As I leave the season of Thanksgiving and enter into the frenzy that precedes Christmas, I can focus on what I want instead of rejoicing in what I already have. One way that I’ve learned to fight off coveting both things from stores or other people’s lives is to practice thankfulness. First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (NKJV). At times, I struggle be thankful when I see people who have gone further in their careers than me or have the families I wish I had. Over time and space, I’ve learned to be more thankful with a few key practices.
Five ways to grow in gratitude: 1. Count Your Blessings Once when I was frustrated because my life seemed to be heading downhill, I met a homeless woman by my local grocery store. She had lost her job and was sleeping in a cemetery. When I saw someone in worse shape than me, I realized I had a lot to be thankful for. At least I still had my own bed. That night, I wrote a list of the top five things I was thankful for that day. Then I started writing them down every night. My whole mindset shifted to looking for the good instead of expecting the worst. Psalm 107:15 says, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men” (NKJV). God does great things for us every day, we just need to watch for them. 2. Keep a Gratitude Journal Beyond just listing the things you are thankful for, you can also journal the experiences to read later. When I go back to some old entries, I see how God got me through circumstances that appeared impossible at the time. Those stories become my testimony of God’s faithfulness. God didn’t just care for people in the Bible times, His goodness extends to me in the present. 3. Ask Others to Share Their Praises If I feel like my list of blessings is lacking, sometimes I ask others to tell me about how God is working in their lives. However, I must have the right mindset. When I am in a bad mood, hearing about good things happening to others can do one of two things to me. I can either pout that I don’t have what they do, or realize that if God cared for them, He would also attend to my needs. The two ways I listed above help us to recognize good things, but our joy multiplies when we share our praises with others. Malachi 3:16 says, “Then those who feared the spoke to one another, And the listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the And who meditate on His name” (NKJV). As we fear God, we share about His mighty acts with each other. This grows our faith and blesses our hearts. The Lord delights in those who abide in the truths of His Word. 4. Talk about God’s Goodness with Others After we ask others to talk about God’s faithfulness, then we share our praises in response. Even on our darkest days, good remains. Take that list of things you are thankful for, even if they are only a pair of shoes and a blue toothbrush, and tell someone. Call your mom, phone a friend, or talk to the lady at the register at the grocery store. When we hear ourselves speaking about what we are thankful for, it registers deeper in our minds. Psalm 89:1 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations” (NKJV). God designed our mouths to sing about His mercy so that every person that ever walks with earth will know the faithfulness of God. 5. Write out the Names of God: Psalm 97: 12 says, “Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name” (NKJV). Another way to flex our thankfulness muscles is to write down the names of God. Jehovah Jireh reminds us that God is our Provider, not our job or our spouse. The Lord provides for all our needs because He owns everything (Philippians 4:19). Jehovah Rapha means God our Healer. As we saw with all the miracles Jesus performed during His life on earth, we see that He can heal our hurts too. The names of God reflect His character. Research the names of God and find out which ones apply to your current circumstances. When we think about Who we have in Christ, it helps wipe out our longings for what we don’t own. These are just a few ways to build our thankfulness muscles. The bigger our gratitude grows, the more capacity we have to be truly thankful in all things. My thankfulness pulls me out of the slump of feeling like I don’t have enough to realizing the abundance of all I have. I am blessed beyond measure. May you grow in gratitude every day as you bask in the Lord favor shines upon you.
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What do you do when you suffer? Do you moan and groan? Do you complain to a friend? Do you phone your mom? If I’m honest, often I think “Who can I call?” I want to talk out my problems and hopefully find solutions through the discussion. Sometimes this works, but the results are usually incomplete.
