Idolizing the One and Only
Mar 25
by Victoria Robinson
We have “cast images” everywhere we look. We just do not always realize what they really are because the “cast images” in our lives never have the appearance of a god. They look more like: wealth, beauty, clothes, or food. Even harmless fun activities can become idols in our life. Anything we find our comfort in other than God is an idol. Dare I say even coffee can become an idol. Yes, my friends and I have been known to worship at the “Church of Barnie’s Coffee & Tea Company”. My favorite coffee which can easily become an idol in my heart! There is nothing wrong with enjoying coffee unless it becomes a “god” to us. Do you find more comfort in your cappuccino than the One and Only true God?
We should not idolize anything or anybody except God and God alone. He is the One and Only! Dearest girlfriends, let us make a careful examination of our lives and throw away the “cast images” we have set up as idols.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God … ~ Exodus 20:4-5 NIV
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. ~ Exodus 34:14 NIV
But as for those who long for idols, I will repay them fully for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord. ~ Ezekiel 11:21 NLT
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14 NIV
Tags: amp, appearance, barnies coffee & tea company, cappuccino, careful examination, dwelling, exodus, ezekiel, flesh, full of grace, full of grace and truth, fun activities, jealous god, niv, sovereign lord, Victoria Robinson, yes my friends 
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Follow the Light of His Way
Mar 08
by Victoria Robinson
As we walk through this life wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a giant neon lighted arrow to point us in the right direction? As the Israelites were traveling to the promised land they had just such an awesome directional system. God sent them a cloud in the daytime and a pillar of fire at night. That must have been beautiful!
After the Tabernacle was built in the wilderness, it was covered by a cloud that had the appearance of fire by night. Although this cloud was not described as a pillar, it must have been the same phenomenon. While the cloud remained over the tabernacle, the people did not break camp. But they set out when the cloud was taken up. Wherever it settled down again was to be the next stopping place. ¹
Another directional sign the Lord gave the Israelites was the ark of the covenant. The Lord instructed them when they saw the priests carrying the ark, they were to follow it.
When we are praying for God’s direction, His lighted arrow can come in many forms. It may be the words of a trusted friend, the words of a preacher, the written words of our Lord, even circumstances whether good or bad. The patriarch Jacob’s family experienced restoration through unfortunate events. Because of a famine, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy some food. This in turn brought the brothers back together. Then the beautiful healing of Jacob’s heart as he came to realize Joseph was not dead, but had grown into a godly man.
Dearest girlfriends, if you are seeking God’s direction today, open your eyes and see what He has placed in your path to guide you.
By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. ~ Exodus 13:21-22 NIV
… When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. … ~ Joshua 3:3-4 NIV
Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. ~ Genesis 37:26-28 NIV
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.” ~ Genesis 42:1-2 NIV
Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see you again, but now God has let me see your children, too.” ~ Genesis 48:11 NLT
¹ Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Tags: ark of the covenant, directional sign, exodus, famine, fire at night, fire by night, godly man, israelites, niv, patriarch jacob, pillar of cloud, pillar of fire, preacher, priests, right direction, seeking god, tabernacle, trusted friend, unfortunate events, Victoria Robinson
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Quietly Trusting Him
Feb 20
by Victoria Robinson
True faith means that we quietly trust our heavenly Father to work everything out that concerns us. This can be difficult for someone like me who tends to want the proof up front. Yet, that is not faith as we see in the book of Hebrews where it says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
In the suspenseful story of the Israelites fleeing the Egyptians, Moses tells the Israelites, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” There was no way other than faith for the Israelites to know everything would turn out okay. Sure enough, as the story unfolds the Lord fought for His people by not only making a way of escape, but annihilating the enemy.
Dearest girlfriends, I pray we would be still and quietly trust our heavenly Father for all our needs.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him … ~ Psalm 37:5-7 NIV
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ~ Hebrews 11:1 NIV
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” ~ Exodus 14:13-14 NIV
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. ~ Lamentations 3:25-26 NIV
Tags: book of hebrews, dawn, deliverance, egyptians, exodus, heavenly father, hebrews 11 1, israelites, Moses, noonday sun, proof, psalm 37, righteousness shine, suspenseful story, true faith, Victoria Robinson
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Is Tomorrow the Perfect Day?
Dec 02
by Victoria Robinson
What are you waiting for? Does the perfect time to do something always seems like tomorrow? What in the world was Pharaoh thinking when he told Moses to get rid of the plague of frogs tomorrow? Girlfriends, I am confident every one of us would have said, “Go, go, go! Get it done right now!” If only all the procrastinating some of us are guilty of would be as obvious as foolishly “spending one more night with the frogs.”
I love what Matthew Henry says concerning the eighteenth chapter of Judges.
“God has given it into your hands, and you may have it for the taking.’’ They stir them up to the undertaking: “Arise, that we may go up against them, let us go about it speedily and resolutely.’’ They expostulate with them for their delays, and chide them out of their sluggishness: Are you still? Be not slothful to go. Men need to be thus stirred up to mind even their interest. Heaven is a very good land, where there is no want of any thing; our God has, by the promise, given it into our hands; let us not then be slothful in making it sure, and laying hold on eternal life, but strive to enter. – Matthew Henry
Dearest girlfriends, I pray we would stop thinking about and start doing the tasks our heavenly Father has for us.
Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God. The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” ~ Exodus 8:9-11 NIV
“Let’s go!” the five men said. “We saw some very good land with enough room for all of us, and it has everything we will ever need. What are you waiting for? Let’s attack and take it. You’ll find that the people think they’re safe, but God is giving the land to us.” ~ Judges 18:9-10 CEV
Don’t put it off. Do it now! Don’t rest until you do. ~ Proverbs 6:4 NLT
Tags: eternal life, exodus, God, heaven, heavenly father, matthew henry, Moses, nile, one more night with the frogs, perfect time, pharaoh, plague of frogs, procrastinating, sluggishness, undertaking, Victoria Robinson
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