Reflections4Life December 27, 2020
Simply, this is where you'll find what's on my mind and in my heart. It is my point of view, of how it affects the lives of those I see and encounter. Prayerfully you'll find encouragment and inspiration. And the courage to tell me where you hurt.
Saturday, December 26, 2020
"For Every Mountaintop"
Sunday, December 20, 2020
"Make A Joyful Noise"
Reflections4Life December 20, 2020
“Make a Joyful Noise!”
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100
Scripture Contemplation: Isaiah 12; Luke 2; John 1…
©Ruthe McDonald.
I pray today’s Reflections will bring comfort and peace to your heart and mind. I decree it be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, may your heart be filled with joy. May you lay aside every burden, celebrate the greatest gift God has ever given to this world.
I will openly admit that I cannot sing at all! Perhaps a few notes here and there, but singing an entire song in the right key?—Nope; not happening. I know my gifts and talents. And singing is not one of them. Yet, I can still make a joyful noise unto the Lord. I still am able and can give praise to God for His many blessings.
Though I can play instruments, and create a beautiful melody, compose a composition to bring praise to God, it does not compare to the sound our heart and spirit make when we are truly thankful to our heavenly Father.
As many make plans and alter their holidays together because of the pandemic, we can still make a whole lot of noise. Let it not be a noise of complaint or backbiting. Let it be one of thankfulness and praise that we have made it the last month in this year when so many others have not.
Let your actions make a joyful noise. Let your deeds for others become a joyful noise. Let the love you have in your heart make a joyful noise. Lay aside the disappointments and the failures and mistakes, and replace them with praise on your lips.
Yes. Easier said than done. But guess what? You are here. Alive. Reading this message and is one thing that many do not have. You are still in the land of the living, able to make amends, make a difference, set things right if need be. Let your heart make a joyful noise and give God praise. When the praises of God go up, the blessings certainly do come down.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! Make a joyful noise today and every day. Let your actions sing of the goodness of God as your heart fills with His love, grace, and peace. Let the Father know how much you love Him. Sing a love song to your Creator; through your actions, words, and deeds. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
©2020. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.
Sunday, December 13, 2020
"A Love Letter From God"
Reflections4LifeTM December 13, 2020
I pray today's Reflections brings comfort and peace to your heart and mind. I decree it be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration. There is power in knowing and believing how much God loves you, especially when you are going through. Allow the love of God to consume you—fill every part of your heart and soul. Knowing and understanding His love will bring boldness to your walk. It is something you cannot help but share.
God is an awesome God. There are times when I have an idea of what He will have me write for Reflections, based upon what has transpired throughout the previous week. Then there are times when I do not have a clue until an hour before it is time to post. I do not write Reflections before God gives me His download.
This Sunday, as I prayed for His message to share, He brought to my heart an article I wrote some years ago. He placed it upon my heart to share this with you today.
A Love Letter from God
Oh, the power of the love of God. It is consuming. It is overwhelming. It is healing. It is phenomenal. It can be indescribable. But there is no doubt, that it is love—a powerful, consuming love.
A love letter from God is received when you have searched and questioned if there is a God. A love letter from God comes when you feel that there is nothing left for you. A love letter from God comes when you have been abandoned by all that you know and love. A love letter comes when you are in the valley of despair. A love letter even comes when you are on the mountain-top; filled with joy and wonder. A love letter from God comes when you have questions that need to be answered and when your heart has sought Him with completeness. A love letter from our Heavenly Father comes when you desire the truth and the heart of God.
A love letter can be heard in the quietness of your supplication to the Father. You cannot miss the love letter when you set yourself to be in His presence. Permit me to share with you a letter of such...
To My Beloved,
It gives my heart extreme pleasure to shower you with my love. I know that there are times when you question if I exist, or if I love you at all. I love you. I love you unconditionally. I love you just as you are.
I've seen the struggles that you suffer. I see the pain that you are in. My heart aches for you. My beloved, I have not abandoned you; nor have I forsaken you. The prince of this world has set out to destroy and deceive you. To try and manipulate you. But remember: Greater am I in you than he that is in this world.
Take courage. Stand strong and know that I love you with an everlasting love. Many have come to try and deceive you and destroy your faith. But I have planted in you an incorruptible seed: my love. I have formed and fashioned you. I breathed into you, me. I made you in my image and I set you apart for greatness. So don't be fooled by the enemy's lies; it is only a trap to discourage you and to take your focus.
Beloved, I encourage you to remain focused. To be steadfast. Just as Christ overcame the world; so can you. I know it's difficult at times. I know that you grow weary. I know the evil that persists in this world. But I have sent you a comforter, My Spirit, that will lead and guide you and teach you what to do.
Many times I have spoken that the battle is not yours. Yet the adversary of your soul and of the Kingdom has convinced you that it is YOU that needs to fight. No, my beloved. I will fight and have fought your battles. Your position is to pray, praise, and worship. If I am lifted up, then I will draw all men unto me.
So many have left my flock. So many of you have been wounded by other sheep and shepherds that I have left to tend my flock. I am sorry for your pain and the wounds inflicted upon you. I'm sorry for the lies that have caused you to run. Know this my beloved: that I love you just the way you are. It is not you that I hate, but the sin that I abhor. It is not the addict that I hate—but the addiction. For it keeps you away from me. It is not the homosexual that I hate—but the act of homosexuality. For it was not my design. It is not the adulterer or fornicator that I hate—but the act of the sin. For it keeps you separated and opens doors to more evil, and causes wounds beyond belief. It is not the liar or the thief—but the act of lying and stealing. For no liar and thief shall enter into heaven. My beloved, it is not the sinner but the sinful acts that I hate. How can I not love and accept my creation? How can I not love you when I am in you? Yes, there is room at the Cross for all; but sin must take its rightful place—nailed to the Cross.
