#god's will

[ae-cha08]

We can trust in God, knowing He will align our heart’s desire with His and ultimately give us His very best blessings – all in His perfect timing. 💙

[fettfleisch]

Why did you turn my wood into silk

[wiirocku]

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) - Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

[faithfullyfound]

In everything you do ask that it's God's will.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

They all know they're right.

[momentsbeforemass]

Family tree

(for someone who needs to hear this again)

Genealogy is interesting. Kind of. If it’s yours.

Somebody else’s genealogy? Not that interesting. Unless you know something about the people listed in it.

Today’s Gospel is the genealogy of Jesus. At first glance, it’s little more than a list of who was the father or mother of someone. Mostly names you’ve never seen before.

But if you start looking more closely at the people on the list, a picture emerges. But it’s not one that we would necessarily expect.

The list includes kings and priests, farmers and warriors. But it also includes murderers and adulterers, prostitutes and thieves. C.S. Lewis called it a bloodline with “both honor enough to raise the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the proudest emperor.”

God is calling you to do something. God put you here for a reason. If you’re still drawing a breath, there is something that God is calling you to do.

And God will give you everything you need to do what He’s calling you to do, if you let Him.

If you’re holding back, because you don’t think you’ve got what it takes. If you’re thinking, “I could never do that” – because of how you were raised, or the problems in your family, or your ethnicity, or where you’re from – take a look at the family tree of Jesus.

It’s a mixed mess. One that God intentionally chose to be the gene pool of His only Son.

God intentionally chose it. Not just to fulfill the prophecies about where the Messiah would come from.

But to give you and me the most personal example possible (His own Son) of what really matters. For Jesus to show us, with His life, that living fully in God’s will for our lives (think Garden of Gethsemane) is the only thing that really matters.

That no background or baggage can keep you from fulfilling God’s will for your life, if you give yourself fully to God.

Today’s Readings

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Pray Without Ceasing

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 | Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. Cross References: Psalm 34:1; Daniel 6:10; John 6:34; Ephesians 5:20; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:4

Read full chapter

What does it mean to rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16)?

[tmcphotoblog]

[aunti-christ-ine]

Happy 79th birthday, Bette Midler!

December 1, 1945

[connectingwithsoul]

The truth is always the truth, but the right timing is when you realize that truth. @connectingwithsoul

[sagekjs21]

God, please grant me the wisdom and discernment to enable me to walk the fine line You've placed in front of me. Guide my steps so that I may find Your Will in treating others with kindness and compassion while at the same time not becoming so overprotective that I let my own needs slip through the cracks.

[ae-cha08]

King Herod hated believers so much that he had Peter put in prison. With chains on both wrists, Peter was guarded by four squads of soldiers to make sure he didn't escape. Bible says the church was in prayer constantly for Peter, asking God to somehow bring him out. While they were praying in the middle of the night, an angel showed up in the prison & woke Peter up.

Are you praying for others? All of your family members, friends & relatives should be like Peters. Cover them in prayer. When you pray, Red Seas part, hungry lions can't open their mouths, blessings rain down.

Your prayer can bring an angel.

[wiirocku]

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) - give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

[walkswithmyfather]

John 14:1-3 (NLT). “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

Romans 8:28 (NLT). “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Job 22:21 (AMP). “Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.”

“Finding Contentment” By In Touch Ministries:

“When we yield what we want and accept what God wills, we move beyond living by feelings to living by faith.”

“Too often we let our circumstances determine our attitude. If life is going smoothly, then we feel good. But when it gets hard, our mood drops. However, we don’t have to live this way. Like the apostle Paul, we can learn and practice contentment.

The word contentment describes being at peace, no matter how things are—in other words, not wanting anything to be different. It means learning to allow God’s power to come into our weakness so we can accept and adapt to changing circumstances. When we respond to life with that kind of thinking, we move beyond living by feelings to living by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Submission and trust are needed for such a lifestyle. First, we must surrender to God. In every situation, we are to yield what we want and then accept whatever He allows. The second step is to trust God to oversee our specific situation. If we believe He is working out His perfect plan for us, then we’ll experience the joy that comes from fully relying on Him. Contentment will be ours.

Paul submitted his life to God and trusted Him. He faced insults, rejection, and many difficult trials but was still content. When we surrender control to the Lord and believe He has our best interest at heart, we will experience contentment, too.”

[Picture thanks to Frank Rolando Romero at Unsplash]

[dramoor]

"Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more."

~St. Ignatius of Loyola