THE 1ST OF MAY
THE CLOSER WE ARE TO GOD, THE MORE WE CAN TRUST HIM
- But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works. - Psalms 73:28
The original Hebrew word for “good” is “towb” and it means "pleasant, agreeable, appropriate." We all (or almost all) want to be happy and content, but the truth is that without being with Jesus we can only find short-lived happiness that cannot really fill the space in our hearts that we were created with. That space has been created to be occupied by the presence of God through the Holy Spirit.
Asaph, who was one of the worship leaders for King David, knew what was best for him and he found true happiness in God. He understood that in the presence of the Lord, we are in the safest and most secure place possible and that the closer we get to God, the happier we are.
We must desire to enter in the "shelter" that the Lord offers us. Prayer, praise and worship, as well as meditation on the Word of God, are the right keys that open the door to the Lord's presence. To be able to enjoy God’s glory, we need to make sure that we do not have any unconfessed sin and are totally surrendered to Him. The Holy Spirit makes His presence felt in the hearts that call on Him and passionately desire Him.
Suggested prayer: Thank You my Lord for the kindness You show in my life, day by day! By living for You I have found true happiness! There is deep joy under the shelter of Your wings. My deepest desire is to live to please You and that there will never be anything to separate me from Your presence. Praises and honor to Your holy Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 2ND OF MAY
THE POWER OF GOD PROTECTS US FOR SALVATION, THROUGH FAITH
God has already prepared everything we need in order to live the abundant lives Jesus came to give us, while we are in these physical bodies. But for the blessings to become ours, we must have faith. God has created us with free will, which means that we are not forced to receive His blessings or the help we need. Since we came to Jesus, the Holy Spirit warns us of any danger and keeps us from everything that is beyond our power to defend ourselves and our ability to endure.
As long as we want to live for the Lord and have faith in Him, the power of God keeps us safe and helps us to overcome the trials of life and the attacks of the enemy that wants to steal our salvation. The devil knows he will end up in hell forever. And in his attempt to make God suffer, Satan wants to take, as many people with him as he can.
Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord, that Your power keeps me safe so that I can keep my salvation to the end, no matter what the enemy does against me. Thank You for helping and protecting me. I am safe in Your hand and no one can pull me from there. Please help me grow in faith in You and in the desire to do Your will. Thank You for the wonderful place You have prepared for me in heaven! Praises and honor to Your holy Name Lord God, amen!
- Who (You) are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1 Peter 1:5
God has already prepared everything we need in order to live the abundant lives Jesus came to give us, while we are in these physical bodies. But for the blessings to become ours, we must have faith. God has created us with free will, which means that we are not forced to receive His blessings or the help we need. Since we came to Jesus, the Holy Spirit warns us of any danger and keeps us from everything that is beyond our power to defend ourselves and our ability to endure.
As long as we want to live for the Lord and have faith in Him, the power of God keeps us safe and helps us to overcome the trials of life and the attacks of the enemy that wants to steal our salvation. The devil knows he will end up in hell forever. And in his attempt to make God suffer, Satan wants to take, as many people with him as he can.
Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord, that Your power keeps me safe so that I can keep my salvation to the end, no matter what the enemy does against me. Thank You for helping and protecting me. I am safe in Your hand and no one can pull me from there. Please help me grow in faith in You and in the desire to do Your will. Thank You for the wonderful place You have prepared for me in heaven! Praises and honor to Your holy Name Lord God, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 3RD OF MAY
WE MAY REJOICE THAT THE TRIALS OF LIFE ARE JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE, COMPARED TO ETERNITY
- In this (Your salvation) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, You have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of Your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, - 1 Peter 1:6-7
The greatest joy for us as Christians, is that when we will leave this earth, we will spend our eternity where Jesus went to prepare a place for us! Salvation is the most powerful and certain source of joy. But no one can make it to heaven without having their faith tested through various trials!
Life with Jesus does not spare us of problems and suffering. The enemy uses every opportunity to attack us but the Lord only allows ones that we can learn from and mature spiritually. We are tested everyday so that we may find out what it is truly in our hearts. Once we know what we still need to change, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us do it. If we do not learn what the Lord wants us to learn from each test, we will have to go through the same test again and again, until we pass it. Then, from time to time, we will go through the same test, so that we will not forget it.
All of us, who pass the tests of faith, will praise, glorify, and honor Jesus when He comes on the clouds of heaven, at the rapture! The lost will be horrified and will have serious reason to fear. They will glorify the Lord too, but out of fear, not of love. But for us it will be the end of hardship and suffering and the beginning of eternal, glorious and happy life where our Lord Jesus is!
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for everything I have in You in this life, and for eternity! Please help me never forget what a wonderful place You have prepared for me for eternity and to rejoice at the thought of what will follow after my life on earth is done. I know that I must go through sorrows while still here, but Your presence in my life and the thought of how great it will be to make it to heaven, helps me to go through daily issues, without losing my faith! Thank You for everything, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 4TH OF MAY
SALVATION IS THE SOURCE OF THE GREATEST JOY!
- Whom (Jesus) having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:8-9
Father God gave us huge favor, when He sent His Holy Spirit to touch our hearts, so that we could choose to believe in Jesus Christ! Even though Peter addressed his first letter to Christians who lived as foreigners in the Anatolia area (which is now in Turkey), what he wrote is valid for us as well. Even if some of them could have been contemporaries with Jesus, the apostle knew they did not see Him, as we have not either. But we love Jesus without seeing Him, and we believe He is the Christ, the Son of God.
