God's call is an inner conviction given by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by the Word of God and the body of Christ.- Erwin Lutzer
Meaning of conviction: a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law.
We located 40 verses that speak of conviction in the Bible...
Guilty as charged ???
This word brought me to thinking of children... Have you ever witnessed a child in the act of doing wrong... And when confronted they have the ability to look us in the eye and say I did not do it!! It wasn't me !!! But the truth is written all over their face!!
We all have been guilty of the same behavior at some time in our lives... We may think if no one witnessed the act we do not have to own up to the action... So then we try to bury it deep with our hearts...
But who are we truly fooling???
Guilt can eat away at the lining of our soul... until we come clean. It will haunt our peace.. and can even make us physically ill. Because it comes from a dark place... But conviction is the Holy Spirit’s cleansing process... We must acknowledge the wrong... We must bring it to our Heavenly Father.. and ask for forgiveness... that is when the weight in our heart lifts and we are able to breathe again...
His forgiveness, His grace ...His undying love... Works miracles in the field of guilt, conviction, and remorse...
But we have some responsibility in the process ... We must meet Him where He stands... We must commit our unclean heart to Him... daily. We must work towards setting the wrong right... We need to acknowledge that in our human form we will always fall short of being perfect. Because perfect is not attainable and He knows it ... Striving for improvement every day ... Can only make us better... than the day before... He welcomes improvement, He watches the growth... And loves us through each challenge... I personally do not understand how He has never given up on His children??? How? Why? So many questions?
How does every word, every thought, every day that my heart beats point to Him??
It’s Him! It has always been Him!!
I must admit ... I am guilty .... Guilty as charged... Guilty of falling in love with Him and I pray that it is written all over my face !! He WOWs me...
I am a work in progress!!! But He still loves me, even with all my imperfections...
Forever His.
“This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” Acts 24:16
“Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.”Hebrews 13:18
"If you are discouraged it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers." - Mother Teresa
Meaning of pride: a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
Ok stand back and brace yourself most if not all of us could use a hefty dose of humility when we crack open this word...
It just might hit you like a cold glass of water on a blistering summer day... Will it be a pleasant tune or just a bunch of white noise...
I think we have hit a sensitive cord... Pride can be dark, it can be full of self... and the shrapnel it releases can wound unsuspecting hearts...
Is this word always an ugly word? Is there a time when pride can be an emotion that can drive us to a place of beautiful growth ??
As parents, we tell our children we are proud of their achievements... But when we take it to others in a boastful manner I think we have just shifted pride to a displeasing level... When pride points to self that is when we lose our humility.. our grace, and our focus on what truly matters...
Would it be out of line if I said I am proud that I am a follower of Christ? Or would I rather hear my Father say He is pleased with who I am becoming... I pray the latter.
When we do not own the word but give it the way it takes on such a beautiful meaning...
The heart you gifted that emotion to may have needed your approval or just a few words of encouragement...
When you weld this emotion mix it with a pinch of love and make sure it lands firm and does not boomerang.
Be a humble encourager ...
Be the most amazing soul you can be!!! Make our Father be delighted in the soul you have become.
Then suddenly the voice of the Father shouted from the sky, saying, “This is my Son—the Beloved! My greatest delight is in him.” Matthew 3:17
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” -Rumi
Meaning of brokenness: a person has given up all hope; despairing.
There are approximately 27 verses that point us to the word brokenness...
As I sat meditating on this word my thoughts and the silence in my mind became broken by the sounds that began to race in my head...
This word I am afraid will make me bleed... There have been times in my walk with God that my heart felt broken and my soul had become severely bruised... I found myself in a fetal position with my face buried in the ground before me... I cried from the deepest heart-wrenching place in my soul...
I had a war raging within... I felt like I was coming apart at the seams... My heart was indeed being peeled back like an onion for the whole world to see... I was in such unfamiliar territory... I reached out but could not find a hand to hold... I felt misunderstood and alone. I retreated… I was struggling to understand and find my balance
Even knowing that I had family and friends that loved me I still felt lost... Who would understand this spiritual encounter? You see I did not know my Creator, so I looked for comfort in others, someone who could enlighten me and give me perspective. But this gift of love I was given was way bigger than most have ever encountered... Many did not know how to respond. Many thought maybe I was losing my mind…
But I felt like I was being driven by a gentle force. It is difficult to put into words… I just knew I had to keep moving forward, keep discovering more about Him and this love I felt in my soul. I had this unusual desire to share His love…But, I was so unequipped… and way out of my comfort zone… I had this unexplainable joy rippling through my veins.
