I think for the vast majority of us the word “bless” is primarily relegated to something we do before we eat a meal. That was certainly true in my family growing up. It was unthinkable  for us to sit down and begin to eat without saying “grace” or “blessing the food” we were about to eat.

Much time has passed since those formative years, and yet I still pause to say grace and on the occasion when I forget to I tend to feel a twinge of guilt.

Today, I received an email response to a previously posted Victory Call and the writer prompted me to read Psalm 103—hence, the title of this VC.

Psalm 103 begins with the words bless the LORD! The writer of this particular Psalm is telling his soul to bless the Lord with all that is within him. He’s reminding himself to remember the benefits of God and proceeds to tell us what some of them are:
The LORD forgives all our iniquities.
 He heals our diseases.
 He redeems our life from destruction.
 He crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
 He satisfies our mouth with good things so that we are renewed.
 He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
 He has not dealt with us according to our sins or punished us according to our iniquities.
 As far as the east is from the west He has removed our transgressions from us.
 To those who fear Him, remember Him and keep His covenant His mercy is everlasting.

So, what exactly does it mean to bless the Lord? According to the 1828 edition of ‘American Dictionary of the English’ language, the word “bless” has multiple meanings, as follows:
1. To pronounce a wish of happiness to one; to express a wish or desire of happiness
2. To make happy; to make successful; to prosper in temporal concerns, as we are blessed with peace and plenty.
3. To make happy in a future life.
4. To praise; to glorify, for benefits received; to magnify; to extol, for excellencies

If I were to venture a guess, I’d say that the majority of us are in some way or other caught up the spirit of the Christmas season. For better or worse, we’re in it; doing our best to get all the baking, decorating and shopping done. We’ve made our lists and have checked them at least twice. We’ve more than likely decided who we’re going to visit and made our travel plans. In addition to that, we may even have a list of functions we’re obliged to attend that will fill multiple hours in the final two weeks before Christmas Day—all of it for good. Happy, joyful times will be had by all!

So, here’s the thing I’d like to invite you to do. Pause…pause…pause and bless the LORD. Tell your soul to “bless the LORD”. He who has saved, redeemed, rescued, set free, delivered, sanctified and set apart a people to call His own is worthy of all our worship and all our praise!

Bless the LORD, oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His Holy name! Selah!

Stephanie Dale

Stephanie 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.

1 http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/bless

Luke 17:15–16 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.

I know we don’t hear it often these days but saying “thank you” is still polite. I can’t remember overhearing a parent urge their child to say “thank you” in a long time. Even in this season of Christmas we see little gratitude for the gifts we’ve given or received. A handwritten thank you note seems to be a dying art. This passage reminds me to be thankful, to say “thank you” to the Lord and remember that all gifts come from Him.

Apparently, gratitude only filled one out of ten men that Jesus healed that day and he was the foreigner! Unfortunately, that statistic in our day would be similar or perhaps worse. Gratitude came first and then glory to God for the gift of healing. All it took was a look at Jesus and a shout of praise. I hope many of us will look unto Jesus with gratitude and glory to the newborn King this season.

Don’t take what you have been given so lightly. Being grateful is looking to Jesus. Being grateful should bring praise to our lips. Being grateful acknowledges the Giver.

Today what has the Giver given to you?

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy Withers is on staff at America’s Keswick and serves as Acting 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.

Recently, I had someone say something extremely crude and unkind to me online – it really wasn’t for any other reason than to upset me and make me feel awful about myself. This person wasn’t somebody I was close with at all, so I didn’t know why he found it necessary to go out of his way to insult me. This wasn’t something that surprised me, though – he knows I come from a family of believers and he knows I’m a strong Christian, so he wanted to try to tear me down. It worked for a bit – I couldn’t stop thinking about or getting angry about what he said. I wanted to reply to him in anger… the flesh is weak. I didn’t want to be insulted again, though, so I did what any 19-year old girl in the 21st century would do in this situation – I blocked him on Facebook. Desperate times call for desperate measures! That would “show him.”

