What are you trusting in right now?

He Leads

I'm so glad God leads us in the right path. Imagine what might happen if He left us to figure it our own our own. I've tried that in the past and can tell you, its not pretty.

No, my God doesn't leave us wandering, He goes ahead and leads the way. Not only does He point us in the right direction, He goes there with us! Why? Because He loves us and because it brings Him glory - the glory due His Name.

Excited About Following

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.


And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. -Matthew 9:9

Imagine the excitement of Jesus' disciples as they began to follow Him. At first, they didn't really know who He is. They initially saw him simply as a prophet or teacher. But they knew something was different about Him. That's why, for Matthew, there was no hesitation. Jesus said, "Follow," and Matthew immediately got up, left everything behind, and followed Him.  There was no hesitation, no questions asked. 

I have to be honest. If I were sitting in Matthew's chair, I'm pretty sure I would have asked, "Um.. where are we going? And, uh... what are we doing?" Not Matthew. He just got up and went with Jesus. 

That excitement and willingness to follow Jesus is pretty strong in our hearts after we are first introduced to Jesus. For most of us, the newness wears off a bit over time and we're more content to sit in a pew than follow. 

If we've been walking with the Lord for any length of time, most of us need to ask the Lord for refreshing sometimes. Let's ask Him to make us excited about following again and watch what He does. 

Father, I thank You so much for sending Your Son Jesus to this earth for me. Thank You that He cares enough for us to ask us to follow Him. Father, refresh and renew our hearts, I pray. Help us to once again be excited about following Jesus. We wait on You, O God and are eager to see what You will do in us as we follow Your Son. In His wonderful Name, Amen. 

Don't Worry. Pray!

Forever the Same

The Wait

We ask the Lord, and ask again, for Him to intervene in our situation and no sometimes answer seems forthcoming. Waiting for an answer from the Lord is often a rather trying time. 

But, maybe that's the point of waiting on Him. Perhaps its a test of our faith. Will we believe that He is good, even when we don't see Him at work at the moment? That doesn't mean He's not working for our good, by the way. He always is and does. 

We may not see it or see Him in the midst of our circumstance or need, but He's there. 

David chose to believe God was at work, even if he didn't see the answer coming.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!

Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord! 

(Psalm 27:13-14)

The question is, Do we REALLY believe God is good and will do what is best for us? Or, are they just empty words? I'm waiting for an answer, just as you probably are.

Like David, I'm going to choose to believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living! I'm going to wait on Him, be strong in Him and be encouraged in HIm. 

In the meantime, while we wait, instead of focusing on our situation and what we think we need, let's remember that He is good.

Remember it. Tell it.

Have you ever noticed that God will sometimes use our praise to teach us something? I was reading Psalm 145 this morning and noticed something tucked away in all the praise.

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness... (v 7).

Remembering God's goodness to us encourages us.

Uttering the memory of His goodness encourages others.

Your testimony, my testimony, of God's goodness in our lives may be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

Someone who does not know Christ needs to hear of God's goodness to you and me when touched us with His grace and mercy.

A believer going through a rough time needs to hear of God's goodness in our lives when He provided for us in some way.

God has been good to us. We're not supposed to keep that to ourselves.

Remember it. Tell it.

We heard. Now what?

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

 But be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only...

James 1:22

We heard. Now what?

It's not always easy to get children to do what we expect of them. On more than one occasion, I have found myself asking one of my kids, "Do you remember what I asked you to do?" The response is often, "Yes, I heard you." Mom's reply? "Well, if you heard me, why aren't you doing it?"

I wonder if God feels the same way about us, His children, at times. Do you think maybe He is saying, "OK. So you heard what I said. Why aren't you doing it?"

James 1 seems to indicate that He does. God expects us not to simply know what He says. He also expects us to do it. Filling your head with Scripture is not the same as living it out. 

So, we heard. Now what? Let's do it; do what God says and be who He wants us to be. 

