“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.” Genesis 28:16⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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At this time, God had told Jacob, “I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest…” (verse 15). Until this point, Jacob thought he was traveling alone, facing the future alone, and responsible for his decisions alone. It still took him years to fully embrace what the presence of God meant, but let’s bring it back to this point. Just because Jacob didn’t know that God’s presence was there, did not mean that God was absent. Just because Jacob hadn’t been thinking of God, didn’t mean that God was never there. As believers, we have the promise that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. But we might get into situations like Jacob, where events of life are piling up on us and pressures are causing us to fear in one way or another. We may get our focus entirely off God, but that does not cause Him to leave us. Even when we forget to think about God, He never forgets to think about us. His presence surrounds our every aspect of life, even when we don’t feel it. Like Jacob, maybe we need a God-reality check. How much comfort there is in believing the fact of God’s presence in our lives! And how much peace it brings in times of distress in our lives. He never leaves us or forsakes us.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #inspirational #christian #christianlife #christianliving #kjv #bibletime #devotional #foodforthought #thoughts
There are many “buts” in our life. The “buts” are generally... excuses. “I would do this, but...”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The other day, I found a very interesting “but” in God’s Word. "From the first day of the seventh month began they (Israel) to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid." (Ezra 3:6)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Israel was coming from the pagan enemy’s land to rebuild the temple by decree of King Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1-3). Almost immediately when they returned to Jerusalem, the city of the temple, they began sacrificing to God. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Nothing hindered their service to the one true God. Not even the fact that the temple was not prepared or ready!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As I read this captivating story of Israel’s return to God, I began to realize that there are many “foundations” I am placing as prerequisites for my service to God. Things that in my eyes make sense, but in reality are a just an excuse for my disobedience to God’s gentle prodding. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It can be as easy as, “Lord, if you answer this prayer, then I will...” or, “Yes, Lord, I see that I should do this, but I must wait until tomorrow,” or as far-sighted as, “Lord, I’ll do this, but it makes sense to be married first.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When we feel God’s leading, we do not need the “foundation of the temple” to be set in order before we begin. We can begin as soon as He tells us.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What “foundation” are you waiting for before giving your life, your possessions, and your time to God?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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| Originally published October 13, 2013 |⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#whatareyouwaitingfor #waiting #servegod #servegodnow #servinggod #obey #obedience #donotdelay #doitnow
#fictionfeaturefriday || OLIVIA LYNN JARMUSCH ||⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Vanessa Bennett is living in a real-life fairytale. Now that she's engaged to the man of her dreams, The Palace Staff is consumed with wedding preparation. The upcoming event is no small affair, as Vanessa is bombarded with hundreds of decisions she needs to make before the wedding date arrives. Amidst the endless details concerning dresses, decorations and napkins, a greater question looms: is Vanessa truly ready to become Queen? As tensions rise within Tarsurella, the role of joining her betrothed in governing an ever-shifting nation is no small task. Will she crack under the pressure?Meanwhile, Jane Akerly is hoping to awaken from a nightmare. Her father has been missing for months. Advised to accept the harsh reality that he may never return, Jane isn't ready to give up. She finds comfort in the one place she's always run to for escape-her daydreams. Her imagination has the power to carry her across the ocean, stroll the streets of London, and imagine that all is well. In an unexpected turn of events, Jane is given the opportunity to create the future of her dreams-but will her pen be enough to save her? The Wedding is Book #3 in The Tales of Tarsurella Series.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I’m a twenty-something author, singer, and songwriter. I enjoy crafting YA Christian fiction that is pure, lovely, inspirational, and of course, entertaining! When I’m not writing, you can usually find me playing guitar, blogging, drinking peppermint tea, connecting with new friends, planning my next trip to Disney, or pinning images of Europe and Golden Retriever Puppies.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#wedding #thetalesoftarsurella #fiction #christianfiction #womensfiction #indieauthor #indiewriter #indieauthor #tbr
