God Delights in Me!!

(devotion by David Wilkerson)

The Holy Spirit gave David a revelation that is the key to all deliverance.
David could say, “The reason God delivered me from all my enemies—from all
my sorrows and the powers of hell—is because I am precious to him. My God
delights in me!” “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered
me, because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19). Do you need deliverance? From
lust, temptation or trial? From a problem that’s mental, spiritual, emotional
or physical? The key to your victory is in this verse. God delights in you. You
are precious to him!

In Song of Solomon, the Lord says of his bride, “How fair and how pleasant
art thou, O love, for delights! (Song of Solomon 7:6). Three of the Hebrew
words in this verse are synonymous: fair, meaning “precious”; pleasant,
indicating “pleasure”; and delights. These words describe Jesus’ thoughts
toward his bride as he beholds her. He looks at her and says, “How beautiful,
sweet and delightful you are. You are precious to me, O love.” In turn, the
bride boasts, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me” (7:10).
The meaning here is, “He runs after me with delight. He chases me because I
am so precious to him.” These same thoughts are found throughout the Psalms:
“The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his
mercy” (Psalm 147:11). “The Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will
beautify the meek with salvation” (149:4).

I can try to convince you of God’s delight in you by telling you, “You are
precious to the Lord.” Yet you may think, “That’s sweet. But it’s only
a lovely thought.” No, this truth is much more than a lovely thought. It is
the very key to your deliverance from every battle that rages in your soul. It
is the secret to entering into the rest God has promised you. Until you lay
hold of it—until it becomes a foundation of truth in your heart—you won’t
be able to withstand the trials of life.

Isaiah had a revelation of God’s great delight in us. He prophesied, “O
Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name;
thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee (Isaiah
43:1-2).

Isaiah wasn’t talking about a literal flood or fire. He was talking about
what people go through spiritually and mentally. Israel was in captivity at the
time; their floods were trials, their fires were temptations, their rivers were
testings. These were all Satan’s attempts to destroy and overwhelm God’s
people. Isaiah’s words were a message of pure mercy to Israel. The people
were in captivity because of their own stupidity and foolishness. But God sent
them a brokenhearted prophet who said, “God wants me to tell you that you
belong to him.”

Right now, you may be in the midst of your own swirling waters. You may feel
overwhelmed by a trial or temptation that threatens to consume you. You’ve
got to understand from these biblical examples that the Lord does not always
calm the waters. He doesn’t always keep the floods from coming or put out the
fires. Yet he does promise this: “I will walk with you through it all. This
trial or circumstance will not destroy you. It won’t consume you. So, walk
on. You’ll come out on the other side with me beside you!”
 

Windburnt

Libs was skiing today at Trollhaugen and got what I thought was sunburned but found out it was actually windburn. Thankfully I didn't have to get jealous I didn't bring my lawnchair! She is quite the little skier. Jace said he was skiing alongside her and a kid said to him, "Look at that little girl!" He said, "That's my sister." He then said, "Look at that guy skiing backwards in front of her. He's a show-off!" Jace informed him, "That's my dad." :o)

Our God is Great

It is so amazing to me. Gods moving in so many ways in so many lives. I can hardly stand it! Just yesterday I read of three very different stories in very different lives and I stand in awe of God. He is so big. So loving. So unchanging. From taking a young boy of 12 home to be with Him in an instant, to a couple who has been together in the Lord for many years, to the devastating news of a baby in the womb who has a poor chance of survival....God is in all these things! God has impressed their stories deep in my heart. He has shown me (again) He is a sovereign God. An intensely personal God. I am so moved knowing He is just as involved in my life! Is He awesome or what?! He has been doing so much in the life of my family lately I can barely wait to see what's next. For as many trials have come our way I count at least twice the blessings. He surely carries us and easily takes the burdens He's promised to bear. I don't claim to be strong and He continues to show me my utter dependance on Him. I am so grateful. I am loved by the one who can. All glory, honor and praise to Him!

Self denial

(Mar 8.34) “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

What Jesus calls for here is thus a radical abandonment of one’s own identity and self-determination, and a call to join the march to the place of execution follows appropriately from this. Such ‘self-denial’ is on a different level altogether from giving up chocolates for Lent. It is not the denial of something to the self, but the denial of the self itself. –R.T. France,

Good one!

[B]elieving in something doesn’t make it true. Hoping that something is true doesn’t make it true. The existence of God is not subjective. He either exists or he doesn’t. It’s not a matter of opinion. You can have your own opinions. But you can’t have your own facts.

Yum!

This recipe is delish! I couldn't keep my hands of these yummers! They are exactly what they claim to be! Thick & Chewy! Yum!
(I did not follow the tinfoil bit)

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position.
Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.