I’m saying these things in a jovial manner, but in all seriousness – getting angry at him and trying to remove him from my life was not the right course of action to take. There are so many biblical scriptures that tell us to love, forgive, and pray for those who insult us – Luke 6:28, Matthew 5:44, and Colossians 3:13 are just a few of the many. Well, that’s easier said than done – but it’s something we are instructed to do by the One who knows every heart. We aren’t called to just accept insults without standing up for ourselves, but we are called to respond to those who hurt us with an overwhelming love that can only come from Christ Jesus.

Thinking back, I know that earlier that day he had posted a status about how he lost someone close to him. I’m sure his comment to me was just him acting out in anger because he had so much bottled up pain and, as someone who is not a follower of Christ, he did not know how to handle earthly sorrow. I also started to think – what if I was one of the only believers in His life? Sure, he’s bitter toward Christianity and seems to hate all Christians – but so did Paul. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will see this person face-to-face again, and so my prayer is that I can show him such love and forgiveness that it will point him to Christ Jesus. I’m still learning how to love others who hurt me, but I want more than anything to glorify God in all I do. I know that this man said some pretty harsh things to God, but God still loves him. We need to love the unlovely as God loves the unlovely; that is the way we will lead others to Christ.

We, too, were once sick in our sin and full of “dirt” until the Holy Spirit intervened and we were given an eternal peace, an eternal love, and an eternal destiny… and I’m so thankful for that!

Erin Culleny

Erin Culleny is a new member of America’s Keswick’s full-time staff. Erin 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.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; Philippians 2:12

Have you ever wondered what Paul meant by “work out your own salvation”? I have. The Bible tells us salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, and it is not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:9). So what does it mean to work out our salvation? I was having a discussion with Bill Welte about that just this morning. I had read his morning Freedom Fighter (yes, I know it’s for men… read it anyway: http://freedomfightersblog.com/ – You Choose, Part 1, 12.7.15).

We do have responsibilities as we live, day to day, as believers. God has given us a gift – what we do with it is up to us. He won’t use it for us, or make us use it. For example, He has given us protection from the enemy – the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-17), but we have to put it on daily – He won’t drop it on us as we hop (or crawl) out of bed. We have to make a conscious choice to clothe ourselves in armor that will protect us and prepare us for the day.

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). Again, we are responsible to watch and pray – He will answer and supply but our part is to watch and pray.

And while we know that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), our job is to resist him. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). And in order to be able to resist, we have to first submit to God. If we couldn’t do it, James wouldn’t have instructed us to. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We need to study the Word so we know what God expects of us as we work out our salvation, and as we study the Word, He will equip and enable us to withstand temptation, as well as for every good work that He has prepared for us to do (Eph. 2:10).

If you’ve stumbled and fallen because you were unprepared for the attack of the enemy, the story is not over. Get up, brush yourself off, and confess to the Father who promises to forgive (1 John 1:9). Then get back on track by daily putting on your armor, watching and praying, submitting to God and resisting the devil – and watch God work in and through you.

Ruth Schmidt

I am doing a Bible study on prayer with some of the ladies here at Keswick. The book we are going through has really been challenging what I do/do not know about prayer. The topic of this past week’s lesson was “The Author of Prayer.” In this lesson the author stated these words:

“Powerful praying is not a matter of knowing the right words to say, rather it is having a heart that is at God’s disposal- open to hear every sigh and whisper and to echo it in prayer. As God molds your heart so that it matches His, your heart overflows in prayer. What God has spoken in your innermost being guides your lips in prayer.”

I wonder how many of us have considered how great a privilege and responsibility the gift of prayer is. It is a privilege to be able to come before the throne of the Creator of the universe and present your needs to Him knowing that He alone has the power to care for them.

However, it is a great responsibility because when we pray we need to remove us and our selfish wants and desires from the equation and pray as Jesus did about what God would have us pray for.
The Bible tells us that the condition of our hearts will determine the focus of our prayer life. Matthew 12:34 says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Proverbs 16:23 says, “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth.” The condition of our heart will also determine the effectiveness of our prayers. In John 15:7-8 Jesus says, “If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”  Here Jesus is telling us that if we want to see prayer answered then we must pray according to His will. How does one pray according to the will of God? Think about the person in your life that you are closest with.

