Thursday, June 26, 2014

Psalm 23 (06.26.2014)

Psalm 23 (06.26.2014)

Psalm 23:1 HCSB
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
-- HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

The Lord is...
He exists.
He is and always will be. He has always been.
He is and has an identity. He has character and attributes. There are certain things that describe Him.
The Lord is my shepherd.
He isn't just anyone's shepherd. He's mine (and yours).
He is my shepherd. He takes care of me like a shepherd takes care of his sheep.
Wow. Wonder of wonders.

-- Stacy Duplease, Writer
Sent from Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
Blog: http://WritingsOfSD.blogspot.com/

Friday, June 13, 2014

New Blog

Here, I hope, is my only and only blog. Check it out when you can.

Blessings,

-- Stacy Duplease, Writer
Sent from Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
Blog: http://aprayerjournalkeeper.blogspot.com/

Verse of the Day and Weekend

Proverbs 3:6 / Expanded Bible (EXB)

6 ·Remember the Lord [Know him] ·in all you do [on all your paths],
and he will ·give you success [keep your roads straight].

Monday, May 26, 2014

Thank You, U.S. Military

Thank God for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For my freedom. For your freedom. For our freedom.

They didn't have to. But, they did. They know the price of freedom. Peace doesn't simply exist because we will it or say it should. Peace happens, sometimes through a show of force--for freedom. And sometimes peace can happen because the entirety of a nation chooses to live by the will of God, not for self. (How rare. But, isn't this truly peace? We will not know this, though until Jesus Christ returns, but should strive for this today and tomorrow.)

Thank God people believed in our nation and the foundations our forefathers envisioned... Our military and their families. Past, present, and future.

Thank you for those serving now. You don't have to, but you believe in the U.S. Constitution enough to defend her. I pray you will continue to take this seriously every day and are forever mindful of this. (I pray we as a nation do this as well.)

What the U.S. military does is often ignored, often despised, often taken for granted. So many say they support the military and really don't.
May we remember our military, and what they sacrifice and have for our freedom... so we can continue on with life as normal while theirs is anything but.

People have died on our behalf. And people are willing to now. How humbling. I sure don't deserve it. But, they have and will do it anyway.

Thank God.

God bless the USA.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Land of Lethana News

I'm working once again on my book, "Cammi's Story: The 1st Quest for the Lost Volumes."

I've written it and published it already, but want to update it and then finish writing the epic series.

This is my latest writing project.

~ Stacy Duplease

Christian, Patriot, Writer, Journalkeeper

Blog: http://agodlyvision.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://landoflethana.blogspot.com/

Check out my latest blogs

Greetings.

Check out my latest blogs listed below.

Have a blessed day.

~ Stacy Duplease

Christian, Patriot, Writer, Journalkeeper

Blog: http://agodlyvision.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://landoflethana.blogspot.com/

Monday, May 19, 2014

Reading 9 Matthew 11

Read Matthew 11. As you do, prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc. **~**

Now, read the Key Verses are Matthew: 11:15; 11:25-27; 11:28-30 in your favorite version of the Bible.

Prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc. **~**

Now, read the version which follows. If you have already used this translation, then use another. The Focus Verse for Today is: Matthew 11:15.

Matthew 11:15 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

15 Anyone who has ears should listen!

We do not just read the Word of God. We listen to it and listen to Him and His voice.

Prayer journal your thoughts about that. **~**

**~** PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS:

Prayer journal your response to each of the following:

1 Are you listening?

2 How often and how long do you listen to God and His Word?

3 Do you listen at least 75% more than you talk to god in each moment, each day and night? Why or why not?

4 Could you listen more to God? Yes or no. Explain your answer.

NOTE: Let’s be realistic every single one of us could listen a great deal more to God than we do. Therefore:

5 How can you listen to God and His Word, the Bible? Make a plan to apply to your life and implement immediately. Write it down.

6 How will you evaluate periodically as to how much you have listened, if you could listen more (and you can, so how can you), what He has said, and how you’ve responded?

NOTE: I recommend as part of your closing prayer journaling to each day listening to God and the Bible and evaluating how much you listened throughout the day. Make sure to write what He said, even if you already have. Ask God for guidance in listening and applying the things He’s told you to your life. In other words, take time to: Listen, apply/respond, remember (what He said yesterday, today, this week, last week, last month, last quarter, etc.) evaluate. So, again: Listen, apply, remember, evaluate. LARE.

Matthew 11:15 / Expanded Bible (EXB)

15 ·Let those with ears use them and listen[L The one who has ears to hear, let him hear]!

CROSS-REFERENCES

Matthew 13:3-9 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

3 Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. 7 Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. 9 Anyone who has ears should listen!”