Father, thank You for the power of Your Word to change lives. Help us, Lord, to not just simply hear Your Word and walk away unchanged but to also live it out, for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Living the Word

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. -Deuteronomy 6:4-7

This passage reminds us that our hearts are where it's at. No matter how good we look on the outside, or how "put together" we try to appear to others, God wants our hearts, not the outward appearance.  

We are told to love Him with our whole heart and to keep His Word in our hearts. The only way to keep His Word in our hearts is to be in it often and to speak it often. As we teach His Word and His ways to the next generation, we are reaffirming its truth not just to them but also to our own hearts. Think about that. 

• The more we saturate ourselves in His Word, the more we will desire God's presence.
• And, the more we soak in God's presence, the more we will desire His Word. 

Life Lessons from a Goose or Two

While I was sitting outside
having lunch at work today,
a gaggle (group) of about 30 geese
came waddling across the road.  

They came to peck at the grass behind the building for a while, then one (we'll call him "George Goose"), stood straight up with his neck extended upward as far as it would go. Then another (he can be "Gerald Goose"), did the same. They were both noticeably taller than all the other geese gathered there. 

George Goose plodded along slowly, as if patiently waiting for the rest of the gang, and made his way back to the road. Although taking his time to ensure no one was left behind, George walked with an air of confidence. He knew where he was going and he knew he was leading his family to a good and safe place.  

Gerald Goose stood where he was and watched as all the others followed the leader back across the road to the little pond they had come from. When the last one finally caught up, Gerald Goose started to follow them very slowly from a little distance. Gerald was definitely the guard goose, constantly looking all around, on the lookout for any danger that might come. 

I watched for a few more minutes and saw them all glide gracefully across the pond, and disappear into some trees beyond, with George Goose leading the way and Gerald Goose hanging back in the rear.

When the geese were gone, I began to think of how the Lord takes care of us in similar ways. 

Isaiah 52:12 says, ...for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard (ESV).

God goes before us and leads the way. Job said, ...he knows the way that I take. (Job 23:10 ESV)

God knows the way we take because He is leading us there. As we follow Him, we are walking in His steps. 

The LORD is also, as Isaiah discovered, our rear guard. Not only does He lead the way and go before us, He is also covering the rear, protecting us from the enemy. 

In today's language we might say, "He's got your back". He does!

So, what are the Life Lessons from a Goose or Two? 

• If we follow, God will lead us in the best path for us. 
• And, He's got our backs as we go along His path. 

A Personal Encounter with Holiness

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.  - Isaiah 6:1-5

An Encounter with Holiness

Imagine, just for a moment, how you would respond if you were in Isaiah's sandals the day he was given this vision. God not only gave him a picture of heaven, but also provided Isaiah a personal encounter with holiness that engaged his senses in a way that he would never forget. 

Seeing 6-winged seraphims flying around the throne of God would probably be quite a shock to any of us.

Hearing their voices lifted up in unison to proclaim the holiness and glory of the LORD would probably bring most of us to our knees.

Feeling the door posts shake and smelling the smoke that filled the throne room would likely put us in a prostrate position before the throne. 

Isaiah's response was that of fear; not just a reverent fear of the LORD, but he was actually frightened, and understandably so. Moses wanted to see God's glory and Isaiah knew that God had said to Moses, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live (Exodus 33:20).

So here was Isaiah, before the throne in heaven, standing in the midst of the holiness of God.  No wonder his response was Woe is me! for I am undone.

Isaiah knew and confessed his sinful state and feared for his life, knowing he was not worthy to stand in the presence of the Holy One. 

We often speak of wanting revival in our churches. Revival is needed now, in our time. Revival usually doesn't begin with evangelism. It begins in the hearts and lives of  believers. We - me, you and every member of the body of Christ - we all need a  personal encounter with the holiness of God, with a heart that cries out, "Lord change me!" 

What attracts the world to true Christianity? 

It isn't all the all activities or the music, though they can serve a purpose, that we have available in our churches. What attracts the unbeliever is authentic Christianity, as demonstrated in the life of a surrendered follower of Christ who has had a personal encounter with the holiness of God. 

