Posted by: judyhitson | January 24, 2024

The Grace of Salvation

The Grace of Salvation
by Judy Hitson

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Salvation cannot be earned on our own merit. It is not of good works that we have done. I found this out the hard way. Spending the first 36 years of my life trying to be good enough to come close to God, I failed over and over again, falling into sin fulfilling desires of my flesh.

Praise God for His love and kindness to extend the grace of salvation, a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. He loved us while we were still sinners, see Rom. 5:8. Remembering what God’s Word says on faith, I am encouraged about salvation and the grace I received from Him.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Salvation is an act of God. God’s Word has much to say for us to understand how to receive this wonderful gift God offers to all mankind. By spending time in the Bible as God’s Word to us and among God’s people, we have opportunities to know God through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, I didn’t read the Bible as a child. I heard portions of Scripture shared in church services but didn’t personalize it in my life. Instead, I learned to follow rules and regulations during the 12 years I spent in Catholic school.

One portion of Scripture I was taught to put to memory was the Lord’s Prayer, Matt. 6:9-13. The problem for me was learning it by rote. I had not yet hidden God’s word in my heart, see Ps.119:11a.

Before I was saved, there were different people who shared the plan of salvation with me, but each time I rejected it, believing what I was taught was right and they were wrong. Perhaps I had a problem with pride. God says He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble in James 4:6.

When I was 36 yrs old searching to know the Lord with all my heart, I found Him as the Bible says.

Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

It’s been many years since that day I received the grace of salvation. Since then I continue to learn many ways God extends His grace. I look forward to sharing with you some of those ways through these devotionals this year on Grace.     

Prayer: Today Lord, I thank You for the grace of salvation. Amen.

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Posted by: judyhitson | January 11, 2024

A Grace Filled Year

 A Grace Filled Year
by Brenda D. Flowers

Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, …”(Exodus 34: 5-6, NKJV)

As we enter this new year, it is a good time to seek God for direction. If you are like me, you are not wanting to waste your days.

 The older I get, the more I realize the importance of starting my day with God, giving Him the first fruits of my attention. I want Him to know I love Him and want to honor Him with my life.

I believe He has a purpose and plan for each of us. 

In 2023, on this website, we spent time learning about God’s names, His character and attributes. I loved how Holy Spirit encouraged Judy and me to write purposeful testimonial messages to share with you, our readers.

If this is your first time to our website or if you are in need of encouragement, I hope you’ll review our past writings. I trust God to bless you as you meditate on the Scriptures we shared.

God often speaks to me through the writings of faithful followers who love His Word.

In 2024, we will be stepping even deeper into knowing God more intimately as we consider His grace. His actions always come from a place of grace because He is gracious by nature.

The prophet, Joel, inspired by Holy Spirit, warnedGod’s people regarding a coming judgment and called them to repentance. He encouraged them to return to God and to know Him as He truly is:

Rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to Yahweh your God, because he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in loyal love, and relenting from harm. (Joel 2:13, LEB)

Joel’s words are meaningful for us today. Do we see our need to turn to God in repentance? Do we trust God as being gracious to forgive or do we still believe we must work to get His approval? Do we know Him as an approachable God or a distant God?

Let’s enter this new year and years to come with hope and positive anticipation realizing God is for us. He loves us intently. That is why He sent Jesus to rescue us. Let’s look for His grace in His words and actions and draw close to Him.

May this year be a grace-filled year for each of us as we trust God with our whole hearts.

Jesus came to earth so we, who trust Him, may be transformed and clothed in His righteousness. He paved the way so we may confidently draw near to the throne of grace.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, NKJV)

God is gracious. That is who He is!

 I’m excited to be on this journey of growing in grace with you.

May the LORD bless you and keep you!  May He be gracious to you and give you peace.

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Posted by: judyhitson | December 27, 2023

Immanuel-God with Us

Immanuel-God with Us
by Judy Hitson

Matt.1:23 NKJV “Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Immanuel is found in the Old and New Testament as in our key verse above Matt.1:23 NKJV from the New Testament, and from the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14 NKJV Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

As the Lord blesses us with revelation and understanding we can see Immanuel-God with us from Genesis through Revelation. This is one of the twelve names of God I wrote about this year. Yet I see Immanuel as an all inclusive name of God subcategorized to specific perspectives of God starting with Creator in Genesis 1:1  to King of kings in Revelation 17:14.