I see a lot of suffering in the world right now. Personally, I have a family member in the hospital. Again. Chronic stuff is miserable because as soon as you think the person is better, the pain rears its ugly head. A lot of my friends seem to be under a squeeze right now too with knee injuries, unemployment, cancer. The list is long and ugly and too big for me to crack. Even if I phone my mom, she can’t fix all these problems. Instead of calling friends or family, I need to call God. James 5:13a says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (NKJV). Wow. The Bible is clear in what to do when we are suffering. We should pray. When we pray, we unleash the God of the universe, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, to enter the equation. We allow all of His strength and ability to fill in the holes of our human inabilities. God can solve the problems of the world today – be they big or small. We need to come with faith like a child, knowing that God cares and will act on our behalf. Psalm 18:6 says, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears” (NKJV). I want God to hear my cry. Many times, I’ve prayed with passion, fearing if I didn’t say all the right words that God may not help. Now I realize that does not align with God’s character. He cares more about the heart of the person praying than the words they speak. When we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26-27). With the Holy Spirit as our prayer buddy, with the right heart we can never pray wrong. The prayer of surrender to God is never easy, but we will have the best results when we do it His way. Maybe you are suffering right now. Keep your quarter, and don’t phone home. First, call upon the Lord, and He will listen to you. Let Him know the depths of your pain. He can handle it. Leave your problems in His hands and trust Him to comfort you and make a way. The path may not look how you expected, but stay on it no matter how narrow the road. It will lead you deeper into the heart of God as He sees you through all your cares. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7 NKJV). His timing is perfect. Keep praying. Trust God’s character. One day, the Lord will dry every tear you cry in suffering and turn it into a thing of beauty for His glory.
Which internship should I take? I had just been offered an opportunity, but was waiting to hear back on a different position that I wanted more. They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so I leaned toward taking the offered job, but wasn’t sure. My school required an internship to graduate, and I only had one day to decide because I was leaving for study abroad the next morning and needed to line everything up beforehand.
I asked my mom what to do, and we prayed together. She then got the idea to write the names of the internships on strips of paper and pull them out of a hat. Two out of three would decide the job for me. I pulled the same place that had already offered me a position the first two times, and didn’t look back. I had peace, and the internship worked well. Later, I saw that my decision-making process was the Biblical equivalent of casting lots. Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (NKJV). During the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit only inhabited a few people every once in a while. When the leaders needed to make decisions, they often cast lots. One example is when Joshua divided up the promised land allotments for the children of Israel (Joshua 18:6-10). In 1 Chronicles 24, the priests and Levites decided the order in which they would serve in the temple by casting lots. Nehemiah cast lots for which people would live in Jerusalem and who would live in the surrounding regions (Nehemiah 11:1). Looking at these examples, I noticed they were all in the Old Testament. The one New Testament example I found was Acts 1:26 when the disciples cast lots to decide which disciple should replace Judas Iscariot. Every time people cast lots in the Bible was before the Holy Spirit arrived as a mighty rushing wind in Acts 2:2. On the night before He died, Jesus told His disciples of the coming Holy Spirit. John 16:13 says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (NKJV). Under the new covenant, we as believers all receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit does not come and go, but abides in us and guides us in all truth. The Holy Spirit listens to the Father and shares His heart with us so we may have heavenly wisdom. He is our primary source of guidance. Was I wrong to cast lots to decide on where to do my internship? I don’t think so. We didn’t cast lots as a first resort. My mom had the idea after we prayed together. Nonetheless, I haven’t made any major life decisions using that method since then. God can use whatever He wants to guide my steps (Proverbs 16:9). The main thing is to seek out the Holy Spirit’s guidance for what He wants. He will never direct me in a way that does not align with Biblical truth. Sometimes, we may have two good opportunities, and God just lets us decide. The beauty of God is that when we seek Him with all of our hearts, He will be found by us (Jeremiah 29:14). If we strive to obey God, He won’t drop us on our heads. Even when we abandon the goodness of God and pursue our own desires, we can’t escape God. We can never go so far that we can flee from His notice (Psalm 139:7-12). When we repent, He will pull us back to His side, and is bigger than all of our bad decisions. May we seek the Lord’s direction and allow Him to show us how to make decisions as the Spirit chooses. He won’t lead us astray, but will guide us day by day.
