IT JUST MAKES SENSE

 

Proverbs 16:25

 

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." ESV 

 

Common sense is so practical and logical that it seems like the only way, the right way. Have we made a habit of following our common sense? The Word tells us that this is destructive thinking in the kingdom of God. Actually, living by common sense is the opposite of walking by faith. The way of faith may not make sense at all, but it will keep us on the narrow path that leads to life.

 

Lord, forgive us for trying to rely on our own limited thinking, common sense, to make our decisions and to live our lives. Help us to keep our eyes on You and to keep walking by faith so that we will be grounded in the Truth. In Your infinite name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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WE'VE GOT THE POWER

 

Psalm 46:1

 

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." ESV 

 

Why is it that we let fear and worry have its way with us when we are faced with difficult things? Do we forget the power of our Lord and our free access to Him? The power of our Lord conquered Satan during the forty days in the wilderness. His strength conquered depression and sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane. His power overcame death in the tomb. He has given us this same power through our faith in Him. We have no reason to fear. Unless we have neglected to fan the flames of our faith, reading His Word and living it!

 

Lord, please forgive us when our faith is shaken and we let worry and fear take us over. Fill us with hunger for Your Word and communion with You so that we will build our faith strong and be able to accept the power You give us to overcome. In Your omnipotent name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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MOVING MOUNTAINS

Matthew 17:20

 

"He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.'" ESV 

 

Jesus did not say to pray to Him when we are up against a mountain and ask Him to move it for us. He didn't say to pray and just wait to see if the mountain moves. He said if we use our faith, even a little tiny part of it, we will be able to move the mountain ourselves wherever it needs to go. That means putting our own action into our prayers and the Lord will make sure we succeed.

 

Lord, forgive us for expecting You to move our mountains while we sit and just hope You will do something. We have sinned against You in thinking You are an order department to bark out our orders to You to fix whatever is messed up in our lives. Fill us with Your power, with faith from the reading and hearing of Your Word, so that we will move mountains. In Your name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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SURE THING

 

Romans 10:11

 

"For the Scripture says, 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.'" ESV 

 

There will never be a person on this earth who puts his faith in Jesus Christ and at the end of his life hears the Lord say, "Sorry, but you just didn't do enough." No true child of God will be disappointed.

 

Lord, we thank You that we will never be disappointed in Your or Your promises. Even if we are ridiculed by the world, we stand on Your promise of eternal life. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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NO MIDDLE MAN NEEDED ANYMORE

Ephesians 3:12

". . . in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him." ESV

There was a time when only the high priest could go into the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt. Jesus Christ's sacrifice, death, and resurrection changed that forever. Each one of us can go straight to God, feeling confident that He will accept us and allow us to be in His presence. Do we realize what a privilege and honor it is? Do we realize how much it cost our Lord so that we can have this honor?

Lord, what an amazing act of love You gave so that we can come directly to You anytime. The curtain has been torn down and we can come boldly into Your presence. We praise You and thank You for Your great love. In Your name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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NO MAP, NO DETAILS, JUST HIS VOICE

 

Hebrews 11:8

 

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going." ESV

  

Having faith, we have no reason to worry about our journey in this life. We will get to where we need to be because our Lord promised. The journey itself is rocky and unpredictable, but we have no need to concern ourselves with the details of our journey. We walk by faith, not knowing what is ahead, because He is faithful.

 

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness to bring us to our eternal destination. Forgive us for worrying and questioning when our faith grows weak. We don't need to understand what You are doing and where You are leading us. We will keep going, in Your name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WHERE DID I GO?

 

Galatians 2:20

 

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." ESV

 

Since Jesus Christ willingly suffered the greatest, most horrendous agony by taking our sin onto Himself, how much more do we willingly crucify our sinful nature and allow Christ to live our lives for us? That is the battle we fight here on earth. Crucifying the self is a constant fight, but Jesus Christ gives us everything we need to be victorious. We merely have to move ourselves out of the way, and allow Christ to live our lives for us.

