Luke 18:1-8 (NKJV) Then He (Jesus) spoke a
parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:
"There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now
there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for
me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said
within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this
widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary
me.'" Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.
And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though
He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the
earth?" π π
πVoice of the Doveπ
Let's go higher, ever increasing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Monday, April 15, 2024
PRAYER SCRIPTURES
Thursday, April 11, 2024
THE GOD OF PEACE
This was about 8 years ago… I
went to Walgreen's and was heading fast down the straight-away between the aisles
when Prima donna dressed to the hilt in leopard print (even her 5-inch heel sandals
and tippy-toes) almost crashes head on into me coming out of one of the aisles.
I was already in a foul mood when I went to the store and instead of her
apologizing to me, I apologized to her and Prima donna sashayed on off as
though it was my fault, and I was supposed to be the one apologizing. Because
I was already in a foul mood, that drove my irritability radar soaring into the
red zone. "Miss Thing with her leopard print toenails thinks she is too
good for apologies," I thought.
By the time I made it to the check-out line, guess who lands right in front of me? Yes! Leopard toes herself! So now my irritation is directed to the Lord. "You would let her get right in front of me."
At the end of her transaction, she drops twelve cents on the floor. Without even thinking, I dove to the floor and picked it all up and handed it to her. She gave me a sincere “God bless you,” and walked out of the store.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)
May the God of peace be with you all. (Rom. 15:33)
The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. (Rom.16:20)
YOU'RE DAZZLING!!!
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
THE STINK OF OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION
The Stink
In the movie Facing the Giants, Grant and Brooke Taylor had a stink in their home that they could not figure out where it was coming from. At the same time, their relationship with God had grown cold and they hadn’t even noticed. They lost sight of God while they were pursuing other interests. The stink in their home was a physical expression of their spiritual condition. Every time they walked in from outside, it would hit them in the face.
God’s Rebuke
God rebuked the children of Israel through the prophet Isaiah (65th chapter). They had grown rebellious and unresponsive, following their own evil paths and crooked schemes. They insulted God by worshipping idols and pagan gods. They ate food that was forbidden. They had a holier-than-thou attitude, and thought they were spiritually superior to others. In Isaiah 65:5 God says, "These people are a stench in My nostrils, an acrid (unpleasant) smell that never goes away.” The Lord said, “I was ready to respond but no one asked for help.”
When we attend worship without any remorse for the sin in our lives, it is a stench in God’s nostrils. When we act holier-than-thou like scribes and Pharisees, it is a stench in God’s nostrils.
Return To Our First Love
I love that verse in 2Cor. 2:15 that says, “We are to God the fragrance of Christ;” a sweet-smelling fragrance, not a stench in His nostrils.
In the movie I mentioned at the beginning of this blogpost, God led the couple to what was stinking up their house. It was after they finally came to realize through a number of incidences that they needed to return to their first love. If you have not seen Facing the Giants, I highly recommend it.
Prayer of Repentance
Jesus said in Rev. 2:5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
In David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” He’s repenting and praying for restoration and renewal.
The sacrifices of God, dear friend, are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. (Ps. 51:17)
May God richly bless you. Go in peace.
Monday, April 08, 2024
THE GOD-SHAPED HOLE
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has planted eternity in the heart of mankind. This is a part of us that can only be satisfied by His presence. We have a spiritual hunger and thirst that cannot be satisfied with earthly pleasures and pursuits. They will always fall short of satisfying the God-shaped hole in our soul.
The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:17).
Someone once told me the story of a coworker whose life was going great. Great marriage… great family relations… great career… financially stable… and had great health. But he kept feeling that something was missing and couldn’t put his finger on it. Some kind of way God revealed to this coworker that his soul was hungering and thirsting for God. He came to Christ, and received satisfaction.
It's kind of like when you’ve missed some meals and your stomach is growling, then you sit down and enjoy your favorite meal. Nothing can begin to compare to the satisfaction of God’s presence. He is our breath of life.
Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.
Thursday, April 04, 2024
THE PRECIOUS CHIEF CORNERSTONE
Though Jesus Christ was the stone which the builders rejected—yet He is the Chief Cornerstone of God's entire plan of redemption. In Him alone we find salvation. Only by faith in Christ Jesus can we enter into the kingdom of God. Once we place our faith in Jesus, our adventure of faith begins.
Together, all believers form a habitation for God,
and are the stones being built upon the Chief Cornerstone. So let each one take
heed how he or she builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than
that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11).
