PERSEVERANCE: Don't give up on God.

Returning with My Favorite Bible Verses off the cuff

Severe lung problems prevented me from speaking or singing without an exhausting coughing jag and shortness of breath just walking across the room. After months of baffling doctor visits and two hospitalizations, a diagnosis has been made explaining my “weird symptoms” as the doc said. I told him I’m a writer so weird is my game.

I’m improving enough to restart this video series. Thank you viewers for your prayers.

 

Today:

  2 Peter 1:5-8 (NKJV)

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in

 the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 When I began 2023 I looked for a word to use as my theme for the year rather than make resolutions for change. I chose the word Perseverance. I write the word boldly on the top of each journal page. 

Why perseverance?

According to Peter … because of God’s mercy. If he does not give up on me, I should not give up on myself.

As we look at the verse we see this is a process:

1.    Seek these attributes with diligence … not obtaining faith through them but exercising our faith through the Spirit as he instills these attitudes within us.

2.    We can understand our virtue through knowledge … knowledge which the Spirit shows us in our prayer and through the Word.

3.    As we gain in knowledge of God's perfection and his great love for us, the Spirit helps us to use the knowledge to be self-controlled … because our desire is to please the Lord.

4.    And this is where perseverance kicks in … we’ve given our lives to the Lord, and his spirit dwells within, giving us the desire to be like God. In this striving, as the spirit educates us, we press on to the calling God has given us.

5.    Through our perseverance, the spirit hones our rebellion to make us holy in God’s sight.

6.    As we become more in tune with God’s holiness, we are able to love our brethren as God loves them, in kindness and love.

Peter promises, if we seek these things and allow the spirit to do his work within us, we will find our spiritual fulfillment within the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Love of God (with lyrics) - The Most BEAUTIFUL hymn you’ve EVER Heard!

Thinking of this hymn today as I work on a new devotional book, Thirty Reasons to Rejoice. During this Thanksgiving month, I pray God will richly bless you as you ponder his wide, wonderful, marvelous, love. 

Circle 31 Interview/God Loves Us Unconditionally

https://www.circle31internationalwomensministry.org/episode-38-snark-and-sensibility-with-linda-wood-rondeau/

 

This was taped a year ago, and I had completely forgotten about it until the interviewer contacted me to let me know it would be going live soon. She graciously updated some information, but the interview itself is from a year ago. I am humbled when I see how God has been so faithful throughout my life. I trust my testimony on this podcast will be a source of encouragement for you. God loves you unconditionally and wants you to trust him with your life.  

 

 

Don't give up doing good

Why do we tire of doing good? Pride? Do we feel we don't get anything in return for our efforts? Do we feel that perhaps a particular person or group of people are deserving of our gifts? 

What do you think?

Book Pre-Review: Ghosts of Trumball Mansion

A review of Ghosts of Trumball Mansions, a paranormal Christian Thriller

Guessing or Trusting our Decisions

We need not fear making a decision, if we go to God first. Even if circumstances make us feel as if we didn't make the right choice, God's will prevails. Trust him for the outcome he desires. He makes our crooked ways straight.

Look at these verses to see how Old Testament folks made decisions impacting all of history:

Exodus 28:30

Nehemiah 11:1

When plans go awry

Are you frustrated when your plans don't go as planned? Remember God is control. Not like a puppetmaster, but because he knows what is ahead. Our inconvenience may be part of his purpose, or maybe when I trip and fall, God is telling me to be more careful! Either way, we need not fret when our day is disrupted. Give it to the Lord. 

Don't dwell on the past

#lookingback #completethejourney #lindawoodrondeau #myfavoritebibleversesoffthecuff #christianauthor #devotional

If we dwell on the past we might become discouraged and fail to complete our journey

God Himself Leads Us

Isaiah 41:10, 13

We need to fear wherever we go for God himself leads us with our hands firmly clasped in his. He will not leave us on the road by ourselves. He is our God. 

The Futility of Religiosity

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:3, 8-10 NIV).

Paul is writing to the Ephesian church. He is reminding them that though they do good work and are bathed in righteous deeds, these cannot save. Eventually, we being human and falling short of God’s holiness, will mess up.

Religiosity will not make us right with God unless our good work flows from a heart that is right with God through Jesus.

We so want to be in control of our lives. If we work hard enough we believe we can accomplish anything. We strive to earn our place in heaven through mighty deeds done in God’s name. But this is not the Lord’s plan. We cannot achieve perfect salvation through our own efforts. We need a Savior. And God has given us one.

When Jesus takes precedence in our hearts and mind, God can only see us as perfect. Not because of what we have done but because of the Grace extended to us through faith alone. 

His purpose for us is to own our hearts. Then he can perfect his workmanship in us through Christ.