GOD WILL PLACE YOUR ENEMIES AT YOUR FOOTSTOOL

By Vernalee

Following her southern spiritual roots, my Mother always told us, “Trust in the Lord with all your Heart. Put it in his hands. Leave it there. Stop worrying. When trouble comes your way, Jesus will fix it."

Those simple words are all so true. There are so many sources of worry; so many enemies. We should pray, worry not, and put all of our troubles in God’s hands. Placing our faith in God and anchoring our souls in the cushions of his Word will give us the strength of endurance. Neither God nor His Word will ever fail. Now then, exactly, what does "placing your enemies at your footstool" mean? The idea of your enemy being your footstool was derived from historical war illustrations. “Whenever an enemy was conquered, he would become the slave of the conqueror and would bow down and allow the conqueror to place his feet on his back as a sign of submission. By placing your enemies as your footstool, God is saying that He will give you the victory over your enemies.” There are 22 related scriptures regarding God making your enemies your footstool. Psalms 110:1 states: The LORD says: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Throw your burdens and worries on the Lord. Go and let God! Have faith. He will see you through! He will order your steps! Walk in the spirit of the Lord!

Oh Yes, He will fix it! Blessings! Photo credit: www.kushielverse.co

HOW TO PRAY

By Vernalee

Prayer, simply put, is conversation with God. Having said that, shouldn’t we be doing it in a way that pleases Him? We should learn how to talk with Him, and share our concerns, fears, desires, troubles, pleas, and our every thought. We should pray to God freely.

The Bible says a lot about prayer, including Jesus’ words on how to pray. His model, The Lord’s Prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-13.

It reads: 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” How powerful are those words!

“We want God to hear sincerity in our prayer, not vanity. As we pray, let’s stay steadfastly humble before the Lord. Fortunately, God extends mercy to everyone who comes to Him in repentance.”  Bottom line: God is concerned with the heart of a person. So next time you go to God in prayer, ask yourself, am I humble or proud? Either way, it’s a chance to get right with Him.”

It is important for us to pray; incessantly at that.

However we do it - on our knees, in the car, in the shower, standing, sitting ... It doesn't matter. What matters is that we go to God in prayer. We can never pray enough. Never!

Amen.

Blessings!

Photo credit: www.barbdahlgreen.com; Source: www.cbn.com; The Bible.

GOD IS ONE NOT TO BE MOCKED

By Vernalee

Years ago, on one of my daughter’s summer vacation trips to Glen Allan, Mississippi, she and her girlfriends were in church. Mischievous, the adolescents decided to “get happy” pretending that they had been filled with the spirit of the Holy Ghost. As they were allegedly “shouting,” the little girls started rolling on the floor calling on The Lord. Much to her chagrin, when my daughter opened her eyes, she saw her perturbed Grandmother standing before her. Her Grandma Phoebe with her Bible in her hands sternly said to her namesake, “Little Phoebe, if you don’t get up off that floor, I am gonna tear your tail up! You don’t play with God!” Telling the story invokes laughter now, but it wasn’t funny to my daughter at the time. In fact, it was quite embarrassing. It did however teach her about the sacredness of God and provided a lifelong spiritual lesson.

Galatians 6:7 states, “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Although this story is one of her favorite spiritual childhood memories and Grandma stories about her trips to Mississippi, she holds dear Galatians 6:9 as a spiritual cornerstone. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” She also learned that her Granny didn't take no mess!

These are the stories of old that will never fade away; stories that we keep near and dear in our hearts. Though her Granny (and my Mother) has gone to be with the Lord, the indelible memories of her and the lessons that she taught us will live on forever - from one generation to the next! As she was a praying woman, on behalf of my family, I dedicate in my Mother's memory, this song from Mississippi's own Pop Staples and the Staple Singers. Amen!

Photo credit: www.it’sablackthang.com