Hunter Moebius, the Black-Haired Programmer

In Psalm 103:1, David blesses the Lord. “Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name.”

He calls us to give our whole selves to worship.

(V-2) “Bless the Lord and forget not all his benefits. David lays out the benefits: (V 3-7) “He forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases He redeems our lives from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion. He satisfies our desires with good things. He works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He makes known His ways and deeds.”

"God is not annoyed by you. He is not annoyed by your worship, your questions, your prayers. He is not a Father that will give you a serpent when you have asked for bread. He is good. He delights in the intimate conversations we have with him through prayer. He is happy to see you pray—this small, delicate human means of communication to Him. It shows Him your faithfulness, your obedience, your submission, your loyalty and trust in Him and His will in your life."

this is something that was preached yesterday in my church as it relates to prayer (specifically Luke 11:2–13) and it stopped me dead in my tracks. too often, as i'm sure many of us can relate, i feel like i'm too much. too loud, too volatile, too angry, too much like a dog that doesn't understand why it bites and gnashes its teeth when afraid. too much for God.

usually this spirals even further into this type of thinking: God deserves my best. If I'm not my best, I shouldn't come to God. If I'm too much, too broken, too afraid, too much of a sinner, too bad to ever be invited into His house, then I should stay away. Because God wouldn't want me. God doesn't want me. God will never want me.

if you have ever thought like this, know that you are not alone. i'm with you, i see you, i relate to you so much that words fail to describe my feelings.

but, my friends, God is not like anyone else in our lives. He is not our past and neither does he hold that against us. He is not our past friends, relationships, future problems, criticisms. He is not our pain or our trauma or our suffering. He is a good and loving Father. that voice, the one that tells you to stay away, is not Him. it's not His divine voice. it's the enemy's. it's the voice of the one that wants to lead you further astray from the goodness of God.

when i heard this in church, i knew i needed to share it because too often, we convince ourselves—we listen to voices that are not our own or God's—and we stay away in fear that God will never want us in our imperfection. but this teaching illuminated two things for me:

I think we often (i can attest to this) use words such as "I will no longer sin" or "I will stop gossiping" or "I will no longer xyz". But I think there is a better thought. Rather than putting energy into 'sin' and putting that thought into your mind, I challenge you to change your internal monologue. Start to say "I want to be like Jesus Christ" or "I will keep close to God". That way you are focusing and putting energy on the Lord, rather than on stopping to sin. Because change starts from within, let the Lord change your internal monologue.

Jesus died for our sins, do not let them rule your life.

Taken from Prayer That Changes Everything by Stormie Omartian. God bless, Jesus loves you ✝️❤️

The clouds stretch beyond the horizon, merging seamlessly into the light of the sky. In that vast expanse, a serene blue sky unfolds ahead, offering a canvas of tranquility and hope.

Such moments in nature often stir a profound sense of connection to something greater than ourselves. The Bible captures this sentiment beautifully: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1

This verse reminds us that the natural world is a testament to God's majesty. The ever-changing sky, with its hues and patterns, speaks of His creativity and grandeur.

As we gaze upon the horizon, we're invited to reflect on the boundless nature of God's love and the promise of new beginnings. The clear blue sky ahead can symbolize clarity, peace, and the assurance of His presence in our lives.

Jesus rose from the dead! Hallelujah! If you believe in this truth, you are immensely blessed in many ways..

Romans 10.9 says,

…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 6:9 says, For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.

Jesus rose from the dead, and therefore He has defeated death.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…

Because Jesus rose from the dead, He raises us from spiritual death, and physical death too.

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 1 Corinthians 15:22-23

Because Jesus rose from the dead, He can heal the sick,  Acts 4.10 says

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing before you well.

Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have someone constantly praying for us Romans 8.34

Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.