The joy that comes from what is prepared for us at the end of our journey on this earth, as a result of having faith in Jesus, cannot be expressed in words. It is a joy full of glory and exuberance! An unlimited joy that will last forever! This is true happiness! Let's not forget that in heaven there is nothing to steal our happiness or ever overshadow it! Glory to the Lord!
Suggested prayer: Thank You, Lord, because in Your great goodness You have chosen me to be Your child! What a wonderful hope I have in You! What a secure anchor my relationship with You is that sustains me in the storms of life! The peace and power that come from faith in You, I cannot receive from any other source. If here and now, just by thinking about heaven I can have such great joy, how much more will I rejoice throughout all eternity in Your presence! Thank You for letting me taste the joy of Your presence. Please help me live to please You so that I might enjoy Your presence, peace and joy fully in heaven! Glory, praise and honor to Your holy Name, dear Lord! Amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 5TH OF MAY
WE NEED TO GUARD OUR THOUGHTS AND TRUST IN GOD’S GRACE
- Therefore gird up the loins of Your mind, be sober, and rest Your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to You at the revelation of Jesus Christ; - 1 Peter 1:13
Why does Peter urge us to “gird up” our minds and “be sober”? Because our thoughts generate emotions and together they lead our speech, attitude, and in time influence our character.
Not every thought we have in our minds is our own. The mind is the battlefield, where the enemy and the Holy Spirit may bring thoughts. Just by seriously studying the Word of God daily, we learn to correctly identify the source of the thoughts and then know what to stop or accept.
We are used to our own thoughts, so they are not much of a surprise. The thoughts that come from the Holy Spirit build us up, encourage us, and when necessary, convict us of sin. The uneasiness that the Holy Spirit brings leads us to repentance. Any condemnation for a sin that we have sincerely repented of, comes from the evil one. Any evil, hateful thoughts and temptations to sin also come from the enemy or our carnal nature. The devil wants to destroy us, and if we are not spiritually alert and we do not pay attention to what he brings into our minds, we will pay the price.
Suggested prayer: You created me in such a wonderful way, dear Lord! If I study Your Word, the Holy Spirit reveals to me its mysteries and helps me to change by renewing my mind. Please help me to pay attention to each thought and to cast out those that come from the evil one and to replace them with the truth of Your Word. Please give me the wisdom I need to think as You like and help me to immediately ask forgiveness for every sin, so that I will not give the enemy any "open door" and that even at night time, for my mind not to be controlled by thoughts from the evil one. Thank You, Lord Jesus, because I can fully rejoice in what You have prepared for me in heaven! Amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 6TH OF MAY
WE CAN TRULY REJOICE IF WE KEEP OUR HEARTS PURE AND THANKFUL
- Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright in right standing with God]; for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart]. - Psalm 33:1 (AMP Classic Edition)
The more we choose not to compromise our right standing with God in every area of our lives, the more we are to rejoice in our Lord. By doing so, we can handle every disappointment or failure better and allow the Holy Spirit to comfort us. There is so much joy in praising God, because it is the easiest way to enter into His presence. As David said, we should bless and worship our Lord “at all times,” enjoying spending time with Him. “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psalms 34:3). If we wait to get our joy from those around us or from our circumstances, we may wait for a long time! The source of our happiness is the presence of the Holy Spirit and it is up to us to ask Him to make His presence known.
By learning to keep a grateful heart, always being ready to praise God no matter what and finding the good in every situation, we may have the abundant life that Jesus desires for us to have.
Suggested prayer: My dear Lord, please help me keep a pure heart and never compromise my right standing with You, because I cannot be righteous without Your help. Please help me never forget to praise You and keep a grateful heart towards You, too. You are so worthy of all my obedience, love and praise! I do not want to live any other way, but to praise and honor You. I am so blessed to be Your child, Thank You so very much, heavenly Father! Praises, glory and honor to Your holy Name! Amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 7TH OF MAY
LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF THE TRUTH AND IN JESUS’ LOVE
There is only one truth, Jesus Christ, and He is also, the Word of God! We cannot choose to do whatever we please, and still expect to be blessed and have God’s promises working in our lives. When we truly love Jesus and say we belong to Him, we start to like what He likes. We also walk in the light, meaning that we are not ashamed by what we think, feel, say and do, because our lives are transparent and we have pure hearts.
But if our speech does not match our actions, we cannot have true, unbroken fellowship with Jesus or with one with another. Nothing is hidden for God, He knows it all! If there is anything in one’s life that needs to change, true repentance is the key. By sincerely repenting and asking for help not to repeat it again, one can be restored from the darkness of that sin and back into Jesus’ full light! The blood of Jesus has the same power to cleanse every sin today, as it had when He shed it on the cross.
The apostle John wrote the epistle to the church, to born-again Christians, so its content is available to all of us. There is a fresh start possible for all who truly repent and are ready to follow Jesus with all their hearts, no matter their past!
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord please help me to always be true to You, to love and worship You in all I am and do. Please help me never leave Your Light, to never be fake and have constant fellowship and communication with You. Please forgive me for … (name the sin you ask forgiveness for) and help me to not repeat it. Dear Lord please help me change and become what You want me to be. Thank You Lord and praise You for ever and ever, amen.
