Scripture for the week of June 25, 2023

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalm 95:3-6 (NASB)

Have you ever had your breath taken away in the beauty of an ocean sunset, stood in awe of snow capped mountains or captivated by the delicate display of wild flowers in a meadow? Elohim, the Creator God, the most masterful of all artists, reveals Himself to us in the minuscule and extravagant details of His creation. God displays His majesty in the loftiness of mountains high and ocean depths. He calls us to fear and wonder at His sovereignty in the power of storms and miraculous expressions of mercy in our lives. He draws us near to His heart in the loveliness of butterfly wings, the fragrance of a rose and the wonder at the birth of a baby. Then, wonder of all wonders we are invited to call Him Father because He loves us! Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

By JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of June 4, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:3-5 (NKJV)

Have you ever felt like you need a protector and defender or someone to help hold your head up when troubles just seem too much? And have you ever cried out for help when no one was there and you couldn’t even sleep to escape the hopeless fears? The Lord makes several wonderful promises to us in these verses; declaring His compassionate care for us when we are distraught, frail and feel abandoned. 1) He is our shield, protector and defender. 2) He is our glory; bestowing His goodness, praise and honor upon us. 3) He lifts up our head and restores our hope. 4) He hears our prayers and cries for help! 5) He grants us sleep and rest in our weariness. 6) He sustains us and provides all our needs. Rest in the assurance today and everyday that He will hear your voice and answer you from His holy hill because of His great love for you. Selah!

Scripture for the week of May 28, 2023
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”? When we remember the stories of those before us that overcame great trials, handicaps, poverty, and wars we are encouraged that we can also overcome the trials before us. Likewise, God instructs us in this scripture to remember the former things. In the midst of our current needs and busyness, have we forgotten the answered prayers and miracles we’ve experienced or learned in the past that will inspire our faith to trust God today? Twice God declares that He alone is God and there is none like Him! 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! Yet, He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords and commands the angelic armies of heaven. There is no other God like our God!

Scripture of the week for May May 21, 2023

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV)

Have you ever heard someone say, “I love you to the moon and back” in effort to express the greatness of their love? God declares the magnitude of His love for as there is no end to the height of the heavens above the earth. You may need to ask, “What does it mean to fear the Lord?” It simply means great reverence and awe for the Almighty-Omnipotent-Creator-Ruler God of the universe and to acknowledge that He is the Lord over us individually, as well. When we choose to fear the Lord and receive His gift of salvation, His lovingkindness removes the consequences of our failure to meet His standards of holiness and perfection as far from us as the east is from the west! How wonderful it is to understand that east and west never ever meet! May we choose the fear of the Lord and experience God’s extravagant love for us that is over the rainbow, beyond the moon and to the height of the heavens!

Scripture for the week of May 14, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

And the angel answered and said unto her , “…For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:35a,37-38 (NKJV)

Are you facing impossibilities and in need of miracles? What a hope filled declaration by the Angel Gabriel when he states that nothing is impossible with God! Previously, before this verse in Luke, Gabriel had told Mary she was to give birth to the son of God and she had responded, “How can this be?” As you are looking at your needs, evaluating limited possibilities or facing dead ends ahead and also asking yourself “How can this happen?” or “Is there any hope?” Remember that nothing is impossible with our God Who is able to move mountains, part the seas and open prison doors for His servants that fully put their trust in Him. Yes, Lord and Amen!

Scripture for the week of May 7, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Have you ever been blindfolded and not able to see the way to go; or without a light trying to find your way in the dark? It is challenging to trust our steps in darkness when we can’t see where we are going. It is our tendency to trust in what we can see as absolute reality and truth. In this scripture we are exhorted to focus all our hope on eternity in God’s presence that we cannot currently see. Many would say that they can not believe in a God they can’t see, yet they do not hesitate to travel in airplanes that fly upon winds they can’t see and turn on the power switches in their homes everyday using electricity that they do not see either. God reveals Himself in multitudes of ways that thrill us each and every day; twinkling stars, morning sunrise, ocean sunsets, blooming flowers, a beloved’s kiss, and a baby’s smile to name a few. The dream of “happily ever after” is in each of our hearts because “He has placed eternity in our hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Yes, Lord, we believe!

Scripture for the week of April 23, 2023
By JoBeth Kested

The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you in his love; He will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (NRSV)

Have ever had or are you currently in the midst of one of those difficult times where everything seems to be just too much, too hard, or too impossible? Sometimes the hard stuff feels so overwhelming when we are also battling the wounds of abandonment, betrayal or loneliness without any hope for help. This scripture reminds us that our God is with us as a mighty warrior, our champion El-Gibbor, that fights for us to bring victory into our seemingly impossible situations. We must remember that our Heavenly Father delights in us and rejoices over us with gladness. He longs to renew our faith and strength in the assurance of the reality of His loving presence. So, be encouraged with renewed hope and faith in God’s extravagant love for you! Be assured that the awesome Lord God Almighty is fighting for you with rejoicing songs of gladness and shouts of joy to bring you into victory! Hallelujah! Yaaay God!

Scripture for the week of April 16, 2023

By JoBeth Kested

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Psalm 34:8,10 (NKJV)

Have you ever longed for the taste of something like the first sip of coffee in the morning, your favorite piece of pie or maybe the best decadent chocolate as it melts in your mouth? There is nothing quite like that first taste that is so satisfying; that causes us to savor or cherish the moment and is often accompanied by the feelings of comfort and happiness. This verse seems to encourage us that we don’t have to struggle and fret because we can’t understand the whole Bible or to grasp all the ways of God. If we will just begin to taste a little at a time of God’s love, goodness, mercy and grace we will want to keep seeking for more and more of Him as we see the blessings of His comfort, peace and joy in every aspect of our lives. O taste and see that the Lord is good!