Posts by Dorci

Faith, Not Feelings

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I really hate those times when God feels so far away. 

I don’t always understand why it’s that way. Sometimes it might be a sin I need to confess. Sometimes I’m the one who’s been far away, too preoccupied with other things. Sometimes it might be that I just haven’t get enough sleep and I’m feeling grouchy.

And sometimes I think He just wants me to learn to trust Him even when the feelings aren’t there. 

I remember the day my dad taught me how to ride a bike down the very sidewalk in the picture. I was about six. My hands gripped the handlebars and I looked back and forth between the concrete sidewalk beneath me and the scenery in front of me while my dad held onto the back of the seat pushing me along. We did that a few times, and the next time I looked back and he was four feet behind me. 

I remember the days, too, when salvation was new, and the feelings of God’s closeness filled my heart and soul. When He was teaching me to know He’s always right there with me.

And then He began to wean me from my feelings, teaching me to trust Him even when I didn’t feel Him. 

That lesson’s taken longer than an afternoon. Seems I’m still learning it, but I am learning.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 
2 Corinthians 5:7 

I’m learning He’s always right there whether I feel Him or not. Whether I see Him working in my impossible situation or not. I’m learning He loves me even when I sin, even when I’ve stepped away, even when life gets overwhelming, and yes, even when I’m grouchy, or not feeling well, or sad, or a hundred million other possible reasons.

Not only is our Heavenly Father with us, He loves us so much He’s given His Holy Spirit to live in us. 

No matter what we’re going through, or ever will go through, if we’ve believed in Christ as our Savior, His Holy Spirit is a permanent resident inside our hearts to give us comfort, peace, wisdom, and direction, and He’ll never, ever leave us. 

So we can walk and live and follow and work and yes, ride, not by what we see or feel, but by faith, by our belief that God is who He says He is, being confident in His faithfulness and goodness, His constant presence, and His everlasting love. 

In Christ, 

 

The Fruit of our Lips

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Sunday Praise and a Prayer of Thanksgiving

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Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you.  We praise you for your sovereignty and your holiness. We praise you because you are worthy of all praise. 

Father, we always give you thanks, but during this week when we’ll stop for a day to observe all we have to be thankful for, before the turkey and the stuffing and the pie, we want to honor and bless you by thanking you for all you are and all you’ve done for us. 

For many it may be difficult to see what there is to be thankful for. Father, give us hearts that are softened toward you and willing to be thankful, even as a sacrifice to you. We pray that throughout the week you would put on our hearts all we have to be grateful for, for every good gift that’s come from you. 

Thank you for Jesus and for His sacrifice on the cross that paid for our sins, that He took the punishment that should have been ours. We are deeply and eternally thankful, Lord. 

Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit who indwells us and leads us, teaches us, comforts us, strengthens us and fills us with your peace that passes all understanding. 

Thank you for calling us your children and providing us with everything we need. Thank you for being with us at all times, never leaving or forsaking us, but constantly shining your light and joy into our lives, especially when it seems as though the world around us is falling apart.  

Thank you for your faithfulness to keep every one of your promises, like preparing a home for us with you. 

Thank you for the people you’ve placed in our lives, for their love, the spiritual fellowship we share, and the friendship we enjoy. 

Thank you for every big thing and every small thing we can sometimes overlook in the busyness of our lives. 

Thank you for the sun and moon, clouds and rain, breezes and fresh air, flowers and trees, lakes and oceans, sunrises and sunsets, and even for the pets that make us smile. 

Thank you for blessing us so abundantly. 

And Lord, thank you for prayer. Thank you for allowing us, through Jesus, to come before you with every need, every desire, every fear, every hope, and for hearing us when we do, and for answering us according to your perfect will.  

Thank you, Father. Help us to be a people who are always mindful of your blessings and overflowing with thanksgiving. 

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

 

Your Story, My Story, His Story

Posted on by Dorci

“Therefore we also,
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

I love books. While I haven’t taken nearly as much time lately to read as I’d like, I have been living out the chapters of my own book. 