It was a struggle.. where do I fit in? with whom do I share?
As I traveled each day, I discovered my Heavenly Father was always there guiding me. He held me as I felt the growing pains of shedding my old skin, I became stronger as I discovered more about Him... His beauty... and His LOVE. He healed my broken heart and filled my days with beautiful wonder... I was like a child in a candy store... So much to see, so much to taste and so much life to live.
My brokenness gave me heartfelt pain. My state of not finding someone to hold my hand… Lead me to Him. My brokenness allowed me to reach a place where I could build an intimate relationship of trust, faith, and love with the most amazing spiritual soul I have come to know...
I found the beauty in the pain.
I found Him! It’s always been Him!!
And I would not change not even one day… He helped me… find me…
He is my soft place to fall. My strength when I am weak ... And He is my love when no other human understands my heart!! He is the light that I seek! He is the whisper in the wind that I yearn to hear... He is my gift of LOVE from above. And yes, He is bigger than anything in this life! And I love Him more each day…
He wows me !!!
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’Isaiah 41:10
This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.Psalms 91:2
And He said to all “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23
"I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know God's thoughts, the rest are details." -Albert Einstein
Meaning of “think” has a particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something. Direct one's mind toward someone or something; use one's mind actively to form connected ideas.
We located 14 verses that speak to the word “think”.
Hmm, hold that thought!! What were you just thinking this very minute? The human mind is an amazing gift. Did you know there are 39 different types of thought processes? Our thought process is a type of cognitive activity in our brain. It allows us the ability to uses our mental capacity to complete and understand certain functions of our human experience. Many of these activities give us the ability, to problem solve, make split and long-term decisions, create, and evaluate any given situation.
But how does our thinking process affect our emotions? our mood? Does our thinking affect how we act and react towards life and others?
In most cases, our thought process stimulates some type of emotion… I found that most times is not the outside world that causes the emotion it is our internal filtering system. Life experiences weigh in heavy in this process…
Have you ever witnessed someone that always seems to be at peace even when they face difficult times? They seem to have a positive outlook. Do they have an inner joy??? What is this gift of positive thinking??
How do we rewire our thinking??? How to shift our mood from darkness to light?? Where can we find this product that they seem to possess???
This may not speak to everyone. But perhaps these souls have tapped into something much deeper something so simplistic and available to every man, woman, and child??
What does the good book reveal? What is it that keeps us coming back? There seems to be a medicinal phenomenon that lies between its pages… There are so many nuggets of wisdom hidden here… When we dive in and meditate on these beautiful words our mind becomes filled with the love our Heavenly Father placed in each written word…
It has been proven that if I say a word… you will automatically think of the object. Your life experience with that object will begin to race to your thoughts. And your emotions and sometimes all your senses will come rushing forward. That object will become your focus. Other thoughts may try to invade your headspace… But stay focused!!! Are you ready to test this theory?? Close your eyes and think of…
God... His beauty... His Love... His power, His grace, FOCUS on Him, and His love for you. You are His beautiful, forgiven, child… I pray your heart feels HIM... Because your emotions will kick in… and your thoughts will be filled with HOPE and the most amazing LOVE known to man...
WOW, He truly knows how we are wired?? He gave us Psalms 1:2 for a reason… Meditate on Him and His word day and night… This type of thinking can and does shift our thoughts… It has been proven… But the question becomes… How much of the day or night do you give Him?? Some share a quick devotional in the morning, some pray before bed. Some hit church on Sunday… But is that enough to change how you react to our miss guided world?
He has given us the gift of thinking, use it wisely…
It's Him, It’s always been HIM…. He can change the way we are wired to think!!!
THINK of HOPE, THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS, THINK of His AMAZING GIFT OF LOVE …
THINK of HIM.. and maybe your thoughts will become that ripple of love that our world needs to meditate on day and night… Be the change…
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:2
The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps. Proverbs 14:15
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise. And apply your mind to my knowledge; Proverbs 22:17
"To have God speak to the heart is a majestic experience, an experience that people may miss if they monopolize the conversation and never pause to hear God's responses."- Charles Stanley...
Meaning of Majestic: having or showing impressive beauty or dignity.
The word Majestic appeared in 76 verses in the Bible.
Some people use the word Majestic when speaking of mountains, or beautiful locations on earth. I have used it many times while writing for this blog. It has mainly been when I speak of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. After all, He is the Creator of all things even the ones that are considered majestically beautiful.
It is only fitting to state that He is the highest Majestic Kingly soul we will ever encounter. Have you ever just closed your eyes and felt His presence? What do you feel? What do you see? What do you hear?