Father, You are holy, holy, holy. We confess that we are not but we want to see revival our time. We want to see You high and lifted up and your holiness and glory filling our lives, our homes, our churches and our communities. Give each of us a personal encounter with Your holiness, I pray. Bring us to our knees before Your throne and change us, Lord, for Your glory and for the building of Your kingdom. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

*NEW* Prayer Line

Just a little while ago, another new page appeared here at Faith Reviewed. Take a look at the page tabs above.

This new page is called Prayer Line. 

If you need prayer, please feel free to contact me, either by leaving a comment on the Prayer Line page (feel free to comment anonymously if you'd like to) or you may send your prayer requests by email to: faithinreview@gmail.com

I look forward to the privilege of being able to pray for you. 

Blessings,

Ann-Louise

A Dose of Encouragement

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. -1 Thessalonians 5:11 AMP

We encourage our children when they do well and encourage them when they don't.  As Christians, we also need encouragement.

My word of encouragement for you today is this:

       God is on your side. He is with You. He loves You. He will do what's best for you. 


I need a dose of encouragement sometimes. You need it sometimes, too. Let's ask God to give us opportunities to be an encourager today, to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ.


Father, thank You for the encouragement You bring to our hearts by Your presence and through Your Word. Thank You for teaching us and admonishing us when we need it. Help us to be encouraged and to be encouragers, to build up others in the body of Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

An Invitation

Look... A New Page!

If you look at the tabs above, you'll notice a new page was just added today: Faith Music.

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy listening to good music.

Good music can encourage our hearts, draw us closer to the Lord, teach us and bring us into a place of true worship and praise.

If you have a Christian song you would like to share here, please share the link in the comments on the Faith Music page. Thank you.

You don't have to be in church to lift up the Name of the Lord in a song. Let's start praising the Lord through music together right here at Faith Reviewed.

I'm looking forward to hearing your favorites.

Start a Fire in Me, Lord

The previous post with Amy Carmichael's quote got me to thinking about this song...

Start a fire in my soul 

Fan the flame and make it grow 

So there's no doubt or denying 

Let it burn so brightly 

That everyone around can see 

That it's You, that it's You that we need 

Start a fire in me

Love, Faith, Hope, Passion, Fire...

O Lord, may this be the cry of our hearts...

Weep, pray, rebuild

Don't Stop ~ Daily Selah

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

I love early mornings. When my alarm goes off, there's often no one else out of bed yet, not even the dog. It's a perfect time for me to enjoy God's presence without interruption. It has become my favorite time of the day.

We tend to to set aside certains times for prayer, like when we get out of bed in the morning, when we eat, when we have a need, and when we go to bed at night. 

It is good to talk to the Lord at those times but those are not the only times we should be praying. Our text for today exhorts us to pray and don't stop.

You may be thinking, "I can't exactly start praying out loud while I'm at work. They'd all think I was crazy and I'd probably lose my job." True. The same would probably happen with my job.

Remember, though, that we don't have to pray vocally for God to hear. The Lord knows what's on our hearts and minds, doesn't He? He hears whether its a quit whisper in the heart or a loud, public prayer.

If you went somewhere with a friend and they didn't speak to you or even acknowledge your presence while you were out together, how would you feel? God is there right beside us in all we do, wherever we go. I don't think He enjoys being ignored either. 

Growth can only happen when we spend time with the Lord and in His Word. Let's not ignore Him anymore but instead be in a constant attitude of prayer, noticing Him standing next to us and focusing on HIm as we go about our day. 

Father, help us to keep our hearts and minds fixed on You. Teach us to pray without ceasing and help us to become more and more mindful of Your presence, I pray. Continue to make us more like Jesus who always stays in constant communion with You. In His wonderful Name I pray, Amen. 

Jesus, Heaven's Royalty

image 1

Sometimes, in order to understand the context in which parts of Scripture are written, a little background is needed to set the scene and to help us gain understanding of a particular passage. For example, knowing that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to address some problems that were going on in that specific congregation can help us better understand 1 & 2 Corinthians. Knowing the times periods in which some of the Old Testament books were written given us a better understanding of the chronology of God's unfolding revelation of Himself in His dealings with human beings. 


