In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth by the power of His word.  As He spoke – creation obeyed His voice.  (Gen 1-2)

Psalm 29:3-9 reminds of the power of His word and the obedience of His creation:

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord, over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
    and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
    and strips the forests bare,
    and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

This called to mind Job 38 when God answers Job out of the whirlwind:

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Job 38:4

Who determined its measurements… Job 38:5

Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place… Job 38:12

Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? Job 38:34

Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Job 38:35

Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? Job 39:27

God speaks and His creation obeys His voice.

As Jesus walked along the way, And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. Matthew 21:19

In the midst of a storm, Jesus disciples were afraid, And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. Luke 8:24

And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. Luke 4:39

I hope you are seeing the theme here:  God spoke or acted and His creation obeyed Him.  The sun, moon and stars obey Him.  Animals nest and give birth, clouds drop their water at His command.  Trees bend and sway and seas part, wind and waves cease and fevers flee – all at His command.

God’s creation obeys Him…

…all except His own children made in His image.

Creation obeys our Creator Father without hesitation, argument or attitude. All except the ones for whom He sent His Son. Jesus left the glories of heaven, came to earth, dwelt among us and was crucified to redeem us.

We have a choice.  Too often we chose to NOT obey Him.

The sparrows obey better than I do.

This has given me food for thought today, I trust it will do the same for you.

Oh, Father forgive us.  May You be glorified in and through us as we choose to obey Your voice without hesitation, argument or attitude.

Blessings,

Diane

Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event, please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org

 

 

I recently went on a life-long dream journey to the nation of Israel.  There were so many places where I felt God’s presence and He spoke to my heart.  I honestly do not think I will ever be the same.

In that place I came to a fresh new understanding of the depth of God’s love.  Ladies, He sent His Son Jesus to die for us.  I am in a place of recognizing a new level of the love Jesus had for His Father and for us, a love that would cause Him to lay Himself down and become payment for our sin.  Amazing love for sure!!

Today I want to share with you about a place in Nazareth and a particular message I received in that place.  Do you remember the time when Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth and the people rejected Him so completely that they wanted to throw Him off a cliff and stone Him? (Luke 4:14-30)  There I was standing at the place in Nazareth, which was near the remains of the temple, a place where there was a cliff and was told it is believed to be the place the people tried to throw Jesus.   My heart was grieved that the people of Nazareth missed the truth of who He was.  As I looked around there to my right was Mt. Tabor.  Mt. Tabor is the place where it is believed Jesus was transfigured, although the scripture does not name the mountain.

It occurred to me that within vision of the place where man rejected Messiah, God honored His Son so much so that His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as light.  Even Moses and Elijah appeared with Him and the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him” (Matt 17:1-13).  WOW!!

When the world throws words of rejection or hurt at you, dear woman of God, do NOT receive it.  God has something better for YOU.  Stop, and ask the Spirit of the Living God to speak TRUTH to you.  HEAR HIM!!  No matter what man might say, to God you are His beloved.  Even if you have messed up for the 99^th time, He will never leave you or reject you.  He is faithful, He loves you unconditionally, He will make a way even if you find yourself in the wilderness.  Go to Him.  Open His Word and read what He says about you.  Allow Him to turn what the enemy meant to harm you into an opportunity for renewing your mind and receiving your identify in Christ Jesus.  You might even start today with Song of Songs.

Be blessed in the warmth of His love for YOU!!

Patricia

Rev. Patricia Wenzel is the founder and director of a state-wide prayer ministry, PRAY New Jersey Inc., since 2002.  The ministry is committed to praying for and blessing those serving in authority positions in our state, particularly in government.  The ministry is also committed to equipping the saints to pray for those serving in government.  The vision and ministry is guided by the Word of God, in particular, 1 Tim. 2:1-4 and Is. 61:11.  Pat is thankful for the ministry of America’s Keswick.  She graduated from Women of Character in July 2008.

 

In Israel there is a very interesting archeological dig that has been going on for some time.  By the grace of God, I had the blessing to go there and see it.  Archeologists have uncovered Shiloh, which served as the place Israel would gather together and where they set up the tabernacle of meeting (Joshua 18:1).  It was a major Israelite worship center before the first temple was built in Jerusalem.  In essence, it was the first capitol of Israel.  There were yearly feasts celebrated to the Lord in Shiloh  (Joshua 21:19). It is where Eli the priest and his sons served the Lord.  It is the place Hannah came with her husband and prayed that God would bless her with a son. It is the place she brought the son God blessed her with after she had weaned him.  His name was Samuel (1 Samuel 1).  He grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and men (1 Sam. 2:26). The Lord established Samuel as a prophet and judge to the Jewish people (1 Sam. 3:21, 7:6).