Most profound for us is to see Jesus is Immanuel. The following verse says it best in the Amplified version, Phil.2:7 AMP but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man.]

 As children of God, we call on His name which is above all names, Phil.2:9.

As I consider God with us, I think of the hymn, “Wonderful, Merciful Savior” by Selah. That is who He is to us. My heart is deeply impacted this year taking time to focus on the names of God in the Bible. As we see this year coming to a close, Immanuel-God with us seems a perfect summation looking at different perspectives of our God according to His names, attributes and character in Scripture.

In my life, I have learned to call on the name of the Lord day by day. He is Immanuel-God with us. These words from the refrain in the hymn, “In The Garden” (He Walks With Me) come to mind:
And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own………
     
This intimate love relationship with the Lord, to know Him and call on His name in times of sorrow or joy, in times of need or celebration, God hears and answers us.  

Closing Prayer: Thank You Lord as Immanuel-God with us. Praise Your holy name. Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | December 12, 2023

Our Gracious Redeemer

Our Gracious Redeemer
by Brenda D. Flowers

I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;… (Job 19: 25a)

During the weeks leading to Christmas, I often recall memories of my childhood and have opportunities to share them with my family and friends. Sometimes, I realize God is prompting me to share a memory for a deeper reason. This is one of those memories:

When I was a young girl, I looked forward to receiving a doll each Christmas. This usually was my favorite gift. One Christmas, I ran down the stairs at my grandmother’s house to discover a beautiful doll with long auburn hair standing among the other gifts under the Christmas tree. This doll became the doll I treasured more than any other doll. I named her Ruth.

As an adult, when I thought of this special doll, I wondered why I named her Ruth.

Now I think I know. I believe, God, in His sovereign plan for my life, wanted me to tell this story.

When I first read the story of Ruth in the Bible as a young adult, I was impressed by Ruth’s faithfulness and love to her mother-in-law. As Naomi’s daughter-in-law (a widow), Ruth was willing to leave her home country to stay close beside Naomi (also a widow) to journey to Naomi’s homeland, where, according to Jewish tradition, they could be redeemed.

Recently, I read the story of Ruth again and realized the deep meaning of this redemption love story.

As we search the Scriptures, God reveals hidden treasures. As we seek Him, He shows us deeper truths.

Boaz, a kinsman redeemer and type of Jesus Christ, married Ruth. From their union came the Messianic Line. Ruth is listed in the lineage of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. (Matt. 1: 5)

 Many of the writers of the New Testament, like Matthew, walked with Jesus and talked with Him. They saw or were aware of His death and many of them saw Him in His resurrection body. They were willing to share boldly their faith in Jesus Christ, even in the face of great persecution.

Paul testified of a personal encounter with Jesus that changed him from a persecutor of Christians to a dynamic missionary. He wrote these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to encourage followers of Jesus Christ to give thanks for God’s redemption:

…and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:12-14, NIV)

Dear ones, we can be sure that each story in the Bible is inspired by God. His plan of redemption was and is intentional. God is still working out His plan for the redemption of lost souls. We are a part of that plan.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave us Your Son, the greatest gift of all. May we be faithful to share our testimonies of faith and trust in You and may many come to know You as Redeemer.

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Posted by: judyhitson | November 28, 2023

Jehovah Nissi

Jehovah Nissi
The Lord is my Banner
by Judy Hitson

Exodus 17:15 KJV And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi.

The Lord is our Victor; we are to rely on Him, not ourselves or others in the battles of our lives.
Do you stand under His banner, His authority?

