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Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Sep17

Scripture for the week of September 24, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:2-4 (NIV)

Have you ever struggled with afflicting fear of failure, fear of the future, fear of abandonment or rejection? No matter how much we try to minimize or ignore it, sometimes life difficulties can cast us into the agonizing grip of our deepest fears with seemingly no hope of finding any way out. With great joy, this Psalmist instructs us to seek or call upon the Lord; declaring that God answered him and rescued him from ALL his fears. The afflicted are invited to join the celebration of worship and to glorify the Lord with the good news that God will also answer our cry for freedom from all our fears. In 1 John 4:18 we learn that the perfect love of Jesus casts out all fear. May you know the healing, restoring power of the love of Jesus that will also free you from every fear. Selah—ponder and focus on that!

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Sep10

Scripture for the week of September 10, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:1-2 NKJV

Is there anything more beautiful than the dawning rays of sunlight breaking into a new day over majestic mountains, upon rolling ocean waves or watching from the serenity of your own back porch? But, what does the glory of the Lord rising upon us mean? The glory of the Lord in this scripture seems to mean the promise of His loving presence that drives away loneliness, the comfort of His peace that passes understanding, blessings of mercy that triumph over judgement, and the goodness of His enabling grace bestowed upon us. There are times we all need the restoring hope of light to drive out the darkness of fearful times and the unexpected circumstances afflicting our souls. What an encouraging gift we have in the promise of these scriptures that even in the darkest times our loving God promises the arising light upon us with His glorious presence, comfort and sufficient grace for each day. Thank You, Lord!

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Sep3

Scripture for the week of September 3, 2017
By JoBeth Kested

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:9 (NIV)

Have you heard the saying,”You can’t know where you are going unless you know where you came from?” God instructs us in this scripture of the importance to remember the former things; twice declaring that He alone is God and there is none like Him! It is helpful to recall the stories of faith from those that have gone before us, overcoming great trials, handicaps, poverty and wars. In the midst of our current needs and busyness, have we forgotten the answered prayers and miracles we’ve experienced or learned about in the past that can inspire our faith to trust God for our needs today? Let us remember there is no other God whose very nature is love, extends mercy, offers peace, forgives sin, heals diseases, saves the lost, wipes away all our tears and knows the number of hairs on our heads! He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, Commander of the Angel Armies and yet, is also our loving Heavenly Father. There is no other God like our God! Amen!

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Aug27
Photo Credit – JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of August 27, 2017
By JoBeth Kested

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Philippians 4:19-20 (NKJV)

Do you have difficulty believing that God really cares about any of the pressing needs you are currently facing? First of all, this verse profoundly declares that our God supplies ALL our need! But, if we are to understand that the doorway of His provision is in the glory of Jesus we may need to ask what is the glory? Biblically this often refers to the manifestation or the reality of God’s presence with us. Remember, one of the names of Jesus is Emanuel which means God with us. Therefore, there is a wealth of God’s provision for us as we grasp that Jesus is with us; our Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Friend of Sinners and our Savior. He is real, present and available to us in every circumstance today and everyday to meet ALL our needs. With renewed faith in His love for us, let us give worship, praise and glory to our Father God forever and ever. Yes, Amen!

Scripture of the a week by JoBeth Kested

Aug20

Scripture for the week of August 20, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84:11-12 (NKJV)

Have you ever wondered how to know the goodness of the Lord? This scripture declares that God will be our sunshine that dispels any encroaching darkness in our lives. And, He wants to be our shield for protection. He is also extending to us His grace for unmerited favor along with His glory to honor us when we choose to walk uprightly. But, what does it mean to walk uprightly? It means we have learned to not trust in our own strength, money, power or positions; but, that we choose to bring our sorrows, fears, insecurities and failures to Him as we walk the walk before us each and every day. Our God is the Commander of all the Angel Armies of Heaven! He is Almighty God and all powerful to bestow great blessings upon us as we put all our trust in Him today. Thank You, Lord!

