Still Blessed

In the Old Testament book of Numbers in chapter 22, we find the story of the Prophet Balaam and how he had been summoned by the king Balak to come and curse the armies of Israel. Balaam knew that was wrong but he inquired of the Lord anyway and the Lord said no! He went on the journey toward the king even though the Lord had said no. In the midst of the journey, his donkey would not go any farther because he could see the angel of the Lord and Balaam could not. See God was trying to stop him in his tracks because what he was trying to do God was not going to allow. He pressed on anyway and even tried to curse them but the Lord put the blessing for Israel in his mouth and he just COULD NOT CURSE WHAT GOD HAD ALREADY BLESSED!! When the Lord says that a person is blessed, then honey guess what? they are blessed and blessed they shall be.

Oh the enemy of our soul might try, mind you, but he won't be able to do it. The word tells us that no weapon formed against us will prosper. So we can just go on about our kingdom business knowing and trusting that God has our back and will not allow any witch, or any evil doing person to put a spell on us, to curse us or to do any wickedness to us. Our footsteps are ordered of the Lord and He has given His angels charge over us as heirs of salvation to be protected. He is causing even our enemies to be at peace with us as, He keeps us in perfect peace because we keep our minds and our hearts on Him and turned toward Him, the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Oh God is so good!!! The enemy will not be allowed, do you hear me? will no be allowed to destroy us!

The word also tells us that the devil goes about roaring like a lion seeking whom he may devour, well he may not!! devour me or you because the Lord just is not going to allow it. So don't speak evil over your situation and curse your own circumstances or situations because our God that sits on the throne is in complete and total control of our very lives and He loves us with an everlasting love as is watching  out for us. He wants to bless us, to help us, to defend us and He will keep on doing it. He isn't slack in His promises towards us! Don't be afraid of what any person can say or do against you! What God has blessed is BLESSED! 

When The Lord Sets The Table

When I was a young child and I would read the 23rd Psalm, and come upon verse 5 that reads: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. I would think now why would God set the table among enemies? Why wouldn't He just set the table among peaceful people that love me but as I got older and not only understood scripture better, but had some things happen in life that brought crystal clear understanding and clarity in this matter, I got a true revelation on this topic.

When God sets the table, He not only sets it with beauty and elegance for us but He sets it in the presence of our enemies just to show them that He will bless us, even in the midst of them trying to scheme, plot and plan against us. He wants them to see us getting blessed, to see that anointing oil that He has poured on us to touch not only us but everyone connected to us. He wants them to have to watch all the good things that He is giving to us. It is not only to bless us to to bring a life-lesson to them.

I can remember when I was really young going to visit a particular Aunt of mine that was so jealous of my mother that she truly couldn't enjoy her own life. When my mother would get a new outfit or something new for the house or even something as trivial as a new lipstick, you could literally see the anger and jealousy on her face. She would say snide and hateful comments about my mother to others and she would say spiteful little comments to my mother when we were around. I never once saw my mother retaliate against her. She never defended herself against her not even one time and I would get so angry and aggravated just watching this spectacle every time we visited them. My dad would also get agitated and would say Hazel why don't you just tell her off? My mother would say, that would only make her worse and she kept her peace.

My dad loved to give gifts more than anyone I have ever met and was always giving mother and I money or presents, giving made him happy. But, mind you, once he realized that not only did the presents and gifts make us happy but made my Aunt unhappy and jealous, he would lavish us all the more in her presence. I was like what in the world? and then it hit me this is what God does as well. He loves us and wants to give us presents and gifts and every lovely thing that He can think of and when He sees us dealing with hateful, spiteful enemies and we keep our mouths shut and suffer in silence that makes Him want to bless us, reward us and give gifts to us all the more.

This is why He sets the table in the presence of the enemies so that they can SEE the beauty and elegance and lavishness of the gifts that He pours out upon us. Isn't God awesome? He not only blesses us just because He loves us but to let the enemies know that no matter what you do to her, she is going to be blessed, because she is my child and I enjoy pouring out my goodness upon her!! So today if you have enemies that talk about you and scheme and plot and do all that they can against you, just realize that at that moment He is preparing your table! Glory to God and it is going to be piled high with beauty and elegance and blessings and joy and every good and perfect gift that the Father of Lights from above sends to you. Glory to God, He just keeps on blessing me!

