Tag Archive | Compassion

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of December 1, 2024
By JoBeth Kested

 

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

Have you ever wondered how to find God’s will? What if the three things listed in this verse were the keys to releasing and experiencing God’s will for you? In the many tests, trials and difficult situations we face each day, what if we would choose to rejoice in the Lords’s overcoming power instead of worrying? What if we would then choose to pray in faith instead of yielding to fear? And, what if we would choose to give thanks for the opportunity to see God demonstrate His abundant provision for us instead of grumbling and complaining? In Matthew 19:26 Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” By His grace, choose to rejoice, pray and give thanks in everything today to set your feet on the path of God’s will concerning you. Thank You, Lord.

If You Know And Do It Anyway

Repentance is for Everyone. Check yourself today. Put it under the blood of Yeshua. Walk upright before ADONAI with clean hands and a pure heart.

Two Keys: Know the Word of God, Repentance

 

Blessings and Shalom in Yeshua. Love Beyond Measure, Beth Auman

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of November 17, 2024
By JoBeth Kested

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord… Jeremiah 29:11-14a (NKJV)

Have you ever felt like you messed up so bad that you are beyond forgiveness and undeserving of God’s love? Sometimes it feels like God is playing Hide and Seek and not to be found. But, these verses assure us that God is listening and really does hear our prayers when we cry out to Him. Listening implies that He is waiting and anticipating to hear our voice so He can reveal Himself and the good plans He has prepared for us. Though it may be hard to fathom, the truth is, God harbors no thoughts of evil against us. He is always thinking of how to show us His plans for our future that includes renewing our dashed hopes and bestowing His peace that passes our understanding. Be encouraged in this promise to you today, that you will find the Lord when you pray and seek Him with all your heart. Praise the Lord!

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of November 10, 2024
By JoBeth Kested

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

Have you ever struggled to find enough faith to guide you in the midst of gripping fearful circumstances? In such times, it is important to remember that submitting to fear instead of believing in faith is a choice. Let’s take a look at this scripture with the word fear in place of the word faith and see how it would read. “Now fear is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” How much easier it is to see the foolishness of wasting our time and energy by wallowing in the quicksand of fear that anticipates and expects things we can’t even see yet and have no power to change. We can choose to have faith in our all powerful Heavenly Father that creates worlds out of nothing, is able to move mountains, make rivers in the desert, and brings resurrection life from the dead! Instead of yielding to fear, let’s put our faith in Almighty God that can create things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Yes, Lord!

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of November 3, 2024
By JoBeth Kested

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:30-32 (NKJV)

Are you frustrated with your imperfections, disappointed in the imperfect people in your life, or weary of this imperfect world? What a huge comfort to discover the realization that the ways of our God are perfect and to know with assurance that His Word has proven to be perfect, too. He is the protector and defender of all who put their trust in Him. He alone is the Almighty God above all gods and majestic Lord above all lords. There is nothing in this world more sure, more solid, and more dependable than our God; The Rock. Our loving, compassionate and merciful God lifts us out of our pity puddles of discouragement, renews our strength and even makes our crooked rough roads into perfect paths of peace. Thank You, Lord!

An Olive Becoming Oil by Conny Hubbard

The idea of writing as oil has come to me. Last night it flowed, you might say. Can anyone relate? And at what stage of crushing might you be? Maybe the better question is, Who am I becoming?

An Olive becoming Oil

I am an olive, no, wait, that’s not right. I need to begin by saying, “I was an olive” but now I am oil. Of course, oil cannot be produced from just one olive but it takes many. We were many and we went through a painful process of crushing. I still shudder when I think about it. I don’t wish it on my worst enemy but I also wouldn’t want to go back to the way I was before. I was alone, hard and somewhat bitter, hanging on a tree branch, a place that had become quite comfortable for me.

When the harvester’s hands reached for me, I hung on with all my might and resisted.

“I shall not be moved,” I sang on top of my lungs, believing that I was firm in my faith and that I needed to defend myself against these forces that sought to dislodge me from my cozy place of comfort.

But I didn’t succeed in my attempt at self-preservation. I was plucked mercilessly and thrown into a huge basket with too many others. It got dark and uncomfortable really quick and I resented it. I had no idea at the time that this was only the beginning of a crushing that I had not invited nor welcomed. Indeed, these challenges I was facing now were like a death.

Together with the others we were ground into a paste. Yes, you heard right. Ground into a paste! All the layers of our individuality were stripped away until we were laid bare and revealed the core essence of our being. At the time I had no idea what the essence of my being was. I just felt raw and exposed and feared that no one would ever see me for who I really was – an olive. At least that had been my identity. I had already lost my place in the sun and now I was losing my identity, too. It was so confusing. I was sure I was losing my mind.

“Who am I?” was the big question. I learned that fighting against this was of no use. I had no choice but to yield. There was quite a bit of murmuring and complaining going on in that pile of ground paste. We were definitely too close for comfort. It was messy. Our lives got entangled and intertwined. All the things that had worked for me in the past no longer worked. In the olive grove I had enjoyed the gentle breeze of the wind. I was cared for and protected from anything that could harm me. I felt important and knew that my purpose was to grow and be productive. But at the height of my growth I was suddenly thrown into this process that didn’t make sense. I longed for the presence of the wind that often delighted me with sweet songs. Instead I had to endure the cold and hardness of the stone that mercilessly crushed me and the others.