The prayer of a desperate mother, Hannah, resulted in the birth of Samuel.  Her son would be used mightily by God to call the nation to repentance.  His relationship with God was such that God used him to anoint the first and second kings of Israel.  The second king, King David, was the line from which Messiah was born.  A nation was transformed through Samuel’s ministry because a desperate mother cried out to God.  She did not go through the priest, which was unheard of in her day.  She went alone and pleaded with the God she loved and served.

It was a convicting moment for me.  I had to ask myself, how desperate is my cry for God to heal my nation.  How desperate is my cry for God to give life to the men and/or women who He can use to shift our nation.  I long for our nation to turn from its wicked ways and for God to transform our nation.  I long for us to walk into the destiny He has prepared for our nation.  I believe we can fulfill what the pilgrims wrote on the very first government document declaring: “Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith….”.  We can be a place that gives glory to God.  We can, in our lifetime, see the fulfillment of the words Abraham Lincoln said at Gettysburg and be, “… one nation under God”.

I invite you to join me and ask Holy Spirit to teach us to pray as Hannah prayed.  I want to pray a desperate prayer that will transform our nation.  Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Ps. 33:12).

Blessings,

Patricia

Rev. Patricia Wenzel is the founder and director of a state-wide prayer ministry, PRAY New Jersey Inc., since 2002.  The ministry is committed to praying for and blessing those serving in authority positions in our state, particularly in government.  The ministry is also committed to equipping the saints to pray for those serving in government.  The vision and ministry is guided by the Word of God, in particular, 1 Tim. 2:1-4 and Is. 61:11.  Pat is thankful for the ministry of America’s Keswick.  She graduated from Women of Character in July 2008.

The second shortest verse in the Bible is 1 Thessalonians 5:17. It says “Pray Continually.” Such a simple command, but how many of us actually take action with that? Do we understand the power of praying continually? It does not mean praying nonstop. It means having an ongoing conversation with our God.

When I was younger, I understood this verse to mean to just be sure to pray routinely… almost ritualistically. In 2014, when I met my mentor, I observed her prayer life and it stirred something in me. I was inspired by it. I admired it. I wanted it. It wasn’t ritualistic at all, it was conversational and it was real. I loved how she spoke to God as if He was right there, because He was. I knew that too, but I never prayed like it. If something great happened, she would say “Hey, thanks God!” If something went wrong she would say “Hey God, I need Your help here!” It was really cool.

See, 18-year-old Erin knew that God was closer than her next breath and that He cared even about the little things. She prayed often. But she prayed as if God was distant, foreign, and had “more important things to worry about.” She prayed because she felt that she had to in order to be a good Christian. At 22, I’ve learned a lot more about how personal of a God the Lord truly is. Prayer is not something to check off of my “Christian To-Do” list anymore… it’s a joy. I can spill my heart out to Him, say a simple prayer asking for help and guidance, or look up and say “I know that was You” when something good happens. …The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16).

Jeremiah 29:12 – Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

James 5:13 – Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

Psalm 17:6 – I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

Psalm 145:18 – The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

Colossians 4:2 – Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Is prayer for you something you feel like you should do? Is it simply part of a daily routine…or is it personal? Our God is a personal One, and we can be real with Him in our prayers. God knows our hearts, He knows when our prayers are ritualistic or when we’re doing it to check a chore off of our “To-Do” list. He wants our sincerity. He wants our honest prayers. Look at David – his prayers to the Lord were really honest and authentic. I want my prayer life to be meaningful, powerful, and intimate, instead of treating it as if it’s a duty – instead of saying what I feel like I should say, but not benefitting from it at all.

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!

Okay.

I have to admit it.

Summer is over.

I know what you’re thinking: “But Erin, summer has been over for 2 months now.”

I know.

But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Here’s the thing: there is a lot to get excited about when summer ends – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Sweaters, Bonfires, SNOW!! But I become a little bit of a… well, I’ll be blunt. I become a big, spoiled brat when summer ends. From my perspective, every day you get further into fall is a downward spiral, because it’s a day closer to winter, and after Christmas there is NOTHING good about winter.

