More Than Enough

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” – Psalm 23:1

He gives me rest when I’m “so done.”

He gives me peace when I’m full of anxiety.

He gives me strength when I feel helpless.

He gives me direction when I’m getting off track.

He gives me His presence when I can’t get through the day alone.

He guards my heart.

He gives me countless blessings.

He fills every day of my life with His goodness and His love.

The Lord is my shepherd and

I have more than enough. 💕

Lord, thank You for always keeping watch.

For protecting me from dangers that I can’t sense.

For staying close when I start to wander.

For being the guide that I depend upon.

For providing everything that I need.

Every day.

Even when I don’t think about it, or thank you, or even acknowledge that all that I have comes through You, my Good Shepherd.

Amen.

*** NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where he told me to and added the verse. Original tutorial by an amazing artist named John Magne Lisondra

https://youtu.be/Jfn2P5sqd3Y

“Yahweh is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.” – Psalms‬ ‭23:1‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” — ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:1-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

For They Will Be Comforted

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” – Matthew‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭MSG‬‬

NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where the tutorial showed me to and added the verse. Original tutorial by 121 Art

https://youtu.be/lJ5u2eL88E4

It’s ok too hurt.

To feel the pain, or even the anger, of loss.

It’s ok to cry – to scream if you need to.

When we let ourselves feel the grief and sorrow that rips through our hearts, God will comfort us. He will embrace us and hold us close in his presence until we run out of tears, no matter how long it takes. One by one he will help us put our broken pieces back together and bring healing to our hearts.

Lord, I need to talk to you about this loss in my life. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get over this on my own. It hurts so bad. Take this pain, Lord, and help me to heal so I can begin to live again. So I can be me again. Amen

Overcoming Temptation

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” – 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve heard this verse a million times throughout my life, and loved it every time. The thought that God could give me the strength to resist peer pressure, turn away from sins that tempt me, and reject the urge for wrongdoing. It always comforted me, knowing that God would show me a way to be a better person than my natural tendencies steered me towards.

It’s funny though…I never applied it to any area of my life, other than my preconceived notion that God would only help me resist temptation when it came to righteousness.

While I had many bad habits in my younger years, I didn’t feel the need to ask God to take away the desires until I knew that I was in a place where I couldn’t resist these bad habits on my own. I would try to make positive changes and then fail. Get back on track, and get distracted. Move forward, then get sidetracked. Time and time again, temptations would win over me.

And this verse was here all along. Telling me the answer. The way out is through Christ alone. Our bad habits and temptations don’t stand a chance when we ask Him for the power to overcome them.

Dear God, I’m tired of letting this temptation rule my life. I’m ready to let it go. Lord, release me from the control this thing has over me! I know that I can’t do this alone, but you can give me the strength I need to move past this, Lord. Amen

My Helper

But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! — Psalms 54:4

My favorite Bible version for every day reading is the NLT version. For me, it’s just the version that’s the easiest read. But when I sit down to study a verse or a passage, I like to compare several different versions. Sometimes the use of one different word will inspire me and, move me, or connect with me on another level that I would have missed by just browsing through on one version alone.

This verse today is just 2 short, but powerful sentences, but I had SUCH a hard time deciding which version spoke to me the loudest! Which version do I put in ink at the top of my page? I decided to go with my standard NLT, and then add some of my other favorite versions here.

Look at all the wonderful things that this verse tells us in its various versions…

– God helps me.

– God keeps me alive.

– God keeps me going.

– God keeps me from falling.

– God takes care of me.

– God upholds my soul.

– God sustains me.

I don’t know about you, but I need ALL OF THESE THINGS! Our God is so wonderful! There’s no question on where to turn when we need help. When we can’t handle things on our own, our helper is God.

No matter what we need from Him, He’s got us!! 💕

“But I know that God helps me. The Lord is the one who keeps me going.” – Psalm‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

“You will help me, Lord God, and keep me from falling;” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

“But I know that God is the one who gives me help. My Lord takes care of me.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭EASY‬‬

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those that uphold my soul.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭JUB‬‬

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being my crutch, my refuge, my comforter, my provider, and my safety net. Let me never forget that You are the first place to turn to when I am in need! Amen

Everything Is Possible

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” — Matthew 19:26

This verse starts by saying that Jesus looked at His disciples intently.