Reading Exodus 17:8-16 we find in verse 8 Amalek, Israel’s enemy, come to fight with Israel. I want to note here that Amalek is a descendant of Esau who forfeited eternal rewards for temporary pleasures on earth. We can parallel this example to times the enemy comes to fight us in spiritual battles. Verse 9 Moses told Joshua to choose men and go out to fight with Amalek while he would stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. Verse 10 Aaron and Hur went with Moses. Verse 11, when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. I see Moses holding his hands up to the Lord in prayer submitting to God’s authority. In verse 12 when Moses hands were heavy and weary, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of him and held up his hands. We can see here the importance of uniting in prayer. Praise God in verse 13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. This brings to mind Eph. 6:17….the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Prayer and the word of God are our spiritual weapons to fight enemy attacks by the Spirit of God in us!
We are not alone. Praise God for His presence and to know as children of God, He is with us always.

Verse 14, I find the words remarkable that the Lord spoke to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.“

When the Lord blesses us to defeat the enemy in spiritual battles, we can write in a book our spiritual victories and stand on the promise of God that He will put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

As I thought about Amalek and the Amalekites, I remembered learning this symbolized the enemy of our flesh. If that is so, is it not amazing that the Lord told Moses He will put out the remembrance of Amalek?

It was after this word of the Lord to Moses that in verse 15 Moses built an altar calling it Jehovah Nissi, The Lord is my Banner.

Exodus 17 closes in verse 16 saying the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Think about that for a moment. On earth battles will continue. Be assured the best is yet to be when the Lord takes us Home to heaven. Until then let us keep the Lord as our Banner. His name is Jehovah Nissi.      

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Posted by: Administrator | November 13, 2023

Thanks to You, LORD O Most High

Thanks to You, L0RD
O Most High
by Brenda D. Flowers

Psalms 9:1-2 NIV  I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all of my heart, I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

The fourth Thursday in November is a very special day in the United States. It is our holiday set aside to honor God with our thanks. Several other countries also have days set aside for thanksgiving. God exalts the nations who honor Him. It is good to remember God’s Word to the nations:

Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:38 NKJV)

As I have researched the history of America’s Thanksgiving, I was touched by these words of  our 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln (from Proclamation 118—Thanksgiving Day, 1864, during the time period of the Civil War). In the first section of his proclamation, Lincoln shares faithfully about how “Almighty God” had taken care of the nation. He ended that section with these words: 

“Moreover, He has been pleased to animate and inspire our minds and hearts with fortitude, courage, and resolution sufficient for the great trial of civil war into which we have been brought by our adherence as a nation to the cause of freedom and humanity, and to afford to us reasonable hopes of an ultimate and happy deliverance from all our dangers and afflictions:”

President Lincoln desired that a Thanksgiving Day be set aside “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.”  And he further recommended that his fellow-citizens “do reverently humble themselves in the dust and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the Great Disposer of Events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations.”

As I meditate on the quoted Scriptures and the words of Abraham Lincoln,  I am thankful that Abraham Lincoln was willing to bravely lead our citizens to return to righteousness and to humbly seek God with penitent and fervent prayers and supplications. As our country’s leader, he recognized the importance of honoring Sovereign God. He shared his faith boldly. Praise the Lord, our nation was restored.

It is November, 2023. As I write this post, nations around the world are in the midst of great conflicts. People are suffering. America is at a crossroads. Are we going to be a nation that stands for righteousness?

We, who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, are challenged to lead boldly in our families, communities and nations. May we realize how our humble penitent and fervent prayers to God Most High matter. This Thanksgiving Day may we honor Him with our thoughts, words and deeds.

He is worthy of our praise!

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Posted by: judyhitson | October 31, 2023

Jehovah Rapha-God Heals

Jehovah Rapha-God Heals
by Judy Hitson

Exodus 15:26 NLT He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.”

Is anyone among you sick? This phrase comes to mind from James 5:14. As we consider God’s name as Healer, it is important to note different reasons we find in Scripture as the cause of sickness. In our key verse, Exodus 15:26 we read the need to listen carefully to the LORD’s voice and obey Him that we not suffer diseases. We read in James 5:15NLT ..a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

In my own personal life my first experience with God’s healing as a born again Christian was in relationships. Since I came to a saving knowledge of Christ late, I had a lot of baggage. Lazarus comes to mind when Jesus raised him from the dead. In John 11:43-44, we read that he came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes…Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go.”

When I received the Holy Spirit, experiencing new life in Christ was a process of surrendering each facet of my life to Him. Learning to walk and live in the Spirit took time to shed the grave clothes. An insatiable appetite for the word of God healed my soul to put off the old man and put on the new man, Col.3:9-10.