- [So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents]. But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. - 1 John 1:6-7 (AMP Classic Edition)
There is only one truth, Jesus Christ, and He is also, the Word of God! We cannot choose to do whatever we please, and still expect to be blessed and have God’s promises working in our lives. When we truly love Jesus and say we belong to Him, we start to like what He likes. We also walk in the light, meaning that we are not ashamed by what we think, feel, say and do, because our lives are transparent and we have pure hearts.
But if our speech does not match our actions, we cannot have true, unbroken fellowship with Jesus or with one with another. Nothing is hidden for God, He knows it all! If there is anything in one’s life that needs to change, true repentance is the key. By sincerely repenting and asking for help not to repeat it again, one can be restored from the darkness of that sin and back into Jesus’ full light! The blood of Jesus has the same power to cleanse every sin today, as it had when He shed it on the cross.
The apostle John wrote the epistle to the church, to born-again Christians, so its content is available to all of us. There is a fresh start possible for all who truly repent and are ready to follow Jesus with all their hearts, no matter their past!
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord please help me to always be true to You, to love and worship You in all I am and do. Please help me never leave Your Light, to never be fake and have constant fellowship and communication with You. Please forgive me for … (name the sin you ask forgiveness for) and help me to not repeat it. Dear Lord please help me change and become what You want me to be. Thank You Lord and praise You for ever and ever, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit..
THE 8TH OF MAY
ONLY IN GOD can We FIND THE TRUE TREASURES AND JOY
- As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment. - 1 Timothy 6:17 (AMP)
So often we hear people say that if they were rich, they would be more confident, would have less problems and it would be easier for them to live for Jesus. But what is the real truth? Some rich people, that already have the money and fame, but are not born-again, have nothing left to hope for. As a result, these people are more desperate and some even commit suicide. God’s Word is always the truth on every matter and if it urges us to “not set our hopes on uncertain riches,” that means that riches are not secure and trustworthy. And that is the truth.
The only everlasting and true source of good, strength, help and all we need is God. He is the source of everything and we can access what we need by faith in Him and by living in love and obedience to our Lord. It is that simple! Our Lord “richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment” and with all we need to live right for Him. God’s main purpose for our lives is to prepare for eternity and for us to take to heaven, as many people as possible, by being a living testimony for Jesus Christ!
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord God, Thank You so very much for all You have already done to cover my needs so that I will always have more than enough! You are all that I need to make it to heaven and be productive for Your kingdom, here on earth. Please help me be sensitive to other people’s needs and live an exemplary life. Dear Lord, please help me understand the true meaning of the Scriptures, so that I may know Your will, be able to obey it and help others to come to salvation. In Jesus' Name, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 9TH OF MAY
WE CAN OVERCOME THE WORLD ONLY BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST
- For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? - 1 John 5:4-5 (AMP Classic Edition)
Everyone who is born of God overcomes the world. By faith we are victorious over the world. John recorded what Jesus said right before Gethsemane: “‘Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’” (John 16:33). Later, the apostle John learned the overcoming power of the testimony even more, as he recorded the victory of the believers in Revelation 12:11: “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Once we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, trusting and relying in this truth, there is nothing we should be afraid of. By living in obedience to the Lord, in Jesus we have our eternity secured and even if our physical bodies might be killed, in a split of a second we will be with our Lord! Our souls and spirits will never be separated from God, we never die spiritually!
Suggested prayer: Thank You dear Lord for the wonderful victory I have in You over sin and this world. In You I am more than a conqueror and I can fight daily the good fight of faith! You are my strength and my shield, there is nothing I should fear and I can live a blessed, abundant life! Because You overcame all evil, in You, I am a victor too! Please help me always be in right standing with You, so that I will never lose the victory I have in You! Praises, glory and honor to Your holy Name Lord Jesus, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 10TH OF MAY
TRUE FRIENDSHIP
When our daily lives are too full of activities and people we can easily miss out on the new experiences and opportunities that God has for us.
If we have bad relationships with people, who we cannot trust based upon their behavior, we need to seek the Lord about those relationships. He knows if we should continue or put an end to them. It is better to have just two or three close, good friends, whom we can trust and enjoy, than many bad relationships.
In a true relationship, forgiveness, grace, love and understanding come from both sides. A person may end up with too many friends if they think they need a crowd around them or they do whatever it takes to be the friend of many. Both cases lead to bad relationships. To truly be there for each friend and spend quality time with every single one, takes time, money and effort to deal with life’s headaches and heartaches. A true friend is one who never forsakes their buddy, no matter how tough a situation is, and can be closer than a brother who represents the nearest relationship.
Suggested prayer: Thank You dear Lord for the great friends You brought into my life! You gave me the spiritual siblings that I longed for and You blessed me through them, beyond measure. Please help me be a blessing to them, as they are to me. Also, please help me to keep the right relationships and not be a bad friend to anyone. Please teach me how to show them love and grace. Also, please help me to understand them when they go through hard times, so that I can be there for them. Glory and honor to Your holy Name, amen!
- The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. - Proverbs 18:24 (AMP Classic Edition)
When our daily lives are too full of activities and people we can easily miss out on the new experiences and opportunities that God has for us.
If we have bad relationships with people, who we cannot trust based upon their behavior, we need to seek the Lord about those relationships. He knows if we should continue or put an end to them. It is better to have just two or three close, good friends, whom we can trust and enjoy, than many bad relationships.