Verse 9 is the key verse.

Matthew 13:37-43 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

37 He replied: “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin and those guilty of lawlessness. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen!

Verse 43 is the Key verse.

Now, we’re going to look at the Book of Revelation for the remainder of the cross-references. As we do, remember these verses apply to us personally today, as well as our personal church, and the Church as a whole. Also, remember that these cross-references apply to the future as well as today.

Revelation 2:1-7 / New Living Translation (NLT)

1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.

4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.

7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

Verse 7 is the Key Verse.

Revelation 2:8-11 / New Living Translation (NLT)

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

Verse 11 is the Key Verse.

Revelation 3:1-6 / New Century Version (NCV)

3 “Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis:

“The One who has the seven spirits and the seven stars says this: I know what you do. People say that you are alive, but really you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what you have left before it dies completely. I have found that what you are doing is less than what my God wants. 3 So do not forget what you have received and heard. Obey it, and change your hearts and lives. So you must wake up, or I will come like a thief, and you will not know when I will come to you. 4 But you have a few there in Sardis who have kept their clothes unstained, so they will walk with me and will wear white clothes, because they are worthy. 5 Those who win the victory will be dressed in white clothes like them. And I will not erase their names from the book of life, but I will say they belong to me before my Father and before his angels. 6 Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Verse 6 is the Key Verse.

Revelation 3:7-13 / New Century Version (NCV)

7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:

“This is what the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David, says. When he opens a door, no one can close it. And when he closes it, no one can open it. 8 I know what you do. I have put an open door before you, which no one can close. I know you have little strength, but you have obeyed my teaching and were not afraid to speak my name.9 Those in the synagogue that belongs to Satan say they are Jews, but they are not true Jews; they are liars. I will make them come before you and bow at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. 10 You have obeyed my teaching about not giving up your faith. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the whole world to test those who live on earth.

11 “I am coming soon. Continue strong in your faith so no one will take away your crown.12 I will make those who win the victory pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, that comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also write on them my new name. 13 Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Verse 13 is the key verse.

Revelation 13:1-10 / New Century Version (NCV)

1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and there was a crown on each horn. A name against God was written on each head. 2 This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear’s feet and a mouth like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave the beast all of his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been killed by a wound, but this death wound was healed. Then the whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given his power to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast, asking, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against it?”

5 The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God, and it was allowed to use its power for forty-two months. 6 It used its mouth to speak against God, against God’s name, against the place where God lives, and against all those who live in heaven.7 It was given power to make war against God’s holy people and to defeat them. It was given power over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 And all who live on earth will worship the beast—all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the One who was killed.

9 Anyone who has ears should listen:

10 If you are to be a prisoner,

then you will be a prisoner.

If you are to be killed with the sword,

then you will be killed with the sword.

This means that God’s holy people must have patience and faith.

Verse 9 is the key verse.

**~** PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS:

Prayer journal your response to each of the following:

1 How do these cross-references help you more fully understand Matthew 11:15?

2 Look at everything you’re read to this point today and for all of it, prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc.

3 What does all of today mean for you and your life?

4 What will you apply to your life, starting today, in this moment?

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Reading 8 Matthew 10

Reading 8 Matthew 10

Read Matthew 10. As you do, prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc.? **~**

Now, read the Key Verses: Matthew 10:22; 10:30-31; 10:32-34; 10:37-39 in your favorite version of the Bible.

Now, read the version which follows. If you have already used this translation, then use another:

Matthew 10:30 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.

It boggles my mind to think of this, I don’t know about you. God knows me this well and cares for me this much. Talk about humbling. THE God of the Universe, the Creator, the Ruler of Time, the Everlasting Father, Jehovah, the Great I AM, the One who is Holy, Holy, Holy--is the one who cares for little, simple, ol’ me.

Yep. Humbling.

If He cares about me so much He can tell you how many hairs I have on my head at any time, then how much more He must care for the stuff that matters more in my life. Nothing escapes His attention (see Job 28:24; Psalm 53:2).

He knows all and sees all. He is always present.

Matthew 10:30 / Expanded Bible (EXB)

30 God even ·knows [numbers; counts] how many hairs are on your head.

Matthew 10:30 / New Living Translation (NLT)

30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

Matthew 10:30 / The Message (MSG)

29-31 “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Counting of Blessings

I am thankful, Lord for...

Prayer journal anything that comes to mind.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Reading 7 Matthew 9

Matthew 9

Read Matthew 9. As you do, prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc.? **~**

Now, read the Key Verses of Matthew 9:20-22 in your favorite version of the Bible.