When I make my bed in the morning, I remind myself that what my hands find to do should be done with precision, and heartily as unto the Lord (Eccl. 9:10 & Col. 3:23-24). So also, it is with how we build on the precious Chief Cornerstone… how we build on His foundation… how we walk out this adventure of faith in Christ. Our lives should be a mirror that reflects the image of Christ. Build on that foundation as a master builder that others may see Him in us.
When I was growing up my mother used to quote to us often, "When a task is once begun, never leave it till it's done. Be the laborer great or small, do it well or not at all."
Don't build with inferior material, my friends, use the best you've got. Go in peace.
Monday, April 01, 2024
TRUSTING WHEN IT HURTS
King Hezekiah and the Prophet Isaiah |
Friday, March 29, 2024
LIVING MY BEST LIFE
πππππππ |
I’m living my best life but not because I’m wealthy, because I am not. And it’s certainly not because I have all my needs met, because I don’t. But I’m living my best life because I have Jesus in my heart, and nothing on this earth can compare to that. Yes, we can have great mammon (more money than we can spend), but a relationship with our Heavenly Father outweighs all of that.
I’m reminded of so many biblical heroes that testified to that. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Our God is able to deliver us from your burning fiery furnace O king. But even if He doesn’t, we will still not bow to your idol gods.” These were souls committed to God not because He would make life easy, but because of their love for Him. They were thrown into the fiery furnace but the fire did not harm them. God was committed to them too.
Paul and Silas had been beaten with rods and thrown into prison with their feet locked in the stocks. But in the midnight hour they were singing hymns to God and praying. The prophet Isaiah says, God comforts all who mourn, and consoles those who mourn, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for their mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That is spiritual wealth, my dear friends, that money cannot buy. There are millionaires out there who are not happy, proving that our best lives are not always filled with material things (cars, cash, clothes, and a castle).
I'm not trying to talk you out of your life's dreams. Not at all. Keep believing... but incorporate those beliefs with a hunger and a thirst for God. He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think.
Go in peace.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove
Monday, March 18, 2024
GOD IS NOT MY BUTLER
Thursday, March 14, 2024
MY INDEPENDENT SPIRIT
Grow In God-Dependence |
For some time now, God has been dealing
with me about my independent spirit. I never-ever want to feel like I'm being a
burden on anyone, so I generally won't ask for favors, I just try to figure out
a way to do things myself... but the Lord wants us totally dependent on Him. My
independence has been sabotaging our relationship because it hinders God from
leading me His way, because I'm busily doing things my own way, so I don't have
to be a burden on Him.
I was watching one of my favorite Bible teachers this morning, and she read the
passage in Deuteronomy 8 about the Lord leading the children of Israel through
the wilderness to humble them, and teach them to totally depend on Him. That's
why they got a daily provision of manna, and yesterday's manna went bad. When they tried to keep leftovers, the manna bred worms and gave off a bad stench.
In this season of my life, my wilderness experiences has taught me to lay down
my independent spirit and let God be in charge as my caregiver, my provider,
and the GPS giving me directions. He wants us living totally dependent on Him.
We're not getting on His nerves, and we're not a burden on Him. It's His
preference.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NIV) This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who
trusts in man (or self), who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart
turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched
places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one
who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree
planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear
when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of
drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Monday, March 11, 2024
BODY LANGUAGE
It was September 28, 2022, and I was on a job interview. I thought it was going well, but right in the middle of our meeting, the interviewer abruptly terminated the interview and escorted me out of his office, making a comment that let me know I had irritated him in some way. I had no idea what it could’ve been. Frankly, I thought the interview was going well.
Two months later, I saw that he was still running the post for the position, so I mailed him my resume again. He called me immediately upon receiving it and we set up a meeting for that same afternoon. He did not remember my name from the first interview as we spoke on the phone, but as soon as he walked into the lobby where I was waiting and saw my face, I could tell that he remembered me. He said, “I’ll be back in 15 minutes.” But he didn’t come back. I sent him an email apologizing for whatever it was I had done to offend him, but he never responded.
Today, the Lord revealed to me that the reason the interviewer dismissed our meeting was because of my body language. He was reading negativity through my body language, and that makes perfect sense because he was doing most of the talking, and I was just noticing how junky his desk was.
Proverbs 16:30 in The Voice Translation says, “Body language can expose a person’s intentions.” It screwed up my job interview, and there’s no telling how many other things I’ve sabotaged while someone was reading my thoughts through my body language.
The apostle Paul’s advice is to meditate on good thoughts.
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy… meditate on these things.