In a true relationship, forgiveness, grace, love and understanding come from both sides. A person may end up with too many friends if they think they need a crowd around them or they do whatever it takes to be the friend of many. Both cases lead to bad relationships. To truly be there for each friend and spend quality time with every single one, takes time, money and effort to deal with life’s headaches and heartaches. A true friend is one who never forsakes their buddy, no matter how tough a situation is, and can be closer than a brother who represents the nearest relationship.
Suggested prayer: Thank You dear Lord for the great friends You brought into my life! You gave me the spiritual siblings that I longed for and You blessed me through them, beyond measure. Please help me be a blessing to them, as they are to me. Also, please help me to keep the right relationships and not be a bad friend to anyone. Please teach me how to show them love and grace. Also, please help me to understand them when they go through hard times, so that I can be there for them. Glory and honor to Your holy Name, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 11TH OF MAY
JESUS IS THE SAVIOR OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM AND MAKE HIM LORD
- And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [as the] Savior of the world. Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God. - 1 John 4:14-15 (AMP Classic Edition)
The apostle John was very close to Jesus while He lived on earth. He acknowledged the Lord’s love for him and he wrote about himself as being “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John knew that God willingly sent His Son to save the world. Father God and His Son, being outside of time, as we know it, both knew the costs and the pain involved in doing so and they still did it, out of their amazing love for us.
Once we acknowledge and confess that Jesus is the Son of God, who died in our place, God makes His home and starts to live in us and we make our home and start to live in God. Isn’t that an incredible truth? What an amazing love God has for us! We have been redeemed with the highest possible price and that makes us of huge value. Our value is the life of God’s Son! How can we choose to do anything less than love Him back with all our hearts, giving it all to Him and living to please and honor Him to the end?
Suggested prayer: My beloved Lord, please help me understand how much You love and value me. Please help me love You back with all my heart, mind, will and all that I am! Because of Your love and all that You did for me, I can have an abundant, blessed life! Please help me to always make the right choice and please You in all I think, feel, say and do! Thank You with all my heart for everything You already have done and provided for me, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 12TH OF MAY
THE COMPLETION OF GOD’S LOVE IN US MAKES US CONFIDENT IN OUR SALVATION
- Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. - 1 John 4:17
As we come into union and communion with Jesus, His love grows into becoming perfect and complete in us. And when it does, we have total confidence that we may stand with assurance and boldness in front of Jesus, at the day of judgment, because we know we are saved. Perfect love gives us boldness. And because we love and abide in Jesus, we know that “as He is, so are we in this world.” What does the apostle John mean by that? He is not saying as Jesus was, while He walked on earth, John uses the present tense. By the time John wrote this, Jesus was already seated in the heavenly places at Father God’s right hand, and He will still be there, until the rapture. And Father God gave us joint seating with Jesus in the heavenly sphere (Ephesians 2:6).
We have Jesus’ righteousness by faith in Him. And because of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, love can become perfected in us; Jesus’ righteousness and love are changing us into becoming more like Him. The more we spend time in our Lord’s presence, the more His glory will change us. When we have a blessed and sweet harmony and union with Christ, we find pleasure in obeying God.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You so much for allowing me to have union and communion with You in such measure, that love may grow in me into completion! Thank You that I can be fully confident that at the day of judgment, You will call me to spend eternity with You, where You have prepared a place for me. Thank You Father God, that by grace, You gave me a joint seating with Jesus in the heavenly places and now my spirit is at Your right hand, in Jesus. What an honor and privilege! Thank You dear Lord, with all my heart! Amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 13TH OF MAY
IN LOVE there IS NO PUNISHMENT, SO THERE IS NO FEAR
- There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. - 1 John 4:18 (Berean Study Bible)
If we allow fear, anxiety and worry to fill in our brains and then our hearts, we will exhaust the capacity God created us with to be creative, dream and have the courage into stepping out of the boat of our comfort zone and be able to walk on the supernatural water.
There is no dread, fear or anxiety in love. They exclude one another. Perfect, complete love “drives out fear.” In verse 17 (for more, you may see the 12th of May devotional), we read that when love comes to perfection in us, we have complete confidence in our salvation and that makes us bolder. Punishment brings fear, but when we know that there is no punishment for us, because we have Jesus’ righteousness, it means we “reached the full maturity of love.”
It is natural to fear suffering, but because of love, we are ready to suffer for whom or what we love. When we love Jesus more than our own life, we overcome fear. We should have only one true fear and that is the holy, healthy fear of the Lord. The fear that God requires from His children is not to be afraid of Him, but to have high respect and veneration for Him. The more we love Him, the less we desire to sin; the more we want to obey and please God, the less fearful we are.
Suggested prayer: Glory and honor to Your holy Name dear Lord, for Your perfect love that continues to grow in me since I became Your child. Thank You that Your blood washed away my sin and I have Your righteousness by faith in You. Thank You for the boldness I have because of loving You and for not being a slave to fear anymore. You are my strength and my delight! In You I have it all! Please help me to always obey You and do Your will! Thank You and praise You forever and ever, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 14TH OF MAY
THERE IS JOY IN THE SAFETY WE HAVE IN OUR LORD
- Lord, You have been our dwelling place and our refuge in all generations... O satisfy us with Your loving-kindness in the morning, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. - Psalms 90:1,14
What a beautiful prayer of Moses! God is offering so much to His children. In Him we find the most secure dwelling place and refuge any time we need help, protection and shelter. But God does not force any of us to dwell in Him. We have to choose to do so.