When I didn’t think it could get any worse we were pressed even further. Then we were spread out onto large fiber disks that were piled onto each other. At this point I lost consciousness and I was told later that the pressure that was put on us was so strong that oil and water seeped out of us. Furthermore, we had to flow through a filter to leave any impurities behind and what remained was a clear yellowish oily liquid.

The workers who did all this to us talked among each other and I overheard some phrases that made me wonder. I heard things like pure, desirable and valuable. I had no idea that I had carried droplets of oil within me all along. It took all this work to extract the oil but now that I was no longer a single olive but a part of oil I felt something had shifted within me. A new identity had emerged and with it came a clearer understanding of purpose.

Becoming oil had been tough but now united with many others we discovered a new purpose. Together we would be used for all kinds of wonderful things, such as

cooking, lighting, perfuming, anointing, beautifying skin, in the making of soaps and in healing wounds. We were even referred to as “liquid gold” and as “the great healer.”

Some of us were dispatched one day to assist a Samaritan man who came upon a man who had been beaten by robbers. It was a good thing he had us with him that day because he poured us into the man’s wounds so we could do our healing thing. Wine was also present that day. They were used to cleanse the wounds. Wine had to go through a similar crushing and they also had a story to tell. We were not in competition but each one did what was needed that day. For us, the oil, it felt so good to bring soothing to these wounds.

You might have noticed that I don’t refer to myself as a lone olive anymore. It has become a thing that we do together and not one olive can boast in it. I am part of a greater substance and in losing my single solitary life I have found a life that is much richer and more fulfilling than I could have ever dreamed of.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 The Message Bible

We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives.

By Conny Hubbard

October 2024

The photo below was taken by my sister Lydia in Mallorca. It’s a very old olive tree. What do you see?

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

 

Scripture for the week of October 27, 2024
By JoBeth Kested

The Lord will always lead you. He will meet the needs of your soul in the dry times and give strength to your body. You will be like a garden that has enough water, like a well of water that never dries up. Isaiah 58:11 (NLV)

Have you ever marveled by the beauty of a garden after a refreshing summer rain or seen the dazzling display of a dessert in glorious bloom after a drenching thunderstorm? Sometimes we find ourselves lost in a dry desolate place; overwhelmed by the pressuring demands of our lives with no idea how to find our way back to restoring waters of life? Be encouraged by the promise of this scripture that the Lord is always with us to mercifully show us the way even when we find ourselves lost and desperate through foolish choices or by no faults of our own. God can meet all the needs of our soul (mind, will and emotions) and renews us when it looks like there is no provision in any direction. So, call upon the Lord in your day of trouble and He will deliver you (Psalms 50:15) and restore you like a well watered garden; filling you with His living water that never runs dry. Oh, hallelujah!

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of October 20, 2019

By JoBeth Kested

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered how to find peace in the midst of difficult and overwhelming situations? Peace is something money cannot buy, but I am sure there are times we would gladly pay for it if we could. Though not always easy, these two verses show us in a few simple steps God’s pathway to finding His peace. 1) Don’t waste your time worrying. 2) Talk to God about everything. 3) He wants us to bring Him all our needs. 4) Be sure to thank Him for all He does for you. Then, we are promised God’s wonderful peace that passes all our understanding! Peace protects our hearts and minds beyond our imaginations to live the life that is ours in Jesus. Prayer is just simply talking to God and it is the entry way to walking in His path of peace for you today and always. Praise God!

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested


Scripture for the week of September 29, 2024
By JoBeth Kested

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV

Have you ever wondered how to find God’s will? What if the three things listed in this verse were the keys to discovering and experiencing God’s will for us? In the many tests, trials and desperate situations we encounter each day, we all face the opportunity to choose how we will respond to life’s challenges. What if we would choose to rejoice in the Lords’s overcoming power instead of worrying? What if we would choose to pray in faith instead of yielding to fear? And, what if we would choose to give thanks for the opportunity to see God demonstrate His abundant provision for us instead of grumbling and complaining? In Matthew 19:26 Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” With His sufficient grace for today in everything that comes your way, be encouraged to rejoice, pray and give thanks that will set your feet on the path of God’s perfect will concerning you. Yes and amen!

Scripture Of The Week By JoBeth Kested

Scripture for the week of September 22, 2024
By JoBeth Kested

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

Have you ever tried to find your way in the dark without a light? In Genesis chapter one God said, “Let there be light” and He created light out of the darkness. Our verse for this week declares that God is also able to make His light shine into the darkness of our hearts. If light travels at the speed of 186,000 miles a second, then we know that darkness has to flee that fast from every ray of light; especially in the light of His presence. His glory is the perfection, beauty and power of His extravagant love we can each find in our personal relationship with Jesus face to face. Jesus proclaimed in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (NIV) Let the light of Jesus’ love for you shine into any encroaching darkness and through you as you follow Him. Yes, amen!