An example of this is when I was tormented in my mind. I wanted to speak truth in love with my husband and children but with a short fuse, I would speak truth in anger. Trusting God to change me, I learned of a class on spiritual warfare at a friend’s church and attended. When the teacher said, God helps us when we are desperate; I knew I was desperate for God’s help in my life. She prayed with authority for me to be freed from religious spirits and be filled with the Holy Spirit. She instructed me to rest like I would after major surgery. She advised  me to spend time in prayer and reading the Bible listening to what the Lord was saying, as well as staying in fellowship with believers. I will be eternally grateful for her and how God used her to bless me with inner healing.

Another example of healing in my life occurred when suddenly I could not articulate my speech. My first thought was, “Oh no I’m having a stroke!” The Lord spoke to my heart, “Tell Jack to take you to St. Thomas Hospital Emergency Room.” It was quite a scene in our kitchen with several people around me. In short, I made cutting remarks to my husband right before this incident. The Lord was dealing with me to speak truth in love with my husband and children as I previously mentioned. This was now a serious matter! The story of Zacharias came to mind when he lost his speech which was restored, Luke 1:19-22, 63-64.  This gave me hope that my speech would be restored. I was admitted to the hospital for a TIA, Transient ischemic Attack, like a mini stroke. I spent an overnight in the hospital for treatment and observation. My speech was restored by the next morning and I was grateful for the Lord’s healing.

Prayer: Thank You Lord as Jehovah Rapha for healing me in spiritual, physical and emotional ways. Help me hear Your voice and follow You in obedience. Amen.       

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Posted by: judyhitson | October 21, 2023

God’s Everlasting Compassion

God’s Everlasting Compassion
by Brenda D. Flowers

 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,  
 Because His compassions fail not.
 They are new every morning; 
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lam. 3: 22-23 (NKJV)

Recently I attended a small group gathering at the home of my pastor. One night a week, time is set aside for members of our church to meet together to encourage each other in our walk with Christ. This is a meaningful time as we join together to praise, pray, meditate on God’s word, and share what God is showing or teaching us.

At this particular gathering, one of the members of our group was leading and encouraging us to focus on the attributes of Christ. We shared these aloud. One of the attributes, we meditated on was God’s compassion. After we spoke the word, compassion, aloud, we spent a few moments in silence, waiting on the Lord to share with us His personal revelation of His compassion to us.

During this quiet time of meditation, I recalled the Scripture quoted at the beginning of this post and then I thought about how Jesus came to earth to show God’s compassion.

I remembered how Jesus called His disciples. He spoke to each one in a way that they could relate to Him. He was especially compassionate to Matthew, a tax collector. Jesus saw the heartfelt yearning of Matthew to know God. He reached out to him when others rejected him.

I pictured Jesus when he went out of his way to go to Samaria. He was on a divine mission to speak to the woman at the well. His compassion touched her heart in such a way that she was transformed and was willing to run share about Jesus, bringing many from her town to Him.

Continuing in my meditation of God’s compassion, I realized how Jesus’ whole mission in coming to earth was a rescue mission of compassion. I thought about how He voiced His compassion when He cried on the cross, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” 

The prophet Isaiah foretold of God’s plan to redeem mankind. I meditated on these words:

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.” Isaiah 30:18(NIV)

When I had the opportunity to share with the group what God was saying to me, I realized that we were being blessed in our small group. We had been waiting on Him and He had revealed Himself to us.

Lord, thank you for being compassionate to me. I pray that we all will spend time waiting on You, experiencing the blessing of knowing You more and more. May we not forsake gathering together. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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Posted by: judyhitson | October 3, 2023

Jehovah Jireh-God Provides

Jehovah Jireh-God Provides
by Judy Hitson

Phil. 4:19 NKJV And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

It doesn’t take much to see that we are living in difficult days. As Christians we need to know God as Jehovah Jireh, our God who provides. Let us stand on this promise that He will provide and supply all our need according to His riches in Christ Jesus.  

