John 1:4-5
In Christ there was life, and that life was a light for the people of the world.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not defeated it.
No matter how dark the night,
No matter how fierce the storm,
Jesus help us trust in You,
And not give up, oh Lord.
No matter how high the waves
Come rising around our soul,
Jesus help us cling to You,
Your promise help us hold.
No matter how strong the winds
No matter how hot the flames,
Jesus help us trust in You,
And cling to You in faith.
No matter how strong the night,
It cannot overcome,
The light of Christ within us,
So may we not give up.
The darkness cannot overtake
The light of Jesus Christ,
Greater is He who is within us
Than our enemies of the night.
Lord Jesus, may we never give up,
Lord, never give up on You;
Lord, help us cling to You in faith
And hold on to Your truth.
Heavenly Father, thank You that Your Holy Spirit lives inside each one of Your children and that You are always with us every moment, every day of our lives. We may not be able to see You any more than we can see the air, but Your presence abides with us no matter what we are facing. You are with us in all our joys as well as all of our sorrows. Thy word says that You are very close to those whose hearts are breaking.
In art the brightest light is revealed by placing it next to something very dark. Perhaps that is also true spiritually. When we go through trials we are able to draw closer to You unless we allow the sorrows to make us bitter and angry.
Lord, I pray for every person reading this message and prayer; may You draw them closer to Thy heart through whatever path they are traveling in their life at this time.
May they not give up on any dream You have given them: ministry, work, whatever You whispered in their deepest hearts. Help them hold on and remember that “no word from God shall ever fail.” Thank You Lord. I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ephesians 4:30 (MSG)
Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart.
His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you,
is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for my life. Help me not to grieve You by the way I live. Show me how I can be a blessing to You each day. I love You, Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Psalm 107:10, 12-16, 19-22
“Some of God’s people were prisoners, locked behind bars in dark prisons. …They stumbled and fell, and there was no one to help them. They were in trouble, so they called to the Lord for help, and He saved them from their troubles. He took them out of their dark prisons. He broke the ropes that held them.
Thank the Lord for His faithful love and for the amazing things He does for people. He breaks down their bronze gates. He shatters their iron bars. They were in trouble, so they called to the Lord for help, and He saved them from their troubles.
He gave the command and healed them, so they were saved from the grave.
Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things He does for people.
Offer sacrifices of thanks to Him. Sing with joy about all that He has done.”
NEVER GIVE UP
Wherever you are on your journey, whatever challenge you may be facing right now,
be assured that God is with you, though you may not be aware of His Presence.
Know that He who created all the stars and calls them all by name; who knows the
numbers of hairs on your head and bottles all your tears, loves you beyond measure.
If your faith is eclipsed by a trial of suffering right now and it is difficult to feel God’s love
as You have in the past, know that His Spirit is still inside of you, holding you close to His heart. Even as the sun is still shining during a solar eclipse, God’s Spirit is still abiding strong within your heart. He will never leave you in your valley of the shadow.
King David wrote, “The Lord is close to those who have suffered disappointment. He saves those who are discouraged.” (Psalm 34:18 ERV)
Though you may not be able to feel the Lord’s presence in your present circumstances, trust and abide in His word. Stand strong on His promises because, “No word from God shall ever fail.” (Luke 1:37 NIV)
Whatever you do, remember: “Jesus told his disciples…that they should always pray and not give up.”~Luke 18:1
Don’t give up! God has a wonderful future ahead for you. God promises in His word,
“I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. Then you will call My name. You will come to Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will search for Me, and when you search for Me with all your heart, you will find Me. I will let you find Me.” This message is from the Lord. “And I will bring you back from your captivity.” ~Jeremiah 29:11-14 ERV
Heavenly Father, thank You for every person reading these words today. May You fill their hearts with rivers of hope. Renew, restore their faith and give them an abiding awareness of Your holy Presence within and around them everywhere they go, at all times. Encourage their hearts and never let them give up, dear Lord, even as You, Lord Jesus, never gave up despite the pain, the shame, and suffering, when You gave Your life for us on the cross. Protect Your dear children from hopelessness and discouragement as You help them to focus their thoughts on Thy word and to abide in Thee at all times. Thank You Lord. I love You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Peace, said the Angel to the Shepherds. Source/Internet
Sometimes it’s difficult to walk by faith. God’s word says that He “calls
things that are not as though they are” and He asks us to trust Him. He asks us to see beyond what our eyes can perceive, beyond what our ears can hear, or our minds can comprehend as real.