 

Lord, we give You praise for willingly taking our sin to the cross. We fail to keep our sinful nature buried so that we live solely by faith in You. Help us to persevere in living the new life, and totally leaving behind the old. We pray in Your wonderful name, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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CAN WE BE SURE?

 

Psalm 18:30

 

"This God--his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." ESV 

 

We have all questioned God or gotten angry with Him. We have all felt God has failed us or hasn't heard us. It is then that we stand on our faith, not our feelings, declaring that God is perfect, holy, and loving. We can choose to ignore our faith and the Holy Spirit. If we do that, we need to search our hearts to find if we have ever really known Him.

 

Lord Jesus, in our hearts we know You are the perfect, loving God. Forgive us for those times when we doubt and our faith is weak. Help us to bring honor to Your name no matter what is going on in our lives. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE

 

John 11:40

 

"Jesus said to her, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?'" ESV 

 

Faith is a difficult thing. While we have all been given a measure of faith, it is contrary to our common sense. Common sense is human logical thinking that works on the premise that things can be explained and understood by the human mind. On the other hand, faith is total and unwavering trust in the unseen God. We can only know and witness His glory by faith. We will miss His great and glorious workings if we try to explain Him with our common sense.

 

Jesus, forgive us for relying on our common sense to try and understand Your working and Your ways. Help us to use the faith You have given to us and to increase our faith by study of Your Word. We ask in Your precious name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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WHERE IS THAT WATER GOING?

 

John 7:38

 

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" ESV 

 

If we understand the nature of streams, we know it is virtually impossible to know all the places the flowing water touches. It passes along snags and reroutes itself. It collects at some barrier and overflows around it. The Lord tells us that our faith in Him will be like streams, flowing out of us, and we will have no idea the places it will reach. Just because we can't see where it is flowing and spreading doesn't mean it isn't reaching places only known to Him. On that day, when we stand before Him, we will see the mighty work God has done through our faith.

 

Lord Jesus, help us to realize the miracle of faith You have given to each of us. Help us to remember that our faith not only affects our relationship with You, but our faith affects lives and circumstances we know nothing about. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WALKING ALONG WITH SUFFERING

 

1 Peter 4:19

 

"Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." ESV 

 

Christians are suffering all over the world for their faith in Jesus Christ. We, too, will suffer in time. The fact is, we do not choose the suffering. We choose God's will. And then, we go wherever His will takes us. If His will takes us through suffering, then we go, knowing He is faithful to walk with us and get us through it all.

 

Heavenly Father, we ask for Your grace to do Your will no matter where it takes us. If it should be by way of suffering, help us to remember, You are with us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT!

 

1 Corinthians 10:13

 

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." ESV 

 

None of us are exempt from temptation. The good new is, we will never be in a situation of temptation where we have no alternative but to give in to the sin. God has guaranteed 100%, a way out so we are not forced to sin. Of course, we still have the choice to go ahead and let the temptation overtake us. If that happens, we are totally responsible for our decision. Sin is a human choice. Resisting sin is a human choice provided by our God in every temptation.

 

Heavenly Father, we are so aware of the subtlety of sin and how easy it is to fall into its' trap. We ask that You help us to stay alert and stand firm so that we will choose to take the way out You always provide for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WORRIED FLOWERS

 

Matthew 6:30

 

"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" ESV 

 

Most of us are familiar with this scripture about the lilies of the field not worrying about anything. We could argue and say they merely survive by the programmed laws of nature and survival. However, when we put our total faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, all we have to do is follow the law of the Spirit of Christ, who leads us toward life. Like the lilies, all we need to do is take root in Christ and grow where we are planted.

 

Heavenly Father, we confess that we worry about all kinds of things in this world and how they affect our lives. We fail to put total trust in You. Help us Lord, to look at the flowers of the field and remember that You are taking care of us too. Help us to grow contentedly where You have planted us. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WHERE ARE WE GOING?

 

Hebrews 11:8

 

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going." ESV 

 

Walking by faith can be a very perplexing journey. There are many times we find that we can't figure out what God is doing and why we are in the place we are. Our first response it to ask Him what He is doing, where He is. God knows what He is doing and as long as we know that He does, it doesn't matter that we know what He is doing. He seldom reveals to us what He is doing. Rather, He wants us know who He is.