When we have such a deep and close relationship with God, that we dwell in Him, not only visit from time to time, we can be satisfied with His loving-kindness as He gives us bright joy in the morning that can even follow a night of distress.
The original word used for “morning” means in this case “figurative of bright joy after a night of distress (poetry),” according to “Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon.” Moses actually says that if God pours out His loving-kindness over us, after we go through a hard time, that it will increase our faith and trust in God’s love and because of that we may rejoice and be glad the rest of our lives. The most stable source of joy is the firm faith in God’s love, protection and help no matter what we are going through.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, I want to dwell in You all the days of my life and never be away from You. Please help me trust You even when I cannot see Your hand at work, to know that in reality You work in my behalf all the time, turning the bad into something good for me in the long term. Trusting You is the best way to find true and stable happiness and be able to have a joyful heart while living on this earth. Thank You and praise You dear Lord for always being there for me and for satisfying me with Your loving-kindness so that I may rejoice in You and be glad! In Jesus' Name, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 15TH OF MAY
FRIENDS AND SIBLINGS
- A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. - Proverbs 17:17
Life is so much easier when we are blessed with great true friends. While our family is given to us, we get to choose our friends. But the friends that God brings into our lives are the best! A true friendship is a give-take relationship and it matters so much that both sides have integrity, love God and live for Him. When Jesus is in the midst of a friendship, that is the best one and can last for a life time.
Normally, a blood relationship, should be even closer, as siblings go through so much together as they grow up in the same family. Every family has ups and downs and goes through good and bad times, no matter how rich or poor or where they live on this earth. A real brother or sister is always there in a time of need and it seems more appropriate to ask for their help than from anyone else, as we can be the most real with them. True sibling relationships go both ways. Each one is there for the other one when needed, especially when they are God’s children, too.
Any relationship that just takes from us, especially when the other person is a “user” needs to be reconsidered. It is our responsibility to set the right boundaries and let them know what we accept and what we do not. And if they do not consider our terms, we should pray for God to show us what to do or if it is time to part ways. It is not God’s plan for us for be used by other people or have others walk all over us.
Suggested prayer: Thank You so much, dear Lord for my family and the good friends You brought in my life! My life is so much better because of them. Please help me be there for them too, when they need me and keep the right balance in our relationships. Thank You for giving me the wisdom and courage to set boundaries and be free of the bad relationships that drain me out. Thank You for showing me that I did my share with them and I know You love them more than I ever can and please help them to truly come to salvation. Thank You so much for the perfect way You direct my steps! In Jesus' Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 16TH OF MAY
GOD’S KINDNESS AND FAITHFULNESS
- Your loving-kindness and graciousness, O Lord, extend to the skies, Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; o Lord, You preserve man and beast. - Psalm 36:5-6 (AMP)
God’s loving-kindness, mercy and grace are actually His unfailing love and are as vast as the heavens. Not even the sky set the limit for God’s faithfulness. Nothing can compare to God’s character. His righteousness is as high and stable as the great mountains are. All God’s judgments are perfect, right and just and they are so profound that David has compared them with the deepest sea, or the great deep.
Everything that God does is perfect and there is nothing to add to it or subtract from what He does. As God has such love, grace and mercy for us, we should “know that we know” that He is more than able to take the best care of us. Once we understand this truth, as long as we abide in Him and He abides in us, we can live care and worry free.
Suggested prayer: Dear Father God, how amazing Your love and tender mercy is for me. Please keep me surrounded with Your love and help me to never doubt it. I can never need more love or mercy that what You already prepared for me! Your judgments are so deep and perfect, that I can trust them fully, no matter what. I can be sure that You have all that is best for me, because there is no measure for Your righteousness and You are the truth and justice itself! Glory and honor to Your holy Name! Amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 17TH OF MAY
HOW PRECIOUS IS OUR LORD’S LOVING-KINDNESS
- How precious is Your loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. - Psalm 36:7
God’s loving-kindness is priceless! There is nothing that can compare or much less to replace it. It is the kindness of the Almighty God, the One that has all power in the universe! The protection offered by God is the most perfect and desired one by all who know it. What an honor we have to be loved and protected by God.
All God’s attributes are excellent, but for us, above all, is His mercy, because it is the most beneficial and needed. We need God’s loving-kindness more than anything, because often in life, we are weak or hurt. In His mercy, God constantly provides for all His creatures, including us. Encouraged by God’s mercy, even when we are frail in our weaknesses, we may take heart in trusting the safety and defense that we find under our Lord’s wings.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, thank You so much for all the love, mercy and kindness You pour over me, every day! I am so blessed and happy to know that I can always find shelter under Your protective wings. Your shadow is always above me and covers me. You never failed my trust in You, dear Lord and You have always seen me through all the hardships, because of Your loving-kindness. Praises and glory to Your holy Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 18TH OF MAY
THE LORD GIVES to US out of THE ABUNDANCE OF HIS PLEASURES
- They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. - Psalm 36:8
Our Lord satisfies our souls with the fullness of His presence and of all that He is. The more we desire to be whole, keeping our vessel holy and live to please God, the more the Lord’s presence satisfies our souls. Because we know that in God we have it all, we may smile at all times, as the deep joy of His Holy Spirit fills our hearts. Also, the joy of salvation, that makes us aware of being part of God’s family, only has the limits we impose. And above all that, to be invited to drink from the river of God’s pleasures is beyond any imagination.
