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1 Peter 5:7-8
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

When you were a kid, did you close your eyes you thought there was a monster about to come out from under your bed or closet? Maybe you still close them when you watch a scary movie. What about those flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz (insert shiver here!) It seems to be a human reaction to close our eyes when we know something bad is going to happen. It is as if we think it will all go away if we just close our eyes. Like a child playing peek-a-boo. If I can’t see you, then you can’t see me. If only that were true.

No, when we close our eyes to what is around us, we leave ourselves vulnerable. We have no idea how to attack the problem that is coming our way. Peter passed on some Godly wisdom in 1 Peter 7:7-8. We are to handle problems in two steps. First, don’t get anxious about it. God is in control and so there is no reason to worry over it. Second, don’t ignore it. Satan is just waiting for you to close your eyes or turn your back. That is when he attacks best!

So, fix your eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2) and strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees (Heb 12:12). We are surrounded by lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh my! Don’t worry though, our Wizard has laid out the perfect yellow brick road and He will never leave us!

Lord, I know there are many things in this world that are frightening, but I can face them with You by my side. ~amen

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Luke 10:19
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Some days we need to be reminded who is in control. Other days, we need to remind Satan who is in control. Then there are days we need to remind ourselves Satan cannot control us!

Our God is bigger than the boogieman! One of my favorite VeggieTales. The theme song for it runs through my head when fears start to rise all around me. Then I see flashes of the storm on the sea and Jesus standing up in the boat and everything stops. I have to remind myself it states 365 times in the bible to “FEAR NOT!” So, why does my stomach still get queazy, and my jitters still shake my body? That is easy because I am still human.

Let’s be honest, would God have said fear not so many times, if He thought we didn’t need to be reminded? No. He expects us to face hard times, frightening times, and shake in our boots so hard you almost puke times. What He doesn’t want is for us to live there. There is no reason for us to remain afraid. Yes, situations around us can be bad, but we have to power to tell Satan, I will not let this stop me anymore. Fearless doesn’t mean not being you will never be afraid, it means doing it despite the fear. Satan may try and influence the circumstances around you, but he cannot control you!

Lord, today I am facing some anxiety in my world. I know You are in control. I will choose to walk on through the storms. Satan has no control over me! ~amen

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1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Here I go again! The message bible spoke to me louder today!

“My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world” (1 John 4:4, MSG).

What caught my eye first was you belong to God. This may be a little silly but when I take my dog’s collar off for his bath, the first thing he wants after toweling off is that collar right back on. I always thought it was strange. Then I heard someone mention that one of the first things a shelter dog loves is putting on a collar when they are adopted. You can almost see the joy in their eyes. Now, I know we are all probably anthropomorphizing, but one thing is true, dogs are pack animals and they need to belong. We are similar in that fact. So, my being excited about belonging to God is much like my pupster’s need to put that collar back on to show he belongs to me.

My strength comes from my belonging to God. My victory is from my belonging to God. I can face anything in this world because I belong to God. So, yes, I am overly excited reading this verse today because it reminds me I belong to God!

Lord, I am so thankful I belong to You! ~amen

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Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

There is an old English proverb that I swear was our family mantra when the kids were little, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” I am sure the saying came from today’s verse in Proverbs 15:1. I have to admit, it is very true!

I know when I was teaching, instead of yelling to get students’ attention, I would get quieter. Yes, it really did work. I found that raising my voice only made them raise theirs more. As a matter of fact, I was once told that I was actually scarier when I got quiet. . . LOL! The point is it didn’t do me any good to get louder or angrier because it just kept the fires burning.

We most often apply this verse to the people around us. Did you know it works from within as well? Have you noticed when you do something wrong, your immediate reaction is to chastise yourself? That usually leads to frustration, anger, and more often than not just plain giving up. On the other hand, if you give yourself some grace, remind yourself it is Ok you will try again.

When I sit in front of a blank screen or canvas, instead of telling me how many ways not to do something, I find myself saying, “Let’s just try it and see how it comes out!” No things are not always going to work out in your life. Things are not always going to make you happy. However, God’s advice here will sure make it easier, and certainly more joyful along the way.

Lord, remind me to treat myself to honey and not vinegar today, just like You do! ~amen

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Copyright © 2022 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved

Luke 6:36
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Our Father is kind; you be kind ( Luke 6:36, MSG).

Yep! Once again, the Message Bible says it all in a nice little neat package. LOL! I believe these are words to live by. What a wonderful world we would live in if everyone could remember these seven little words.

It is funny how I read each version in my head today. The NIV version just kind of flowed, sing-song and sweet. The Message, on the other hand, I pictured a mom, hands on hips, looking down with that mom look, and pointing a finger at her naughty child, stressing the last three words. I wonder if that is how God sees it with us. . . LOL!

There is a quote that it seems no one really knows where it first started, but you see it on memes everywhere. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. If you ask me, God said it first in this verse. The quote is simply, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind!”

I really don’t know what else to say today. There is no deep interpretation to these words. No, further insight is needed. So, I am just going to give you a little encouragement today. Be kind to one another our there. We could all use some kindness in our lives.