So that’s why it’s taken me so long to accept that summer is over.

I’ve been talked to about this, actually. People tell me to “enjoy the season you’re in!” and “look at the positive!”

But like I just said, I become a big, spoiled brat when summer ends.

I notice I do this a lot with different seasons of my life. Just like I long for summer, I see myself often longing for past seasons of my life, and more often longing for FUTURE seasons of my life.

 “I can’t wait until I am in High School, then I’ll have a boyfriend.”

“I can’t wait until I get a driver’s license, then I’ll have freedom.”

“I can’t wait until I’m in college, then I’ll really ‘find myself.’”

“I can’t wait until I have a real job and move out… then I’ll really start my life!”

“I can’t wait until I’m married, then everything will be great and I’ll be perfectly happy.”

And then there’s the thoughts sometimes of…

“Ugh I miss when I didn’t have to worry about paying my bills or making my dinner or doing my TAXES.”

Looking back, I’ve been blessed with so much in my life. For example, I’d been praying for a job at Keswick since I was 15, and I was able to move out and begin working at this wonderful ministry at age 19. Once I did start working here, I felt (and still feel) so blessed, in awe, and thankful for the opportunity – A real “cloud 9” feeling. But then I immediately started thinking about the next step – getting married. Why??

I see myself relating a bit to the children of Israel, who experienced the blessing of being delivered from 400 years of slavery, and yet complained the whole time – even when the Lord provided exceedingly, abundantly, above all they could ask or think. I’m not saying that my past was anything near slavery; I’m saying that even when God’s blessings and provision are right before me, I still want more.

Girls, I think a lot of us struggle with this. But God wants us to “have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). We can’t do that if we’re always anxious for the next season or thinking about how we wish we could return to a past season of our lives.

Matthew 6:34 says Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This life is not “all about me,” and I don’t want to look back at my life and see that in every season, I’ve been waiting for the next. I want to enjoy the season God has me in. More so, I want to THANK THE LORD for the seasons I’m in, because He’s blessed me with them, and fulfill the purposes He has for me in all of them. He’s sovereign over all seasons, loves me enough to design them just for me, and has a purpose for every one. That sure is humbling!

Walk in Joy Today!!

• Erin

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!

When a woman’s talents and abilities merit attention and she acknowledges such, we gals say things like: she’s smart, but she knows it; she’s talented, but she knows it; she’s wise, but she knows it. It’s the “knows it” part that is an affront to us.

I love the way William Gurnall puts it in his anthology, The Christian in Complete Armour:

“She reflects too much on herself and enjoys her own face too often in the mirror of achievement.” (my substitution of the feminine pronoun)

Isn’t that a great statement? One which we can all relate to, me thinks.

Self-denial is the companion of humility. “I die daily.” I need to remind myself of the importance of that every single day if I am to serve my King with any amount of humility.

Oh, that I could tattoo on my brain…and my heart…Philippians 2:3-8.

 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!”

And to think He knows my name…Wow!

Carol

Carol Tirondola is on staff with the Partner Care team at America’s Keswick. She and her best friend, Mario, have been married for 35 years. They have 2 sons and 2 daughters-in-law that they call their “BFFs.” They also have 7 precious gems called grandchildren. Her family has savored many memories of the heart made at Keswick over the last 35+ years and she is thrilled to serve on staff!

If I were to go on the streets and take a poll asking people what they think God is like, I think that many people would give a condemnatory description of Him.  Heartofwisdom.com features a survey from USA TODAY that shares the top 3 adjectives that Americans use to describe God: Authoritarian, Critical, and Distant.

I’m sure many of these adjectives come from people who don’t really know God on a personal level; they just describe based on their assumptions. It makes me sad, though, how deceived so many people are by the enemy about the true character of God. I feel like even believers might have a false idea of who God really is.

One of my favorite ways to describe God is emotional. That’s not a common adjective for God, but it makes me fall in love with Him all the more. But it’s true. He is an emotional God.

• He is a compassionate God (Psalm 135:14, Psalm 147:3, Judges 2:18).
• He is a God who feels joy and loves laughter (Matthew 17:5, Proverbs 17:22, Job 8:21).
• He is a God who gets angry at what is unjust and wicked (Matthew 21:12-13, Exodus 15:7, Romans 1:18).
• But He is a God who also extends forgiveness (Colossians 3:13, 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19).
• He is a God that feels sadness and sorrow (Genesis 6:6, John 11:35, Matthew 26:38, Matthew 27:46).
• He is also a God who delights in His people (Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 149:4).
• He is a God who LOVES YOU (Psalm 86:5, Psalm 136:26, John 3:16, Romans 5:8).