God’s pleasures are holy and pure. They are all spiritual, of the same nature of their Author. Those are the true pleasures that we should desire and long for. The more we get to taste God’s pleasures, the less we will desire to please our carnal nature. God not only has provided this river, but He gives to all of us who thirst for more of Him, to drink of it. The more we drink, the more we long to obey God. As we taste of all these enjoyments, the Holy Spirit, is refreshing our souls and making us more holy.
Suggested prayer: Dear God, You are the Author of joy and happiness. Thank You so much for creating us with the desire to become one with You, to love and serve You. In Your love and care, You taught us how to delight in Your spiritual pleasure and be filled with Your true deep joy. Please help me to keep my heart pure so that I may drink from the “river of Your pleasures” and never run empty. Thank You and praise You forever and ever, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 19TH OF MAY
TRUE LIFE AND LIGHT COME ONLY FROM GOD
- For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. Oh, continue Your loving-kindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. - Psalm 36:9-10
Where else would we find the fountain of life if not from its Creator? Our Lord is life itself and only in Jesus may we find everlasting life. This fountain is the source of God’s river of pleasures. “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), and we have all the spiritual strength and comfort that we need every day.
Our Lord is not only true life, but He is the light of the world, too. Jesus said in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” When we came to Jesus, we left the darkness and entered into His glorious light. The more we know Him, the more we see the light, know more and become wiser.
As we grow spiritually, we become more aware of our need of God’s mercy. We depend on His loving-kindness on a daily basis. As long as we live in these bodies, we have to constantly fight against the lusts of our carnal nature to keep our hearts pure and receive God’s righteousness.
Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord God, for providing me drink of Your fountain of life. My heart is full of joy as I delight in Your presence and see Your light. In You I live, I can move and have my being. It is such a relief to know that I am in Your care. Thank You for Your protection, love, mercy and for the cover of Your righteousness as long as I have a pure heart and live to please You. Glory and praises to Your holy Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 20TH OF MAY
WE CAN REJOICE EVEN IN HARDSHIPS, KNOWING THAT GOD ALWAYS HELPS US
- I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction; You have taken note of my life’s distresses. - Psalm 31:7
God’s love brings confident hope at all times, because we know He hears us, cares for us and is always there for us even when we have to pass through the deep waters or even fires of life.
There is nothing that God does not see or know about. We are tempted to judge God according to our physical limitations. But we have to remember that He has no limits and He created us as spiritual beings limited in a physical body, with a soul, while living here on earth. Why? So that we have to depend fully on Him and the help of the Holy Spirit in order to overcome our limits and be more like Jesus. God judges us correctly, as He knows all that happens to us from external factors and what is going on inside our minds and hearts while we go through tough situations. We read that “for we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin,” in Hebrews 4:15. Jesus has full compassion for us, not only because He is God and knows everything, but also because He lived in a human body.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You so very much for understanding my pains and sorrows. I choose to rejoice and be glad knowing that Your love for me is perfect and never fails. Nothing is hidden from Your eyes including my trials and my responses to them. Please help me to keep a clean heart while going through hardships and know that You will help me overcome them all. Glory and praises to Your holy Name forever, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 21st OF MAY
A PURE HEART IS A HAPPY HEART
- But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice! Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts—His name is the Lord--be in high spirits and glory before Him! - Psalms 68:3-4 (AMP Classic Edition)
In our relationship with God there are so many reasons to rejoice and be glad! As long as we are in right standing with our Lord, we are to enjoy every day that the Lord has made and our hearts are to be filled with joy that will burst into praises for our Lord. A happy heart cannot be hidden. Smiles, excitement and loving kind words will be spoken by the one with a happy heart. Contentment is seen in their face.
While being truly happy, could one be “mean or rude” at the same moment? By learning to be happier, we can obey God much easier. We love more and forgive easier, as we offer more grace to those around us. We have more compassion and understanding to those who wrong us and we get less offended. Life can be more beautiful as rivers of living water flow from our hearts. The more full we are of the Holy Spirit, the more we sing praises to our Lord’s holy Name and we rejoice exceedingly in His presence.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, I can never thank You enough for the joy You prepared for me to experience on a daily basis. Please forgive me for all the times I did not remember to praise Your holy Name and rejoice before You. In Your presence, gladness has no limits. There is where I find the only source of peace, recovery and strength. You are always ready to restore and counsel me. Please help me enjoy Your presence more often, so that the rivers of life that are in me through Your Holy Spirit, to become bigger and more powerful. I want to become what You created me to be and fulfill Your plan for my life. Thank You and praise You Lord, because all You do for me is perfect! Amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 22nd OF MAY
“FEAR NOT, FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU; I HAVE CALLED YOU BY YOUR NAME; YOU ARE MINE”
- But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.” - Isaiah 43:1
We, the Gentiles, are adopted into God’s people, through faith in Jesus Christ. This means that what God promised to the Jews in the Old Testament is true for us too. God not only loves all people, but He knows each of us by name! There is so much comfort in knowing that God’s love is personal and intimate for each of us. To call someone by name, in eastern countries, such as Israel, is a sign of a close relationship and tender love.
We should live free of fear, because God loves each of us individually. He knows everything about every single one of us, including how many hairs we have on our heads (Matthew 10:30). Jesus was actually saying that, God knows us better than we know ourselves. I for sure do not know how many hairs are on my head. Do you? But our Father does. The Creator of the whole universe loves you, calls you by name and also His own! All of us that received Jesus as Lord, are redeemed with His blood and God has set us apart for Himself.
