spiritualsnippets.com

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

Jun 25

When There Are No Words

by Brenda Poulos

 

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Romans 8:26- “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

 

I am a writer—at least that’s what I like to call myself.

Some stories come easy, but others take a lot of research and editing.

There are times when I find it difficult to find the exact words I am looking for.

At times when I am sad, or when something has occurred and I am so emotionally distraught that I cannot begin to express the extent of my anguish, I can ask the Holy Spirit to take over for me…to express to God such deep feelings that I find impossible to do on my own.

The Holy Spirit knows how to speak to the very heart of God. And, when he does, I experience God’s peace.

 

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Jul 3

I Know You’re Out There

by Brenda Poulos

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Psalm 91:4– “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

 

As I awoke this morning, God told me to put aside what I had already started writing for today, and to write this message TO YOU, instead:

Yesterday, you were on top of the world.

Today, everything has come crashing down all around you.

Yesterday, you had no worries…only endless possibilities.

Today, you are considering only a few options.

Yesterday, the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

Today, the skies are are overcast and there is a storm brewing.

Yesterday, you wore a smile that lit up the room.

Today, that smile has turned to tears.

I know you are out there.

You are asking God, “Why my family?”  or  “Why me?”

You are wondering what good can come of your situation…your loss of a loved one…your diagnosis…your sudden disappointing news.

You’re holding back the tears, denying the feelings of abandonment, loneliness, betrayal.

You don’t have to go it alone.

God wants to rescue you.

Pray fervently for Him to heal your relationship, your broken heart, your body.

He wants you to draw close to Him. He wants to offer you His strength, His peace, His power.

He loves you. Lean on Him.

Instead of focusing on whatever your problem is, He wants you to give it over to Him and let Him handle it.

He wants you to trust Him and the power of His mighty hand.

You are precious to Him.

He wants to pour out His love on you.

He wants to cover you with His wings.

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Mar 20

A Free Gift for You

by Brenda Poulos

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Luke 3:22- “… and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

 

From her hospital bed, Lois opens a card with a familiar picture of a white dove on the front. The very sight of it warms her heart and reminds her of the peace of God.

Jenny pulls into the parking lot of a hospice thrift shop. She notices a familiar dove symbol on the sign as she enters the building.

Bill buys his wife a new Bible for her birthday. He has her name inscribed onto the leather cover, choosing the symbol of a dove to accent the beautiful printing.

What is it about the dove that makes it a popular symbol among Christians?

Two prominent stories in the Bible involve the dove. One is about the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descending upon him as a dove.

In Genesis 8, Noah released a dove after the flood. When the bird returned to him, it had an olive leaf in its mouth, letting Noah know there was dry land nearby. Many commentaries consider this as marking the end of God’s judgment and the beginning of a new covenant with man.

What is this “new covenant?” Jesus explained at his last Passover meal that his blood would be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28). By this, he was affirming that his death and resurrection was the means by which he would bring salvation to all who would believe.

No more would the offering of animal sacrifices be required to cover their sins, a ritual that required repetition on a daily basis. Instead, Jesus would shed his perfect blood once—for all.

A free gift for all who would believe in the Son of God for the forgiveness of sins.

Not because of righteous things that we might do, but because of His great mercy.

He loved us. He gave himself for us.

That we might have eternal life.

May the Holy Spirit descend on you, like a dove, declaring to you the good news of His salvation and the truth of the gospel…

For this reason, He endured the Cross.

 

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Mar 1

What’s In the Bucket?

by Brenda Poulos

1 John 5:11b-13: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

My husband and I saw a rather intense movie this afternoon. We rode home in quiet contemplation, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

When we arrived home, he went outside to do yard work and I grabbed my shopping list and headed to the car for my weekly trip to the grocery store.

As was just about to pull away from the house, when my husband walked up to me with a bucket in his hand. “Guess what is in this bucket?” He held it out toward me. “Go ahead, look.” He smiled and gestured for me to come closer.

Hunkered down in the corner was a brown baby bunny! My heart soared and my tenseness faded away. This precious example of new life changed my countenance in an instant!

What is it about new life that lifts our spirits…give us hope?

The Bible says that we can have a new life, in Christ, when we acknowledge Him as our Savior and accept His forgiveness of our sins.

Our hearts will soar when we give up the things of the past—the sins that weigh so heavily on us—and let Jesus claim the victory over them!

Romans 6:14 says that sin will no longer have dominion over us, but instead we will have newness of life.

May the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him. (Romans 15:13)

Brenda

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