Scriptures of Encouragement ~ You're Always Enough For Me

Life in a fallen world. It's tough, isn't it? Some days I feel as though I can barely breathe, but you know what? David and I have built our lives upon the Rock. Our Lord is the constant when all else crumbles around us. He is holding us close. He is in this fire with us, surrounding us with His precious Presence.

God is no respecter of persons. What He does for David and me, He will do for you. Why? Because you are His child. He loves you with an everlasting love.

Are you hurting today? Are you overwhelmed by the evil that exists in today's world? I pray that you will embrace the words of this powerful song. Get them in your knower. Ponder them. Taste and see that the Lord, He is good. Amen?


                         WHAT LOVE IS THIS
                               by Kari Jobe

    You never change, You are the God You say You are;
    When I'm afraid, You come and still my beating heart.
  You stay the same, when hope is just a distant thought,
       You take my pain, and You lead me to the cross.

       What love is this, that You gave Your life for me,
             And made a way for me to know You?
        And I confess, You're always enough for me, 
                          You're all I need.

        I look to You, I see the scars upon Your hands.
   And hold the truth that when I can't, You always can.
     I'm standing here beneath the shadow of the cross,
        I'm overwhelmed that I keep finding open arms.

       What love is this that You gave Your life for me,
             And made a way for me to know You?
         And I confess, You're always enough for me,
                         You're all I need.

Jesus, in Your suffering You were reaching - You thought of me.
Jesus, in Your suffering You were reaching - You thought of me.

         What love is this, that You gave Your life for me,
             And made a way for me to know You?
       And I confess, You're always enough for me,
                            You're all I need.

       What love is this, that You gave Your life for me,
             And made a way for me to know You?
          And I confess, You're always enough for me,
                          Always enough for me.
                          Always enough for me.*

*www.karijobe.com

"God did this so that they would seek after Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. 'For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring'" ~ Acts 17:27,28, NIV



Father, Your love astounds me. Thank You. Thank You for surrounding us with Your incredible love. We love You so much.
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page to hear Kari Jobe sing this beautiful song of worship and praise to the Lord, "What Love is This".

Scriptures of Encouragement ~ My Fortress and My Shield

I hit the fallow ground hard with the hoe. Dirt sprang up with every blow. Weeds surrendered to my hand. 

And I watered the earth with my tears. 

Unimaginable anguish gripped me.

Life has been coming at us so hard lately. Not only us, but those that we love. It feels as though everything is tumbling out of control. We have a very uncertain future. Someone we cherish tried to take their life. False, evil accusations from someone we considered a sister-in-the-Lord attacked the very core of who we are. This avalanche has consumed us within a three day stretch.

This morning, I didn't know if I could survive the enemy's assault.

As the day went on, I attacked the garden space with angry fervor. I pounded the earth with my hoe, weeping with gut-wrenching sobs. I ranted and raved about everything. About nothing. I caught myself proclaiming to no one but the spider clinging to the neighboring milkweed, "Everybody leave me alone. When I'm in this much pain I cocoon. I go into my cocoon and build up walls of safety around myself. I build a fortress all about me. So leave me ALONE!"

As sure as the sunrise, at that moment, I heard the Lord say, "Nan, I AM your fortress and your shield. It is IN Me that you live, and move, and have your being. In Me."

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies" ~ 2 Samuel 22:2-4

My fortress.
In HIM I will trust.
Indeed.

SELAH



Father, Indeed, you are a mighty fortress, a strong tower where we can run and find safety. Hide me Lord until these calamities pass us by. Shelter my precious friends and protect them from the enemy's assault too. You are so faithful and good. I trust You, Lord. Thank You for surrounding me completely with Your sweet Presence, keeping me safe, keeping me sane, and giving me hope. You are an amazing God. Praise Your Holy Name!
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page to listen to Mercy Me sing, "In You". This song will embrace you with the Presence of God. Sweet blessings to you. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.

Scriptures of Finding God ~ As A Bird In A Nest

     "Wait upon Me.
      Let your life be as a deep, quiet pool. 
Let your heart rest in My hand as a bird in a nest.
Let your eye be still. Let your hands be free.
      For then I shall fill all your vision,
      and then I shall take your hands into Mine
      and My power shall flow forth into you.

"If you would only make yourself a place apart,
yes, removed from the pressure and turmoil,
and there I will meet you. Yes, I wait for your coming.
      For I long to pour out My blessings upon you,
        and I long to give you My fullness.
        Only be still before Me.
Never let the toils and cares of the day
rob you of this sweet fellowship with Me.

"For I know what you need, and I am concerned about 
 your duties and responsibilities.
      You will find your cares vanish, 
      and your load is lightened by an unseen hand.
      I would have you bring Me your love,
      and even as you are bringing Me your love,
      I shall in turn bring to you My power,
      so that I work for you in a twofold measure.

