I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. Isaiah 46:11

Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass…you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. Joshua 21:45; 23:14

Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 1 Kings 8:56

God keeps His word.  There is never cause to doubt His promises, His ability or His willingness to fulfill every single one of them.

I think where we struggle is 1) knowing God’s promises; 2) not trusting the Promise-Maker; 3) trying to put God on OUR time schedule; and 4) trusting our life experience MORE than trusting God’s word (in other words, if we don’t SEE God’s promises being fulfilled then we don’t believe He is keeping His word.)

Guilty of any of those? I am.

1)    Sadly, there are a lot of people who have created “promises” of God that God never made.  And perhaps even more sadly, they live in light of and make decisions based on those man-made promises.  I have heard, all too often, “God wants me to be happy” as an explanation for breaking one’s marriage vows and having an affair.

Cling to God’s promises but make sure they are actually promises He made.  He will keep His word. Don’t put words in His mouth.

2)    A promise is only as good as the promise-maker.  Can God be trusted to keep His word?  According to Scripture His is faithful and not one of His promises has failed.  This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised…Isaiah 38:7

3)    God’s promises will be fulfilled on His time schedule not ours.  Consider Abraham, David, Moses, etc.  God made each of them promises that took years to fulfill.  God will keep His promises even if we do not live long enough to see it.  He is true to His word.

4)    Trusting God’s promises requires faith.  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).  A promise is “a statement telling someone that you will definitely do something or that something will definitely happen in the future.”  The very nature of a promise is that it is future-tense. When our experience seemingly contradicts God’s promises, we tend to slant towards our experience.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

We can trust God to be true to and to keep His promises.  Cling to God’s promises no matter what… because He does.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

1 http://www.merriam-webster.com

Today is one of those days when I’m missing my beloved daughter. I’m looking back and seeing so many precious moments with her that I will treasure until my dying breath. There are also the “other” moments. In between the myriad beautiful memories are the moments where I see myself “less than.” Therein is the impetus for today’s Victory Call, and it is simply this:  If you’re a mom, if you have young charges in your life who depend on you for soul nourishment, if you’re a caregiver for anyone at all, hear this:  Enjoy your babies! Enjoy your little ones, and your big ones. Appreciate and revel in those who are in your care.  Take heed to the opportunities you have to be visible and tangible love. Why? The answer is simply—you never know if the moment you’re in with them will be your last. You just don’t and this is our reasonable service. If we have it to give, we need to give it freely and liberally. We need to pay attention!  We need to resist the temptation to wish or rush them away. They’re here and then….they’re not. When I think of all the moments I checked out of, or rushed through and past, all I can do is sigh, and then remember to praise God for all the twinkling moments I was given.

So vividly do I see the hand on my face saying, “Mommy, see me!” The arm around my neck, saying, “Mommy, hold me!” The painful cries that said, “Mommy, love me. Make my boo boos better!”

Though so many were missed because I was busy doing…WHAT?! Something and nothing! There were countless more which are in the memory bank to treasure on days such as this.

Dear ones, today is the day we have! Treasure it now.  Whenever you hear yourself thinking or saying, “Not now, later.” Know that you’ve just missed an opportunity to be present in/with and for. We have but short seasons; may we embrace them with all that is in us. Enough said. Selah.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant…a time to heal…a time to build up…a time to laugh…a time to dance…a time to embrace…a time to speak…a time to love…”
From Ecclesiastes Chapter Three

Stephanie Dale

Stephanie D. Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy.   Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.

O Lord, all my longing is before you;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.
 My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
    and my nearest kin stand far off. Psalm 38:9-11 ESV

Many years ago I was told a story about a missionary from Trinidad who was visiting in the United States. Unfortunately, while visiting a big city, her purse was snatched. She just stood in these foreign surroundings and yelled out, “Help me, Jesus”.  What makes this profound to me is that her first reaction was to call on Jesus. She didn’t ask a stranger on the street for help or call the police. Jesus was her first thought in time of trouble.

In Psalm 38 David finds himself troubled, in pain, guilty and suffering. He cries out to Jesus, with ALL honesty, he cries out to Jesus.  I don’t know if this was David’s initial response or not, but seeking Jesus first is the response I want to have.

Timothy Keller writes, “Suffering often comes in such overwhelmingly complex compounds that the only solution is to simply call out to God himself to forgive, protect and heal.”  All of us have needs of all sorts but the solution is Jesus. Are you and I crying out to Him as our only solution?

The devotion I read by Timothy Keller ends with the following prayer:
“Lord, sometimes there’s nothing to do but to cry out to you. I can feel so overwhelmed by the complexity of my troubles. Some are my fault, some are not – I feel angry and guilty and overwhelmed by it all. I confess my sin and my helplessness. Help me! Amen.”

Today may Jesus be the only solution you and I seek.

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.

We’ve all heard the stories – 12 year old girls plastering their face with makeup to feel pretty, 16 year old girls with hair in front of their face so nobody looks at them, girls in their 20s dressing inappropriately because they desperately want to feel noticed. It’s really sad, and a huge problem – especially in today’s society.