We all are. 

Just like the countless stories we read in the Bible, we each have our own story. Some are more dramatic, some tragic, some adventurous, some joyful, and thankfully, all with a little comedic relief. 

All our stories look different, but all have one Author and one Finisher: Jesus. 

Long before we were born He knew the story that would be written with our lives. He knew how each chapter would unfold and what would need to take place to propel the story forward, to complete our faith, until our story was finished, our faith perfected. 

Sometimes we don’t understand what’s going on.

Why is this happening in my life, and why is it happening now? 

And sometimes we can start looking at other people’s stories, comparing ours with theirs, wishing our story had a chapter or two out of their book. 

But our God is a personal God, and our story is unique. Our Author takes into account its characters and how and what they need in order to develop, bit by bit, until fully grown. 

So while our story may be at times full of pain and questions, we never walk through it alone. Our Author walks with us. 

The choice we have is whether or not to walk with Him. To accept the story He’s given us, and even receive it with thanksgiving, knowing that He’s using it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly, to change us, grow us, and mature us until our faith is complete. 

And somehow, someway, He is making all our stories work together into one grand narrative that ultimately tell one story, His story. A story of grace and mercy, love and beauty. A story of redemption, faith, forgiveness, strength, and hope. 

A story of the gospel, lived out in our very own lives.

One day we’ll see that more fully than we ever can now. Because when the book closes on the story of our lives here, the exciting sequel begins, the likes of which the world has never seen. 

So let’s rejoice that we play a part in the grandest of stories, and that our Author and Finisher is with us and loves us to the end.

In Him,

Sunday Praise and a Prayer the Lord Will Be Glorified

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Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You. We praise Your magnificence, Your glory, Your righteousness. You and You alone are God and You hold us, with grace, in the palm of Your hand. 

You have blessed us mightily over the centuries, providing for us in countless ways, teaching us and leading us out of sin, pouring out Your Holy Spirit for revivals, saving lost souls, and letting the light of your truth shine throughout this country. 

And in many ways we have taken so much of it for granted. We have taken the glory for ourselves instead of acknowledging You, instead of thanking You for giving us wisdom, strength, and the freedom to prosper, and the victory we’ve needed, over and over, to remain free.

Instead of acknowledging that it’s You who has allowed us to remain a nation with freedoms we enjoy every day and praising and thanking you for it, we have let the freedoms You’ve given us lead us into the bondage of sin, calling evil good and good evil.  

Father, we humbly ask for your forgiveness. 

You are a God of great grace and mercy, and we know your heart’s desire is that we repent and turn to You to live rightly because You know sin hurts and destroys us. You know what we need to turn back to you, and sometimes that is suffering.

Father, may we turn to you quickly. For those who know You, may we boldly and without fear proclaim Your name, glorifying You with grateful and loving hearts that we may be salt and light to the world around us.

Please pour out your Holy Spirit for revival again, to soften hearts and open the spiritual eyes of those who are lost and those who are backslidden so they will turn to You in repentance, acknowledging and receiving You as Lord, glorifying and praising You, so we can be one nation, united, under Your grace, protection, and blessing. 

Our hope is in You.

In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen.

 

Be Still

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God of Hope

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Sunday Praise and a Prayer to Live Worthy of Our Calling

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Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you for this beautiful day you’ve made. We praise you for your holiness and righteousness.  You are the Almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are our good Father from whom all blessings flow. 

We look to you Father, to fill us again with the hope of your promises, with a steadfast faith, that we may act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with You. 

Father, as we fix our eyes on you, our supreme Hope, help us remember to “submit ourselves for Your sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by You for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is Your will, that by doing right we silence the ignorance of foolish people. That we will act as free people, not using our freedom as a covering for evil, but using it as Your bond-servants.” 1 Peter 2:13-16

Father we submit those authorities into your hands and pray that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for the salvation of each one, that they would fervently seek you and your wisdom to govern rightly.

