I’ve come across your path today, and I may not know your name, but though we’re not acquainted, I’d like to speak of Jesus just the same. He knows the details of your life–anything you’re going through; yes, even if you don’t know Him, He knows all about you.
I’ve found Him to be a faithful God, Who I know in a personal way. He desires to help each person intimately–all we have to do is pray. For those who’ve put their trust in Him, guidance becomes very sure; His will is good and perfect, coming from a heart that’s loving and pure.
If you’re facing worries, never despair–the name of Jesusis a strong tower— to run into for help and wisdom, which flow richly from that Name’s power. And at the name of Jesus, one day, every knee will bow; but God’s Spirit is moving every day, seeking all who will honor Him now.
P. A. Oltrogge
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10 (NASB)
“Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 (NASB)
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Thank You, Lord, for orchestrating my day… I’m trusting You, then, to help me find my way.
Your Word states that You’re perfecting things for me. Though I’m to walk by faith, I can KNOW that I’ll see. .
P. A. Oltrogge
“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, oh Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8 NKJV
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15 NKJV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
…praying today for those without power and for those who work to restore it
Lord, help me to have a thankful heart, even if things seem to have gone wrong, For it’s only by trusting in Your love, that the faith in my heart will remain strong.
Help me to see what’s been good, and how You have touched my days; Then, in thinking upon such things, my words will be given to praise.
Help me to thank You, in faith, for any specific blessing I might desire. Let thankfulness be my “prayer” always, for it’s that which will lift me higher.
And I should thank You in front of problems–there’s benefit and healing in laughter—believing in Your solutions before they’re seen, not waiting to have joy ’til after.
Keep me from forgetting to count blessings, or of thinking only of my own concerns; for it’s in considering the various needs of others, that any discontent turns.
Remind me to look to Your finished work and Your victory for us through the cross. As the Israelites looked at the serpent on a pole, only then were they kept from loss.
Thank You for giving me the example, of earnestly seeking Your Father’s will, so that I may do the same with my own life, seeking His plan to follow and fulfill.
Yes, even if I’ve gone through something hard or have come to a difficult place, help me to thank You for being there with Your presence, Your love, and Your grace.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4 NKJV
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15 NASB
“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.” Psalm 116:17 RSV
“A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 15:13 NKJV
“All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15 NKJV
“A merry heart does good, like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 NKJV
“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent (of bronze) and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.’” Numbers 21:8 AMP
Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” Luke 8:22-25 NKJV
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“Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49 NASB
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“For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17 NASB
Reign through the “rain”…is a message made clear
by Jesus, the Master, who said not to fear.
Rely on God’s Word in the midst of a storm
to stop fearful thoughts before they can form.
Having done all we can, we’re told to “stand,”
trusting God will come through with His victorious right hand.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and havingdoneall, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 RSV
“…fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 RSV
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” …from Matthew 6 KJV
God bless/strengthen you in any circumstance in which you are standing on His promises in faith….I’m praying for those who follow this blog…
“Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1-5
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
…in Matthew 15 and Mark 7, we read of a woman whose daughter was demon-possessed:
Great crowds of people came to see Jesus and to hear His every word…
and to possibly receive of the mighty miracles of which they all had heard.
In Matthew 15, we read of a Gentile woman of Tyre and Sidon who came.
Great was her hope to receive, for her daughter, even of crumbs, through Jesus’ name.
When Jesus said that He’d been sent only to the sheep of Israel who were lost,
she spoke with courage–refusing the thought that her daughter should remain storm-tossed.
“Oh, woman, great is your faith. Let it be to you as you desire,” Jesus said.
Likewise, in a trial, we can believe…to see God’s grace to help us through instead.
P. A. Oltrogge
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:25-28
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus….
Hebrews 3:1
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 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.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful….Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
Hebrews 10:23, 35-36
We walk by faith, not by sight…keep looking to God for things to be made right.
When what you see does not agree with what He has promised, then “be like a tree…”
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
A woman from Canaan, who’d heard of Jesus, came to Him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, oh Lord, Son of David,” and she fell at His feet.
Her little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit; and she knew that only Jesus could cause it to retreat.
Jesus didn’t answer right away; but as she was a Gentile, He told her that He needed, first, to feed those of His own family—the Jews.
At that, it might have seemed that His final answer to her, a Canaanite woman, was to refuse.
He said it wouldn’t be right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs, after she’d repeated, “Lord, help me!”
Though the disciples had said that Jesus should send her away, her vision remained strong of seeing her daughter being set free.
She replied to the Lord that even the dogs were allowed to eat the crumbs that had fallen under the table, from food that the children had been fed.
Jesus noted her faith, through those words, and told her to go home—the demon was gone. Upon doing so, she found her daughter there peacefully lying in bed.
“Oh, woman, your faith is great,” He had said, and that it would be done for her as she’d desired.
Just hearing of the compassionate things He’d done for others caused her to worship and have faith that was tenacious and inspired.
P. A. Oltrogge
(From Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30)
“But He answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’” Matthew 15:24
“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs….” Matthew 15:27
The Lord’s Commission to His disciples before His ascension: “…but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’” Acts 1:8
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
Scriptures NASB
Mark 7 refers to the woman as a Syrian from the region of Phoenicia
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Psalm 127:3
Today, there are those who are marching, to yearly point the way…
that children are a great blessing, for God has something to say.
The fruit of the womb is a reward, the Bible has beautifully stated…
Yet since there are so many abortions, that truth is highly underrated.
Father, open people’s eyes to see in each child their beauty and their love…
Every good and perfect gift comes down from you, the Father of lights above.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
“A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish,for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” words of Jesus in John 16:21
Cleanse me of worry, oh Lord. I lay my concerns at Your feet, for it’s only in letting You solve them that these problems will meet their defeat.
When worrisome thoughts do come around, I’ll trust You to help me to stand my ground. Worry can only cause hurt in a life– It can touch others, as well, and even cause strife. For worry is a poison to resist and forsake– Instead, from God’s goodness and mercy I’ll take.
So thank You for cleansing me of worry, reminding me to turn up the PRAISE, for You are a God of deliverance and peace, and it’s only Your banner I’ll raise!
P. A. Oltrogge
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NASB
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.” Psalm 68:19, 20 NASB
“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:1-4 NKJV (and the entire Psalm)
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 KJV
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 KJV
“Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.’
“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. 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 11:20-24 NKJV
“I would have despaired, had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 AMP
I was traveling on a train that had many stops it would be making…but I knew my destination and which stop that I’d be taking.
I thought I’d ask the traveler next to me where he was going to go; then, surprisingly, he said it wasn’t something he could know.
I thought that that was rather odd, for one needs to be quite sure, for travelers can’t ride indefinitely on a never-ending tour.
I’d researched my destination, having heard it was a beautiful place; but my fellow traveler’s plans were vague and uncertain in his case.
Eventually, he’d need to get off—there would come an end to the trail. It reminded me of those who travel equally vaguely, but on a spiritual rail.
They think that any exit will get them to a final place of peace, but they haven’t secured the ticket to where God’s love will never cease.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life…don’t travel until it’s too dark. Secure your ticket by taking Him as Savior—then you’ll KNOW where you will disembark.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6 NKJV
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 NKJV
The Porch of the Lord 