Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

Oh how I love words.  They have such power.  We all know that they can be used for evil or good.  And We all know the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword."  What a gift God gave us in words!   Spoken words have power.  But words we read are just as powerful. The Lord always, without fail, leads me to just the right word that I need for whatever situation I face. His Scripture holds the most powerful of all words, as it is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword." (see Hebrews 4:12)  The Bible is alive.  It's words contain past and future events, words of comfort and healing, words of truth and light, words of wisdom - it's all in there! There is a reason why the Bible is the best-selling book of all time.  Yet some are foolish enough to never read it!   Just recently I found a gem of a book on amazon,  Trust God's Plan  (affiliate).  In it are words of gold that the Lord knew I needed for such a time as this. It is a short read bu

You may have read in many sources (online, books, etc.) that your calling has to do with your gifts and talents.  Yes, the Lord can definitely sanctify and use our gifts and talents for His glory and purposes. But then why did God call the following people for the following tasks? Moses had a stutter, was a murderer, and was not very brave.  Yet God chose him as His mouthpiece and leader to His people.  He entrusted the Ten Commandments to Moses! Peter was ambitious, unreliable, and impetuous.  Jesus made Peter His rock on which He built His church. Isaiah was a man of unclean lips (he had a potty mouth).  God chose him to be His most important prophet to speak to Israel and foretell of Christ's identity as the Messiah! Noah struggled with getting drunk. God used him to literally save the world, and animal, population. Where in the world did we ever get the idea that God chooses "upstanding" citizens?!? It is just the opposite! God chooses the weak and foolish so that He

So I was talking with another Christian one day about the importance of hearing from God.  He was taught that he could not hear directly from God, that the only way we "hear" Him is through His Word. Yes.  Reading, knowing, and studying His Word is vital.   But why, then, did Jesus Himself tell us that His sheep know His voice ? People, including some Christians, get nervous when we say that we can hear from God.  It sounds a bit cray cray. I'm not talking about "voices" in your head, or your imagination. I am referring to the still, small voice which is not audible in the way that we hear people talking, but it is like a knowing .  It comes from His Spirit who lives inside of us.  It's not even like a whisper.  It's really hard to describe it unless you've experienced it. It's just there.  Like words in the background but very distinct and clear. God's voice is calming.  It is usually few words, not many.  And it is always filled with love,

Think you know best?  Think you can dream up a better plan than Almighty God?   I want only God's plan for my life. I don't want my way, I want His way. I don't know the way, only Jesus knows the way. Do you know how long it has taken me to reach this point?  Decades, friends, decades. So be careful because you can spend an entire life - even as a follower of Christ - seeking your own will, way, and plans.  Millions all over the world are doing just that.  How do I know?  I think the world would look completely different if we were all totally on board with God's plans.  Because His plans are good!  His plans are best!  His plans are beyond our wildest imaginations!  There would be many, many more souls won to Him. What's wrong with making plans, you may ask.  It's only wrong when done apart from God's will, without seeking Him or acknowledging Him.  If you bulldoze forward because you pride yourself that you are a "planner," I am here to promise y