Because He really wanted to make sure that they were getting the message.

We need Him. We need to live our lives WITH GOD. Without Him, it is impossible to have eternal life.

But He didn’t leave it at that. He went on to say that EVERYTHING is possible with God.

Everything!

Things that defy every law of nature. Things that we can’t even imagine. Everything becomes possible when God is involved. And that means that I can do the impossible when I am with God.

I can’t. But WE can.

When I feel hopeless…

When I fail…

When there are insurmountable obstacles in front of me…

I will pray:

Jesus, I know that I can’t handle this on my own. I’ve tried everything, and I can’t do this alone. Lord I know this is under your control. Lord, my God, please make the impossible possible. Amen

God of Hope

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” — ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Joy doesn’t come from our things, and peace doesn’t come from our circumstances. They come from our faith in God and the hope that He gives us.

When we trust in God as the source of our happiness, we start to overflow with an abundance of hope that we feel inside us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And what happens when we overflow? We share.

Our hope,

our joy,

our peace.

They spill out of us and reach those around us.

O God of Hope, I thank you for your Holy Spirit that fills me with joy and peace no matter what I face. When I feel like I can’t handle the situation, I choose to trust in You. The more time I spend with You, the more I am filled with Your presence and hope. And the closer I grow in relationship to You, the more I feel the joy that only You can provide flowing through me, lifting my spirits, like nothing on this earth can do. Amen

Come and Talk With Me

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “ Lord, I am coming.” — ‭Psalms‬ ‭27:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

*see note below

Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to have a friend in God? When we follow our heart, it leads us to Him. When we set aside time and pick up that Bible, we’re not just thinking about Him, we’re spending our time with Him.

Dear God, I can hear You in my heart, calling me to You. I can’t wait to hang out again, Lord. I’m on my way! Amen

NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where she told me to (and turned the book into a Bible). Original tutorial by The Art Sherpa https://youtu.be/Y4DCJ6S8clE

What Are We Working on Today?

“God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” – Romans‬ ‭8:14-15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

His Spirit LIVES in us. When we are looking for what work He wants us to do today, we don’t have to “look for a sign” somewhere else. He is in us, so sometimes His direction comes from within. We need to listen for that voice or recognize that feeling.

Dear Lord, what are we working on today?

Greater is He

“You are from God, children, and you have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – 1 John‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭TLV‬‬

What a feel-good verse!

So much inspiration packed into one passage. Let’s break down some of this positive message.

We belong to God –

We don’t belong to this world, to the people in it, or even to ourselves.

We.

Belong.

To God.

We come from Him; and everything in our lives that truly matters also comes through Him.

We have already won a victory –

With Him, we can overcome anything and anyone. He fights our battles and conquers our enemies.

His spirit lives in us!

He’s not just in our thoughts when we read the Bible or worship Him.

It’s not just a feeling in our hearts when we perform an act of kindness. His Spirit dwells in you. It is a part of us that we carry with us wherever we go.

He is greater than anything we will face!

He’s more powerful than everything that stands against us.

Everything that brings us down.

Everything that threatens to tear us apart.

Everything that feels like it has an unbreakable hold on us.

Even our own fears, sadness, and anxiety.

Our God is greater.…

And He lives in us.

And we belong to Him.

And He has already defeated our enemies.

Holy Spirit, I feel you working inside me. Help me live this day in a way that is worthy of Your presence. I am in awe of Your greatness, Your power, Your victory over it all. As I go through my day, I will share the positive energy of Your power that I carry within me. Amen

Listen to His Voice

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” — ‭‭John‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The closer we get in relationship to God, the more clearly we will hear His voice. When we learn to recognize His voice, we know where to follow Him.

And just like a shepherd, He provides and protects.

Dear Jesus, it is so comforting to know that I am not making this journey alone. You are always here to guide me. I love knowing that You are so close to me. You know everything about me – where I’ve been, and where I’m going. I will listen for Your voice and follow You, My Lord. Amen