I can share my experience with you. I have witnessed His beauty. I have felt their Godly presence deep within my soul.
I have silently watched the sunset… And can see Him in the brilliant colors of gold, the soft pinks, and the majestic blues. There is peace and a feeling of hope and wonderment. Every sunset carries a unique beauty of its own. How can we not believe in our Creator when we can witness the beauty that He shares with His children???
He possesses such majestic traits. He is a powerful force that reigns over all the heavens and earth. He is kind, merciful, and patient. He is omnipresent. He is all-forgiving… And of course I saved the best for last…. His love is more than my heart can understand. He holds no resentment or judgment. His arms are always welcoming no matter our circumstances. My soul craves to know more about Him with each passing day. To hear His soothing voice brings harmony to my mind, body, and spirit.
When I am asked what does the word majestic means to me? It is simple. It’s the love I feel for the most amazing soul I have grown to know and love. He is my Majestic Splendor, My King. Many call Him God… Some call Him Father. I call Him my Elohim… My Savior, My three LOVEs…
Its Him. It’s always been Him!!
He blows my mind…
"Who is like you among the gods, LORD? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, and working wonders? Exo 15:11
Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name! 1 Chron 29:13
“The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before.” – Albert Einstein
Unconventional: The definition of unconventional is someone or something that deviates from the norm or accepted standard.
The word unconventional may not be written as such in the Bible, but the word screams throughout it's beautiful pages...
As of 2021, there are approximately 7,846,000,000 people in our world. People of all types, cultures, and religions. But when I look at that number, I can’t help thinking of all the people in the world today and through history… Just how many of them truly impacted the general population??? What makes them different? What makes them unique?? What is that X-factor they seem to possess? Or are they just unconventional souls trying to make their mark in our world?
When we turn to the Bible... We can see the word unconventional as we examine the life that stood so magnificently tall. Yet He humbly left His beautiful mark on all mankind throughout every generation... From His conception, through His death and resurrection... His entire life was an unconventional phenomenon. He was uniquely different and not to be considered what the world viewed as the norm...
He did not fit the mold! So, because of this, He was unjustly judged by man's insecure heart and limited thinking.
I ask why do we try to place Him in a box??? He is so bigger than life. We should open our arms and embraced His Godly differences. Why don't we cherish Him above all else?
We are all wonderfully made by God... Each having our own blueprint to share with others in our world. No two of us are alike!! There is so much to learn from our different cultures, beliefs, and religions... It is very sad that man has been so judgmental. Many try to squeeze others into the normal box resulting in undue pain!!!
My spiritual walk... started in a very unconventional way!!! The Holy Spirit reached down from Heaven and touched my soul with a love beyond my understanding... With no prior religious background, I was so unprepared for the days ahead. But as fumbled I earnestly tried to find my way... I began to share Him and His amazing LOVE with anyone who would listen...
Most did not embrace my story because is not the conventional way they had witnessed in others. This made me feel odd, alone and I cried many tears behind closed doors...
Sharing Him will never fit the normal mold... But look who I am dealing with!!! He should never fit in what man has outlined as normal… I am actually grateful for the lack of understanding it thrust me into His arms. Where He kept loving me and teaching me... He became my safe place to run. He embraced my uniqueness and cherished me beyond what my heart could even understand.
He taught me that the path I was on He made for me alone.. It's has taken many hours of discovering God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit... For me to become comfortable within my own spiritual skin.
And through this experience, I have come to the realization that I will never fit the typical mold made by man... My story will be different, it will be fresh, it will be loving ... Because that is who He is… It's my unique gift from my Heavenly Father...
So, if my openness and my sharing His love is different than the norm... Know that is from the most unconventional heart I have grown to know and love...I am only a messenger.
He opened my once dormant soul to His world of magnificent wonder... And for those who must judge... Let me let you know that I say without restraint that I know without a shadow of a doubt that He loved me first... And somewhere in a very unconventional way, I fell in LOVE with Him... All of Him...
He WOWs me.
It's Him, it's always Him
I am and will forever be His unconventional child...
Be different, Be unique, Be everything He wants you to be!!
The meaning of desperation: a state of despair,hopelessness, distress, anguish, pain, agony…
The word desperation appears only 4 times in the Bible…
I have never thought of myself as a desperate type... So, this word may give me a run for my money?? Growing up I was a passive soul… My mother used to say, “Lori would rather switch than fight?” But as I grew up, I realized that that was not necessarily the case… I just saved the battles for what I thought was worthy of me standing my ground… I only tolerated being bullied by life issues to a point… Then somewhere deep inside I found the strength to climb the mountain before me.