Once a child went to fight a dragon. He underestimated his enemy, and the only weapon he found to defend himself was a pencil. The boy jabbed at the soft underbelly of his foe, but it did not penetrate deep enough. The dragon’s fire soon destroyed the lad. Maybe you memorized verses like John 3:16 when you were younger. That’s great! All of God’s Word is inspired and helps us flourish. However, if that is the only verse you know, you might want to fortify your spiritual arsenal to something beyond a pencil so you are prepared to face the enemy when temptation comes. We Need More Than Digital DataPerhaps you have wondered why, with a world of knowledge at our fingertips through the Internet, would anyone need to memorize Scripture? Isn’t it easier to search online to find a verse than spend time learning passages? Yes, in the world of modern technology, I can pull up information quickly, but what happens when my phone is not nearby? What if I am tempted to sin, yet can’t think of any reason not to give in, and don’t Google reasons why to obey God? Despite the advances of technology, Scripture memory will never become antiquated. Committing God’s truth to memory gives the Holy Spirit more room to change me from the inside out. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (NKJV). When my life is permeated with digital everything, my brain starts to atrophy. The Lord wants to transform my mind, which happens when I let Scripture nourish my soul. Feed Your Mind on TruthColossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (NKJV). When all the riches of God’s Word dwell in me, I will have wisdom to face the challenges that society poses. Without God’s truth abiding in my heart and guiding my choices, I can fall prey to the trappings of this world instead of walking the straight and narrow. My heart rejoices when God’s Word rules in my life because I can give and receive correction in ways that align with good sound doctrine. I desire to obey God, but first I must know what God has called me to do. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (NKJV). When I store God’s truths deep inside the wellsprings of my life, the Holy Spirit can use those verses as spiritual weapons to help fight lies from the enemy. Think of Jesus when He was tempted in the desert. He recited Scriptures to Satan to deflect the attack and left without succumbing to the lure of evil. What an example He set for us to follow. Fight with a Full ArsenalAs I learned from the story of the boy and the dragon, I can much better stave off temptation when I have a wide array of truth ready to slay the lies. One way I can escape sin is when the Holy Spirit reminds me of specific verses that apply to my trouble spots. For example, when I am tempted to blow up in anger at someone irritating, the Holy Spirit reminds me of Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (NKJV). In the moment, that verse helps me to bite my tongue and pray for the person instead of stirring up wrath.
This type of targeted Scripture memory applies to a wide set of temptations. For those struggling not to lust or look at pornography: learn Psalm 101:3, for those caught up in gossip: commit Proverbs 16:28 to heart, for those prone to rack up credit card debt: study Proverbs 22:7. I’ve found that learning Scriptures that fit my circumstances lets me live in victory. If your struggles are different than the ones I noted, memorizing Bible verses that address your areas of difficulty can help you triumph too. Now that I’ve sold you on the importance of remembering God’s Word, maybe you are moaning because the thought of committing Bible verses to heart is daunting. Here is a link to an article Know the Word that includes a list of ten creative Scripture memory tips. As you commit God’s Word to heart, don’t forget to pray for the Holy Spirit to help you. Memorizing Scripture is much easier with supernatural power than with just your own ability. Part of the Holy Spirit’s role is to help you recall the truths you’ve planted inside your soul (John 14:26). Ask Him where to start, and He’ll help you throughout the process. His desire is to grow closer to you and equip you to handle the hassles, temptations, and opportunities of each day. The Holy Spirit can give you the right verse faster than any Internet search with His personalized service to help you recall the right Scripture at the right time. Commit God’s timeless words to heart, and they will sustain you for eternity. A sharpened sword of Spirit, the Word of God, will defeat the dragon so you can overcome sin.