God encourages the faithful to fear anything but trust Him as He knows all about us and is always there for us.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord thank You with all my heart for telling me that You have redeemed me, called me by name and that I am Yours. I could not ask for more! There is so much protection under the shadow of Your wings and I fear nothing, knowing that I am Yours. Thank You so much for providing for me and for never forsaking me, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 23rd OF MAY
BY LIVING IN GOD’S WILL WE HAVE SUCCESS AND GREAT BLESSINGS
- “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” - Joshua 1:7-8
God gave the best instructions to Joshua about how to live an abundant life and they are valid for us too. When we study and meditate on God’s Word, our way of thinking changes and so does our speech. Whatever we deposit in our brains, leads our thoughts processes, affects our emotions and is revealed in our speech and actions. We are way more blessed than Joshua was, as we have the whole Bible in a written form, not just the Law, as Joshua had. We also have the grace of God made available through Jesus’ sacrifice.
The more we understand God’s will from studying His Word and we live accordingly, the more successful we will be in what we do. To obey God’s will, it means to do what He likes and follow His directions. By doing so, we can spare ourselves much pain and suffering that would be caused by the failures that come from doing what it seems to be good and right but isn’t. God knows it all and following His directions is the safest, easiest and best way of living our everyday lives.
Suggested prayer: Thank You so very much dear Lord, for revealing to me Your will and directions through Your Word and by speaking into my heart. I am so thankful for all Your wisdom and wonderful advice You gave me throughout the years. I would not be who I am now, without Your help. Dear Lord, please help me continue to meditate on Your Word, be receptive to Your directions and follow them. All the good in my life is because of Your help and blessings and You are the source of all that I am and have. Praises and glory to Your holy Name, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 24TH OF MAY
FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD
- So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself). Romans 10:17 (AMP Classic Edition)
We cannot understand and believe the Word of God as being the truth and have faith in it without the revelation of the Holy Spirit. In order to be transformed by God’s Word, we have to believe it as being the truth and pray in faith upon it. This is true about receiving all we need from God, through prayer. The prayer of faith is heard by God and receives the answer. To remain in faith and not doubt, while waiting upon our Lord, we need to stand on the right Scriptures, asking the Holy Spirit to increase our faith.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, please help me study, meditate and declare Your Word, so that I may live a holy life, for Your glory. Please help me continue to tell others what Your Word says about salvation so that they may choose to follow You too. Dear Lord, please show me the right scriptures for the things I have to pray about, and reveal their truth to my heart through Your Holy Spirit, so that my faith may grow and be able to cancel any doubt. Thank You and praise You for Your holy Word, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 25TH OF MAY
WE CAN EVEN MOVE MOUNTAINS BY FAITH
- "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." - Mark 11:23-24
The mountain is a symbol of strength and stability. Jesus used this comparison because there are lots of mountains in Israel and in those days, even a simple act like traveling across them was even more of a challenge than it is today. But to have a mountain removed and cast into the sea, was something way beyond impossible. Even with all technology we have today, it is not an easy or quick thing to do.
Jesus wants us to understand how powerful faith is! We all have had situations in which we prayed and believed for something extreme and we did not receive it. Even so, we should not stop believing in God’s miracles based on our experience. On the contrary, if we continue to believe and base our faith on Bible truth, we will start see God’s miracles taking place. Looking back, I am thankful that God did not give me all that I prayed and had faith for. I would not be who I am today, if He would have. The answers to our prayers have effects in more lives than our own, because other people have wills too (and God does not force anyone to do His will), or that may be against our own benefit in the long term. The more we study God’s Word, the more we love and trust Him, the better we pray and receive better response.
Suggested prayer: Thank You dear Lord for Your power that moves any mountains from my path, by faith. Please help me have more faith in all situations and fight against all doubt and unbelief. You have never ceased to perform miracles and as long as the Holy Spirit is here on earth, I know He will continue to do miracles for us. Thank You so much for all the answers to my prayers and that You did not do all, as I asked You to do, but You did what was best for me, in the long term. In Jesus' Name, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 26TH OF MAY
GOD abounds in MERCY, PATIENCE, GOODNESS AND FAITHFULNESS
- But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. - Psalms 86:15
God has the most wonderful character and His attributes are the best possible. With our limited brains, we cannot comprehend just how big God really is. In 1 Kings 8:27 we read that “heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain” God, so to be full of compassion, it means that there is no limit to it; there is enormous grace in our Lord and He truly gives grace after grace, every day to every single one of us. Only because of God’s great longsuffering, are the earth and all upon it still in existence.
God has abundant mercy for us all. He does not punish us as we deserve, because He is full of compassion. He sees the good in every single one of us and gives us chance after chance to repent, straighten up and be right standing with Him. Once we know that something is a sin, we cannot continue doing it, without being in danger to be destroyed by it. God is the truth itself, and He keeps His word. We can count on His promises as being the truth and if we sincerely love Him, we start to hate sin.
Suggested prayer: Dear Father God, thank You so very much for the compassion and grace You pour over me every day. I am so blessed to be covered by Your love and mercy. Please help me be more obedient to You and glorify You in all that I am and do. Thank You for revealing to me Your truth and for being so patient with me. Please help me to become what You created me to be and accomplish the great plan You have for my life. In Jesus' Name, amen!
