spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Feb 19

Who Is Watching?

by Brenda Poulos

Luke 14:27- “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

It seems that at every turn lately, I hear of a friend or family member who is facing health, financial, or relationship difficulties. The death of a spouse, disrespectful children, disappointments at work.

Each one of us has a cross to bear. And Christians and non-Christians alike are watching to see how we are going to handle our problems.

When we find our strength in the Lord, we are an encouragement to others.

And, we discover our joy in following Christ.

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Feb 28

Googling It, Spiritual Style

by Brenda Poulos

Shorter and more concise seems to be best for most of our reading these days, so I am going to run back thru my past blog posts in the next weeks ahead, shortening them up a bit. Here’s the first one. I hope you like this shortened version.

Psalm 119:105- “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” 

I was visiting with my parents when a question about plant fertilizers came up. Dad, of course, touted the benefits of steer manure.

Mother brought up the effectiveness her own “compost.”

I suggested that we “GOOGLE IT”. After all, just about everything we need to know, is right there at our fingertips. Isn’t it?

But, what about questions of a spiritual nature? 

How should we respond to those who hurt us? What should we do with feelings of inadequacy, sadness, betrayal?

Proverbs 14:12 says, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” 

It is God’s Word that provides the answers for all of our concerns and problems.

So, whether you seek an answer to a Biblical truth or just need encouragement, try “Googling It Spiritual Style” and turn to our ultimate source, The Bible.

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Mar 29

Shine!

by Brenda Poulos

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Matthew 5: 14-16. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

 

God is light.

In HIM there is no darkness at all.

When we become a child of God, we bear witness to that light. We also become heirs to that light through Jesus Christ.

At this difficult time for all of us on this planet, it’s more important than ever to let our light shine before men.

That can mean serving in our communities, praying for people in all countries and giving our time and resources.

There are millions of people that need our prayers, our words of encouragement.

Because of technology, we are able to stay in our homes and still connect with others around the world.

Being proactive may bring a harvest of souls to Christ as we have never known before.

May our prayers be many and our lights shine brightly!

 

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Feb 23

Is Your Heart Troubled?

by Brenda Poulos

 

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                                          John 14:1a- “Let not your hearts be troubled…”

 

One of the talk shows I watch regularly ends with this encouragement from the scriptures: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” 

The need for solace and peace is abundantly clear as each day’s news is presented and analyzed.

Couple that with our own personal problems and no wonder more people suffer from anxiety.

A mound of bills to pay, family relationships falling apart, health issues.

So how do we find true peace in these uncertain times?

First, rely on the Holy Spirit to bring us peace…the deep peace within that knows God is in control; not the peace that we feel we can create ourselves because that peace doesn’t last.

Second, rely on the encouragement of the scriptures and other believers. Renew our thoughts and minds, speaking the words aloud in moments of apprehension.

Thirdly, pray right away when the need arises. And keep praying throughout the day. Pour out your fears to Jesus. Lay your burdens at his feet. And, once you feel your anxieties lift, resist the desire to take them back up again and worry about them. 

Claim victory over them in the name of Jesus Christ.

 

 

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Feb 9

Hiding God’s Word in Our Hearts

by Brenda Poulos

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Psalm 119:11- Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

 

The Bible says scripture is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Each page is filled with eternal truth and wisdom. So what is the value of memorizing God’s Word?

1- The deeper we know God, the deeper we know his will for us.

2-The Word has power! If you are fighting against a specific sin, hiding God’s Word in your heart will help you overcome temptation.

3-Keeping Scripture at the forefront of our minds helps us receive spiritual transformation from Almighty God.

4-Having God’s Word fresh in our minds, will help us avoid temptation.

5-The Word will bring us hope and greater communion with God.

6-Scriptures help us understand the heart and desires of God.

7- When we memorize Scripture, we can readily share the salvation message with unbelievers and help them understand their sin and need for a Savior.

8-The Bible is a book of tremendous wisdom that can have an impact on every area of our lives. By memorizing Scripture we are able to have wisdom with us at all times.

9-When we have verses committed to memory, we can more easily encourage other believers in the truth.

Let’s challenge ourselves to memorize just one verse each week. Start with short verses that “speak” to us, and gradually work our way up to more challenging ones. God will honor our commitment by blessing us with a closer walk with him.

 

 

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Mar 31

Have You Heard God’s Audible Voice?

by Brenda Poulos

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Ezekiel 43:2- “I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.” 

 

From time to time, I read stories in Guideposts or Chicken Soup for the Soul. One such story I found intriguing was about a man stranded on a mountain road. 

No gas, no food, no water.

As he prayed, an audible voice gave him directions and he was able to return home, safely.

Some Christians have heard God’s audible voice, although this is rare.

More commonly, He speaks to believers through impressions and/or through his Word, the Bible.

Direction… encouragement… solace… knowledge.

It’s all there at your fingertips. 

Whatever your need… whatever your circumstance… let God speak to you through His Word. 

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Jan 27

Read the Prologue

by Brenda Poulos

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Romans 15:4– “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

 

If you are a lover of books and reading, then you know that reading the prologue is essential to the understanding of the overall story.

The prologue is a few pages at the front of the book (labeled as such) that tells what happened prior to the beginning of the book and sets up the rest of the story. 

It dawned on me that the OLD TESTAMENT is a prologue of sorts.

The books of the Old Testament follow the story of creation all the way up to the beginning of the New Testament which begins with the genealogy of Jesus. It’s the account of men such as Moses and Abraham. It recounts the struggles of the apostles and prophets. 

All of that background, including the giving of The Law and the sinful nature of man, are essential information to have in order to understand just what an amazing gift eternal life is—to help us picture what God actually did for us when He sent Jesus—and what it means when He offers His grace to us today.

While parts of the Old Testament may be more difficult to read and understand, don’t be tempted to skip this crucial step in understanding our Christian faith and realizing just how precious the Word of God—THE STORY—truly is!

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Aug 10

God Working Through You

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 128:6a – May you live to see your children’s children—

I attended a Christian conference this week and was blessed by every speaker. I basked in a lush oasis of truth and love from God during that time. It is no secret that one way Christians hear from God is through other Christians.

One of the speakers talked about the time a friend sent him the words to a song. It was the perfect one for him to hear that day. He played it over and over again, letting it minister to his parched soul until he was refreshed and overflowing with joy.

Yesterday, I talked with a friend who shared a struggle their family is currently going through regarding visitation of her baby granddaughter. My heart broke, hearing that the baby’s father and grandparents had not seen this precious one for more than three months!

How can my friend possibly be smiling—finding peace—amid struggles like that? How can she sleep at night when her days are filled with law enforcement and legal issues?

After three months of prayer, God spoke to her through His written Word. She read His promise from Psalm 128 (above). Her heart leapt for joy with the assurance that she would see her granddaughter!

Moments after reading this verse, she received a telephone call from a relative, directing her to look at a specific Facebook page. Imagine her unspeakable joy when she saw the beautiful face of her granddaughter smiling back. The child’s mother had posted the picture and God used it to fulfill His words to her grandmother, my friend.

Her granddaughter is safe and healthy. God had not only heard her prayer, but blessed the reading of His Word by supplying tangible evidence of His love.

God can use our words of encouragement, our prayers, His Word, His people—in any way and any form—to bring hope, healing, and peace to those around us.

Pray for someone today, share a scripture, remind them that we worship a God who cares.

The encouragement they need, today, just may come from God, working through you.

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