This week's guest blog for Labor Day is by Danine Gruber. We met at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference earlier this year. Her quiet spirit produces powerful words that she weaves into morsels of encouragement for her readers. I am honored to share her blog with you today. May you labor unto the Lord and rest in His provision. Labor and Ordered RestWe celebrate a day recognizing the efforts of those before us, coming together as one for their country at large. Their skills were being poured out 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with minimal compensation and often, in the worst of conditions. An uprising occurred; strikes were held to bring about fair working conditions for the American people. Work may be necessary but its counterpart, rest, was as well. In 1882, the president declared the first Monday of September as a National holiday to commemorate the efforts of man and their need for rest.
I had to look up its origination, for like most Americans, I tended to think of it as a day to enjoy picnics and family time. The idea of rest, true rest and the need for it sails out the window in our cultures’ efforts to unceasingly gain or store up “more _____”. This day should cause us to recall why such a day was thought necessary to be instituted in the first place. It reminds us how our forefathers considered rejuvenation critical to the safety, productivity and overall health of the workforce. I delved further into the history and found conflicting opinions as to which man brought the need for rest into focus. It was either McGuire, a labor board co-founder or Maguire, the machinist. In reality, the ideas of fair labor and rest came not from a man but from God. Genesis 1 tells us in the beginning, He performed the precious work of creation in 6 days and rested on the seventh. Did he get tired? I think not. Isaiah 40:28 says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (NKJV). Rest was a framework that He set forth for us to follow. God told the Israelites in Exodus to institute one day every week, called the Sabbath, for rest and restoration. Once every 50th year, they set aside an entire year called the Year of Jubilee. The land, animals and people would be gifted with the chance to recover and rejuvenate (Leviticus 25:1-13). Debts would be cancelled, workers would be freed to go and return to their families and even the land was returned to its original owners. Yet, the greatest rest and greatest work existing outside of Creation can be found in Hebrews 4, and in Revelation. I’m referring to the finished work of the Cross. Jesus made the way to have full relationship with the Father, eternal rest and freedom to walk unhindered. That’s what we share, celebrate, and rest in every day!
This blog on laughter first appeared on Jennifer Thayer Knight's website. We met earlier this year through the Flourish Writer's Retreat and swapped stories. (You really must link to her site for the rest, because she has a picture of the cutest kids ever laughing that will make your heart happy. :) May this blog encourage you to take a load off and laugh a little. Looking for LaughterI went to a picnic with families from my church. The children ran around the grass, laughing and giggling to themselves. Their happiness was contagious and soon the adults joined in with hearty ha-has.
One of my friends at the picnic is a kindergarten teacher. She noted her students laughed throughout the school day. It took the tiniest thing to amuse them. The kids would make funny eyes at each other and clamor to hear the same knock-knock joke over and over, which they found hilarious every time. She already kept an eye out for beauty, but realized she needed to attune her life to joy and especially laughter. Recently, I posted a guest blog about God's Word on my friend Nancy Lee's website www.inspirationallee.com. We met through the online Flourish Writer's conference and swapped stories. The following is an excerpt of the full article. Hit the button with a link to her site to read the rest. I've found that meditating on God's Word, especially in several versions, gives me deeper insight into the truths God is showing me through Scripture. May this bless and encourage you.