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Aug13

Scripture for the week of August 13, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 (HCSB)

Have you ever been awed and captivated by the majestic beauty of the mountains? Some of us welcome the challenges of hiking and climbing mountains for the thrill of enjoying the breathtaking scenic beauty, the fresh smell of pine trees, and the enrapturing views from lofty peaks. But, sometimes we may face the treacherous slopes of life’s daunting dilemmas and mountains of difficulties that can seem impossible to climb. We need to be reminded that no matter how insurmountable our problems may be, the Lord is with us, He hears our cries and is able to lift us up higher than we ever thought we could climb on our own. Trust the Lord today to see your mountain of impossibilities as a mountain of opportunity to be overcome in the power of His might. Look up and hold out your hand to The Lord God Almighty, Who is already reaching out to you! Praise the Lord!

Scripture of the week by JoBeth Kested

Aug7

Scripture for the week of August 6, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

“The breaker goes up before them; they break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, and the Lord at their head.” Micah 2:13 (NASV)

Is there a situation in your life where you are desperately in need of a breakthrough? There are several things the Lord reveals to us about Himself in this scripture. He is the Lord of the Breakthrough! He leads and goes before us. He stands between us and our enemies in times of trouble. He is The Almighty God that can break open any gates of captivity. He’s the Lord of the Hosts of Heavenly Angel armies and is able to breakthrough any of our enemies plans against us! He is able to make the crooked places straight and make the rough places smooth on our behalf. The Lord God of all Heaven and Earth is our protector, defender and provider King and He desires for us to know Him as our God Who breaks through! Ask God to reveal Himself as the Lord of the Breakthrough from any and all hindering circumstances in your life today!

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Jul23

Scripture for the week of July 23, 2023

A man’s steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand. Psalm 37:23-24 (HCSB)

Have you ever enjoyed the craziness of a scavenger hunt where you are dependent upon finding the clues to guide where you need to go next? Sometimes, we can feel stuck in our life without a map or plan to follow and no clue of how to proceed. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we can find ourselves feeling helpless, like stumbling along in the dark with a fear of failing and falling. How encouraging it is to learn in these scriptures that we can trust that the Lord takes pleasure in establishing our steps and showing us the way we need to go. He promises that even if we stumble along the way, He is holding our hand to strengthen and protect us from the overwhelming fear of falling. Lord, establish our steps, please hold our hand and protect us as we follow you out of the dark and confusing times of our lives. Amen.

By JoBeth Kested

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Jul9
Photo Credit – JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of July 9, 2023

Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. —the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. Jeremiah 31:17,18b (NKJV)

Have you ever gazed upon the innumerable stars in the night sky in awe of the power and majesty of God? It is really easy to then feel so small and insignificant with doubts that God would care about us and our circumstances. Mighty God in this verse means Warrior, a Champion and Hero. The God who made all of creation, Warrior Lord of all the angelic armies of heaven, is also our Champion and Hero! Are you battle weary of circumstances beyond your control or blind sighted by attacks you least expected? No matter what you are facing, be encouraged and trust that the great and powerful arm of Mighty God (El-Gibbor), your Champion, your Hero, is outstretched to you and nothing is too hard for Him! There is nothing too hard for our God to protect and provide, to lead and guide us in all our circumstances. Yes, Amen!

By JoBeth Kested

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Jul5

Scripture for the week of July 2, 2023

God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)

Have you ever cried heartbreaking tears and there was no one there to wipe them away or to wrap you in a loving embrace? We all long for a world without the grief of injustice, suffering, broken hearts and tears. This scripture in Revelation is God’s promise that the dream in every heart to see the end of all death, sorrow, crying and pain will surely come. Until that day we find this comfort that our loving Heavenly Father is our safe refuge; He is always there to hold us in His everlasting arms, He holds all our tears in a bottle and writes all our sorrows in His book. (Deuteronomy 33:22, Psalm 56:8) We can now hold this hope that as we face all the trials and tribulations of this world we have peace, comfort and joy because of the resurrection life that is ours in Jesus. (John 16:33) Yes, AMEN!

 

By JoBeth Kested