Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.  I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 

 ~I Corinthians 10:12-15

What a blessing these verses are!  All of us, at one point or another in our lives, are faced wtih temptation of one sort or another.  It may be anything from whether or not to have that piece of pie to something such as the lust for pornography.  Temptation abounds in this world today and is attempting to lure us into its grip each and every day.

However, we can take hope with the promises given us in these scriptures!  We are assured that any lust that afflicts us has been, and continues to be, experienced by many others.  But our Lord is ever faithful, and He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure.  All we need do is call out to Him, and He will strengthen us and give us that extra bit of willpower we need to overcome whatever is tempting us.  He makes the way of escape--all we need do is ask Him to show it to us.

Praying that each and every day you live is filled wtih the wisdom, the strength, and the peace of our Lord!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 

 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of an advantage. 

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen.

~Jude 14-25

In recent weeks, I have been overwhelmed at times by persons such as those Enoch prophesied of.  My goodness gracious, there are ever so many out there "tickling" the ears of those who will listen!  I have to admit, I've been appalled by it all.  And no, I'm not speaking only of preachers here (although there are plenty that just aren't preaching the Word in its entirety!).  No, I'm talking of worldly men and women who are professing to be Christians.  They seem to be everywhere (or perhaps my eyes and ears have become attuned to them in order that I may be more aware of what is happening).

My precious Mama used to say that you need to be careful who you listen to--there are many wolves in sheep's clothing in this world.  That is true today more than at any other time in my lifetime.  We have politicians making promises and predictions, we have folks talking about making sure we put ourselves first (which is contrary to what the Word says), we have pseudo religions abounding that proclaim salvation through any means other than the blood of Jesus.

Yes, there are many wolves in sheep's clothing out there.  However, we can overcome their lying words by listening carefully to what they say, what their whole point is about, and then following up by searching the Scriptures for the same subject.  It is very true that there is nothing in this life we will come upon that is not already covered in the Bible.  Yes, it may take some hard searching (the very reason why a good concordance is necessary).  Yes, it may take some in-depth Bible studying and a lot of time.  But in the end, we will find that we are not being deceived by the falsehoods that are so prevalent in today's world. 

Study the Word--every day.  Pray every day.  Pray with knowledge, and pray in the Holy Ghost.  And yes, there are even folks out there who will tell you that praying in tongues isn't for today, or that it isn't right--don't listen to them!  There are numerous scriptures that tell us it is for today--there is no "time limit" on this gift!  Time after time after time, we find scriptures that encourage us to pray in the Holy Ghost, for this is our own private prayer language with the Lord.  The Holy Spirit working in us knows what to pray when our own natural mind doesn't. 

Devote much time to prayer, fasting, praising and worshipping God.  Love Him and show Him your adoration of Him by honoring Him in these ways.  Learn His Word so that you won't be deceived by the lies of the enemy (the devil). 

We are in an election year.  Study the candidates--all the way from the presidential candidates to the county tax assessor candidates.  Know what they believe in, Who they believe in, how they've voted in the past, how much real experience they have, and how they line up in their beliefs and words with the Word of God.  Search for what kind of fruit they are producing in their lives.  You'll know a tree by the kind of fruit it bears.

Stay faithful, dear friends,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

 

In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.  And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.  And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.  And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.          ~I Kings 3:5-14

Can you imagine the Lord asking you personally what it is that you desire?  Wow!  And yet, when we come before Him with a humble heart, this is exactly what He is doing.  He loves us so much and longs to give us our heart’s desire!

 There is a lesson to be learned in this conversation between Solomon and God.  And that is that Solomon wasn’t concerned with his own self—his desire was to have the guidance, the wisdom, to know what to do and when to do it. 

 This should be our own heart’s prayer.  That our Lord will guide us and lead us in all wisdom in our life.  It was after Solomon asked for this one thing that the Lord gave him ever so much more, and so it shall be with us.  No one will ever be like Solomon, and we shouldn’t desire to be.  We are the person God has made us to be, and it is the wisdom that we need in our own life that will be different from any other. For no one can live our life but us, and no one can equip us for our life but the Lord.  Won’t you allow Him to enable and equip you today for what it is that He has for you to do?