Peace from Meditating on God's Word My heart was weak and weary as circumstances jumbled one problem on top of another. My boyfriend had broken up with me the week of Valentine’s Day. Two weeks later I started having problems with my boss. Then COVID-19 swooped in, and the world shutdown. At the beginning, some days I barely slept or ate. My body was in shock, and I started to harden my emotions. I needed God’s truths to pump new life into my frail heart. One night, I talked on the phone with my friend Vivian for hours. She listened to me sputter and then encouraged me straight from God’s Word. I explained to her that the line between myself and God was paper thin. Few times in my life have I heard the Lord as clearly and often as I did that in that month of misery. God kept telling me that He loved me and to trust Him. I marveled at how close God felt. She said, “Of course! The Lord is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). I got shivers. My heart was shattered, but the gift I received was an intimate connection to the Lord that I’d only found through abject pain. I had no hope apart from the Lord. I choose to embrace truth, even when all my eyes saw was heartache. Access to the Bible is so prevalent in America, why should anyone memorize verses? The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. We can find it in any local book store, hotel, or hospital room. One can even read the Bible online and cross-reference against at least a dozen versions to understand the Scripture better. Our Constitution upholds a freedom of religion so believers can go to church and hear the truth. Not all countries have ready access to the Word of God. In his book “The Heavenly Man,” Brother Yun describes how when he read the book of Matthew, he memorized the whole thing and later shared it with his family and neighbors. In China, they didn’t have Bibles lying around to read at one’s leisure. During the Soviet Union, a group of young adults met in secret in Moscow to see how much of the Bible they could reconstruct from what they had memorized. In the course of the week, they wrote down the four gospels, much of the Psalms, and many hymns. How could these young people memorize whole books of the Bible? One verse at a time. The key to learning anything is starting small. I love God’s Word, but am nowhere near able to recite an entire gospel like these people in closed countries. I spent one year memorizing the book of Philippians, but it took the entire year. Learning God’s Word takes effort, but the time invested will yield eternal rewards. Here are a few reasons we should learn Scriptures: Love for GodIf someone you loved wrote you a letter, wouldn’t you read it? And if it included encouraging words, maybe you would even repeat those words to yourself. When I love God, I will not only want to read His Word, but commit it to memory. Desire for ObedienceSince God’s love language is obedience (John 14:15), if I want to obey God, I need to know the Word. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” The Holy Spirit uses each verse I treasure to help me not to succumb to temptation. Memorized verses are strong weapons in my spiritual arsenal to undermine the attacks of the enemy. First Corinthians 10:13 that says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” God won’t tempt me, instead He will create a way for me to escape if I look for the exit ramp. An example would be when I want to snap at someone irritating. The Holy Spirit reminds me of Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (NKJV). I have a choice in how I respond. I can answer with soft words or makes things worse by countering with frustration. Thinking about the verse slows my reaction time and helps me respond with kindness that dissipates tense moments. All because I knew the verse. Importance of Learning the Whole VerseOne problem I face is memorizing Scripture references. In writing this blog, I forgot that the verse I just used was found in Proverbs 15:1. Fortunately, I used a concordance, but that is not always an option. Once while doing missions overseas, I tried to find a Bible verse for someone in a foreign language. I couldn’t whip out my Russian concordance because I didn’t have one. I missed the chance to share the gospel to an interested soul because I focused on memorizing just the words in the verse. Knowing where the passage is from is just as important. Now that we’ve discussed some of the benefits of committing God’s Word to heart, will you join me in memorizing Scripture? On my social media, I used to post a verse of the day. The Lord placed on my heart a desire to share a memory verse of the week. I write the same verse every day for a week so that repeated exposure helps the truth stick in people’s minds. Here’s this week’s memory verse: Proverbs 3:3, “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 3:3 admonishes us to tie mercy and truth around our necks and write them on my hearts, wearing them wherever we go. When we keep God’s truth nearby, we won’t rush into sin from deceit because truth outshines the lies. Mercy will catch us if we fall and usher us back into the light of the Lord. Each post includes short notes of commentary or memorization tips. If you are like me, especially since the invention of smart phones, I find it tough to remember anything. Here is a list of ten ways to help you memorize Bible verses. Ten Scripture Memory Techniques:
Today I welcome guest blogger Stephanie Pavlantos to share with us about her Bible study “Jewels of Hebrews.” I met Stephanie through my Blue Ridge Bible Study Facebook group. Though we’ve not met in person, I’ve always enjoyed her blogs and been blessed by her as a friend on the writing journey. May you be dazzled by the riches of God’s Word in the book of Hebrews as Stephanie examines not only the verses, but the Jewish culture and Hebrew language to illuminate truths.