Those that are well loved

Romans 8: 14-15  14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[f] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 

Oh what a wonderful truth of the word of God to know that we are not just subjects of a king but rather we are sons and daughters of the most High God, we are joint heirs with His son Jesus Christ! Wow! how then can we get depressed or fearful or worried about what tomorrow brings or what people will say or do to us? We are His very own dear children. Oh that makes my day better how about yours? 

Abba means daddy, papa which denotes relationship, love, comfort, and companionship which should make us realize that we are so loved by God that no matter what He loves us with an everlasting love. I heard Beth Moore say once that people that are loved well, love well. Some of us had great fathers and some of us had fathers that were deplorable but no matter whether our earthly fathers were good or bad our Heavenly Father is perfect. He loves us unconditionally and has a great plan for our lives and so knowing this, and experiencing this great love, we should be able to love others like He loves us.

We should be able through the power of Jesus Christ to be able to love others unconditionally. To look beyond their faults and see their needs and without judgement or prejudice show the love of God. So many songs, poems, screenplays, and books have been written about love and all of them put together could not even compare with the great love story that we read in the word of God. How God gave His only begotten son Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice and die on a cruel cross for our sins. Their is no greater love than this, the word tells us. 

So...knowing this and being so well loved, let us now love others. When the pharisees were trying to trip Jesus up by asking Him what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself. He further stated that all the law and prophets hang on these 2. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? To love God and to love people? You would think with us being so supremely loved that we in turn would be so joyfully ready to love Him and to love others but it seems like it is the hardest thing ever for us to do. Oh dear Lord please help us to show your love daily not just in thought but in deed and action. Help us to go into the highways and the hedges and compel the lost and undone to come to your table. Help us to love as you love, help us to see like you see and to hear like you hear and to speak only what we hear you say. 

Facebook and email launch

Well......I finally did it. I launched the facebook page for AWord42Day. I also set up a gmail account for the page which will also link to this blog. Later on a Twitter and Pinterest and all of those things that we do in social media these days. I just want as many outlets to share the love of Christ and be an encouragement to people. Especially the household of faith aka the Body of Christ. We all need to be encouraged, to be lifted up and helped. I sure do. I know there have been many days that I felt so beat down and so ready to just throw in the towel and I would see a cute picture or see an inspiring quote or someone would send me an email or a message or text and I would perk up and feel better.

So....this is why I write and tweet and facebook and all of the above. Not to become a famous writer or blogger or to have anything go viral and end up on a talk show. No...my sole reason is to honor God with the talents and abilities that He has placed in me to do what He has called me to do,which is to make Him known and to know Him. That's it in a nutshell. My prayer is that someone will be encouraged, lifted up, inspired, stirred to action, and spurned onward and upward by something that is written or shared on any of the social media outlets that AWord42Day is connected to.

Onward and upward to God be the glory!!!!

Priscilla Hinds
Writer/Blogger
AWord42Day

Got Regrets?

I am writing straight from my soul tonight. I spent the entire day with my mother today. She is 96 years old. I missed the entire month of April visiting with her because I just couldn't bring myself to go, I just couldn't look at her, with her little weak, frail body and listen to her ramble about things that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. I just couldn't go one more day and absorb all of the pain and bitterness and discontent that I could feel in her every single time I went to visit. I guess I sort of just checked out on her for a bit. In my heart of hearts I wanted to be there with her. Trying to job her memories of family and friends from the past. I would color with her, and watch tv, just talk for hours and some days were really good and some days were just God awful! But, I am her daughter, I need to be there. I need to do whatever I can to make her last days as comfortable and happy and possible.

Regret tries to rear it's ugly head sometimes when I visit her. I remember back many years when I was not a good daughter. That's the nice way of saying it I suppose. My mother and I have always had a strained relationship at best. She can blame me and I can blame her but to what avail at this point? For the most part she has absolutely no memory of me being a bad daughter. Wow, I am actually grateful for that. But, I do have all of the bad memories stored that I truly wish I could just dump on a disc and remove them from my harddrive forever but it is not to be that way. The way of the transgressor is hard. I was indeed a transgressor to say the very least. Regret is a monster, it stalks you, it lurks around every corner. Regret will make you turn up the bottle, it will make you depressed, anxious, and down right crazy if you let it and I have let it do all of those things to me and so much more over the years.

