""I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door, that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name""-Revelation 3:8 (NIV).

Jesus holds the key to that open door (v.7). He will make those who reject you, reject Him, fall...and they will acknowledge His love for you. Patiently persevere, while He protects you from the tribulation (v.9-10). He is your shield (Psalm 18:2). Believing this, throw off the weight of fear and doubt shackling you, keeping you from running to Him, distracting you, diverting your eyes from Jesus...Who will perfect your faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). The door remains open, no one can shut it. Run! 

""I am the Alpha and the Omega-the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the One who is, Who always was, and Who is still to come-the Almighty One""-Revelation 1:8 (NIV).

The Almighty One: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Trinity. There is only one God, and, He is three persons. The word trinity doesn't appear in the Bible, but the word Godhead appears three different times (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9). Further, Jesus told His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19) and John said there were three Who testify and bear record in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost (1 John 5:7-8). The Godhead is three in One. To deny the Trinity is to deny the Godhead. So, how do we explain God? God is spirit and we are to worship Him in spirit (John 4:24). Seek God, now, with all your heart, and you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13), because the Almighty One is coming soon (Revelation 22:7). Praise God!

"The Lord is good to those, who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord"-Lamentations 3:25-26 (NLT).

Our strength is built on quietness and trust (Isaiah 30:15). In a culture promoting independence and self-reliance, the Lord says to depend on Him; lean on Him; have faith in Him. You know the song..."Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name." Our strength grows, on nothing less, than through seeking, hearing, and knowing Jesus and His word (Romans 10:17). Jesus is our Rock and He will never leave you, nor forsake you  (Deuteronomy 31:6). Stand on the Solid Rock..."All other ground is sinking sand." Be still and know...God (Psalm 46:10). Nothing less!

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!  He does it…by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us”-Ephesians 3:20 (The Message).

Wildest dreams?  We do experience wants and needs which seem controlled by time, space, or money, but Paul said God has no limits.  It’s difficult to fathom limitless power.  We curb our prayer requests to fit into the limits of our knowledge of possibilities and we sell God short…way too short.  It’s not really doubt, but limited dreams.  We need to dream big and wild!  Sounds out of control, doesn’t it, to advocate asking for out of this world desires?  While we thrash around with wild out of our control dreams, He is working deeply, gently within us, and in control.  Who’s in control?  Say it again….God is in control.  So, I pray you have wild limitless dreams.  

“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken”-Psalm 62:1-2.

Waiting is hard, but being quiet while we wait is harder. Today's Scripture says waiting and being quiet are parts of the recipe for success (victory). We are impatient, like children, when we want something; especially, something we feel we have to have, something only God can provide.  Being quiet before God is a blessing.  It allows our other senses to operate.  Then we can hear that small quiet voice. We’re able to see, feel, touch, and taste that which is good. He alone is our rock. By the way, another way of saying this verse is “be still before God, and know he will not let you be shaken.”

"The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him"-Ezekiel 18:20 (NIV).

You've heard the idiom, "Every man for himself." Many times that shout is heard as the ship is sinking and it means you are in a struggle for survival...yours!  That "sinking ship" struggle is similar to what Paul mentions in Romans 7:23 of the continuous waging war within himself, between his spirit and his flesh. But the victory is ours, for we have no condemnation, we who are in Christ Jesus, who walk according to the spirit and not the flesh (8:1). Praise God!  But, there's a little known addition to that famous idiom: "And the devil take the hindmost," which means don't be concerned about the others."  On the contrary, Peter said we were to be prepared to explain our hope to others (1 Peter 3:15) and to proclaim Jesus, because we are His and He has saved us (2:9). Jesus said to love others as we have loved ourselves (Mark 12:31). What greater gift of love than to tell them Who keeps your boat afloat: the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)?

"God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it"-1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message).

God is limitless. Why should we be fearful? Why should we be discouraged? We don't know our personal limit, but He does. Your confidence should be in the knowledge that God is limitless: His patience has no limit; His love has no limit; His power has no limit; His knowledge has no limit. Time doesn't hold Him; Space doesn't hold Him. As you wade out into a new day, know Who holds the day and Who holds you. God is limitless. "Did I not command you to be strong and courageous? Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go" (Joshua 1:9).  

"The Lord's goodness surrounds us at every moment. I walk through it almost with difficulty, as through thick grass and flowers"-R. W. Barber.

Today..."this day" is a gift to be unwrapped layer by layer, deliberately searching for the blessings God has hidden within the folds. Wade into your day, walk in anticipation...don't rush the unwrapping, God wants to see your reaction, like a parent waiting for their child to unwrap their carefully designed gift. Then share your discoveries with others...Maybe they will unwrap tomorrow more slowly and deliberately. Here is your first gift for the day:

Scripture heals and soothes the heart and soul. Memorize this one, meditate on it, and recite it once a day:

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever"-Psalm 23 (ESV).

“The Lord grants wisdom!  From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity. He guards the path of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go”-Proverbs 2:6-9 (NLT).

Do you want to know which path God wants you on? Proverbs 2 says we have to walk in integrity in order to have the wisdom to know which path God wants us to be on. Through Holy Scripture He tells us how. Three words define integrity: soundness, incorruptibility, and completeness. Soundness is an unimpaired condition, incorruptibility is firm adherence to a code of moral values, and completeness is the quality or state of being undivided. These are just fancy ways of saying “right, just, and fair.”  If you are faithful to Him and champion what is right, just, and fair… you’re walking in integrity and you are on the right path.     