 

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we lack faith to trust in Your powerful, all knowing greatness. Help us to keep going forward without insisting that we understand what You are doing. We ask for contentment in learning more about who You are. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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FORWARD, MARCH

 

 

Hebrews 11:39,40

 

"And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should be made perfect." ESV

 

 

All of the great men and women of the Bible lived their lives looking forward to the Savior who would redeem them and bring eternal life. They did not see the promise in their lifetime. We live our lives looking back at the cross of our promised Savior. We all, ancient and present, look forward to the rest of the promise, when we will enter into His presence together. Let's keep looking ahead. The promise is about to be finalized.

 

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your great and precious promises. Even though we may not see it all come to pass in our lifetime, we know the fulfillment of Your promise is coming. Help us to remember that and keep looking ahead. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT

 Acts 13:39 "And by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." ESV 

 

There is no way we can clean up our own sins and stand righteous before the Lord. The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament became just as useless after Jesus Christ gave Himself as the final sacrifice for our sins. We can stop trying to cover our tracks and let our faith in the blood of Christ do the cleaning up.

 

Heavenly Father, we trust in the great price You paid to save us from our sins. Give us grace to stop trying to get our acts together so we can come to Your throne without guilt. We believe by faith that we are righteous in Your eyes because of Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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HE IS OUR SAVIOR, IS HE OUR LORD ALSO?

 Psalm 37:7 "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices." ESV 

We can wait with contentment and acceptance when we have truly given our lives over to the Lord. He has gone before us and has worked out everything in His time and in His way. Wait and see! We will give Him praise and glory for the amazing things He does in our lives. We don't need to get uneasy or upset because there are trials. Nor do we need to worry when we see ungodly people having a seemingly smooth life. They will reap what they sow.

 

Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that Your ways are right and just. Strengthen our faith, draw us to the

Word, and give us an unquenchable desire to commune with You. We recognize we are in critical need of allowing You to not only be our Savior, but to be our Lord. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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ARE YOU SHALLOW?

 

Luke 8:13

 

"And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away." ESV

 

Saving faith in Christ is so much more than giving mental agreement to a belief. Giving a mental assent is much the same as having good intentions, or as though seeds were planted on rocky soil. When that kind of faith is tested it doesn't last long, it washes away quickly. To be good soil, ready to receive salvation through faith in Christ, we will be drawn by the Holy Spirit with open hearts, ready to receive Him deep into our very hearts.

 

Heavenly Father, we pray for ourselves and for others, that we will be good soil, drawn by Your Holy Spirit, with open hearts to receive the salvation with which You paid such an unimaginable price. Remove the rocks from the hearts of people who need Your salvation. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, Amen.

 

©2008-2014 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC   http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/   No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

PERFECT SECURITY SYSTEM

 

1 Samuel 17:37

 

"And David said, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you!'" ESV

 

One of the major reasons many of us are weak in faith is that we do not allow our encouragement to come from God. Rather, we listen to the voices without and within about the dangers, the impossibilities, the pointless trying. We have the choice to do as David did. He acknowledged that God delivered him before from horrifying dangers. He declared again when faced with even more danger, that God would do as He had always done, deliver him in victory. And God did, just as David believed by faith.

 

Heavenly Father, we pray that our faith will increase as we draw encouragement from You and the Word as we recall the times You have rescued us in the past. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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GET A MOVE ON

 

Philemon 1:6

 

"And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." ESV

 

When we talk about our faith, God uses us to inspire others. But when we put our faith into action, others can see God moving in response to our active faith. As a result, everyone who sees this active faith is a witness to the great and marvelous things the Lord God is eager and waiting to do for those who dare to put feet to their faith.

 

Heavenly Father, we earnestly seek to put our faith into action so that we can testify to Your almighty power and grace. And, we desire to see Your glorious blessings evident to others, that they be drawn to You by the witness of the Holy Spirit and that they likewise take on this active faith.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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