…It doesn’t stop at young girls though. How many times do we tell someone not to take a picture of us – or to take the picture from far away – because we don’t like how we look? Do we ever get extremely concerned because we ran out of makeup and need to get to work in the morning?  I’m sure most of us struggle with worries about appearance.

I read a couple of articles and devotionals about this very topic. One says:
“In Satan’s arsenal, one of his biggest weapons is doubt. Satan loves for us to question who we are and how we measure up to others (Ephesians 2:1-2; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Samuel 16:7).”

Another article had a lot of insight on the topic:
“Christ said, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me’ (Mark 8:34). The word deny here literally translates, ‘to forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests.’ We are meant to let all thoughts of self become swallowed up in Him.

The secret to becoming the radiant, beautiful princess of our childhood dreams is forgetting all about our self and becoming completely consumed with only one thing – Jesus Christ. Just as John the Baptist who declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

This isn’t just the secret to living out the true Gospel; it’s also the secret to glowing with divine loveliness. It’s the cure for female insecurity.”

Scripture tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We need to believe that, not only for ourselves, but also because the younger generation is always watching. We need to teach young people to be confident in the person God created them to be. We don’t want them to be vain or have a lack of humility, we want them to “face the future with confidence” (that’s our Summer 2016 theme!) We can’t say that but not believe it!

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” – Psalm 139: 13-16

It is the LORD who created us … and the Lord makes treasures. He does not make mistakes, He does not make junk. He created the entire earth and saw that it was good, and when He created humans – He saw that it was very good. If the LORD says that… we’ve got to believe it and we’ve got to live like it!

Erin

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She had served on Summer Staff since 2011, and this past summer had the unique opportunity of co-directing Children’s Ministry with one of her best friends. She is very excited to continue to build relationships with the guests and be very involved in the ministry.

Psalm 11 In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
     For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
     If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?
     The LORD is in His holy temple, The LORD’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
     The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
     Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.
     For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. NKJV

Webster’s Dictionary defines despair as “the complete loss or absence of hope.” Have you ever been at the edge of despair? Have you ever fallen over the edge into the pit of despair? I have. You and I have an enemy who seeks to wreak havoc and utterly destroy us. One of the items on his list of things to steal from us is our hope. To me, hope is the final thread that I can cling to. I can lose a lot but if I lose hope and find myself in complete and utter despair it seems that nothing else remains.

As I read through the Psalms David certainly had his times of great despair. What is it that David did that you and I can do when we find ourselves at this point?

Tim Keller comments on Psalm 11 in this way:
“Don’t despair. When life crumbles, the desire to run away and hide in despair is strong. David counters this impulse with three insights:
•    Theological- God is still on His throne.
•    Practical-crises are really tests, opportunities to evaluate what is true and solid and what is flimsy and should be discarded.
•    Spiritual- What we really need is the knowledge of God’s presence and face. Pray until God and His love become more real to you. Then you won’t run scared.”

Today may you run from despair being confident that God sees, knows and is present in the midst of your troubles. May you run to – not from – Him.

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.

Clear my name, GOD;
    I’ve kept an honest shop.
I’ve thrown in my lot with you, GOD, and
    I’m not budging.
     Examine me, GOD, from head to foot,
    order your battery of tests.
Make sure I’m fit
    inside and out
     So I never lose
    sight of your love,
But keep in step with you,
    never missing a beat. Psalm 26:1-3 The Message

While following our Daily Bible Reading Plan I read Psalm 26. I also read a few other versions and devotionals on this scripture. David wanted to be in the clear, vindicated, not in the sight of others but in God’s eyes. I found some great advice from Charles Swindoll’s book Living the Psalms. When you feel you are not being treated fairly you will want to keep these points in mind.

1. I will be open before the Lord.
2. I will remember His love and continue to obey His Word.
3. I will refuse the temptation to get even.
4. I will maintain a positive attitude.
5. I will be faithful in public worship.
6. I will patiently stand, stay objective, and wait for relief.

It is God who matters the most and your relationship to Him. Only He can help us to keep a soft heart. Remember who you are in Christ, His love for you and remain obedient to all you are called to. Don’t give in to the emotions and feelings. They will lie to you every time and end up getting you in trouble. Keep your chin up. Jesus had an inner circle of 12 disciples-keep connected. Be patient, wait for the Lord to work it out.

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.

Is there an area of your life that continues to trouble you?  Perhaps bitterness, anger, anxiety, fearfulness, sarcasm, fear of man, overeating, laziness, ____________? You fill in the blank.  If you have been walking with Jesus for any length of time, I would venture to guess that you pray about that pretty regularly each morning.

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly… But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you…. With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep your statutes. I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. Psalm 5:3, Psalm 88:13; Psalm 119:145-147

So we pray in the morning for God’s help to overcome the sin…then what?

We get up and get on with our day. On  the way to work someone cuts us off and we are instantly annoyed or if you live near Keswick, someone who can’t see over the steering wheel is going 35 in a 50 mile an hour zone, and that annoys us. You get to work and the person in the office that you just prayed about 2 hours earlier is already on your nerves and it is only 9:30 am. And so on and so on.