Jewels of Hebrews Stephanie Pavlantos “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44, ESV I’m a scientist and a researcher. I worked in cancer and AIDS research, and later I worked as a histotechnologist in a hospital pathology lab. Researching comes naturally to me, as does teaching. Teaching is my first love. I taught biology, chemistry, and anatomy in homeschool co-ops, and the Lord called me to teach Bible studies over twenty years ago. Researching the biblical languages, culture, and history excite me. So, when the Lord put a man who spoke and taught Hebrew in my life, I had to know more. The little he shared with my husband and me intrigued me. I began researching everything I could find about Messianic beliefs, the Hebrew alphabet, the culture, and the Feasts. I saw things I had never seen in Scripture through reading rabbis and rabbinical/ Messianic books. When the Lord led me to write a Bible study on the book of Hebrews, I loved the Hebrew-ness of it. I appreciated the first four verses of chapter one and how the author described Jesus, or Yeshua. I knew I would have to use the name Yeshua because I saw His Jewishness in this book, and I was eager to show others. After writing the first six chapters, the Lord gave me a theme: Jewels. I found a website on the biblical meaning of the different colors of gemstones. Amazingly, of course, there was a color that fit each of the chapters already written. It came together like Someone had already planned it. One thing that floored me about the Hebrew letters is how different they are from our alphabet. We have the letter “b,” but Hebrew has the letter bet. Their letters are words, and those words have meaning. Bet means house or tent. We write the word manna with the letters mem and nun or מך (reading right to left). Mem can mean water or something that comes down from heaven, and nun means life (and can mean fish). John 6:32-33 says, “Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’” (ESV) In this verse, Jesus gives the meaning of the true bread, which is the one who comes down from Heaven to give life. That is the definition of manna. The Gospels are full of Hebrew idioms and proverbs that Jesus referenced when he spoke. In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (ESV) A Hebrew saying is, “Give with a good eye” or give generously. A bad eye is a selfish person. That’s why Matthew 6:24 says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” You will find these and other gems like them in Jewels of Hebrews. To introduce each chapter, I tell a story of a famous gem or piece of jewelry. I base each chapter on a specific stone like the amethyst, ruby, emerald, topaz, pink diamond, or other colored precious gem. Each color stands for a characteristic of Jesus, i.e. ruby stands for blood, salvation, redemption, or sacrifice. Your job as you read and work through that chapter of Hebrews is to find the verses which deal with the characteristics that match the gems. All the while you are learning about the Old and New Testament, Hebrew language, culture, and the Jewishness of Jesus. In this study, you will see Jesus as the High Priest, Savior, and Jewish rabbi He was and still is. Jewels of Hebrews is an expositional thirteen-week study for individual or group study. Within the study there is teaching, fill-in-the-blank, and reflection. Back cover copy: You are a treasure hunter on a mission to find hidden jewels. Your guide Stephanie Pavlantos has gone before you and now joins you on an expedition to unearth a hidden gem from each chapter of Hebrews. When you open your beloved Bible and dive deep into the book, you will find a rare diamond, ruby, sapphire, and other gems. You will explore the rich history of the early church and the connections the book of Hebrews has to the Old Testament. The supremacy of Yeshua and his royalty will be revealed as the Jewels of Hebrews are discovered one chapter at a time. Learn about these jewels and the meaning of their color as you find relatable and practical applications for modern times. Get ready for a life-changing journey! Yeshua is eager to reveal the Jewels of Hebrews to you and crown you his prince or princess. Author Bio: Stephanie Pavlantos is passionate about getting people into God’s Word. She has taught Bible studies for fifteen years and has spoken at ladies’ retreats. She is ordained with Messenger Fellowship in Nashville, TN. Stephanie works for Besorah Institute for Judeo-Christian Studies in the Student Services department as well as teaching online classes. She is published in Refresh Bible study magazine, Charisma magazine, and CBN.com. She is also a contributor to www.VineWords.net, Feed Your Soul with the Word of God compilation by Lighthousebiblestudies.com, and Love Knots compilation by VineWords Publishing. You can visit her blog at www.stephaniepavlantos.com and other social media sites at twitter @DPavlantos and www.facebook.com/stephaniepavlantos. Her Bible study, Jewels of Hebrews, won a third place at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (2018), an Honorable Mention at the Florida Christian Writers Conference (2019) and is a finalist in the Selah Awards at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (2021). Married for twenty-nine years, she and Mike have three children, Matthew, Alexandria, and Michael. Stephanie loves animals and has dogs, ducks, sheep, and chickens. My pastor’s wife sent the song “The Blessing” by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes as part of a set of worship songs on YouTube when my church started meeting online on March 22, 2020. Even though we couldn’t be together, we could still praise God from our couches. Click here for the link.