God gives us promises that seem impossible to come true yet it is impossible for a holy God to lie. His word declares, “For no word of God will ever fail.” Luke 1:37
Angel Choir Sings to the Shepherds/Source:Internet
As Christmas approaches I think about the people to whom God chose to reveal His Son more than 2000 years ago on a starry night in the hills of Bethlehem.
Shepherds were among the lowest ranking groups in society yet God opened up the heavens and gave them a concert led by a host of angels from His own royal courts. The world may not have thought much of those shepherds, but God highly favored them.
Angels sing to the shepherds/Source:Internet
They were so important to God that they have been forever engraved in His holy scriptures, while the lives of almost everyone else who lived back then have been written in the dust.
Every year almost since the church began children and adults have dressed up as those shepherds to re-enact the Christmas story. The drama has been played out in movies, operas, plays, pageants, songs, stories, and sermons.
There is no end to the references to the common shepherds whom God elevated that night on the Judean Hills when He opened up the heavens and sent an angel choir to sing the announcement of the birth of His Son to them.
Those humble shepherds had a choice to believe the angelic vision or
disbelieve. Filled with the glory of Heaven they followed the shining star over the
humble manger and found everything the angels sang about to be true.
Shepherds Find Baby Messiah
Everyone was looking out for a Savior to deliver Israel from her oppressors. But an infant born into poverty was not the type of Savior King they expected. The shepherds, Mary, Joseph, even the Magi who were to enter the Christmas story later all had to accept by faith God’s word that this Baby was God’s Messiah.
What is faith? The author of Hebrews 11:1 writes, “Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see.” The bible says of Mary that “she treasured all these things up in her heart.” And Jesus later asked His disciples to hide His word in their hearts. Why? Because “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”
Mary, Joseph and the shepherds would have to wait 33 long years for the angel’s promise to bear any fruit. For Jesus had to grow up before He could become the Messiah. Then He would again defy appearances and challenge their faith because He was not going to be the kind of Messiah they expected.
Bethlehem Star/Source:Internet
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,”
~was the song the angels had sung to the shepherds that first Christmas night. (Luke 2:14) Jesus was not just going to save Israel but the Gentiles too. He was going to save people spiritually not deliver in a political way. When Their Promised Messiah was sacrificed on the cross don’t you know their faith had to be severely challenged!
The people God chose to bear His Son were normal people like us with fears and doubts who struggled to believe God’s promises just like we so often do. But God gave them the grace to keep going forward because they kept saying “yes” to God. They kept trusting Him despite appearances. They kept choosing to walk by faith even when all hope seemed lost, even when it posed a risk to their very lives and reputations. They never gave up.
Elizabeth said to Mary when she came to her, “Great blessings are yours because you believed what the Lord said to you! You believed this would happen.” (Luke 1:45)
It is not easy to walk by faith. That is why God downloads a portion of Himself in the Person of His Holy Spirit into our hearts when we accept Jesus as our Savior. The minute we say “Yes” to Him, Christ gives Himself to us and then helps us to believe one day at a time. We just have to keep on choosing to say, “Yes, Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief.”
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for understanding us so well, and for giving us Thy own Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness. Help us to walk by faith, knowing that You will never leave or forsake us, nor fail to keep every promise You make to us. We love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Shepherds on Judean Hills/Source:Internet
Merry Christmas to all my readers! I’ve made a Christmas video just for you from one of the songs from my Christmas album, “*Christmas Joy.” I hope you will enjoy & be encouraged by “The Shepherds’ Song”! God Bless you with a Beautiful Christmas!
I love you all! ~Suzanne ♥
*All profits from the sales of my albums “Christmas Joy” & “God’s
Rainbow Promise” go to ministries that benefit the homeless & survivors
of Abuse. Thank You for your support of my music & for these
ministries. God Bless You Always!
Peaceangel Song 
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