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

 

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' but whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of god has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in the Day for Sodom than for that city.

~Luke 10:1-12 New King James Version

I look around at this world today, and I must say, it grieves me.  Oh, I'm not talking about the worldly world--it grieves me just giving thought to it.  No, I'm talking about the Christian world.  Our Lord Jesus is telling us right here what we are to do--He did it himself.  He appointed seventy people to go out ahead of Him, preparing the way, so to speak.  They were to speak to no one on their journey along the roadway--just to keep their eyes and minds set on the mission they were given.  They were to go to the house they felt directed to by the Spirit and stay at that house.  The Lord made the way for them--hearts were being prepared already.  When they arrived, they were to stay there and not go knocking on door after door, but to dwell in the house where they were.  They were to eat what was prepared for them, whether it was to their own liking or not.  They were to carry nothing with them--they only had the clothes on their backs, so to speak.

How many of us do this today?  How many of us forsake everything we have, all that we know, and set out to spread the gospel with nothing more than what we are wearing and the Holy Spirit inside of us?  How many of us are willing to sit down at anyone's table and eat what is served--whether it's a bologna sandwich or a 4-course meal?  Whether it's "healthy" or not?  How many of us are willing to keep our mouths shut until the Lord gives us the words to speak--and then to speak them boldly, no matter whether they might be considered "politically correct" or not?  Because, I have to admit, when it comes to salvation, sin is sin and hell is hell!  It's time to stop sugar-coating the gospel and tickling folks' ears.  It's time to stand up and speak the Word of God with boldness and truth--total and complete truth and holiness.

I've written a lot of devotions over the last several years, and no, I don't sugar coat my words.  I write from the Spirit and from my heart, and the reason for that is quite simple.  Fact is fact and the Word is the plain truth.  I refuse to write anything just to please someone or make them feel better about themselves.  The only way to feel better about oneself is to take a good hard look at where and what you are, and then come in alignment with what the Word says you are to be.  When you are walking in His holiness and righteousness, then you can begin to feel good about yourself.  If you don't, then perhaps it's the Holy Spirit speaking to you that it's time to make some changes.  And yes, those changes can be hard, very hard. 

Where are you at today?  Are you walking in accordance with God's Word?  Living a life of holiness and spreading the gospel message?  Or are you afraid to completely commit yourself to Him and holding back just a wee part of yourself because it's so hard to change that one thing that He's asked you to change?  Let it go--give it to Him.  Get off the fence and live your life the way He's told you to live it and the way He lived it.  It may seem like a hard thing to do at times, but when you hand it over to Him, He will equip you and enable you to become the person He created you to be. 

If you would like me to pray for you specifically, feel free to email me (click on the link in my sidebar) and put Pray for Me in your subject line.  Let me know your name and I will add you to my prayer list, praying for you specifically each and every day.  Yes, I love you that much.

Many hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

 

 

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 

 

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 

 

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 

 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

 

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.   ~Luke 2: 1-14

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

 

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

 

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

 

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

 

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

 

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

 

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

 

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

 

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

 

And the angel departed from her.

 

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.  And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

 

and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

 

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.  For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.  For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.  And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.  He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.  He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.  He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

 

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

 

Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.  And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

 

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

 

And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.  And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

 

And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.  And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John.  And they marveled all.

 

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

 

And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.  And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be!

 

And the hand of the Lord was with him.

 

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.  And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

 

~Luke 1:26-80

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

 

From the Book of Luke, chapter 1….

 

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  And they had no child, because the Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 

 

And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 

 

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.  And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.  And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 

 

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this: for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in yers.  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.  And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 

 

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple.  And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 

 

And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.  And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men. 

 

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto ….. to be continued.