You know everything about them- their likes, their dislikes, what makes them happy, and what causes them deep pain. You can look at a situation and determine, based on your knowledge of them, which outcome would please them most. This is the way it should be with God. We should know God in such an intimate way that we know all of His likes, dislikes, what brings Him great joy and what causes Him great sorrow. When we know Him in this way, it will become easier to pray in a way that will please Him most. The only way to truly know God is by reading the Bible. In that book are all of the characteristics and commands of God that will reveal to us who He is. For instance the Bible says, “…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” Matthew 5:44. We can take this and apply it to all the persecution Christians are facing around the world. It is easy to hate the persecutors, to curse them, to wish evil upon them, and to choose to not even lift them up in prayer but that is not the heart of God. He loves His enemies. He loves us. We were at one point His enemies. He sent His Son to die for us. He loved us that much.

Do we love our enemies that much? Sincerely? Imagine if we did. Imagine if we started praying prayers straight from the heart of God. How different would our prayer life be?

Ally Lang
Ally Lang has served part-time and volunteers at America’s Keswick and is the wife of Jim Lang, the Director of Guest Services

In this season of great joy excuse me while I take you to a serious place.  It is my hope that what I have been learning may help someone of you who may have need of it.

Over the past few years I have had the honor of knowing and praying for a young woman who has been battling cancer.  I am sure all of you know people who have engaged in a similar battle.  It is hard and apart from God I do not know how anyone can get through the warfare, whether patient or loved one.

The woman I speak of experienced a wonderful miracle about 2 years ago.  She was healed of malignant melanoma.  She went for a radiation treatment and the doctors could not find the cancer.  It was gone.  They did various tests, amazing grace was surely upon her.  Over these last two years her children came to a personal relationship with Jesus, as did her husband.  She was reconciled with her mother with whom she had not had a good relationship for many years.  Praise God for such amazing grace.

Then sadly the cancer returned.

At this time she has gone through all kinds of “trials” as they are called.  These are medications that may help her but there are no guarantees.  There seem to be no end to the number of “trials” available.  The side effects are significant but this dear woman is doing them all in hopes of staying alive. I can only liken it to someone who might submit to torture.  It’s been hard to watch.  It’s been very hard on her family.

Over the past month my prayer for her has been that God would bless her with “rest.”  This morning He brought me to a more complete meaning of the word “rest.”  I found the “rest” I long for her in Hebrews 4:9-10.

Hebrews 4:9-10 (NKJV)
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

I went to my Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.  As used in Hebrews 4:9-10 that word rest is “a perpetual sabbath rest to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son, in contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Law.  This Sabbath rest is the rest of God Himself, Hebrews 4:10, its full fruition is yet in the future, though believers now enter into it.  In whatever way they enter into divine “rest,” that which they enjoy is involved in the indissoluble relation with God. (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary)

This kind of rest will allow my friend to stop working out her own healing and being concerned about so many things.  This kind of rest will allow her to be still, rest her body, mind, soul and spirit.  She will then be able to let go and let God.  She will hear His voice and her heart will be softened to listen and receive.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; there remains a “rest” in the midst of warfare.

Praise God, we are God’s own special people as stated in – 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

And so my prayer for my friend this day:
Father, I thank You that Your mercies are new each and every day for Your chosen generation, Your own special people.  I thank You that each one of us who has been called out of darkness into Your marvelous light can trust that we have obtained mercy from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  This day, dear Lord, I pray for a full measure of Your great mercy upon my sister.  That the Mercy and Grace that only You can release will fall upon her and she will enter into a place of perpetual rest in You.  Lord, by Your grace remove all those things of the world that have entered her mind, her heart, her soul or her will that are separating her from the divine rest available to her as a child of God.  This day, dear Lord, may Your shalom fall upon her, releasing the wholeness of her body, soul and spirit with You, Oh God, who desires only that which is good for those who love You and are called according to Your purposes.

For so great a love You have for Your daughter I give thanks and release this prayer in the court of heaven before the one who represents Laurie before the throne of grace….her Savior and mine, our Jesus.