No, I don't turn up the tequila anymore, I don't pop pills anymore, I don't sleep around anymore, I don't disappear for months on end anymore, but I still carry the memories of all of those things. I am grateful to my GREAT GOD, who tells me in His word that there is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. Thank you God! This is why I shout and praise and worship and run and dance before the Lord because He has done great and mighty things for me. He has been my only friend and companion many times, He has pulled me out of a pit, just to watch me jump right back in again as if oblivious to the outcome! He has pursued me as I walked in some mighty mighty dark places in my life. He never gave up on me!! My family did. My friends did. I even did. But my God never ever gave up on me! Hallelujah to God!! I am a living testimony to the faithfulness and the love of our great God!

Regrets? I have many. But, His love and forgiveness far far outweigh any bondages of self-loathing or pity or regrets that I have. He is good, that is all. He is merciful. His mercies are new every morning and trust me, I need them. I wait for them to finish baking in that great oven in the sky, I need my mercies people. I am not a nice person without God. I am reckless, I am crazy and I am selfish and downright mean without Him and I know this about myself. I need Him. You all might not need Him like I do but I am here to tell you, I NEED HIM, I NEED HIM!! I seek Him every day, every minute. I am talking to Him, yes outloud and folks think I am crazy and look at me like I have lost my mind. I don't care. I have to get His map, I have to have that divine connection so that I don't make wrong turns and say wrong things and end up in a ditch. Is there anyone else out there like me? Is there anyone else out there that has to have the Holy Spirit of God riding shotgun 24/7?

I haven't written anything in a while and tonight I was just so overwhelmed with so many emotions when I left my mom to come back home that I just had to write it all out, if it is too RAW for anyone, I surely do hate it and my apologies to ya but it is real and it is honest and I just know it will help someone that might be feeling some of the same things. Regret will eat you up if you let it, don't let it happen. Don't allow the enemy of your soul to pull you to the side and talk to you, tell him to shut up, he is a liar and has been since the beginning. Rebuke him and send him on his way. God is your buckler and your shield. He is the only one that will stick with you all the way to the very end. Lean on Him, He will see you through.

Re-Reading His Love Letters

 
When I was in High School I had a boyfriend and we would write each other letters and although we didn't get to see each other as often as either of us would have liked, we had letters to read. We would read and re-read the letters because we wanted to remember every single word, every promise stated, every bit of information that the other had offered. I had those letters in order of date received with my OCD self and kept them safely put away so no one could harm them. I cherished those letters because they were from someone that I admired and loved.

Likewise,when I read God's word, I want to read and re-read it because I love the one that authored it,and I know that He loves me. I want to seek out those promises because I know that He is not a man that He would ever lie to me and so therefore I know that those promises are true. I commit them to memory because I need them to be in the forefront of my mind when I need to remember them or to state them to anyone that also needs to be reminded of them or when I am fighting a spiritual battle and need to use them as ammunition against the enemy of my soul.

The Bible is the story of God, and how much He loved us, is loving us and will continue to love us. Each book, each chapter, each story, each verse is all wrapped up in essence to express that love in some way. Through exhortation, correction, inspiration, information, which creates wisdom and helps to fortify our spirits. It helps us to grow in our love walk and to get farther down this road that leads to that Heavenly realm where our mansion awaits.

I don't like to make new year's resolutions but I will say that this year I am going to more intently search the scriptures for wisdom and understanding to bring more and more clarity on this walk with God. I am starting a Prayer Journaling group to help do just that. Through writing out scriptures, reading and meditating on His word coupled with prayer, I expect to see God's hand move in my life, in the lives of my family members, and friends, in this nation, in my neighborhood, in my state and in the nations of the world. Prayer is the only thing that really moves the heart and hand of God. Prayers prayed in faith believing that God is not only listening but acting on our behalf.