Watching the local and world news we see unrest in the world. It is alarming to see natural disasters. There have been fires, floods, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, cyclones and the like. There are manmade disasters like wars and terrorist attacks. Perhaps we are seeing God’s Word on end times at this time of history.

We have authority in the name of Jesus Christ by His Spirit in us. God will work in and through us, giving us life to live Christ and speak His Word as He gives us utterance. 

This name of God- Jehovah Jireh brings to mind a sermon that has impacted my heart, “But God!” I cannot recall the Scriptures quoted that day but since hearing it, those two words, “But God,” continue to help me in difficult times that He will provide all we need.

Lawlessness is on the rise with crimes and violence in our cities and communities here in the United States as well as in other nations around the world. Perversion is being taught in some of our public schools, like Critical Race Theory and confusion with gender identity as a couple of examples. There is division and corruption in government.

“So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear….Heb. 13:6 NKJV.
God promises He will never leave us or forsake us, Deut.31:6.

It is crucial for us to know God’s Word, the power of prayer and the power of God’s Spirit in us to share with others Christ and His ways as Jehovah Jireh, our God who provides, that they too may have hope of God’s provisions for them in these troubling times.

God’s greatest provisions are within us:

We can have His peace in storms of life, declaring the words of Jesus in Mark 4:39 NKJV  “Peace be still!”

His love in the midst of contention, 1 Peter 4:8 NKJV And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

His wisdom in the midst of foolishness, Eph.5:15 NKJV See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  

Praise God for His security and provisions in the midst of insecure circumstances.

Recently I experienced nights of thanksgiving welling up within me for the comfort of my bed as I lay down to go to sleep. The Holy Spirit flashed before me refugees around the world who lost everything and in need of basic necessities. Some had to flee their homes from natural disasters. Others had to flee from war, terrorists or persecution. It was profound in the midst of these visions to hear God’s call to intercede for the needs of refugees at this time. I thank God for the promptings of His Spirit to pray for His provisions for them.

Father in heaven thank You for the many blessings You provide for me in the United States with shelter, clothing and strength and calling me to the ministry of intercession.
Thank You Lord for raising up ministries with staff and volunteers around the world who provide aid for those suffering from natural disasters, terrorists, war and persecution.
Lord, by Your Spirit, help us in the body of Christ who are blessed with Your abundant provisions to provide for others as You have provided for us. In Your name Jesus, Amen.

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Posted by: judyhitson | September 12, 2023

My Good Shepherd, Jesus

My Good Shepherd, Jesus
by Brenda D. Flowers

“…I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep….” (John 10:14, NKJV)

Recently, I attended my first Leadership Meeting of Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), an international Bible Study organization whose vision is to “magnify God and mature His people.” In 2023-24, BSF is studying the book of John. One of our orientation discussion activities was to review Jesus’s seven I Am statements in the book of John and then choose which one or two resonated with us on a personal level.

(Judy Hitson listed these 7 I am statements in her blog post on this website entitled “The Great I Am”, dated Feb. 20, 2023 if you’d like to read them all.) 

After a time of prayer and silent contemplation of these Scriptures, each leader was to share her choice. I’ll be honest, I had a hard time deciding which I am statement to choose. Each one was very special to me. By doing this exercise, I realized how good God has been to me!

After a few more minutes of quiet, I knew I wanted to share how Jesus has truly been my Good Shepherd. 

What a blessing it was to share my testimony of why I chose this I am statement.

 Jesus has truly been a good shepherd to me by the way He has loved and cared for me over my lifetime. As a child, He tenderly cared for me . When I was wayward in my college years, He went after to me to bring me back in His fold. He spoke intimately to me with His quiet tender voice in a way that I knew it was His voice. 

Jesus has protected me over my lifetime. I have truly gone through many valley times with Him.  During these difficult times, I have felt Jesus’s embrace, His closeness. Like John, I have rested on Him, giving Him my cares. 

Over the years, I have had many times of celebration, too. I have experienced the joy of His presence and the exuberance of His life. I have noticed how Jesus cares for each person with a love language perfect for that person, like a shepherd cares for His sheep. 

As my Good Shepherd, Jesus assures me I am His and I will spend eternity with Him. 

I am thankful to be one of His sheep!

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