"I will give you the power to discharge your duties with greater efficiency. I am actively engaged in working for you in ways you cannot see, to make your path clear, and to bring about things you could never accomplish, and which would otherwise absorb your energies and wear out your patience.

     "So I say again...Rest in Me. Wait upon Me.
      Come apart with Me. Seek My face. Seek My fellowship."*

 *Roberts, Frances J., "Quiet Pool," Come Away My Beloved, (Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishers, 2002), p.136-137.

 "...you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul" ~ Deuteronomy 4:29



Father, You are speaking to Your children clearly about returning to our first love. You desire intimacy with us. You desire that we come into Your Presence, longing for communion with You. Stir up a hunger and thirst within us. Feed us by Your hand. Open our eyes that we might see You in our midst working everything together for our good. Open our ears that we might hear Your sweet whispers of love, affirmation, and guidance. We love You, Lord. You are an amazing God, full of wonder, faithful in all things. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your provision and for Your mercy. You are mighty to save, the One True God. You alone, Lord, are worthy of our praise.
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Scriptures of Provision ~ Are You A Gatherer?

The sun rose with its morning glory. Reflections of pure light glistened in the dew drops resting heavy on rocky soil. The children of God stirred within their tents. I can see them rubbing their eyes, stretching their bodies, stiff from sleep. Stomachs growled with hunger. Some heard the call of the Spirit. Others murmured and complained as they faced another day in their dreadful wilderness.

"And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat'" ~ Exodus 16:14,15.

And herein begins a beautiful lesson in great love, obedience, mercy, and grace.

You see, God met the needs of His people in the wilderness with His provision of life-sustaining manna. But, in order to sustain life, the children of God had to GATHER their food every morning. If they chose to stay in their tents out of rebellion or naivete', starvation would occur. The manna had to be gathered daily - it could not be stored up for a rainy day. The manna provided was proportionate to everyone's need.

Bread from heaven.
New every morning.
Gathered daily in measurements proportionate to need.

Out of all the promises God has made to His children, two stand out in light of His lesson of the manna. First, Lamentations 3:22-24, "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I hope in Him!'" Second is 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness..."

God, El Shaddai - the All Sufficient One, life-sustainer - provided fresh manna every morning for His children. Daily. Faithfully.

El Shaddai -our All Sufficient One, life-sustainer - provides us mercy every morning so that we are not consumed. Daily. Faithfully.

God, Jehovah-jireh - the provider - sent bread from heaven every morning that was sufficient and proportionate to each of His children's needs. Daily. Faithfully.

Jehovah-jireh - our provider - sent to us His Son Jesus, the Bread From Heaven - through which sufficient grace, proportionate to our need, is given. Daily. Faithfully.

But.

If we choose to stay in our "tents" and not gather from God's provision each morning, His grace and mercy needed for our spirit's survival will lay there waiting. The Lord has promised us a sufficient amount of grace. Daily. Faithfully.

But we must gather it. We must pick up His Word and eat of His bread from heaven.

Daily.



Father God, Teach us to gather. Stir up a hunger and thirst within us that only You can satisfy. Draw us to You, woo us by Your love. Thank You for Your mercy that is new every morning. O Lord, how many times I would have been consumed had it not been for Your mercy and grace. You are an amazing God. I love You so much. Bless You Lord. You alone are worthy of our praise.
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Join with me as we pray for our brothers and sisters in Oklahoma. I'm asking the Lord to reveal His Presence there in powerful ways that many will testify of His great love and comfort.
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page. I'm featuring a young girl named Rhema. She is 7 years old and sings "Amazing Grace" like nobody's business! You will be so blessed. Please don't miss this opportunity to be reminded of God's great love. "And the children shall lead them...."

Scriptures of Encouragement ~ It Is Enough!

I spoke with a new friend last night - a Godly woman, a builder of God's Kingdom, a servant in His Church. She's broken. Tired. Overwhelmed by life's hardships. My heart ached as she shared her story, for you see, I've been there. Chances are you've been there, too. Chances are you, too, have felt abandoned. Confused. Fed up.

Elijah felt that way.

What a mighty prophet and servant of God Elijah was. I believe he was a humble man doing his best to walk in obedience to the Lord. He certainly had God's favor upon him. But.

But, enter Jezebel.

Jezebel, King Ahab's wife, spent her days killing the prophets of God. (I believe I've met her a time or two myself. Just sayin'...) Anyway, she had her eye on Elijah and set in motion a plan to kill him.

"Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them [the prophets killed by her hand] by tomorrow about this time.' And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

"But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, 'It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!'

"Then as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, suddenly an Angel touched him, and said to him, 'Arise and eat.' Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the Angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, 'Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.' So he arose, and ate and drank' and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far a Horeb [Mt. Sinai], the mountain of God" ~ 1 Kings 19:2-8.