The song lyrics comes from one of the most famous Biblical blessings where the Lord gives instructions on how to bless the children of Israel in Numbers 6:22-26 (NIV): “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Blessings infuse life from our Heavenly Father into people. We pour God’s blessings, protection, and grace on their comings and goings. When Moses spoke to God, he hid his face under a bag because it shone from reflecting God’s glory. When we bless someone, we radiate God’s glory to brighten their day and surround them with peace. The song “The Blessing” came at a crucial time in world history as the pandemic progressed and people around the globe stayed inside to quarantine. People all over spliced together versions of the song on YouTube to bless whole countries, including the UK, South Africa, Australia, etc. At a time when the world was sick, singing the blessings over countries pushed healing and life into the heavens. Our world needed all the hope it could get to combat the curse of COVID. Blessings are the opposite of curses. In Deuteronomy chapters 27-28, a series of blessings and curses are laid out before the Israelites. God explains that if the people obeyed God’s laws, they would be blessed in their houses, in their fields, in their families, and with their friends. On the other hand, if the people turned from God, curses would cover every area of their lives. All they sought to accomplish would fail. The section culminates with Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (NKJV). When we bless people, we choose life over death. We bring God’s goodness down from heaven into earth. I’ve started to speak different blessings from the Bible and claim them for my friends and family. Instead of fighting my spiritual battles from a defensive position, when I bless, I go on the offense. Sending God’s grace and truth into the atmosphere changes the heavens around us and creates a place where Satan cannot operate. The impact on those we love is tremendous. Not only are we to bless our friends and families, we are also to bless those who curse us. Luke 6:27-28 says, “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (NKJV). Loving our enemies is hard. Who wants to bless when they’ve been cursed? Only God can enable His people to love that way. We can bless others because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us when we were His enemies (Romans 5:8). My friend’s colleague made her life difficult. He either refused to work, or created chaos when he contributed. She wanted to pull her hair out. The Holy Spirit convicted her after she noticed her snippy retorts. She confessed her sin and started to bless the man. The Lord heard those prayers. Her colleague was promoted and moved off the project. That left his spot open for her to recommend a friend for the position. Blessing her enemy paved the way to peace in her workplace. Blessings are not a name it and claim it theology. You don’t say “I bless you with new shoes,” and they fall out of the sky. Blessing people speaks the good for them that God has already promised in His Word. They create space in the atmosphere for showers of blessings to fall on us as we walk in obedience to God. Sometimes our blessings may seem disguised if they don’t come packaged as we expected. Knowing God sees the end game prepares our hearts to receive blessings in any form. I want to bless you as the readers of this blog. May the Lord’s favor be upon you, your friends, your families, your enemies, and your generations to come. May the light of God’s countenance shine upon you and fill your heart. May your sitting up and lying down be sheltered under the shadow of God’s wings. May you harness the power of blessings to speak truth to bring life to the world around you. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
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AuthorJoanna Eccles has led Bible studies for over twenty years and completed the year-long C. S. Lewis Fellows Program. She is passionate about discipleship and helping people grow in Christ. Joanna enjoys coffee and reading, and currently lives in Florida. Categories
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