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Welcome!

On By LindaIn Uncategorized3 Comments

Welcome to Amazing God Stories!  Christian allegories, parables, analogies, fiction short stories as well as creative nonfiction stories that show the variety of amazing ways God has been working in my life. And if He has done all this for me, I can only imagine what He’s been doing for you!

My  goals are simple:

#4.  To brighten your day with a little entertainment, for you to leave feeling a bit better than when you arrived.

#3. To teach, warn, and clarify Biblical issues we face as Christians so we can be all that God calls us to be. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

#2.  To inspire you to keep on keeping on in your own walk with God.  God is working in your life as much as He’s working in mine. Maybe something I’ve learned or experienced will help you get through a rough patch or to grow in your own desire to know God.

And the #1 reason: To glorify God – to acknowledge and thank Him for all the ways He has been faithful to me! From the day I met Him, He has been by my side. He’s been my Friend, Coach, Counselor, Father, Teacher, Comforter, Defender,  Provider, and a million other things.

This blog is my way to shout to the world that GOD IS AMAZING!

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If my stories do what I hope they will do – like, comment, follow, and/or share them!

It would mean a lot to me to to know that they are being read and to hear what you think!

A Prayer for SIL, Day 82

On By LindaIn prayersLeave a comment

Lord, walk close with SIL today. Guide her mind as You guide her steps. Remind her moment by moment what Your Word says.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26

Jesus, may the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father has sent to SIL in Your name, teach her all things and bring to her remembrance all that You have said to her through Your Word, the Bible, and through other people, and through direct communication with her heart. She says she can’t hear You, but the Bible says otherwise.

You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:17b

May SIL recognize, honor, and obey the Holy Spirit in her.

In Your Name,

Amen

Life is Like Enlarging a Fish Pond, Part 16 – Watching

On By LindaIn allegories, analogies, and parablesLeave a comment

One day I stood next to my pond, quietly admiring the parts that were finished. The flowers were growing well and blooming. The tadpoles were swimming from one underwater rock to another as my shadow fell on them. The fish were happily devouring the fish food flakes I had just scattered. The burbling waterfall was mesmerizing as it splashed over rocks. It was a world of its own pretty much oblivious to me except for the occasional shadow and tossed food.

Suddenly my eyes landed on eyes looking back at me. Large eyes, unblinking, focused completely on me. A toad had somehow looked outside his world into my world. With wonder, I took out my phone. After snapping his picture, I let my eyes continued drifting across the pond but they kept going back to this toad. What was it thinking as it watched me watch him? There was no way he could understand me or my world, but his look acknowledged my existence. I wanted to reach down and gently pick him up between my hands to bring him closer to me. I wanted to give him something although I didn’t know what. Even if I tried, it would only scare him. And so I watched as he watched until eventually I had to go.

Bye, little toad. Thank you for this moment, a moment I won’t forget.

Most people in this world are like the fish and tadpoles – living in their own world with little or no thought to the One who provided it for them. Some of those people may acknowledge a god of some sort, but few take the time to actually look at the one true God. Yet God loves them and enjoys them like I do my pond.

However, unlike my accidental notice of the toad looking at me, God is actively searching for those who are looking at Him. And when He finds them, He makes promises that He makes to no one else.

The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. Psalm 14:2

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. 1 Chronicles 16:9a

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 1 Peter 3:12

The toad sat without moving the whole time I was there. How often do we still ourselves to look at God? Really look at Him? How often do we focus on what He is doing in this world?

Whereas the toad merely looked, we can do more. We can choose to put our faith in God. We can choose to follow Him, serve Him, love Him. And we have a capability that no toad has. We can communicate with the One we are watching.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8a

Are most of our days spent on our own interests and needs? Are we too busy with our own lives to pay more than a glance at our Creator like the tadpoles did with me? Are we only focused on what He gives us like the goldfish when I fed them? Or do we take time to sit still like the toad and acknowledge our Creator?

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10a

A Prayer for SIL, Day 81

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Jesus, hold SIL close to You this night. Heal the wounds created long ago that impact her current behavior. As You open her heart, spread Your balm over the sore areas to soothe them and so that they will be truly healed.

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of the daughter of my people? Jeremiah 8:22

Is there no balm in SIL’s heart or mind? Is she unaware of You as her Great Physician? Or unaware of her need for You in this area? Is that why it seems her healing is coming so slowly? Jesus, in the Old Testament days, balm was a sticky sap-like residue from plants. To the prophets it represented healing, restoration, spiritual health, and divine intervention. In the New Testament days, I think this healing ointment would be Your Holy Spirit but I’m not sure.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Revelation 3:18

SIL appears to be as lukewarm as the church in Laodicea so this verse may apply to her as well as to the Laodiceans. I don’t know what You meant by buying the gold, white garments, and salve (which I assume is like balm) because You bought these for us, but I pray that You show SIL how to do so.  I pray that she would ask for and apply this spiritual balm to every part in her that hurts. Guide her to find those places.