During Bible times, people were quite familiar with royalty and all that went with the power and prestige of a monarchy. Israel had its kings; some good, some bad, and the surrounding countries also had kings. The Queen of Sheba once came to visit King Solomon and was very impressed with both his wisdom and his kingdom. Here in the United States, we see little of royalty, except perhaps in a Disney movie, which is usually far from reality.

That lack of exposure to kings, queens, palaces, castles and all the pageantry that surrounds their official duties may leave us with a lack of understanding of royalty, royal events and garments mentioned in Scripture. 

In order to gain a little background to understand Jesus, Heaven's Royalty, it may be helpful to take a look at modern day royalty for both clarity and comparison. 

I was born in the USA, but lived in England for 8 years while I was growing up and still have family living there. As a result, Queen Elizabeth II is the living monarch with whom I am most familiar. 

Let's examine her position very briefly to help gain some perspective of what it means to be royal and and contrast that with what the Word of God says about Jesus, Heaven's Royalty.

image 2

The official title of the Queen is as follows:

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

The last part of that title may surprise you. England has a state church - the Church of England (the Episcopal Church in the USA is very similar). The ruling monarch in Britain is not just head of the country but is also head of the state church, hence the title Defender of the Faith. 

It is important to note that Her Majesty did not come to the throne by election. George VI, the previous monarch of the United Kingdom, passed away in 1952. His eldest child, Elizabeth, succeeded to the throne by birthright and has reigned for over 62 years. 

The official titles of Jesus make any human titles seem very small and very insignificant.
He is...

King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords -Revelation 19:15 

The Word of God - Revelation 19:13

The Lord God Omnipotent - Revelation 19:6

The Author and Finisher of our faith - Hebrews 12:2 

Head of the church - Ephesians 5:23 

Chief cornerstone – 1 Peter 2:6-7 

Everlasting Father – Isaiah 9:6 

Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6 

The Word of God – Revelation 19:13 

The Alpha and Omega – Revelation 22:13 

...and has over 200 more titles signifying Who He is.

17 verses in the New Testament refer to Jesus as the son of David. As a descendant of David's royal line (see Matthew 1 for the genealogy), Jesus will sit on the throne in Jerusalem by birthright when He establishes His millennial kingdom. We won't spend much time on the kingdom in this post but if you want to know more about it, Bible Study Tools offers a good summary.

However, Jesus' title, King of kings and Lord of lords, was given not by birthright, nor by election. Let's take a look at what the Bible says about Jesus' right to such this all-powerful title and position.

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:13-18

Jesus is referred to in this passage as the "blessed and only Potentate." In other words, He is the only True King, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Queen Elizabeth has power and authority over a tiny kingdom, but she is not immortal, not does she dwell in light, nor will she reign forever. Jesus, on the other hand, has power and honor forever and ever. Only the immortal, all-powerful True King is due eternal glory and only the immortal, all-powerful True King can claim that position for all eternity.

Daniel was given a vision in which this truth was revealed to him.

I saw in the night visions,  

and behold, with the clouds of heaven 

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days 

and was presented before him. 

And to him was given dominion 

and glory and a kingdom, 

that all peoples, nations, and languages 

should serve him; 

his dominion is an everlasting dominion, 

which shall not pass away, 

and his kingdom one 

that shall not be destroyed. -Daniel 7:13-14 ESV

John 1 tells us that Jesus is God and has been there from the beginning with God. He is eternal and has no beginning and no end. It was revealed to Daniel that Jesus (the son of man), was presented to the Ancient of Days, God the Father. Let's follow this carefully. John 1:14 says,

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in flesh, the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER has been given a kingdom that will not be destroyed, an everlasting dominion so that all people will serve Him. This poses an interesting question. We noted that Jesus' right and authority to sit upon David's throne in Jerusalem is His by reason of His lineage. In other words, it is His birthright as a descendant of King David. The question then, is this:  Was Jesus also given His eternal kingdom by birthright - as the only begotten of the Father? I let you draw your own conclusions :)

image 3

The official residence of the Queen is Buckingham Palace in London. The average home in the U.S. is around 2,500 square feet in size with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. According to The Official Website of the British Monarchy, Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, 78 bathrooms and comprises over 250,000 square feet (no, that's not a typo).