But then I began to ponder when I have ever felt desperate, and my mind traveled to a 5k race that I had entered… I remember getting ready by training… getting the correct gear… and waiting for the day with great anticipation…
Finally, the day arrived… I had to check in at daybreak. They assigned me a number and pinned it on my shirt… I had entered the race alone… except for the other hundred or so people… I wandered around taking in the moment and watching the other racers laughing, stretching, and lining up with hopes of being one of the top finishers. I will confess, I would be happy to just finish…
The announcer began to call for all racers to make their way to the starting line… As we did, I now felt I was part of this sea of strangers… We gathered, took our stance as they said. on your mark, get set, and GO! I heard the gun and away we went…. As the race continued, some raced ahead with great speed, some fell to the back of the pack… I felt I would be lucky if I were somewhere in the middle… 1 mile, 2 miles, as I ran past each mile marker my endurance seem to be fading but I was determined not to give up… I passed mile marker 3, and then 4 ... My breathing became labored. My heart started pounding, and my legs were feeling weak… But my mind said keep going you are almost home….
As soon as that thought ran through my mind, I began to see the finish line on the distant horizon… I became ecstatic that I had made it this far… However, my body began to scream as I rounded the 4.5k mark, up and down hills, through grass, and even rain… I was desperate to finish… As the finish line came closer and closer, I began to call out every name I knew in Heaven, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and my sister. I knew at this point I needed heavenly help as I was desperate to finish… It was a beautiful moment and one that I will always remember as those heavenly souls helped me across the finish line that day.
Now you are most likely wondering what this has to do with a Bible word study?? I can only share my thoughts… We are all in the race we call life… We are all getting ready for that big race day… Some are filling their spiritual bodies and training each day. Some may think I've got this no problem.. after all, I am in pretty good shape ?? Some may be weak and feel there is still time to ready themselves? But when we are called to the starting line… and hear the words... on your mark, we will gather… get set… we will take our stance… and then with a great powerful voice, you will hear the word Go…. The last gun will fire...
I do believe we will all run with hope in our hearts that we did enough to make it home... We will all feel that final tug of desperate anticipation… Some may struggle and desperately make the last attempt with their last dying breath. Some will keep running and try to slide into home plate.
Me I want to prepare myself now, so I can finish strong and call out all the soul's names that helped me cross the finish line. I celebrate and say "I am here count me in." Because I will admit..... I am beyond...
Desperate to see His beautiful face…
It's Him, It's always Him
In case you are curious I came in 5th in my age group… I know in my heart it had to be Him…
I pray you to start training today for the most amazing race you will ever enter... I hope to see you at the finish line.
But when they were in their trouble and distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and [in desperation earnestly] sought Him, 2 Chronicles 15:4
Desperation
The meaning of desperation: a state of despair,hopelessness, distress, anguish, pain, agony…
The word desperation appears only 4 times in the Bible…
I have never thought of myself as a desperate type... So, this word may give me a run for my money?? Growing up I was a passive soul… My mother used to say, “Lori would rather switch than fight?” But as I grew up, I realized that that was not necessarily the case… I just saved the battles for what I thought was worthy of me standing my ground… I only tolerated being bullied by life issues to a point… Then somewhere deep inside I found the strength to climb the mountain before me.
But then I began to ponder when I have ever felt desperate, and my mind traveled to a 5k race that I had entered… I remember getting ready by training… getting the correct gear… and waiting for the day with great anticipation… Finally, the day arrived… I had to arrive at daybreak and check-in… they assigned me a number and pinned it on my shirt… I had entered the race alone… except for the other hundred or so people… I wandered around taking in the moment and watching the other racers laughing, stretching, and lining up with hopes of being one of the top finishers. I will confess, I would be happy to just finish…
The announcer began to call for all racers to make their way to the starting line… As we did, I now felt I was part of the sea of people… We gathered, took our stance as they said. On your mark, get set, and GO! I heard the gun and away we went…. As the race continued, some raced ahead with great speed, some fell to the back of the pack… I was somewhere maybe in the middle… 1 mile, 2mile, as I ran past each mile maker my endurance seem to be fading but I could not give up… miles 3, and 4... My breathing became labored. My heart was pounding, and my legs were feeling the pain… But my heart and mind said keep going you are almost home….