In Your Care,

Amen

A Prayer for SIL, Day 80

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Lord, open the eyes of SIL’s heart to see what You see.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the workings of his great might. Ephesians 1:17-19

Father of glory, give SIL the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of You. Enlighten the eyes of her heart that she may know the hope to which You have caller her. Reveal to her supernaturally the riches of Your glorious inheritance in Your people, and the immeasurable greatness of Your power towards her – not because she has earned it but because of the workings of Your great might and the faithfulness of Your great Name.

In Your Powerful Name,

Amen

A Prayer for SIL, Day 79

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Jesus, show up in SIL’s dreams tonight in a way that can’t be dismissed, explained away, or confused.

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Luke 24:32

Jesus, just as the hearts of these men burned while you talked to them on the road to Emmaus even though they didn’t recognize You at the time, I pray that SIL’s heart will burn within her as You talk to her in the night. Let her wake with a knowing that You had been there. As You open Your Word to her, as You work on her heart, may she marvel at Your presence.

In Your Fiery Name,

Amen

A Prayer for SIL, Day 78

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Lord, I don’t know how You did it when You were here. How did You love people when they kept doing wrong things to You?  How do You do it even now? Do You see their – our – future with You, a future when all is made right? Is it about hope?

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord”, for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest, declared the Lord. For I will remember their iniquity and I will remember their sin nor more.” Jeremiah 31:34

Lord, I can’t see into the future like You can. So I will place my hope in You. You know SIL – probably the only one who does – and You know her future. I pray that she makes wise choices so she will end up where You are leading her. Help me to give her the grace that You do, to forgive her like You do, and to love her like You do. Even when she hurts me, help me to love her like You love me when I hurt You.

In Your Forgiving Name,

Amen

A Prayer for SIL, Day 77

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Lord Jesus, prepare SIL’s heart to hear from You today. I pray that she is open to what You want to say to her.

The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. Acts 16:14b

Lord, open SIL’s heart to pay attention to what You say today through the people she encounters. Prepare her now to face whatever truth You want to show her. Strip from her whatever will get in the way – excuses, deflection, deceptions, lies, or denial. Let today be a time of healing for her. I pray that whatever You want revealed will be received, accepted, and dealt with so that she may be healed and set free.

In Your Gentle Hands,

Amen.

A Prayer for SIL, Day 76

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Lord, tonight I pray again for honesty and truth in SIL’s heart and mind.

Behold, you delight truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:6

It’s so confusing when her behavior changes, when the look on her face and in her eyes change from kindness and gentleness to aggression and ridicule. Teach us the wisdom we need to discern what is going on and how to deal with it. Give us the grace to be open with each other so that real lasting healing can occur. As long as she can hide behind her aggression, she will be stuck there. If she’s built a wall, reveal it to us – to her – so it can be dealt with. It’s like she built a wall to hide her aggressive self from other people, but from time to time it peeks out from behind the wall with all its anger and hatred.

For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17

You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

Lord, bring everything out in the open so the truth can set her free.

In Your Revealing Light,

Amen

A Prayer for SIL, Day 75

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Jesus, thank You for showing me the kindness that still exists in SIL. I pray that the good in her will outweigh and displace the violence in her. Lord, use some positive reinforcement with her since she apparently can’t hear You yet. When she does right, fill her with your peace and presence; when she does bad remove that sense of peace and presence from her. I know Your Spirit won’t actually leave her, but I ask that SIL feels as if He did so she can seek why and start making connections between what pleases and what grieves the Holy Spirit. You did it with the Israelites and You did it with me when I disobeyed You about praying for other drivers.

For your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Isaiah 59:2

Blessed is the man… in whose spirit is not deceit. But when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long; day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Psalm 32:2-4

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

I pray that SIL’s concern about grieving the Holy Spirit grows to outweigh her desire for self-gratification. May her love for You continue to grow each day.

In Your Guiding Presence,

Amen

A Prayer for SIL, Day 74

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Jesus, SIL confuses me. How can she be so attentive, sympathetic, and supportive one minute and hard, deceptive, and aggressive the next? What war rages in her? What force controls her so much that she yields to it most of the time? Wake her up, Lord. Open her eyes to what’s happening. Strengthen her so she can resist the evil and choose the good.

Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1

Lord, is this what’s going on? Is Satan standing against her healing and restoration and thus incites her to feel, think, and do what she’s doing? Then, I pray that You strengthen SIL’s desire to follow You so that she can resist the urgings of the demons. I pray James 4:7 for her: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

In Your Strong Name,

Amen