The official residence of Jesus is actually in more than one location. Romans 8:34 tells us that He is seated at the right hand of God in heaven.

And, in John 14:2, Jesus said, In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

The Queen may have her 775 rooms, but how many do you think Jesus has? Think of all the saints of old, all the believers in the world today and all who will some day believe in Him alone for salvation. We're talking millions of rooms!

The earthly splendor of Buckingham Palace, when compared with heaven seems rather a poor dwelling. In Revelation 21, we are told of 12 gates, each representing one of the tribes of Israel. There are 12 foundations, named for the 12 apostles of the Lamb. John describes gold as pure and clear as glass, walls of jasper, and precious stones adorning the foundations.

The Queen has her own little chapel located within the walls of the palace but heaven will have no need of chapel or temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it (Revelation 21:22).

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have the blessing and assurance of God's grace to testify, Christ liveth in me (Galatians 2:20).

Not only does Jesus live in heaven, where there are huge numbers of rooms, He also lives in huge numbers of people who have confessed Him as Savior and Lord!

image 4

The official gardens at the palace cover over 40 acres and contain a lake, and over 320 types of wildflowers among other types of plants and grasses. In these gardens, the Queen hosts several garden parties annually, entertaining people who have contributed a service to the Queen or to the United Kingdom in some way. 





The official gardens of heaven are not called gardens, but there is plant life and water flowing through heaven; plants like no other and a river like no other - a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).

The Source of that river of living water, I believe is Jesus Christ Himself. In John 4, Jesus offered living water to the woman he met at the well. Later, He declared, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).

Queen Elizabeth is very conservation conscious and tries to maintain a "green" standard on all her properties, but not even she can boast of having the kind of trees found in heaven. 

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).

No matter how much we reuse and recycle, no one on earth can produce tree leaves for the healing of the nations!

Jesus also sends out an invitation to join Him in His royal residence, not for a garden party but to a banquet, prepared by the grace of God, convened by the Holy Spirit and paid for by the blood of the Lamb. Invitations are sent to all those who place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation.  This banquet is called the marriage supper of the Lamb and celebrates the union of the Bridegroom - Jesus - with His bride -the church. John, as recorded in the book of Revelation, was granted a sneak preview of this great event. 

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, 

“Hallelujah!For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,for the marriage of the Lamb has come,and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” -Revelation 19:6-9 ESV

image 5

The official crown and robe of the Queen, worn at state functions such as the opening of the Houses of Parliament, are called the Imperial State Crown and Royal Robe of State.




The official crown and robe of Jesus are unlike any king or kingdom of this earth has ever seen. As the suffering servant and Savior of the world, Jesus once wore a crown of thorns on His head. In the context of the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19), Jesus is described quite vividly. We are told that His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns (v12 KJV).

I'm not sure of what these "many crowns" represent or where they came from. I did wonder if they had something to do with believers laying their crowns at Jesus' feet. The Bible mentions 5 crowns that will be given to believers:

• incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
• crown of life/martyr's crown (James 1:2, Revelation 2:8-11)
• crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
• crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)
• crown of glory (1 Peter 5:1-4)

Like many Christians, I have had this idea that I would take whatever crowns I may someday be given as a reward and lay them at Jesus' feet. But, as I was studying this, I could find no reference in Scripture to believers doing this. (If anyone reading knows where to find it, please share it with me.) What I did find was the 24 elders in Revelation 4 sitting around the throne, wearing white robes and golden crowns.  Then,

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (v 10-11)

Perhaps Jesus will be wearing these crowns. I don't know. But the point is, earthy kings and queens, like Queen Elizabeth II, tend to have just 1 official crown symbolizing their position. Jesus, the King of kings has many crowns, symbolizing His power and authority over all kings and all kingdoms of this earth.