I can be the balm that heals your wounds and stabilizes your footing. You question my strength and love. My power, my strength, my love, is shown in my gift to you; the gift of my Son, Jesus the Christ—the anointed One. I also gave a gift when I formed you: the gift of choice. You can choose to believe or not. You can choose to walk in righteousness or not. You have the power because I placed a choice in your hands. And with this power comes responsibility.
I'm sorry about your disappointments. However, make no mistake, my beloved, that I have and am causing all things to work out for your good; for each and everyone that loves me, and has believed in me; even when your path was dark and you could not see. I reward them that diligently seek me. And those that stand in faith and have taken my word and hidden it in their hearts.
I know that you struggle. I know that you have pain. I know that you question my love for you and how I can love you so, and allow the world to be in such disarray. I know. But had you been meditating on my word, spending time in my presence, then you will know that this all, I have prepared you for; this, I have told you of. I warned you that the heart of man would wax evil. That there would be wars and rumors of wars. I warned you that there would be deceivers coming in my name. I told you that there would be perilous times. But I also told you, that I would be with you. I would be with you always.
My love for you does not stop because you are suffering. My love for you has not ceased because you have suffered a loss. My love for you grows abundantly with each and every day. You are a part of me and I have called you by name.
It does not matter how many times you fall—get up! And trust me to lead you. There is one thing that no one else truly knows but me: Your heart. I know your heart. I know your soul. I know your cries. I know the fears. Now it's time for you to know true love.
Seek me. Seek early. Seek me each and every day. Spend time in my presence. I've missed you. I've wanted to talk with you for so long. Will you open your heart? Will you open the door? I've been knocking for a while. Just know: I never tire. So I will keep knocking. I will keep loving. I will never leave. All you have to say is Yes, Lord.
I love you,
Your Heavenly Father
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. Let the love of God consume your heart, mind, and soul. Seek the Father each day. Invite Him into those hidden places where all the fears and scars and wounds are. Allow His love to envelop you and bring complete healing. God is waiting just for you. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing.
Sunday, December 06, 2020
"Be at Peace"
Reflections4Life December 6, 2020
Sunday, November 29, 2020
"Look Straight Ahead"
Reflections4LifeTM November 29, 2020
from our experiences.
Sunday, November 22, 2020
"Give Thanks for The Life You Have"
Reflections4LifeTM November 22, 2020
Some of us have been taking for granted the time that God has granted us—even in the face of this deadly virus—and filling it with feelings of self-loathing, bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness. All of which shortens our lives and takes away from the joy of living. It also blinds us to answers that God has for us.
God does not want us living with regrets. Regrets hinder us from achieving our goals and coming into the fullness of what God has ordained for us. There are so many things that we are facing in the world today. So much has occurred that has taken our focus and hindered us from seeing the blessings of God. Our minds are saddled with the things of the world and our hearts are burden with self-abasing thoughts, and grudges against those we say we love. In order to receive what God has said is rightfully ours: peace, joy, love, happiness, abundant living in Him—we have to be in a position to recognize when we are veering off the righteous path and sliding on the slippery slope that the enemy often pushes us toward.
We are living in such a time where the world is dictating gloom and doom every day while God is speaking of life and abundance. How can there be abundance when so much is going wrong? God says that the abundance is in Him. When we place our focus on, and our trust in the Creator, rather than the creation, we will begin to see through the eyes of God what way we should walk in. How do we do this? By spending time with the Father and allowing Him to transform our thinking and behavior.
We must begin to see ourselves as worthy of God's goodness and mercy. We may have failed a million times. We may have fallen numerous times. But God tells us to get back up. Nothing is over until God says it is over. God has given to all of us a measure of faith, and He expects us to use it.
Your self-worth is not incumbent upon you being a success in this world. Your self-worth is incumbent upon you being the kind of person that God has called you to be. It is not and should never be based upon material things. Material things are temporal. They pass away. But the things that should hold the most value, are those things that make up your character. Your self-worth should be based upon your character, your ability to love and receive love, your integrity, honesty, the kindness of your heart. Your ability to forgive others. Oftentimes, if you look at a person's family you will see what is a priority. I don't want to pass down just an inheritance to my children. I want to pass down a legacy. A legacy may not come with a bunch of dollar signs. But it can come with much love and integrity and the answers to how to gain wealth. Not just in finances, but wealth in every area of life.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity find permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. Life is action, it is constantly moving from one place to another. One moment to the next. Only memories stay in the past. And if we allow them to, memories will bind us and lock us to a past of hurt, anger, and unforgiveness. Whereas God says that the past is behind us and He has freed us and has given us an abundant life to take hold of. But it is dependent upon us moving toward Him, His purpose, and His will for our lives and being thankful for the life that we have. Live life to the fullest. Treasure the gift that God has blessed you with. You are blessed. And Happy Thanksgiving! Now go…and be a blessing.
Sunday, November 15, 2020
"Come Back Home"
Reflections4LifeTM November 15, 2020
Saturday, November 07, 2020
"Are You All In?"
Reflections4LifeTM November 8, 2020