Author: David LaFrance

Advent Season

For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.

After an amazing Thanksgiving, there may not be many people physically hungry left.  The various types of food served during this holiday season, in homes and at parties, can leave us physically full.

But what about your soul?

Yes, our world can temporarily leave us physically full, especially during this Holiday Season, which offers a wide range of food and drink.  There are unlimited deals available everywhere you look, including on the phone, which the average person touches an average of 144 to 205 times a day. This season, there will be an unlimited amount of entertainment and business that can consume all your hours of the day if you let them.

Yet with all these things available to use from last week through the next month or so, we need to remember out of everything what will truly satisfy any of our desires.  It is our Lord.  Jesus is the one true source of all we really need to satisfy any desire.  What appears and may even fill a momentary earthly desire is nothing compared to the good that Jesus promised eternally.

Praying for this season of searching and longing for all the things to be filled with the joy and fulfillment that the Lord has for us all!    ~  Blessings 

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Luke 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.

His Pasture

3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; were his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Today’s Reading is Psalm 100. This chapter, written by David, is a Psalm to give thanks, to come to Him, and to give praise.  Verses 1, 2, and 4 discuss ensuring we are doing this.

I landed on verses 3 & 5 to remind me that the Lord is our God who made us into existence.  That even though the world can provide many false gods, He is our Creator and our Shepherd while on this planet.  He will, when you believe, provide, protect, and guide us.  That even though our pastures may change along the way and there are many wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, we can find everything we need in our Shepherd.  Our faithfulness will endure all generations.

Have a blessed day.

The Presence of Thanksgiving

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joy noise to the rock of our salvation! 2. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

What does praise look like for you?  For me, it can vary.  Yes, I love a Sunday worship service with hands raised, with the mindset of an audience of one.  There are also times when it’s a quiet moment in the morning, when a whisper of His name is all it takes to thank Him for His perfectly timed words through Scripture.

Whatever it is, give Him praise.  What do you have to give praise for? Being in His presence today or having this time right now to sit and reflect on His words.  The air we breathe each day.  The unexplainable joy you can feel knowing what eternity will be for us.  Pick any one or all of these things right now.  Whatever it may be for you right now.  Make that joyful noise to Him. He’s listening and loves us, giving thanks!

Amen

 

I will Sing of the Steadfast Love of The Lord

Confession

I have struggled with my faith lately. Various circumstances in my life and the combination of the lack of focused time spent with the Lord, have taken a toll on my heart and mind.

Perhaps you have faced similar challenges. Maybe time has slipped away from you, or distractions have pulled you away from spending time with the Lord. Or not. 

In Psalm 89, the word “faithfulness” appears 10 times. I can admit that I have lacked in this area. The busyness and self-centered distractions of the world have hindered my commitment to faithfulness in both my circumstances and my priorities.

Thankfully, despite my shortcomings, this faithfulness is focused on the faithfulness of our Father who loves, guides, and protects us always.

v. 1 = His faithfulness is to all generations.

v. 2 = His faithfulness with never fail

v. 5 = His faithfulness is for all who beleive

v. 8 = His faithfulness is present in all actions. He is always dependable.

v. 24 = His faithfulness is complete of love and unwavering reliability. It is covenent keeping.

v. 33 = His faithfulness won’t fail

v. 49 = His faithfulness and integrity is a gaurantee of the integrity and reliability in life despite all circumstance.

Lord, thank you for Your faithfulness, that despite my shortcomings You seek me.  Lord I pray to “increase our faith” just like the Apostle Luke said in Luke 15:5. We need you Lord. Amen

 

Encouragement Report

I love the encouragement found in 1 Thessalonians 3.  It’s something we can all search for, no matter where you are in your walk.  Timothy was sent with encouragement to the Thessalonians to strengthen and encourage.  Our days vary with circumstances that can put your attitude, hope, and trust in His eternal plan to the test.  When expectations for our plans don’t go as expected, we can start to lose hope.

Our Father knows when we are being tempted.  He sees and hears these struggles.  Perhaps it’s in a song played at the right moment, a sermon that resonates perfectly with life at this particular moment, or a friend like Timothy who comes along to encourage us through life’s trials.

The enemy doesn’t want those connections.  He will employ Jedi mind tricks to convince you that it’s hopeless or that you can do it yourself.  It’s a lie.  The older I get, the less in control I’m reminded. Are things in life going perfectly…. no… but if I keep my eternal perspective, it helps build my trust in Him and nothing in this world.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Lord,

We ask that you clear a way for us to always draw closer to You.  Every day presents more distractions that draw us away.  Strengthen our hearts so we can draw close to You. Amen

Continue Steadfastly

Today’s Reading Colossians 4 

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

A steadfast prayer involves a constant and unwavering engagement with God.  He’s always engaged, am I?   Praying with thankfulness and attentiveness even amidst difficulties. He gives it all and can take it away.  Either way, it’s always His plan. Am I praying or complaining?   This mindset needs to be my daily rhythm, doesn’t shift due to what the world says and gives.