In everything, with hope and faith, may we live worthy of the high calling you’ve placed on our lives, as children of the King.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 

In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen. 

 

The Saturday Song – Almost Home

Posted on by Dorci

I don’t have to tell you we’ve all had a rough year. And for a lot of us that’s on top of a rough decade…life…you get the idea.

And the trials of this life don’t show any signs of letting up.  

But this life is not all there is. 

For those who have chosen Christ as our Savior, this world is just a temporary place where we grow closer to the Lord, let His character replace our own, where we let the Author and Finisher of our faith mature us and prepare us for the life He has planned for us – the real life – the life after this, where we’re more alive than ever. 

Right now, we live with our eyes on that prize. We live with a hope and a steadfast faith that seeks to be about our Father’s business, loving and drawing the people He’s given us into that most sacred of relationships so they, too, can live with hope, knowing this life is only temporary, and we’re almost home. 

 

 

Almost Home
by MercyMe
 
Are you disappointed
Are you desperate for help
You know what it’s like to be tired
And only a shell of yourself
Well you start to believe
You don’t have what it takes
‘Cause it’s all you can do
Just to move much less finish the race
But don’t forget what lies ahead
 
Almost home
Brother it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild, run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home
 
Well this road will be hard
But we win in the end
Simply because of Jesus in us
It’s not if but when
So take joy in the journey
Even when it feels long
Oh find strength in each step
Knowing heaven is cheering you on
 
We are almost home
Brother it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild, run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home
Almost home
Almost home
 
I know that the cross has brought heaven to us
But make no mistake there’s still more to come
When our flesh and our bone are no longer between
Where we are right now and where we’re meant to be
When all that’s been lost has been made whole again
When these tears and this pain no longer exist
No more walking we’re running as fast as we can
Consider this our second wind
 
Almost home
Brother it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister run wild, run free
Hold up your head
Keep pressing on
We are almost home
Almost home
Almost home
We are almost home
Almost home
Almost home
We are almost home

Remain Steadfast

Posted on by Dorci

 

STEADFAST


The Lord has been putting this word on my heart lately. 

Remain steadfast. 

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 
1 Peter 5:8-9

This is Peter telling us this.

Peter, the one who told Jesus he would never deny Him – even if he had to die with Him.

Peter, one of the apostles whom Jesus took and asked him to pray the night before He was arrested, and then fell asleep.

Peter, the one who impetuously drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. 

Peter, the one who vehemently denied Christ three times. 

But all that doesn’t make him less credible; it makes him more. 

He’s saying don’t do what I did! He learned what the devil had been up to and he wanted to warn his brothers and sisters in Christ to be aware. 

To remain steadfast in the faith – steadfast in our convictions, steadfast in the truth, steadfast in our reliance upon Christ and Christ alone, now and forever. 

The devil’s ways are the same as ever. he’s looking for people who are at a weak place, who aren’t being alert and vigilant to the devil’s ways, who aren’t steadfastly trusting in the power and righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

Right now, when the world seems like a raging sea, is an opportune time for the enemy to try to discourage us, to trip us up, to question Jesus, and maybe even walk away from Him, even a step. 

But we who are in Christ can confidently “lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever…” 
Hebrews 6:18b-20

No matter what happens in this life, we don’t have to give in to fear and be tossed around in the waves of confusion. We have an anchor of hope.

We have the promises of God, all of which in Christ are yes and amen. His promises are for this life and extend all the way behind the veil that lies between this life and the next.

Our sure hope, our anchor in rough seas, is that Christ is with us now, and He will surely call us to live with Him in His home where we’ve laid up treasures beyond comprehension, and where love and peace and joy are the way of life.     

And we’re reminded of this hope every time we pray, every time we read God’s Word, and every time we enter into fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Our steadfast anchor of hope will keep us steadfast, too.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Cor 15:58