Now, read the version which follows. If you have already used this translation, then use another:

Matthew 9:20-22 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

20 Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe, 21 for she said to herself, “If I can just touch His robe, I’ll be made well!”

22 But Jesus turned and saw her. “Have courage, daughter,” He said. “Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment.

Since you just read a different version of the Bible for those verses, prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc. **~**

Our focal verse for today is Matthew 9:22.

Matthew 9:22 / Expanded Bible (EXB)

22 Jesus turned and saw the woman and said, “·Be encouraged [Have courage; Take heart], ·dear woman [L daughter]. ·You are made well because you believed [Your faith has saved/healed you].” And the woman was ·healed [made well; saved] from that moment on.

Matthew 9:22 / GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

22 When Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Cheer up, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” At that very moment the woman became well.

**~** PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

1 What did her belief and faith do?

2 So, what did we just learn about faith and belief?

3 Can our faith do the same?

CROSS-REFERENCES

Matthew 17:14-20 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

14 When they reached the crowd, a man approached and knelt down before Him. 15 “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers severely. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

17 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and from that moment the boy was healed.

19 Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 “Because of your little faith,” He told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Look at verse 20 alone and: Prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc. **~**

Reading 6 Matthew 8

Not written yet.

Verse of the Day:

Romans 12:1-3

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

12 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

-- HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Prayer Journal about verse 2 in particular.

Also, don't forget to count your blessings and prayer journal what you thank God for today.

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease 2007-2014. Taken at the YMCA of the Rockies.)

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Lord, I'm thankful for...

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Reading 5 Matthew 7:13-14 and 7:21 (Part 2 of Matthew 7)

NOTES OF CAUTION

MORE DAYS THAN ONE: There may be some lessons you might feel compelled to spend several days on the key verse rather than just the next twenty-four hours.

PRAYER JOURNALING: I will ask you to do lots of prayer journaling in this reading. Please do ALL of it and not skip anything. In fact, prayer journal every single time you feel led to, on top of what I suggest. The rule of thumb is: “The more you prayer journal, the more you’ll interact with God and His Word, and the more you’ll get out of the reading and studying of the Bible.”

MATTHEW 7

Read Matthew 7 again in another version or translation of the Bible.

Our main verses today are: Matthew 7:13-14; 7:21. Why don’t you read those in a third version of the Bible and prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc.? **~**

Our Key Verse is: Matthew 7:14.

Matthew 7:13-14 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

Matthew 7:21 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Why don’t you read those verses in a third version of the Bible and prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, whatever questions you might have, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, etc.? **~**

{Reminder: Whenever you see the previous symbol, that means to prayer journal your response, thoughts, questions, etc. Do everything listed as well. Don’t skip anything. The ‘etc.’ is make sure you write more and get whatever comes to mind down on the page. It doesn’t mean to skip, which we might be tempted to do. ETC. in the case of prayer journaling really means, AND.}

Matthew 7:14 / Expanded Bible (EXB)

14 But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road.

Prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, questions you might have, etc.? **~**

Read it again.

Prayer journal any other gems that jump out you afresh and those that are reinforced now. **~**

Read it one more time. (I’m not kidding.) Read it one word at a time, as slowly as possible, and allow each word to sink in fully and completely. So, really take your time. Do lots of prayer journaling on this read-through. Do the quadruple amount of prayer journaling this time. (Seriously.) Mine it. Savor the treasure you find. **~**

This verse is probably one of the most important verses we can grasp and need to live by every moment of every day and night. It’s not one to take lightly.

In fact, I would add this to my “Daily Pondering List” to ponder, meditate upon, think about, and contemplate, every single day for at least the rest of the year, if not for the rest of your life.

DAILY PONDERING LIST (DPL)

And, yes, by the way. Start to carry a “Daily Pondering List” of verses I tell you to add, along with the daily verse we learn here in each reading, and by far, even more importantly, anything God tells you to add to the list. Our daily reading verse, we will only reflect upon for the next twenty-four hours, unless God tells us otherwise.

So, on our list so far is at least: Matthew 7:14, which will stay on the DPL for at least the next year.

READ

Read Matthew 7:14 in yet another version of the Bible.

Read it one word at a time, as slowly as possible, and allow each word to sink in fully and completely. So, really take your time. Do lots of prayer journaling on this read-through. Do the quadruple amount of prayer journaling this time. (Seriously.) Mine it. Savor the treasure you find. **~**

CONTEXT

Read Matthew 7:8-25 for the proper context of Matthew 7:14.

Also, prayer journal about how reading the context helps you to understand Matthew 7:14 more completely. **~**

WE ARE NOT TO DO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES OR TAKE THE EASY ROAD: SUMMARY #1

Isn’t this the underlining summary of Matthew 7:13-14 and 7:21?