As soon as that thought ran through my mind, I began to see the finish line on the distant horizon… I became ecstatic that I had made it this far… However, my body began to feel the 4.5k track I had been on… Uphills through grass, and even rain… I was desperate to finish… As the finish line became closer and closer, I began to call out every name I knew in Heaven, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and my sister. I knew at this point I needed heavenly help as I was desperate to finish… It was a beautiful moment and one that I will always remember as those heavenly souls helped me across the finish line that day.
Now you are most likely wondering what does this has to do with a Bible word study?? I can only share my thoughts… We are all in the race we call life… We are all getting ready for that big race day… Some are filling their spiritual bodies and training each day. Some may think I think I am in good shape no problem?? Some may be weak and feel there is still time to ready themselves? But when all approach the starting line… and we hear on your mark, we will gather… get set… we will take a stand… and Go…. I do believe we will all run with hope in our hearts that we make it to the finish line… We will all feel desperation set in… Some may struggle and be desperate to make it into Heaven with their last dying breath. Some will keep running or even crawling to squeak in… Me I want to prepare myself now, so I can finish calling out all the soul's names that went before me. I am here count me in… Because I will admit. I am beyond desperate to see His beautiful face…
It's Him, It's always Him
In case you are curious I came in 5th in my age group… I know in my heart it had to be Him…
I pray you start training today for the most amazing race you will ever be a part of... I hope to see you at the finish line.
But when they were in their trouble and distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and [in desperation earnestly] sought Him, 2 Chronicles 15:4 -
Why do You stand far away, O Lord? Why do You hide [Yourself, veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble? Psa 10:1
“If I know what love is, it is because of you.” –Herman Hesse
Meaning of crush: To press and bruise between two hard bodies; to squeeze, so as to force a thing out of its natural shape; to bruise by pressure.
Are we a broken and bruised society? Has life left us with scars? Has someone crushed your heart? or wounded your soul??
If you answered yes to at least one of the questions above that is a good thing...Now you might say a good thing? You're crazy! Who thinks of being crushed in any way as a good thing? I say it’s good because it makes us human... It makes us feel life... I do feel when we are put under any type of pressure we are soulfully crushed to some degree.
However, we must learn the life lesson set before us. I believe that being soulfully crushed can leave us better than we were before... I know you think. Impossible?
So do not take my feelings to heart, together let’s discover what the Bible says??
The word “crush” wounded my heart as my mind wrestled with the thought of Jesus and how He was crushed for me and you!! His only crime was loving too much...
His soul must have grieved so intensely as He prayed in the garden to our Heavenly Father. He knew the plan set before Him, but His hands were tied. He knew that He could not be released from the monumental commitment He had made. All of humanity depended on His sacrifice. He knew of the betrayal that would soon take place. He grieved not just for what was going to take place, but He must have grieved for the lost souls… The souls, that did not recognize who He truly was. The ones that His love could not reach … The hearts that He could not penetrate.
I do believe the crushing of the body is severely painful. To think of what He must have felt. Must crush all believer’s hearts. It was one of the most barbaric punishments a man of His time could endure.
The pain and humiliation must have been off the charts. But the crushing of His soul by the betrayal of unbelievers is a wound that carried a pain far beyond our human understanding. It must have left scars on His heart that followed Him to eternity. It must still make Him sad…
How did they not know Him? How did they not embrace Him… How did they did not love Him? How did they not protect Him and How did they not shout His message of LOVE…?
History has proven there are many who over time have never let His love go. They pulled His love into their souls. They have protected it. They felt His beauty, His warmth, His forgiveness, and grace… They have carried His torch of LOVE within their hearts to light the way for others.
I thank God for those brave souls that never gave up! For those that have dedicated their time to write His words. And I thank the Holy Spirit for teaching us and for showing us the way.
The good news is our precious Savior will no longer feel the crushing of His Human existence. But I do feel He is still crushed by the unbelievers today. He gave Himself willingly to us all… He gave us His all… He did it for love… So, let’s not let His act of LOVE go without learning the lesson He unfolded before our eyes.
We must recognize the beauty in His pain.
I do believe His sadness diminishes as each new follower is welcomed into His circle of LOVE… There must be beautiful music played and rejoicing that is felt across the Heavens… His mission is to save our souls has never been terminated. His circle of LOVE is never-ending…
It's you. It's me… and It's for anyone that is searching for a LOVE that will change life as they know it …
It's HIM!! It’s always been HIM… He gave us the gift of life for eternity…
And I will admit to you. I have more than just a crush…I love Him more than the air I breathe.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Who his own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 KJV
But hewaswounded for our transgressions,he wasbruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peacewasupon him, and with his stripes, we are healed.Isaiah 53:5 KJV