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel
WOC Graduate

1 Samuel 7 relates an account of history which can be of great encouragement to us as believers in, and recipients of, the grace of God. There is great comfort in knowing our great Intercessor never ceases to pray for us.

In this story, Samuel has spoken to the house of Israel and admonished them saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away foreign gods and the Ashtoreths (the goddess of love and war) from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only, and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

The children of Israel did exactly that.  They put away their gods and served the Lord only. Samuel gathers them all to pray to the Lord on their behalf.  Together they drew water, poured it out before the Lord, fasted and confessed their sin against God, and Samuel judged them.

What they are called to do is clear: return—pour out—fast—confess.

What happens next is exactly what our enemy the devil does.

When the Philistines heard about what was happening, they set out against them!  Why then?  Why not when they were knee deep in sin and living recklessly and carelessly before a Holy God?
Hmm…definitely something to ponder.

Anyway, just like us, when the children of Israel found out they were soon to be under attack, they were very much afraid and said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord for Israel.”

Dear sisters, there they are, trembling with fear as the enemy approaches to destroy them.   Samuel is giving a burnt offering to the Lord and what do you think happened? The Lord answers him!

Wow!  “The Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines.”  Imagine that!  God heard the prayers of Samuel and so confuses the enemy with the thunder that they were overcome by the Israelites.  God’s people pursued their enemies and drove them far away.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up…and called it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.'”   Samuel sacrificed, Samuel prayed and God graciously answered.  Oh what a comfort we have as true believers!

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for His steadfast love endures forever.  You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.” — I Chronicles 16:34, Job 10:12

Dear one, what is the sin that so easily besets you?  What has invaded your life so as to rob you of God?  The call here is plain.  Return—pour out—fast—confess.  Return to your God, the Lord Most High! And lest you forget: remember, we have an Intercessor, who is never silent, nor does He sleep.  He is always in the Presence of God for us. As we repent and pray, we can and will have victory over all our enemies.

Then, like Samuel, let’s set up our Ebenezers to the glory of God, and say, “Thus far the Lord has helped me”.

Stephanie

Today’s Question:
Does your heart belong wholly to God?  Do you love Him with all your heart?  What is the evidence of that truth in your life?

Stephanie 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.

Reading through an article on Christian leadership, I saw a statistic that definitely shocked me, but I can relate to. It stated that 91 % of pastors in a survey of over 1,200 “admitted to people-pleasing tendencies to some degree in their respective ministries.”

People pleasing – many of us struggle in that area. I know I certainly do, and it’s a struggle I’ve had for years. I want to help others, which is a good thing, but I would do it to gain approval. When I did things for the sole purpose of gaining approval, I would find myself being stretched way too thin, unhappy because I was doing things that I didn’t want to do. I’ve been asked the question, “What are you – a people pleaser or a God pleaser?” I heard that question, but didn’t really listen to it. I’m helping others, so of course I’m pleasing God – right?

It’s true that serving others is something we are told to do, and it is something Jesus did. However, we need to be doing it for the right reasons. I read a Joyce Meyer article not too long ago which said, “It all comes down to one thing: motives.” She goes on to challenge the reader – are we motivated by the desire to be accepted? Are we motivated by fear? Are we motivated by personal gain? Or are we motivated by the Holy Spirit’s prompting and our desire to please Him? In her article, she says, “What the Spirit leads us to do or not do, He will give us a peace about.”

I’m definitely motivated by the approval of man in so many decisions I make in my life, when really I need to do everything I do with the mindset of glorifying God and showing others God’s love. I am a big people-pleaser. James 2 says a lot about faith and works needing to go hand-in-hand. It’s important that we do all that we do for the glory of God.

Of course there will be certain things that God will lead us to do that we may not necessarily “want” to do, but our motives will help us discern if it is what God wants us to do or if it’s something we’re doing to gain approval. Of course my desire is to please God in all I do, but I am motivated by the desire to be liked by everyone. My prayer is that my true motivation comes from the desire to serve Christ alone.