Please look again at verse four: "It is enough! Now Lord, take my life..."

Oh my goodness. Elijah was so despondent, so tired and worn, he wanted to die. But, dear one, don't miss how God responded to His faithful servant. The Angel of the Lord came to feed him and minister to his weary soul. The tenderness of God met the needs of His child and gave Elijah the strength he needed for the journey.

I absolutely love that!

We live in a fallen world. Bad things happen to good people. Why? Because, for now, this earth is Satan's domain and his greatest desire is to destroy the child of God. But can he destroy us? No. We are sealed in the Holy Spirit. Can he make us miserable? Yes, if we slip into his trap and forget that God is with us.

Been there. Done that.

But the Lord has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us. Ever. He has promised that His grace is sufficient for whatever trial comes our way. He has promised that in our weakness, He is strong. For us. Always. Either we believe Him or not.

We must open our eyes to see the Lord in our midst. We must awaken our hearts to love Him, to rest in His precious Presence. When we rest in Him, though darkness swirls around us, our immediate darkness is but the shadow of His wing, sheltering us, protecting us, holding us near to His heart.

Yes, we are in this world, but we are not to be of this world. The One who made us lifts us up and carries us like a shepherd carries his lamb. He lifts us into His Presence far above the fray.

If we ask Him to.



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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page. The featured music video is "Worn" by Tenth Avenue North. All I can say is, "WOW!" If you are feeling overwhelmed, this song will express your heart perfectly.

Scriptures of Encouragement ~ Do Your Enemies Ride Old Nags?

I'm learning to rest in God. I mean, literally. Rest. Relax my tense shoulders and smile as I look into His face.

Rest. Not looking to the left or right. Not looking to the past or future. But rest. Rest in the moment knowing the Sovereign Lord is with me. Right then. In that moment.

I want to share an excerpt from A. J. Russell's devotional, God Calling. It's taken from May 10th.

 "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" ~ Isaiah 30:15.

"All agitation is destructive of good. All calm is constructive of good, and at the same time destructive of evil.

"When man wants evil destroyed so often he rushes to action. It is wrong. First be still and know that I am God. Then act only as I tell you. Always calm with God. Calm is trust in action. Only trust, perfect trust can keep one calm.

"Never be afraid of any circumstances or difficulties that help you to cultivate this calm. As the world, to attain, has to learn speed, you, to attain, have to learn calm. All great work for Me is done first in the individual soul of the worker."

Isn't that good?

I looked up Isaiah 30:15, and also verse 16, in The Message. I have to admit the imagery made me giggle because this interpretation paints the perfect picture of our frantic activity to fix something.

"God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: 'Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on Me - the very thing you've been unwilling to do.

"' You've said, "Nothing doing! We'll rush off on horseback!" You'll rush off, all right! Just not far enough! You've said, "We'll ride off on fast horses!" Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?'"

Don't you love that? "Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?"

The next time I want to run ahead of God I'm gonna do my best to remember this imagery. And then I'm going to stop in my tracks, look towards heaven, and say, "Okay, Lord. I'm listening. Mind if I curl up with You for awhile?"

Rest. Calm. Trust.
Only trust, perfect trust, can keep us calm.



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Scriptures of Purpose ~ Step Out of the Wilderness

I began the morning washing dishes when unexpectedly, tears filled my eyes. "Jesus. Jesus," I moaned. The tears fell in a tidal motion, ebbing and flowing with the pain of endless days of despair and disappointment. I quickly dried my hands and fell to my knees with the realization of the hardness of my heart. I could see it. My heart had become calloused from lamenting the same troubles over and over again. God was calling me to look past the struggles and see His face, hear His voice, and recognize His Presence.

I had shoved my relationship with Jesus into a nice little corner. I knew He was there, but He was kept at a safe distance. That way I didn't have to address the issues in my life. I could put on my happy-face mask on Sunday mornings and no one was any wiser to my pain. But, while on my knees, I realized that Jesus wanted so much more for me. He was calling me to Himself.

I grabbed my Bible, sensing a thirst that I had long denied. Turning to Deuteronomy 2:3, I read, "And the Lord spoke to me, saying: 'You have circled this mountain long enough; Turn northward.'" Turn northward. Step out of the wilderness. The words leaped from the holy pages. God was telling me that the wilderness I had been wandering in had a pathway that led northward towards His throne.

"What do You mean, Lord?' I asked. "How do I find my way out of this dismal place?"

"In My Presence," He answered, "in My Word, conversing with Me, singing My praise. I long to be with you, child, but you must be intentional about spending time with Me."

Sweet friend, I cannot adequately describe the joy that came over me. For the first time I realized that a daily quiet time was not about being disciplined. It has everything to do with love. Relationship. Exchange. Not a legalistic requirement. Elohim, the Creator of the Universe, wants to spend time with us.

