OPEN YOUR HANDS and your heart to receive this day as a precious gift from Me.

YES! One of today's passages is one of my most favorite bible verses!

The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.    Zephaniah 3:17

First it addresses that God is our saviour and He's on our side. Next it mentions how deeply He loves us and cherishes us. He will calm us in our fears and He sings praises over us!

How awesomely amazing is my God!

HOLD MY HAND- AND TRUST.

I might have to make this a habit. To quote text from my daily reading and then reflect on it.

In the world, dependency is seen as immaturity. But in My kingdom, dependence on Me is a prime measure of maturity. 

Oh how true that is! We are seen as weak if we show any dependence on anything other than ourselves.

Does not God say that we are to have faith like children. So this is totally understandable that we should also be dependent on Him just like children should be. When we forget our place in this world, as God's children, we sin easily. We are not called to live a life independent but rather dependent.

LET MY LOVE STREAM THROUGH YOU, washing away fear and distrust.

The whole second paragraph really spoke to me and therefore I feel it's worth repeating...

When you walk through a day in trusting dependence on Me, My aching heart is soothed. Gently bring your attention back to Me whenever it wanders away. I look for persistence- rather than perfection- in your walk with me.

I especially love the last sentence. How refreshing it is to know that the standards I set on my walk with God are mine, not His. I often find myself striving for perfection and then giving up when I don't reach it. God just wants me to spend time with Him and ponder His word. Forgive me Father when I fall short. Help pick me up and dust me off like all the times before then set me back on Your path.

YOU ARE MY BELOVED CHILD.

God chose ME before the world was formed. He also has plans for my future that will prosper me.

My father in heaven loves me more than any love I can imagine. I'm so grateful that I am His.

I love this verse from todays picks:

A person plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps.   Proverbs 16:9

Also I saw this picture floating around facebook. I thought it was worth sharing:

LEARN TO LAUGH at yourself more freely.

Our Father delights in us, His children. He takes pleasure when we trust Him completely, when find joy & happiness, when we smile & laugh.

He asks us to take His yoke because it is much lighter and easier than our own. He wants us to enjoy life to it's fullest and His plan is the best direction we can take.  

WHEN YOU APPROACH ME in stillness and in trust, you are strengthened.

Exercise is required of us if we desire to 'see' God. Not running type of exercise but being still and waiting on Him.

It's strange because when I think of being still my mind still wants to wander. However, it's my mind that needs to focus and get exercised so that when I want/need to see God in this visible world, I can.

I AM CREATING something new in you: a bubbling spring of Joy that spills over into others' lives.

I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.

Where?

Down in my heart.

Where?

Down in my heart.

I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.

Down in my heart to stay. 

And I'm so happy. 

So very happy.

I have the joy of Jesus in my heart.

It's a worship song I used to sing as a child and it's oh so true.
My Father's joy is always close by.

I may need to look for it at times because circumstances arise and crowd my life, but it's always near and I never need to look far.

What I need to be sure of is that I never claim His joy as my own. I need to recognize that it's been a gift from Him that He intends me to share with others.

So share I will!

Praise His name for the joy He brings!!