Erin Culleny

Marketing Assistant

“And He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.’ But He said to him, ‘Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.’ Another also said, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’  Luke 9:59-62

How easily distracted I can be. My mind is full, sometimes, from the moment my feet hit the floor until I lay back down in bed at night. Even when I end up ready for a good night’s sleep, I have to get up and write myself a reminder of something I forgot to do that day or need to do the next.  Then there are the sad times my husband will ask me if I heard him. Ouch! I was distracted, not giving him my full attention. Poor Dave, he repeats his schedule to me over again because I was not listening fully and can’t remember when he is working. Yes, it is hard to keep track of what others are doing when you have your own full plate. However, do you and I find ourselves so distracted by what is on our plate that we ignore what should be first? When obedience is required to what Jesus asks us to do, is our answer “But first__________.” It is so easy to think the cares of this world are so important and let Jesus take second, third or fourth place in our hearts and minds. You and I must fight the distractions of our day to keep Him at the forefront of all we do.  When you hear yourself say, “But first____” check to see if your response is,  “But first Jesus_____.” Today, may you say wholeheartedly say, “But first I must follow Jesus.”

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy Withers is on staff at America’s Keswick and serves as Acting 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.

I worked in the Travel and Tourism field for many years, for the airlines and hotels, before coming to Keswick.  Both service and unique service was always something that would be a big draw for customers.  Who doesn’t like to be treated special, in a unique way…. to feel like you have been hand-picked to have this service done just for you?  If you walked into a hotel and they greeted you and knew your name as you walked in and then led you to the desk, carried your bags, checked you in, offered you some special accommodations, and maybe even a unique special gift for just coming…how would that make you feel?  At first, I think I would assume they have the wrong person and start looking around for the right person….after which when they tell me it was really for me….I would feel that I was unique and special even for that moment in time.

I remember when we walked into our church a few years ago and we were greeted in a manner that made us feel like they had been waiting for us to arrive.  They had never met us….and we had never been to this church.  Week after week, we were greeted with a heartfelt hug, welcome, smile and a feeling of we belong.  How special that after 2 years of being there….there is never a time when we arrive that we are not treated with this same feeling.

Is this unique?  YES, it is….where can you go and get this greeting these days?

I am reminded of a verse when I enter this church found in Matthew 20:28

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

If the Lord came to serve, who are we to do any less? If you are not sure who to serve, when to serve or where to serve……then ask for WISDOM (see James 1:5).  His words are perfect and truth.  He will direct your path and steps and lead you into serving at the perfect moment.

I have been reminded a few times in the past few months about how to serve in a humble way….I am proud to say that I work with many wonderful people here at Keswick that walk with the Lord daily and serve with a humble sprit. Let me share a few examples with you…

We had a rather larger person who could not tie his shoe….I watched him pace the floor and then finally asked one of our staff men to help him tie his shoe.  Our staff members knelt down and tied his shoe and as he did he started talking about a sports game….in a way that turned that embarrassing moment for a guest into a “by-the-way type conversation” and removed the awkwardness.

I also watched as a staff member, on his way to a coffee shop… spotted a homeless man and purchased a coffee and large donut for him.  When the staff member gave it to the man….he asked for his name and then told him how Jesus loved him.  He didn’t just hand it to him but made him feel special by asking his name.

I also watched a guest check-in with her luggage which happened to be a cardboard box.  She was on a limited income and had a family to take care of ….so her needs were put on the back burner.  Another staff member saw this and got together with me to put together a set of luggage for her.  We gave this to her anonymously so that she would not feel awkward.

Again….He did not come to be served but to serve.  The Lord served in a loving and humble way.  As I write this devotion…my eyes are filled with tears remembering these stories and my heart is challenged by these servants to get out there and serve someone today…how about you?

Lynn Wilson

Lynn Wilson a wife and a mother of two. Currently on Staff at America’s Keswick for the past 20 years. She has been involved in her local church in women’s ministries as well as speaking for other churches and retreats. Her mission statement would be to…touch one life so in turn they can touch a life for eternity. Her greatest joy is to go home at the end of her work day and spend time with her family and enjoy her first ministry which is being a wife and mother.