This new year I pray that we all draw closer to Him and as He promised, He will draw closer to us.

When fretful thoughts keep you awake

For the last several days I have just been on a cleaning frenzy. I really don't know why or understand what has been my pressing need to clean and organize and do, do, do but I have felt almost an urgency to get all of these things done. I actually wore myself out for 3 days in a row just cleaning and straightening, and adjusting and organizing as if I were expecting that some super OCD fairy was coming with her white gloves to inspect my living space.

I did all of my clothing laundry one day and cooked and straightened and organized and felt like I just wasn't doing enough. I don't know why I felt that way but I did. No matter how much I got done, every single time that I sat down I would see all that still needed to be done or actually things that I wanted to get done instead of seeing all that I had already accomplished. The next day I laundered all of the bed linens and bath mats, and kitchen rugs and so forth and swept and mopped and vacuumed and organized some more and still I really didn't feel like I had gotten as much done in my day as I should have. I just couldn't seem to allow myself to feel a sense of accomplishment and when I finally did lie down to go to sleep, I had a million thoughts bombarding me of things that I need to get done. I need to do this and that and I really need to get that finished and I really should have, this that and the other so much in fact that I was up at 3:45 am realizing that I had only slept like 20 minutes and was wide awake. So, I talked to the Lord and finally drifted off to sleep and was up again just a little while later and once again up and down and prayed and asleep.

After I got up this morning I began to think more on purpose about why have I been feeling this way for the last few days? Why have I felt like I just had to do this or that and felt pressed as if I don't have enough time in my day to get all of these things done. I finally figured out that although I don't have a husband here with me to expect certain chores to be done or a hot meal on the table at a certain time and although I no longer have my kids in my home with me to cook for and launder clothing for or any of those things, I still feel a pressing need to be busy all of the time. I feel like I am purposely giving myself busy work to keep from dealing with something and sure enough I remembered that I had dreamed something and had woken up with a knowing that I have had something bothering me for a while and it is something that needs to be dealt with and although it might not be well received I am going to have to have a conversation about this uncomfortable thing that has been bothering me, causing me to be super hyper and feel the need to stay busy continually and is now showing up in my dreams.

Someone, well actually a couple of someone's hurt my feelings really badly a few years back. I never felt like I had a voice at the time to tell them how they made me feel and why. I never felt like my feelings were even considered and I have so wanted to tell them that I truly did not appreciate being dismissed as if from class. Now that I have recognized what the problem is I realize within myself that the dealing of the said problem may in and of itself cause another problem. So....do I keep running in circles like a dog chasing it's tail? or do I head on on purpose attempt to deal with the emotions and feelings that are actually much more raw than I had realized? I choose to face the problem head on, I choose to not allow this situation to keep me up at night and bother me this badly. I choose to attempt to put my feelings into words and come to some sort of understanding with the ones that hurt me.

The word tells us that the Lord is near to the broken hearted, He is never more real in our lives than when we are wounded, have our feelings hurt, when we feel unnecessary or even an after thought in people's lives. He is with us, His name in and off itself means God with us and that He is God with us, He is for us and He loves us inexplicably and completely and His love is enough. His love has been enough for such a very long time. Emmanuel God with us. I am so grateful and humbled by the fact that He is with me. Every day, through every trial, every hurt, every tiny detail of my life, He is there. No matter who leaves, He is there. No matter what happens, He is still there. He is the peace that passes all understanding. I expect to sleep tonight knowing that I am in good hands and He is the way maker, and has called us to be instruments of His peace. I will lie down in peace and safety knowing that He is my Shepherd and He cares for me. I will cast my cares upon Him and go into a peaceful and sound sleep. No more fretting, no more overachieving, no more running around doing this or that and no more condemnation when I feel like I am not enough, or I am too much or I haven't done enough or maybe I have done too much. I will know tonight when I lie down that He is all I will ever need and He is the fixer of problems. He is the Rewarder of those that diligently seek Him and I have been seeking Him my whole life in one way or another. I have found Him and He truly is the lover of my soul and I know that He is working all things out for my good. No more anxious thoughts, not tonight, I will sleep and arise refreshed in the morning.