The Queen's robe, as ornate and beautifully decorated as it is, cannot compare with that of the King of kings. Hers merely symbolizes her rule over a kingdom of this world. Jesus wears "a vesture dipped in blood," symbolizing His position as King of kings, the Lamb of God, the Author of salvation, the One who has purchased a people by His own blood and established His own eternal kingdom. 

Do I hear a "hallelujah!"?

The official duties of the Queen include more than state functions. Her Majesty is not just a ceremonial figurehead, paid to sit on a throne all day. As a constitutional monarch, she has more authority and responsibility than most realize. Even now at 88 years old, the Queen's day, according to royal.gov.uk, is filled with the affairs of state from early morning until late in the evening.


The official duties of Jesus are those He has chosen to take upon Himself, in obedience to the Father. He intercedes for us with the Father, He is active in drawing all men unto Himself, He is present and living within those who have placed their trust in Him, He Himself is our peace and our friend and guide. He never slumbers nor sleeps, but is actively involved in every aspect of the lives and concerns of those who love and follow Him.

If this writing has helped you gain some insight into Jesus, Heaven's Royalty, and/or you have something to add on this subject, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

I look forward to hearing your insights and learning from you. 

              -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo Credits:

image 1: "Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom" by Sodacan Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 via WikimediaCommons  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg#mediaviewer/File:Royal_Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg      
image 2: "Elizabeth II greets NASA GSFC employees, May 8, 2007 edit" by NASA/Bill Ingalls - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/queen_egress_8.html. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_II_greets_NASA_GSFC_employees,_May_8,_2007_edit.jpg    
image 3: "Trooping the Colour 2009 092" by Panhard - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trooping_the_Colour_2009_092.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Trooping_the_Colour_2009_092.jpg      

image4: “Buckingham Palace Aerial View” http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABuckingham_Palace_AerialView.jpg Brendan and Ruth McCartney[CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
 image 5: ”File: Sftt2013.jpg” http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASftt2013.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Sftt2013.jpg By VOA News [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Need Wisdom? ~ Daily Selah

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

For the Lord giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 

- Proverbs 2:6

There have been many times in my life when I have needed to cry out to God for wisdom in dealing with a particular situation or person. As a parent there have been moments when I was unsure about decisions I needed to make for my children and sometimes not sure about how to discipline. Every parent makes mistakes. Every Christian makes mistakes. Those mistakes though can happen much less frequently if we just look to the Lord for His wisdom. 

Who do you call first when you're unsure what direction to take? It is not wrong to seek out advice from other believers at times, but we need to remember that only God's wisdom is completely pure and trustworthy. Other people can make mistakes just like we do. But God will never direct us in the wrong path. His answers are always straight and true. When we seek His face and live according to the principles He has laid down in His Word for us to follow, we will find our lives will take a turn for the better. 

Father, as we go through our day today and every day, I ask that You would help us to look to You for direction and advice. Lead us in Your ways, I pray. May our lives be a reflection of Your love and grace and may Your wisdom shine through in every decision, for Your glory. In Jesus' precious Name I pray, Amen. 

God so Loved ~ Daily Selah

Daily Selah is a mini-devotional, a pause to ponder about the Lord and how He wants us to live.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

It probably wan't necessary to add the reference for the verse above. Most Christians are quite familiar with the words of John 3:16. 

When was the last time we really took the time to think about the meaning of those words? Let's think about it by posing some questions...

Does God love the homeless man standing on the corner of the street asking for help? 

Did Jesus die for that neighbor that drives you crazy? 

What about the people you and I might regard as enemies of the faith? Was the blood of Christ poured out for them?

Tha love of God isn't just for Christians, for those of us who already believe. Jesus said he came to find and save those who are lost. He spent time with publicans and sinners. Why? Because He loves them so very much!

The stripes on His back, the nails in His hands and feet and the crown of thorns on His head proved His great love for the whole world - for you, for me and for everyone!

Isn't it time we started proclaiming the glorious truth that the Creator of all that is would choose to die for people like us?