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 27TH OF MAY
BY FAITH WE PLEASE GOD
- But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6
None of us could come to Jesus, without the touch of the Holy Spirit, who convicted us of sin and gave us the faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. From there, it is up to us to continue and grow in faith. We are to believe for healing, provision, protection and all that we can receive from God.
We could not come to God unless we believed that He is and that the Bible reveals who He is. Once we find the Lord, we must continue to seek Him with all our hearts, to diligently study His Word, so that we can know and understand His will, as well as, what pleases and upsets Him. Once God finds pleasure in us, He rewards us with all kinds of heavenly and earthly blessings!
We as humans, are not pleased with those who do not appreciate us or recognize the value of what we do or treat us wrongly. Why would we expect that God, the Creator of all the universe would be pleased by those who have no faith in Him?
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord God, thank You so much for sending the Holy Spirit to convict me of sin and help me believe that Jesus is Your Son. You blessed me beyond my imagination and there is no telling what else You have in store for me. Your rewards are more precious than anything and living to please You is the only life I want to live. Thank You so much for all You have done and still do for me, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 28TH OF MAY
THE LORD BLESSES AND HEALS THOSE WHO LIVE FOR HIM
- “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.” - Exodus 23:25-26
The word translated as “serve” is “abad” in the Hebrew language and it means much more than to simply serve. It means to perform acts of worship in obedience to God, that lead to a new lifestyle, where God is one's true Lord instead of one's “self.” When Jesus is our true Lord, we live in total obedience to Him and worship Him with all we are, God promises to bless our provision and take the sickness away.
God is Lord even over infertility and miscarriage, and He promises to bless His children with long life so that they will not die prematurely. There is no sickness bigger than our Lord’s power to heal and He never said in the Bible that it is not His will to heal or that He cannot do it.
Suggested prayer: Dear Lord God, please help me to worship You with all I am and serve You with all my heart, soul and strength! You are my source and the more I love and obey You, the more You bless me. You protect my health and heal any sickness and I know that You will keep me in the palm of Your hand. Thank You so very much dear Lord, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 29TH OF MAY
GOD DOES WHAT HE PROMISES HE DOES
- For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. - 2 Corinthians 1:20
God always fulfills His promises. Like Moses records in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
The Old Testament promises are first recorded for the Jewish people, but through Jesus we are “grafted into the cultivated olive tree” becoming “partakers of the root and fatness of the olive tree” (Romans 11:17). This means that we have became God’s people too and the general promises for Israel, are true for us also.
We can believe and pray based on God’s promises, that the Holy Spirit will reveal the answer for whatever is appropriate to our situation. If we ask God for the right promise in our situation and are careful to understand that promise in context, then we find the confirmation for it in one or two other places in the Bible and, we can pray with confidence based upon the promise, believing that God will hear and answer us.
Suggested prayer: Glory and honor to Your holy Name dear Lord, for Your faithfulness and all the good promises You have for me in Your Word. Please help me understand Your will on every matter I deal with and show me the right promise You have for me for each situation. Please show me the right Scriptures to pray upon and help me build up faith in receiving what I am praying for, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 30TH OF MAY
JESUS ACCOMPLISHED ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR OUR SALVATION AND HEALING
- “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” - Isaiah 53:4-5
From “NAS Exhaustive Concordance” and “Strong's Concordance” we learn that the meaning of the words “griefs” and “sorrows,” are more complex. The word “griefs” comes from the Hebrew word “choli” and it means: grief, affliction, disease, illness, sickness, malady, anxiety, calamity. The word “sorrows” comes from the Hebrew word “makob” and it means: sorrow, pain, suffering, anguish.
So, the above verses show us that Jesus healed us of every physical, mental and emotional suffering, by the stripes upon His body, while He was beaten and crucified. We may personalize these verses, naming the specific sicknesses or pains we are fighting against. If our Lord carried our issues, then we do not have to carry them any longer. We trust that Jesus already did it and we are praying for our healing by faith until we receive it.
Suggested prayer: Praises and glory to Your holy Name Lord Jesus, for all You did for me on the cross. Thank You for healing all my sicknesses, including… (name what you need healing for). In Your stripes I am healed and made whole again. Thank You Lord Jesus that there is no sickness above Your power to heal and You already did all it takes for my healing. Dear Lord, please help me receive what You already did for me to be healthy and strong again. Please help me overcome any doubt and have strong faith in You and in Your will to heal me. In Jesus' Name, amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
THE 31st OF MAY
IN GOD’S WORD WE FIND LIFE AND HEALING
- “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” - Proverbs 4:20-22
The whole Bible is God’s Word, which reveals to us: Who our Lord is, what His will is, what pleases and what upsets Him, how to live and behave in all situations, how to cope in good and bad times, how to serve God and how to receive what we need from Him, all His promises and so much more.
King Solomon was instructing his son to listen to his words. If they were just his words, they would not bring life or health, but he was offering his son, God’s Word. We need to learn to pay attention to God’s teachings and fill our hearts with it, in order to receive the life that comes through it and get the healing that we need.
God’s Word has the power to heal and restore, but we have to focus on it and not on the sickness or its symptoms. We keep our faith to receive the healing we need by feeding our hearts and minds with God’s truth.
Suggested prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me gather Your Word into my heart and fill my mind with Your truth. Please help me to not focus on the sickness and its symptoms, to not fall into doubt, but to keep a firm faith in Your will and power to make me whole again. Sickness and pain, you have no place in me, in Jesus' Name, I am healed and made whole again. Amen.
Copyright 2019 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.