SUMMARY #2: THE CHRISTIAN LIFE ISN’T AN EASY ONE

Isn’t this the underlining summary of Matthew 7:13-14 and 7:21?

THE BUILD-UP

This is where I feel like a dog, shaking all over with excitement just before their master takes them for a walk. I get so excited thinking about something new I discovered this morning in my study of Matthew 7:14. I just cannot wait to share it with you, so you can see how big God’s Word is and how meaningful and important. Never mind how deep His Word is and the impact it has when we learn to dig deeper and mine it to find the precious gems. Well, that’s what I did earlier and am bursting at the seams with treasure to share with you (since I didn’t have a bag to put it in, I had to stuff it in my clothes on my back, never mind in my pockets.) Now, I will lie them down on the ground so we can look at each piece, now that I am outside again and can see them in the sunlight, as well as in the Son’s Light. I want to share my discovery and make it our discovery--yours and mine.

PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING REGARDING THE GEMS FOUND IN MATTHEW 7:14

It’s funny, now that I sit here at my computer and want to share this treasure with you, I keep putting my fingers on the proper keys and then wait for the words to come. My mind races and I cannot contain one thought to put on the page and share with you. This is so big, I’m finding it difficult to put it in words. I think I will do a great disservice to the text and the lessons we can learn here. I don’t want to foul this up and minimize it in any way.

So, would you, please, pray with me?

First, take a look at Ephesians 1:7-12, please. Prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, questions you might have, etc.? **~**

Then, see 2 Timothy 2:7. Prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, questions you might have, etc.? **~**

Then, see 1 John 5:19-21. Prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, questions you might have, etc.? **~**

Psalm 119:18 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

18 Open my eyes so that I may contemplate

wonderful things from Your instruction.

Replace the word, ‘instruction’ with ‘the Word of God,’ or ‘the Bible.’

PRAYER:

Lord, help us have full understanding (according to the mind and heart we have today, knowing they will transform today to tomorrow) of everything we read and study in the Bible. However, right now, we ask this in particular regarding Matthew 7:14. help us mine its treasure and find the gems You want us to grab hold of and take into our possession. To You be the glory, honor, and praise.

Matthew 7:14 / GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

14 But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.

Matthew 7:14 / New American Standard Bible (NASB)

14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:14 / Expanded Bible (EXB)

14 But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road.

LEXICON (A FANCY NAME FOR A WORD STUDY)

First, look at this link: http://biblehub.com/lexicon/matthew/7-14.htm

Then, look at the first small or narrow of the verse: http://biblehub.com/greek/4728.htm

Then, look at the second small or narrow of the verse: http://biblehub.com/greek/2346.htm

The second link we just read is the world’s largest diamond, ruby, emerald, topaz, sapphire, etc--all combined in one. It’s big--and, boy, is it a gem.

God is the One who presses, narrows, compresses, contracts, and afflicts us and our way--in the best way possible. He is the One doing the action. It’s a verb and it is also a passive, present, perfect participle--meaning He is always actively doing this in our lives. He is making us a diamond in a rough, my friends.

When we go through challenges, remember this. This is our narrow gate life as a Christian. If we are not being pressed, we are most likely on the wrong path!

We are to constantly be growing in God and in His Word. He is the One who transforms us from the inside. Are we allowing Him? Are we fighting it or are we cooperating?

Please. Make sure you fully grasp the full Truth of this verse. Understand it. Grasp all of it--every gem, every facet, every nook and cranny. Do not read anything else until you ponder this and chew on it for a MINIMUM of twenty-four hours. Over the next day, please make sure to prayer journal as much as possible about this verse and: Prayer journal your thoughts, whatever jumps out at you, gems you want to consider, anything you want to apply to your life, what God says to you, what you say to God, questions you might have, etc.? **~**

This verse is a life-changer, but only when you grasp what God is doing. He loves you enough, and has so many grand purposes, to bring Him the glory, He cannot, will not leave you the way you are, or where you are. He will transform you into a special gem. You are His treasure. But, this process is hardly easy. It will be hard. But, it’s worth every bit of it. He will turn you into His treasure and will give you treasure of the truth of His Word.

Just remember, you are to travel a different path than most. If you look around in your life (and you should right now) and are surrounded by a lot of people you say are close to you, re-evaluate. Seriously.

The road is narrow. Few travel it. Few. Will this be you? Or, will you find those you choose to travel with more valuable than God and His Word and Way? The many or the few? God or others? God or possessions? God or any other idol in your life? His way of the narrow gate or the way of the masses?

(Top image credit: Stacy Duplease 2009-2014.)