Embracing this invitation from the Lord has changed my life. I look forward to my time with Him. I greet Him with expectation, knowing that whatever I am lacking in that moment will be provided. He is healing me, restoring me and giving me purpose.

I wish the same for you. He has been with you through the pain and confusion. Step out of the wilderness. Let Him lead you northward to His throne.



Father, Your grace really is simply amazing. Strip us of our religious ideals and open our eyes to behold Your face. Open our ears to hear You beckoning us to come. Stir up a longing within us that only You can satisfy. Thank You Lord. We love You so much.
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Scriptures of Redemption ~ Pursued by His Love

A stiff breeze buffeted her face. Despair tormented her gut. She thrust her head backwards and lifted her eyes towards heaven. A staring contest with God ensued. Stubbornness hardened her heart. Grace melted her soul.

A sunbeam broke through the darkened clouds, its focus on the saturated earth. The girl's eyes  followed the droplets of water vapor, watching as they rose along the warm shaft, drawing the water back from whence it came. She sighed with the recognition of God's persistence in her life. She sighed as she contemplated God's grace falling freely from the heavens only to return as praise from her lips. Healing tears cascaded across cheeks hot from anguished cries. Her knees buckled beneath her as she bowed before her Maker.

Such is the cycle of God's love, the love with which He pursues His children.

As you read the following lyrics, I pray you will open the eyes of your heart to witness the persistent pursuit of God's love. The words are from Tenth Avenue North's "By Your Side"...

"Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying? Let me lift up your face.
Just don't turn away.

"Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go, child? Tell me where will you run?
To where will you run?

"'Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall.
In the dead of night, whenever you call.
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you;
My hands are holding you.

"Look at these hands at my side.
They swallowed the grave on that night when I drank the world's sin,
So I could carry you in and give you life;
I want to give you life.

"'Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall.
In the dead of night, whenever you call.
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you;
My hands are holding you."

Who can fathom the love of God? Who can grasp the grace freely given at our point of need?

"Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. His going forth is prepared and certain as the dawn, and He will come to us as the [heavy] rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth" ~ Hosea 6:3, Amplified Study Bible

Oh, cherish Him, Dear One. Why are you striving and trying to earn grace? Indeed. Why am I? 

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!



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Thank you for your prayers last weekend as I spoke to the ladies of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC. We laughed and we cried as we learned to "Hide Beneath the Shadow of His Wings". This little Baptist pastor's wife basked in the anointing of God as you prayed. Thanks so much.
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page to hear Tenth Avenue North sing "By Your Side", the song whose lyrics I featured in my message. I know you'll be blessed.

Scriptures of Encouragement ~ The Shadow of His Wing

Are you needing a moment of refreshment today? Well, my goodness, I'm about to spoon-feed you a delicious morsel of Truth. I've taken this straight from the message I'll be presenting in Hickory, NC Saturday morning. Open that sweet little mouth wide 'cause here it comes...

Psalm 91:1,2 reads, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."

The psalmist used three names for God in this passage: El Elyon = The Most High God, El Shaddai = Almighty God, and Elohim = The One True God. I've rewritten this passage inserting the Hebrew names of God and their corresponding meaning. All I've got to say is, "Wow!"

Are you ready? Open up wide. The Lord has a blessing for you today.

"He who dwells in the secret place of El Elyon - The Most High God - the sovereign Ruler of the universe - the One who knows everything that comes my way...if I dwell in His secret place then that means I will abide - or live - under the shadow of El Shaddai - The Almighty God - the One who holds me when I am frightened. I will live under the shadow of the One who holds me when I need comfort - the One who gives me life. I will live under His shadow because I dwell with the Most High God. And I will say of the Lord, 'You are my refuge and my fortress, Elohim - the One True God, the exalted One, the Creator of the Universe. In You will I place my trust'" ~ Psalm 91, 1,2, Nan's Version

The shadow of His Wing - the shadow of His Presence - is the secret place reserved for you, His child.



Father, thank You, thank You for Who You are. Thank You for Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace. Thank You for hiding us in the shadow of Your wing until the calamities have passed us by.  Thank You for the comforting embrace You offer when we run beneath Your wing. I ask that You refresh my precious readers by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Please show Yourself strong in their lives and open their eyes to see You in their midst. Thank You Lord. You are an awesome God.
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I'll be speaking with the ladies at Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC this Saturday. Here' their website if you want to take a peak. Please pray for me as I bring a message of God's love, "Don't Wrestle; Just Nestle". Thank you. I cherish your prayers.
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If you received Morning Glory via email, please visit the Morning Glory  page to worship with Steven Curtis Chapman as he sings, "Hiding Place". I know you will be blessed.