Lord, send me someone who needs me to share your kindness with today. ~amen

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Copyright © 2022 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Once again God has decided to speak twice to me today. In a woman’s bible study I do every morning, our verse today was from Mark 2:22, “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

I was reading a response from one of the ladies. She was reminded of a gentleman at church who always answers “I am highly favored” when you ask him how he is doing. One time someone had tried to repeat him and it came out ‘highly flavored’. His response was simply, “Yes I am because we are called to be the salt of the earth.” Well, this lady tied the two thoughts together this morning. Can you imagine how awful the new wine would taste after being in the old skins? Can anyone say Vinegar! We would not be so highly flavored!

Mark 2:22 went well with today’s verse. We are chosen, holy, and dearly loved. We need to put on those new garments every day so we can show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. In order to pour those things out of you, you must first pour them in and that means cleaning out the old junk. You don’t want to go through your day dishing out vinegar. You want to pour out that sweet healing wine! You want to be highly flavored!

Lord, today help me be Highly Flavored! I want to show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience all around. ~amen

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Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

“When everyone and everything around you says to panic, choose the path of peace. In this world of broken promises, do yourself a favor: take hold of the promises of God,” (Max Lucado, ‘Glory Days’).

The world today is spinning out of control. Hmmm . . . we say that so easy as if it just started. It didn’t. It started the minute sin entered the world, way back in Genesis. God has not been trying to stop the world either. That was never His plan. I am sure He would have loved to see it happen, but it was never part of His plan. No, His plan was to stabilize His children while the world raged on and on and on.

I have a favorite Billy Joel song, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’. One of the verses goes like this:

We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning, since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on

The truth of the matter is we can’t stop the fire. The world is going to keep spinning out of control until Jesus comes again and establishes His kingdom here. What we can do is stabilize ourselves by taking hold of God’s promises, standing on the Rock eternal.

Lord, I choose to stand on your promises today. When the world says panic, I will find peace in your promises. ~amen

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Psalms 56:4
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?

The quick answer to the question in Psalms 56:4, “What can mere mortals do to me” is simple they can kill me. I know that is a rather blunt answer. On memorial day here in the United States, we honor all of those who died defending others, and mere mortals killed them.

We mere mortals are the most dangerous things on this planet. Just pick read a newspaper, or listen to the news. If we haven’t picked up a weapon and killed someone, we have spread our carbon footprint, poisoned our waters, or created a food that is now causing cancer. We are killers. Yet, Jesus laid down His life for all of us. He didn’t wear a cape, ride a white horse, or wear some elaborate crown. He came in and did what was necessary to save the world.

As I mentioned earlier, in the States, we celebrate Memorial Day. For many, it just means the opening of Summer, a time to get an extra day off, maybe a cookout, or boat ride. For others, it is a time of grief because someone they loved gave their all so that others could live. They didn’t wear capes either, but like Jesus, they wore their blood, so no one else had to that day.

Now before I get some nasty comments, I am not equivocating these people with Jesus. He had a much larger agenda. However, in a world that teaches us to be selfish all the time, wouldn’t it be nice if we could be more like Him. If we could all learn to trust in God and not be afraid that we might be shunned, ridiculed, or even hated. I mean what more could mere mortals do to me, right?

Lord, I am so sorry for my selfish ways. Please forgive me. ~amen

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Acts 20:24
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God (Acts 20:24, MSG).

The NIV Bible says, “my life is worth nothing,” at least that is what caught my eye. I began to bristle a little when I read it. Then I read it again. “I consider my life worth nothing to me.” God is most certainly not saying I am worthless. NO! I am worth a lot to Him. I am loved and thought of constantly by Him. What this verse is saying is I can’t put myself first. As a matter of fact, in many ways, my life would be worthless if I became selfish and always put myself first.

I also looked at this verse another way. I could own the most expensive and famous painting in the world. However, what good would it do me if I just stuffed it away in the closet under a bunch of unused shoes and bags? If I don’t hang it and share it with the world it becomes useless. Let’s look at it another way. I could make the most wonderful meal in the world. But what good is it if it is never eaten?

We were meant to share our lives with others. We were meant to share the love of God with all. Our lives become worthless if we don’t complete the task of sharing the good news of God’s grace.

Lord, I don’t want to live a worthless life. I want to live for You. ~amen

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John 3:17
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Tina Fey was quoted as saying, “Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.” I have also heard it said by others, “Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.” I think God had this in mind when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us.
John 3:17 in the Message Bible puts it more like this, “God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” You see, God saw the problem. He could have just wagged His finger at us and told us all the things we were doing wrong. However, that would not solve the problem. Instead, He had a solution in mind all the time., GRACE!

We humans would make life a lot better if we practiced this principle. When we stand back, watch the news, and just point out all the bad in this world, we become part of the problem. I am not trying to get all political here any more than God was when He sent Christ to die for our sins. I am just saying we need to learn to love, forgive, offer grace, and help when and where we can. I know sometimes that means just praying, but that is powerful stuff!

It is easy to get wrapped up in all the negativity around you. Just remember by getting wrapped up in it, you have become part of it. Don’t be part of the problem,
be part of the solution.

Lord, help me add to the solutions and not the problems that are around me. ~amen

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Copyright © 2022 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved