Joel 2:12

12 Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met].

God told the people to turn to him while there was still time. Destruction would soon be upon them. Time is also running out for us. Because we don’t know when our lives will end, we should trust and obey God now, while we can. Don’t let anything hold you back from turning to him.

Get off the downward spiral &
Start the upward spiral.
Turn back to God

Downward Spiral
Don’t let lies and hurt, pain and bitterness keep you from turning back to God. Don’t be paralyzed by fear and anger so that you keep doing or not doing in some cases the things that could bring back restoration, healing, hope, and joy. For some it will take hitting bottom before they will turn around and look back to God. For others there will be a trigger a turning point where they will turn back to God, they will give that pain, that concern, that fear, that depression, that anger, that bitterness to God. They will allow forgiveness of others to release them and then ask God for forgiveness for not having been obedient and doing it sooner and find peace and start their way back into the upward spiral. Today are you struggling? Today are you being challenged? I know in my journey, it brought peace, such a peace that it goes beyond description. I know in my journey, God helped me to forgive to the point where the exact situations are gone, but the experience is remembered so that I am able to share it with others struggling through something similar as a testimony that there is hope. Today is your day, Today is your chance. Today is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and all that is within it. I praise You for the hope and truth that Your Word and life have shown me. I praise You for being the same yesterday, today, and forever. Lord, I pray that as I share my testimony of hope that it will bring people to the reality of who You are, not just someone out there somewhere, but someone who is right here with us, Emmanuel. Lord, I pray that it will help people who are struggling to turn back instead of riding the downward spiral, losing joy, losing hope, losing life, but rather turn to God, turn to Jesus who is our advocate, turn back and be reconciled with You. Turn back to You who can heal hurts on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. That Lord as I learned through the song 7×70, the power and freedom that comes through forgiveness. Lord, in all I do and all I say today, may You receive all the praise, the honor, and the glory. Lord, may Your priorities be my priorities and may they lead to incredible blessings for others and encourage to their lives, but ultimately that it would create in them a desire to have a living relationship with You. May You receive all the praise, the honor, and the glory through this day in Jesus’ name. I pray. Amen.

Verse of the Day

25 There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.

Proverbs 16:25

Psalm 131

1 LORD, MY heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me.2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting].3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.

Proverbs 7

1 MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them.2 Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.4 Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend–5 That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.7 And among the simple (empty-headed and empty hearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,8 Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman’s] corner; and he went the way to her house9 In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling [over the young man’s life].10 And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.11 She is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;12 Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.13 So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,14 Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.15 So I came forth to meet you [that you might share with me the feast from my offering]; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.16 I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.19 For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;20 He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon].21 With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along.22 Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle 23 Till a dart [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life.24 Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.25 Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.26 For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.

Published by Farmer Phil