“It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them”-Psalm 44:3 (NIV).

It is through your weakness that God’s power is made perfect. Your weakness is something to brag about (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). God is by your side giving you strength to proclaim His message, then delivering you from the enemy (2 Timothy 4:17).  The Savior gives you strength to be victorious…through Him (Philippians 4:13). God doesn't get tired; nor does He lose interest; nor is He ever limited (Isaiah 40:28-31), upholding us with His mighty arm (40:10). Sing of His strength, His mercy, His defense and refuge, when trouble comes your way (Psalm 59:16). Don’t trust in your own strength. It is He who crushes your enemy and lifts you up (20:8).  “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). God so loves you!

 "And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character"-Ruth 3:11 (NIV).

Ruth, after losing her husband, left her people, her culture, and her homeland to go with Naomi. There was no promise of a grand future; Naomi tried multiple times to persuade her to go home (v.3,11-15). What possessed Ruth to make this choice; to say only death could separate her from Naomi (v.17)?  Boaz says, in today's Scripture, that Ruth's character was noble. She worked among the poor gathering scraps from the the fields owned by Boaz, hoping to find enough to feed Naomi and herself.  Boaz mentions that the whole town knew what Ruth was doing for Naomi. The town women would later say Ruth was better than having seven sons (4:15). Mark Twain said, "God has put something noble and good into every heart His hand created." Seek to find the noble character God placed within you; it is worth more than rubies (Proverbs 31:10).  

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord"-Psalm 113:9 (NIV).

A full hysterectomy, at age 23, left me without hope of ever celebrating a Mother's Day...as a mother. This Scripture has always brought me to my knees in wonder, thankfulness, humbleness, and praise. Why? Because God is faithful; God is good; God can do the impossible...more than you can even imagine. He settled me in my home, filled it with love and laughter, making me a mother of two precious baby girls. God made me a mother through adoption. We, also, if lead by the Spirit of God, are adopted, "the Spirit you received brought about your adoption..and by Him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself testifies...we are God's children" (Romans 8:14-16).  Thank you, Abba! 

"When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you. and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, Who sees everything, will reward you"-Matthew 6:6 (NLT).

Jesus is teaching, in today's Scripture, that there is something truly intimate about praying privately. Jesus set the example by withdrawing, by Himself, to pray (Luke 5:16). We should yearn to pour our heart out to our All Mighty Jehovah. He Who sees will reward you: Jehovah-Jireh will provide; Jehovah-Shalom will send peace; Jehovah-Tsidkenu will justify; Jehovah-Shammah will be forever near; Jehovah-Nissi will conquer every foe (C. Spurgeon). Those private precious moments with Jehovah are confidential with He who is Providential.  

"But thanks be to God, Who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing"-2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (NIV).

Oh Lord, what a blessing to be numbered in Christ's triumphal procession! We are called to love others, just as Christ loved us...to give ourselves, as He did, as..."a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2). God accepts us as a pleasing aroma and He will manifest His holiness among us in the sight of the nations (Ezekiel 20:41). Bill Black wrote the lyrics, but Louis Armstrong sings "When the Saints Go Marching In"..."We are traveling in the footsteps of those who've gone before; But we'll all be reunited (but if we stand reunited) on a new and sunlit shore (then a new world is in store)...Oh Lord, I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in." Lord, use us to spread Your love, a fragrant offering and sacrifice...from You, through You, and to You!  

“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light….Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him”-Luke 8:16, 18.

We are the lamp.  We reflect the Light shining on us, through us, and out to others. The more we shine, the brighter we become (“whoever has will be given more”).  But the reverse is true.  If we hide our light, our flame will diminish, because “what [we] think [we have] will be taken from [us].” God ignited our flame, but we have free-will to shine or not.  The Word also says God might extinguish our flame, or sadly our small flame will just burn without serving the purpose it was designed to accomplish, to become a flaming torch. Brothers and sisters, set the world on fire..for God and let it shine bright for Him.

“Although you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy”-1 Peter 1:8.

Indescribable: “that which cannot be described or surpassing description.” You rejoice, yet you can’t fully describe the depth of your joy. There are many types of love: man/woman, mother/child, friend/friend, etc. Each one can be somewhat explained (much better felt first-hand). But the love between you and God is indescribable and you haven’t even seen Him yet! It’s all the different types of love rolled up into one glorious joyous emotion surpassing description. Now, imagine your joy when you finally do see Him. Will you dance, fall on your face, cry, sing, laugh, scream like the fan of a rock star? If you can’t describe your emotions now, how can you even begin to imagine the indescribable joy you will feel when you’re finally face-to-face with your Savior? The thought makes my heart skip.

"Hannah prayed: "My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong...I rejoice because You rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God...He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor""-1 Samuel 2:2,8 (NLT).

He's the One who conquers giants, He's the One who calls out kings; He shuts the mouth of lions and tells the dead to breathe (MercyMe lyrics:"You Are I AM"). He is the One Messiah...He is I AM! Further borrowing...from a Mother Teresa quote, "A joyful heart is like a sunshine of God's love...a burning flame of God." Let you heart rejoice...a burning flame in your home, in your workplace, in your world. There is no one besides You, Lord!