 

 

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

~James 1:19-20

 

Dearest Reader, as we head closer and closer to Christmas, many people are “on edge,” so to speak.  Nerves become frazzled, wallets empty out, bills pile up, stores become crowded, check-out lanes seem to go on and on without end, traffic becomes more congested, and tempers have a tendency to flare.

 

I think everyone knows some of my history with Domestic Violence, and I feel free to speak from experience here.  The holiday season from mid-November until after January 1st of every year is a critical time for victims of abuse.  This time is seconded by the middle of summer, especially if it’s a very hot summer.

 

Why is this?  Why do folks tend to forget the true meaning of Christmas?  Why do they seem to set aside the love, peace, and joy being proclaimed everywhere and choose to become mean and hateful to those closest to them?  The answer is really quite simple—it’s because the ones they choose to abuse are the ones that will forgive them.  The victims don’t want to “make waves,” especially during the holidays.  So while the abuser is smiling to the rest of the world, he or she is becoming even meaner to those they profess to love and care for.

 

This is also true in many families.  Some folks try to recapture the special memories of Christmases past, continually striving for perfection, and believing that no one but them can achieve this perfect state.  Others try to make sure their children don’t do without anything they want, as they had times of disappointment in their own childhood.  Still others just choose to sink into depression and become modern-day Scrooges.

 

Let each of us make sure that our hearts are centered on the miraculous birth of our Saviour at this time.  Let us take time this day to give Him praises for coming to this earth just for us—to make a way for us to spend eternity with Him.

 

Let us also keep our eyes and ears open for potential victims that may be around us.  They could be someone we least expect—our own neighbor, sister or brother, niece or nephew, son or daughter.  Don’t be afraid to have a listening ear, and a gentle attitude for those who need you now more than ever.  Had not a dear sister done this for me, chances are great that I wouldn’t be on this earth this day. 

 

If your own family is having problems with anger, perfectionism, or violence, first of all pray.  Ask the Lord for His wisdom.  If you are a victim of violence, leave the one who is abusive and seek shelter.  Yes, even during the holidays.  The greatest gift you can give your child right now is the gift of safety and freedom from abuse.  Seek out a Domestic Violence Shelter, get a restraining order, and move ahead with your life.  Pray for your abuser, and ask God to heal him or her of the problem they have, and to help you to find forgiveness in your heart.  This doesn’t mean that if you forgive that you have to return!  No!  But you will find even more freedom within yourself when your heart is filled with forgiveness instead of anger and despair.

 

Let us all keep the innocent victims in our prayers, the abusers in our prayers, and as we go about our own lives, let us look for ways that we can make a difference in just one person’s life each day.

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

 

 

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and now of us.  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 

~II Corinthians 4:6-10

 

This passage of scripture is so important to believers!  We are living in this world, in mortal bodies, and yet, we have the light of the Lord shining in our hearts.  No matter what we may be facing each day, no matter what persecutions, what trials, what misunderstandings we may stumble into, our Lord is ever with us in our heart, shining forth with His glory and His mercy.  What a blessing!

 

It can be so difficult, especially during the holiday season, to keep our minds focused on what we are supposed to be doing.  For our mission never changes—we are at all times called by God to be His ambassadors, His witnesses to the lost and dying of this world.  And yet, at this time of the year, we are faced with the commercialism around us everywhere.  The glitz and glitter, the sublime messages to buy more in order to give more, the desire to provide every thing on our loved one’s list, the desire to have “a perfect Christmas.”  Well, this isn’t the way to have a perfect Christmas.

 

Christmas is about Jesus.  The greatest gift ever given was when God gave us the gift of His Son—born to the womb of a virgin maiden by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, trained up to be a simple carpenter, ministering to multitudes of people about the Lord and setting the example for us to follow, and finally, the giving of His life and His shed blood to redeem us back from the enemy that we may spend eternity with Him.  This is Christmas.  It doesn’t matter if we have a decorated tree or lights around our home, it doesn’t matter if we have gifts under that tree, it doesn’t matter if we spend the day with loved ones or all alone.  It doesn’t matter if we bake dozens of cookies or pounds of candy.  It doesn’t matter if we go to a party or watch a movie about the holiday season.  All that matters is that we accept and appreciate the precious gift that we’ve been given—the gift of salvation.  And that we go and minister to those who don’t have that gift, and lead them to an understanding of what Christmas is really and truly for. 