I love that I serve a very personal and emotional God, a God I can go to with my emotions and He listens. Too many people think of Him as an angry man in the sky getting ready to strike people with bolts of lightning, but that’s not true! He’s a good, good Father.

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Psalm 34:8 The Message

Would you be satisfied buying a pair of shoes and getting home to find only one shoe was in the box?  Of course not! Maybe you have been short-changed in some other way. You didn’t get all that you paid for or wanted. If possible, you would return one shoe for your money back or exchange it for a new pair.

In our prayer life we can also find ourselves getting less than we pray for. Why do we leave our prayer times feeling unsatisfied? I have found a number of things that can leave me feeling this way.

1. I rush through my prayers.
2. I ask but I don’t receive.
3. I list my demands.
4. I come with expectations but I don’t come expectantly.
5. I want all the answers not just the One Who is the answer.

Okay….I’ll stop at 5 reasons. Do you have reasons of your own?

I often enter into prayer with my motives and plans in place. Instead, I need to come with no ulterior motives and no plans. The burden of my own way does not allow me to submit to God’s way. One of our summer speakers challenged those of us who journal our prayers or come to the Lord in prayer with our lists in hand, to try something different. Instead of handing the Lord our list, allow Him to give you a blank sheet of paper with His signature on it. Can I accept from the Lord a blank page and trust that He will act and answer? Can you?

How can you and I be satisfied as we pray?

1. Make and take the time to pray.
2. Take time to ask but also take time to hear.
3. Ask, beg, plead, and intercede but always seeking His will to be done.
4. Expect to be changed, even when He may not change your circumstances.
5. Want Jesus more than the outcome.

Taste and be satisfied today!

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy Withers is on staff at America’s Keswick and serves as Director of Partner Care. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 30 years. They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local church and teaches a Bible study for women. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.

 

Wouldn’t it be a good idea at the end of each day to take an account of all the thoughts that went through our minds? We could itemize them in categories under titles such as: humble, proud, anxious, peaceful, covetous, jealous, loving, angry, fearful, trusting, focused, day-dreaming, meditating on the Lord…or not.

Our lists would reveal what our will chose to spend our thoughts on that day.

Thoughts, like money, can be spent on things that have value or things that are worthless. We can take the time to account for one day’s expenditures and allow the Holy Spirit to audit our “books”. Then His gentle guiding will help us balance our thought life to reflect His will, which we find in Philippians 4:8:

“And now, dear (brothers and) sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

 Carol

Carol Tirondola is on staff with the Partner Care team at America’s Keswick. She and her best friend, Mario, have been married for 35 years. They have 2 sons and 2 daughters-in-law that they call their “BFFs.” They also have 7 precious gems called grandchildren. Her family has savored many memories of the heart made at Keswick over the last 35+ years and she is thrilled to serve on staff!

Open my eyes Lord, that I may behold wonderful things out of Your word.  Unfold Your word and give me light, impart understanding to my simple mind; may I delight in Your law and meditate on it day and night. 

Your word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of my soul and spirit, joints and morrow, and it discerns the thoughts and intentions of my heart. Sanctify me in Your word, for Your word is truth. Send out Your word to heal me and deliver me from destruction.

I pray that I will keep my way blameless walking in Your law and way, keeping Your testimonies with my whole heart.  I want to seek You with my whole heart, please don’t let me wander from Your commandments.  Help me to store up Your word in my heart so that I will not sin against You.  Turn my eyes away from worthless things and give me life in Your ways. 

Instruct me Lord, and teach me the way to go, counsel me with Your eye upon me for Your way is perfect; Your word proves true, be my shield and refuge.

Make known to me the path of life, in Your presence there is fullness of joy; and at Your right hand I will find pleasures forevermore. 

Loving Your Word and spending time with You, Father.

Your little girl,

Diane

 

Psalm 119:8; Psalm 119: 130;Psalm 1:2; Hebrews 4:16; John 17:17; Psalm 107:20; Psalm 119:1-3; Psalm 119:10-11; Psalm 119:37; Psalm 32:8; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 16:11

Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.