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Walking in wisdom includes knowing His Word and applying it to every aspect of how I spend my life.  Am I making the best use of my time? 

Dear Heavenly Father,

You know the answers to these questions.  I pray for Your strength in all my weakness to draw closer to You in each aspect of our lives.  We thank you, Lord, for this life and the opportunity to build Your Kingdom.

With much Grattitude! 

 

 

Blessings

May God be gracious to us, and bless us, and make His face shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.

Maybe today all you need to do is read these verses a couple of times. Perhaps it’s a prayer over your day, the circumstance you’re facing, or medical news that has impacted you or your family.

God’s grace can cover anything you are going through or past experiences that still race through your mind, settling down in your hearts.  To pray for a blessing holds no boundaries in the way God can bless you.  Being “Blessed” for me can include mountain top and valley experiences as long as you believe and trust it all comes from Him.  In these moments, knowing His ways are higher than our own will help you receive any blessing, no matter the size.

As I was writing this morning, I sat on our back deck with once again beautiful weather.  The sun is currently shining down, providing warmth and comfort as I listen to the sounds of nature. My body can feel HIs blessing.

You already know the perfect song for this!

Homesick?

Have you ever had the feeling of “homesickness“? Maybe it’s an extended vacation that lasted too many days, a stay at a relative’s or friend’s house that seemed to last too long, a hotel stay that was longer than expected, or a temporary living situation. These moments can make you long for a place where you can be independent, carefree, and close to the things that help you to feel comfortable.

Psalm 61 shares David crying out to God when he is feeling far from home. Honestly, in my head and heart, it’s amazing to think of our earthly home and how temporary it really is. Yes, there is a value, but Heaven is priceless compared to anything here.

I can say no matter where I am physically, I long for a Heavenly home. The place where we will be one day, together with joy, praise, and a perfect love that we long for on Earth, while feeling homesick.

Feeling a little homesick? Read Psalm 61

Heavenly Father,

We ask You to help us feel the comfort we long for while in our temporary home. You are our protector and refuge who keeps us safe throughout. The feeling of “homesickness” for Heaven reflects our innate longing for our true home with God. Help us believe in our unbelief.

Our belief in Heaven positively affects the way we live every day. 

Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer!
2 In despair and far from home
I call to you!

Take me to a safe refuge,
3 for you are my protector,
my strong defense against my enemies.

Ready for Today? Yes!

Today’s Reading: Psalm 56

Today’s Psalm, written by David, can be read in a short time.  Honestly, I feel I should work on mesmerizing as I get Ready for Today.  Psalm 56 shares the truth and love we should remember as we face our worldly lives.   Sadly, there is an enemy that will look for ways to attack us every day in any way possible.  ( Satan used an apple, even.)

These attacks will vary based on our daily walks, but know they can and will hurt in some way.  Yet, David says that as our inevitable attacks come, we have a way to minimize the pain and grow in our faith.  Here were a few simple reminders.

  • Call on the Lord – He is always there waiting, listening, and ready for our conversation with Him.
  • Trust in Him – He made an eternal promise to all of us.  He will follow through.  Our temporary pain from an attack can quickly switch to glory with our eternal perspective and trust in the plans He has for us.
  • Praise Him – for keeping us from continuing to fall.  Yes, we are broken in a broken world, but we have a Lord who conquered it all and already has delivered us from death, giving us eternal life beyond what we can ever imagine on this Earth.  Praise Him and walk in light instead of darkness today.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for Your Words that can bring light to any dark space that attempts to attack us daily.  You are the source of all joy and our protector and defender every second of our days on Earth.  Let us not fall to pride and selfishness and think we can do any of it on our own.  Amen

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?

13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

 

 

Finding My Foolish

 

“Tell me this one thing: did you receive God’s Spirit by doing what the Law requires or by hearing the gospel and believing it? How can you be so foolish! You began by God’s Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power?”

‭‭Today’s Reading: Galatians‬ ‭3‬

Have you ever thought if you did enough, read enough, wrote enough, prayed enough or did enough good deeds it would be… enough? Guess what…it’s really not. I could say I was being foolish, have been foolish, and still now can suffer from foolishness. I don’t want to think I can finish this race by any means on my own. When I even have a hint of self reliance of anything in this earthly world I’m wrong.  

Paul reminds us that just as we were saved by Christ, we need to grow by Christ.  We grow in our relationship with Him and not by just focusing on the rules.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Your Word that reminds us about our relationship with You. Our time on Earth needs a Heavenly reminder daily about what is important in life.  Romans 10 reminds us,  

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

Amen