com/news/end-may-soon-be-in-sight-for-arlingtons-boil-water-notice-officials-say

Our Exceptional God

Be A Noticer

February 16, 2021 Gracie

Be A Noticer – A Welcome Escape

Are you a noticer?

Does a gorgeous sunrise cause you to stop what you’re doing to take notice of the awesomeness that is the new day?

For me, it’s mostly yes.

Sometimes though, I get in a hurry and blitz on past the beauty right in front of me.

Here’s a recent sunrise. You wouldn’t believe how many of these awe-inspiring moments I have on my phone.

be a noticer

Please don’t miss those moments of bliss.

Only God can paint the brilliant sky.

Be a noticer.

It’s a welcome escape that God gives us in a world often filled with turmoil.

Life’s Beauty We Sometimes Neglect To Notice

In a world that’s turned so ugly this year, glimpses of God’s goodness are welcome reminders that there’s much more to this earth than the evil we are seeing now.

We can count on this –

God is so good, and His light shines

and will continue to shine through this darkness.

John 1:3-5

Think about this.

In a world that seems so out of control, we have a Sovereign Lord who called the heavens and the earth into being by . . . His . . . words.

Nothing or no one is more powerful than that.

So take notice!

When the sunrise hits your face, when your baby takes his or her first steps, when the one you love first popped the question – those moments of joy are given to us by God.

Turn off the mainstream news and get your heart and mind set on God and His blessings.

Practice Noticing

You’ve heard this before, but it’s so important.

Don’t lose hope.

Keep a journal of past and realized blessings as a reminder of God’s goodness.

I know things seem bleak right now, but something good will come of this.

But how?

I wish we had the answer to that, but we’re not God.

Just trust like your life depends on it.

Don’t let those nagging doubts stirred up by evil cloud your trust in God.

God’s Goodness Is All Around Us

Recently, I read an amazing devotional that emphasizes the importance of keeping our minds on Christ.

I’d like to share it with you here.

Enjoy!

How do we cultivate a heart of hopeful expectancy in a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams? We look for evidence of God’s goodness all around us. In fact, start writing down the things you see. In due time, something both natural and supernatural will take place within you. You’ll become a noticer. Someone who looks for and experiences the goodness of God wherever you go.

There’s a system in your brain that responds to your most consistent thoughts. Whatever thoughts you have on repeat, your brain scans your environment to find “evidence” to back up your beliefs, even if those beliefs are wrong. For example, if you rehearse thoughts of insecurity or self-contempt, or fear, your brain will be on high alert to find evidence to confirm your rehearsed thoughts.

So, what if you retrained your brain to look for the coming Kingdom? What if you looked around each day with expectancy that something good is coming your way? Each day, God pours out fresh mercies. Every morning, the heavens declare the glory of God. Because Jesus is always with you, you need not be shaken. (see Psalm 16:8). – Christian author, Susie Larson.

# # #

Susie Larson Live, courtesy of Faith Radio, “Goodness Is Coming.” 2-01-21. Web. Accessed 11 February, 2020. Retrieved from https://myfaithradio.com/2021/goodness-is-coming/

Our Exceptional God

« 1 … 36 37 38 39 40 … 98 »