 

Let us all be sure to keep the balance in our lives—balancing our joy and love of the holiday season with our mission here on earth in these mortal bodies.  It’s okay to have fun, it’s okay to decorate and buy gifts—but don’t allow them to become the main focus of the holiday at any time of the year.  Serve the Lord with your whole heart, and allow Him to use you in the position He’s placed you in to bring glory to His Name.

 

Posted in Wisdom Bible Studies and Devotionals

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.  So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and glory.  Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.  Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. 

~Psalm 63:1-5

New King James Version

When I first read this verse, it changed my life.  Until then, I had been dragging through each day, never quite sure what to do next, or where I was going.  Oh, yes, it's true!  I was one confused gal, for sure!  But one day, while just flipping through the Bible (that was back in the days when I didn't have a clue about Bible Sudy), I came across this verse.  I really believe it was the Lord leading me to it, for He has used it ever since then to guide me and keep me going in the direction He would have me go.

What was it about this verse that brought such a change in me?  It was the part that says, "early will I seek You."  I saw how getting up just a few moments earlier, and spending time with Him would not only get my day off to a good start (which is logical when you think about it), but I saw that it would bring satisfaction to the thirst I had without realizing what I was thirsting for! 

I began getting up 1/2 hour earlier each day (and yes, some days it was, and still is, a struggle!), turning on the coffee pot, and sitting down at my kitchen table with the Word of God.  Now, over the years, there have been times I've had to make room for my Bible on that table (!), especially when I had a project I was working on, or had neglected to clear it off from the previous day.  But even if all I could find was room enough to sit my Bible and my coffee cup, I was happy. 

Now, it's much easier with the timer on my coffeepot, for as I walk in the kitchen, I pour a cup of freshly brewed coffee, sit down, and open the Word.  Sometimes I have a specific passage that I'm studying on, and sometimes I just open it and start reading wherever the Lord leads.  Sometimes I spend 15 minutes, sometimes I spend an hour or more just reading, praying, and inviting the Lord to share my day with me. 

There have been times throughout the years when I have missed this special time.  Days that I've been sick, or overslept, or been awakened by a crisis of one sort or another.  And I have found that on those days, I am once again lost and confused and uncertain of what to do next, or where to go.  Also, on those days, I find that I have a hunger and thirst that just cannot be quenched until I sit myself down and read the Word of God, and spend time in prayer to Him. 

What has been the results of this?  I have learned a great deal from His Word, I have learned more and more of Who He is, and what He is about, and I have learned a lot about myself, and seen growth in my own spirit.  I have become a prayer warrior, gradually, and I feel this has drawn me ever closer to the Lord, and also given the Lord the open door to allow Him to come in and use me in any way that He can to touch others with His special message of the gospel of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.

This world needs a revival.  Every time I turn on the television, read the newspaper, or even a magazine, I am seeing more and more that this world is slowly degenerating into a society that is serving the devil.  Lust, greed, homosexuality, hate, jealousy, persecution...these are all commonplace in our world today.  And yet the Bible tells us that it will be so in the last days. 

Revival.  Revival. Revival.

It begins in the heart of each and every Christian.  Turn off the television and radio, fall to your knees, and ask God to bring a thirst and a hunger for Him into your soul.  Ask Him to relight that fire down in you that will burn with His Holy Ghost, and to fill you with His power.  Cry out to Him for the lost and dying of this world, for His mercies upon us all, and for Revival to sweep across this earth such as man has nver known before.  If you're blessed to have others to pray with you, gather together in one accord in Jesus' Name and pray.  Pray all day, pray all night, pray without ceasing.  This is the beginning of revival!

I'm praying for you!

Cynthia Robin