Stand FIRM. Gain LIFE.

"By standing firm you will gain life." 

~Luke 21:19~

In a world where it seems every day the winds of evil are blowing harder and harder, it is imperative to stand firm and be strong in the Lord. As Jesus predicted in Luke 21, troubles and turmoil will come and will increasingly become more terrifying. But take heart! Salvation is near!

By standing firm in faith, you will gain souls. Others will see the winds have no effect on you. Others will desire that security, that strength. Others will wonder how you can be so certain in an uncertain world. 

Let Jesus' light shine as you stand firm in the darkness of today's storm. Through you, His light will draw others out of darkness. Praise God! A firm faith gains life!

tReAsuREd

"You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations 

of the earth to be his own special treasure."

Deuteronomy 14:2

One of my favorite things to do is to take items that have already been used-and have served their purpose-and try to see if I can remake them into something purposeful once again.  A friend of mine was going to toss (or try to sell for 25¢ at the yard sale we were having at the time) a single gold plate charger. Typically plate chargers come in a pack of four.  I don't know what happened to the other three, but I understand why she, without hesitation, gratefully gave me the plate charger.  

Plate chargers are meant to be decorative and to adorn the table with or without place mats.  Chargers are only as good as the number of plates you set on a table, so a lonely, all-on-its-own charger doesn't serve a table much purpose.  I, on the other hand, saw great potential for this single charger.  

I saw a new purpose.  

With a little mod podge, scrapbook paper, punch-out letters, tiles from a Scrabble game, lace and hot glue, this charger became a new piece of inspirational Scripture art for my kitchen wall.  Surrounded by sentimental antique plates, the charger displaying the verse from Proverbs 13:12 stands out on its own as a most treasured piece.

God, too, treasures you.  He sees you as someone He has set apart from the pack.  He set you apart to be holy, to display His glory.  He has chosen you for a purpose.  He has chosen you to be His own special treasure.  It does not matter if you and I feel like we have been used, if we feel tossed aside, if we feel lonely or worthless, or even if we feel like we are trash.  The truth is not our feeling.  The truth is God's Word, which tells us we are TREASURED.  

I like to think God, too, sees potential in us to be the Scripture art He wants to hang on His wall and be inspired by every day.  You are tReAsuREd, all-on-your-own, one-of-a-kind, set apart for His own special purpose.  You are loved and adored by a most loving God.  Let that truth change the way you and I feel about ourselves, and let us stand out as most treasured pieces.