My question is this: So we pray in the morning for God’s to help us overcome _______ and then what?  What do we do in the moment when we are tempted to ____________?

Recently, I was thinking about practicing the presence of God.  Moment by moment being aware of Jesus in my day.  Of the 1440 minutes in a 24 hour period, how many am I consciously aware of God?  I want that number of minutes to be ever increasing week after week, month after month, year after year. Don’t you?

One of the ways I see that happening and bearing fruit in my life is when temptation comes, to silently call out to God to help me in the moment.  But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! … I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies…In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. Psalm 18:3, 6; Psalm 22:19

Lord, help me be kind to him; keep me silent; love her through me; give me Your gentleness; help me be patient while I wait; empower me to forgive him; make the car in front of me get out of my way (oops- that one slipped in); Lord, make me more like You in this moment.

The more we practice reaching out to God in the moment, the more of those 1440 minutes we practice His presence and put feet to our morning prayer. Excuse me a moment while I preach that to my own heart. Thank you. What will you do with your 1440 minutes today?

You are blessed.
Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

“GOD takes the wind out of Babel pretense; he shoots down the world’s power-schemes.
GOD’s plan for the world stands up, all his designs are made to last.
Blessed is the country with GOD for God; blessed are the people he’s put in his will.
From high in the skies GOD looks around, he sees all Adam’s brood.
From where he sits he overlooks all us earth-dwellers.
He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do.
No king succeeds with a big army alone; no warrior wins by brute strength.
Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone.
Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love.
He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together.
We’re depending on GOD; he’s everything we need.
What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name.
Love us, GOD, with all you’ve got— that’s what we’re depending on.”
Psalm 33:10-22 The Message

I know this is a season of polls, debates and nominations. Right now we cannot watch the news or listen to the radio without getting an update on the presidential race. Am I concerned about this nation? Do I have the right to vote? Am I allowed my opinion? Yes. But I fear that in the days ahead we will get consumed by following politics (if we aren’t already). My concern is that we will be focused on getting the “right” person in office. Greater still, my concern is that you and I might look to a president or any other elected official to be our savior. We need a leader but only Jesus is our Savior. Let’s not talk politics. Let’s talk about who really is in charge. Let’s count on the promises that will not be broken. Let’s know and understand that God may use our elected officials to bring us to repentance. Let’s remember that He appoints the authorities over us.
I am concerned about who I will vote for this year. I am confident that God already knows and that He writes history. I am concerned about the economy. I am confident of His provision. I am concerned about the future of this country. I am confident of my future in Him. My prayer is that you and I will find our hope, provision, and all the things that are necessary for life, are really provided through Jesus alone.

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.

“So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Psalm 95:11

As I meditate a moment on the thought: “what it would be like to NOT to enter God’s rest?” two thoughts come to mind:

One. Heart/soul rest. Here and now.  Trusting our Savior with all of life. Resting in His sovereign goodness. That feeling of knowing He holds us in the palm of His hand and that He has a plan and purpose for each of us that will be for His glory and our good.  Rest in knowing that He is at work in me to conform me to the image of Jesus Christ. Oh, glorious rest. Here. Now. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Two. The Promise of eternal rest. God has promised eternal rest for every one of His chosen ones. It is not promised to everyone; God promised it to His children alone. “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Psalm 95:11 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:18-19

There are many instances throughout Scripture of men and women who set their eyes and their hearts on that which they could not physically see but knew and believed was yet to come. The promise of heaven – a city for which we were made. The promise of His rest for us forever – For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven. 2 Cor 5:1-2; For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ Philippians 4:20; These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Hebrews 11:13-16

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him Psalm 37:7 Rest. Glorious rest.

Can you feel your muscles relaxing? I can feel mine relaxing.  Let that tension flow from your neck, your shoulders.  His rest. His promise.

Do you know Christ personally?

http://www.americaskeswick.org/resources–media/how-to-know-god

Take a deep breath and meditate on His rest; allow His peace to flood your soul.  Be filled with the reality of His promise.  Be filled to overflowing with the reality of His rest.  Rest in Him now.

Rest in His promise of eternal rest in heaven.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a biblical counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

As we begin this morning let us consider what the word “HOPE” means.  In the scripture the word HOPE is translated from the Greek noun “elpis” which means to anticipate with pleasure and/or expectation.  The word hope is also translated from the Greek verb “elpizo” which means to hope, to trust, whom we have set out hope.

So now let us go a little deeper with the word “HOPE”.  I invite you to read aloud each of the following verses and allow the Word of TRUTH to wash away any fragments of doubt and unbelief and fill you with the gift of HOPE.

Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV)   Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 (NKJV)   Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust (hope) in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,  who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust (hope) that He will still deliver us,

Psalm 39:7 (NKJV)   And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.

Romans 5:5 (NKJV)   Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 12:12 (NKJV)  rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer……

Dear one, our world is in need of this hope…….I send you out with Matthew 5:14 (NKJV)
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Let your light, let your hope, let JESUS shine through you wherever you go this day.

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel
WOC Graduate