Oct. 3 Peace because The Lord is near and He is Sufficient.

Verse of the Day:
Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

 
The Lord Is Near

Nuggets from my Scripture reading:

Jeremiah 1:5a; 8 
5a -“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own];"
8 -"Do not be afraid of them [or their hostile faces],
For I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you,” says the Lord."

Jeremiah 2:13
13 -"For My people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned (rejected) Me, the fountain of living water,
And they have carved out their own cisterns, Broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

Philippians 4: 4-8; 11b-13; 19

4 "Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

8 Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]."

 11b "...for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. 13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]"

19 "And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 75:7

7 - "But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and lifts up another."

Proverbs 24:17-18

17 -"Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles,
18 
18 -"Or the Lord will see your gloating and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from your enemy."

"Lord, thank You that I am set apart for Your purpose, that You knew me before I was formed in the womb.

Thank You that I need never to be afraid of hostile faces, for You are always near me.

Help me when the uneasiness and disquiet creep in, to immediately give it over to You. I am thankful that I can and that You want me to.

Help me to be content in plenty and in need. I have failed in the 'need' part for I have longed for the plenty in my need.

Thank You that I can do all things in Your sufficiency."

I was reminded today to face my fears, the lions that charge me, and that God wants to use the process in the 'voice' that He has given me. Here is a quote from a post I wrote Feb.2014:

"...From all that I have been reading, the raw material for your 'voice' is what has impacted you in such a way as to change you fundamentally.
As I look over my blog, I see those traumas, a heart broken by rejection, betrayal, racism, paternalism in missions, financial hardship, depression and by my own failures.
I also see that I love to do in-depth research to get a comprehensive understanding of what is flowing out of me. Perhaps that is why I like to quote from The Amplified Bible so much.

I'm not quite sure my voice can be defined right now. God is still working it out with me.
But right now, I want it to be the 'voice of truth' that nudges people to God and dispels the lies...."

"Lord, be formed in me. May my voice shout Your glory.

You are El Shaddai."