Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Will you let your Heavenly Father, father you in 2011?


How will you begin this new year? Stressed and strained OR relaxed and rested? Weary and wondering OR refreshed and directed? Unsure and wishy washy OR confident and focused? What will you focus on? Will you use your same skill set or develop new ones? Will you rely solely on yourself or on others? Will you rely on God? Will you let your Heavenly Father, father you? He has much wisdom. His counsel is amazing. His results astonishing. His miracles worth mentioning. By the way, He is rich, too. But don't let that make you think God is stuffy or stingy -- no way! He is eager to share His wealth and distribute His riches to help pull people out of the pits. Plus, God is fun to be with. Have you ever laughed with your Heavenly Father or watched a winter sunrise with Him? Have you ever walked a mountain trail with God and let Him point out hidden treasures along the way? Have you ever seen the way He plays chess or kicks a soccer ball or plays hopscotch with the little ones? Have you ever felt Him cheer you on and root for you? Do you know His favorite color or favorite movie or favorite song? Do you know where God the Father likes to vacation or if He even takes a vacation? What do you know about your Heavenly Father? He is generous, kind, and loves to be with His children. He has wisdom and knowledge galore that He wants to share. He loves to surprise His children and takes delight when they discover new things. He loves hugs, loves to hold His kids on His lap, and listen to how their day went. He has secrets to share and loves one-on-one chit chats. He invites you to feast at His table, to dine in His presence, to relax over a cup of tea, and to warm yourself by His fire. He loves when people listen to Him talk and listen to the stories He likes to tell. He can tell you stories of past events that you never heard or stories of future things that haven't happened yet. He is writing a book, you know. A book about you and how you fit into His story. Do you want to hear it? He has special chapters dedicated to His mighty love for you, and His hope for you, and His delight in you. He has a beginning and an end. But the middle section, he wants to write with you, together. Will you write a book with God? Will you let your Heavenly Father take you on an unforgettable journey with more excitement than any enchanted forest? Will you sit with Him while He reads His parts and then invites you to fill in your parts? Will you let God be a real Daddy to you -- a perfect Daddy with a perfect heart, who has the power to give you the true desires of your heart in a blink of an eye? What do you truly desire? A closer relationship with your Heavenly Daddy or a life without Him? Let your Heavenly Father, father you starting today. Jesus Christ reconciled us to our Heavenly Father so we can know Him.

Come and rest in your Heavenly Father's arms. Come and be refreshed and nourished. God blesses His people and calls them to further blessings, to abundant blessings. These abundant blessings are in our Heavenly Father. You can only receive them as you walk with God, together, side by side, in a fun-filled stride, taking pleasure in each other.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Draw Me Closer

Do you ever meet people who have an inner peace and joy that allows them to laugh instead of cry, even when the world around them is falling apart? I do, and I’m always encouraged. When I ask them where they get their strength from, the answer is always they same – they draw close to Jesus.

Draw me close to You, Lord Jesus.
I want to hear the words of love that you whisper into my heart,
and listen to the songs of encouragement that you sing over me.
I want to feel the quietness that comes with your presence,
and be enveloped in your peace as it enters the room.
I want to smell the sweet fragrance of your holiness,
and delight in your closeness.
I desire to touch the brilliance of your glory,
and see the radiance of your Face.

Please let this be a tangible time together,
so I can experience you with all my heart.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Hold me in your mighty arms.
Let me be still before You.
I surrender to You. I give You all that I am,
and all that I have.
I submit my mind, my spirit, my body,
and my soul to You.
I yield to your ways and welcome your wisdom.
But most of all, I just want to be with You.

Speak truth into my heart.
Speak wholeness into my body.
Speak health into my soul.
Speak life into my spirit.
I belong to You, Lord God Almighty,
and I want to know You better.

For more inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Today's Gifts



Beautiful sunny days,
Lovely pink flowers,
Gifts from a loving God,
For this special hour.

A double dose of love
Streaming from Heaven above,
To brighten up your day,
And bless you along the way.

By Lynn Zuk-Lloyd
More poetry and images on
www.promisegarden.com

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Awaken Me

"Awaken me!" is a great cry of the heart. I used to wonder how the Lord could possibly love someone like me. Time and time again, I failed God. Then one day, Jesus awakened my heart. He enabled me to hear and receive the words, “I love you.” Those three words changed my life. They brought freedom, victory, and excitement to my inner being. I wanted to jump up and shout for joy! God loved me! For days, I walked around in the truth, celebrating the amazement of God awakening me to His mighty love. Rejoice and be happy, because God's great love is for you, too.

Lord Jesus, awaken me to who I am in You.
Let me see myself as a child of the Living God.
Help me to receive the blessings You bestow upon me.
Enable me to rejoice in the victory of the cross.
Show me how to be reverent before You.

Open my eyes to your realm of glory.
Give me understanding.
I cannot fathom the immenseness of your eternal love.
Your commitment to me is astonishing.
Your longing to restore me to Yourself never ceases.
Your desire to make me holy never diminishes.
Your power to deliver me never wanes.
Your kindness goes far beyond my ability to reason.
Your patience outweighs anything that I can imagine.

O God of infinite beauty, bring me into your light.
O God of eternal goodness, cleanse my heart that I may look up, and You in your glory.
Consumed me with your mighty love, O God, and let me be consumed with adoring You.
Awaken me to who YOU are.
I want to see the splendor of your beauty and know the greatness of your kingdom.
I want to marvel at the power of your Lordship and rejoice in the authority of your Name.

For more inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Early Morning Fog


The early morning fog fades out everything that is at a distance. It brings into clarity, that which is closest to me. Be close to me, Lord God.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Enjoy the Lord, even when the people around you don't.

Exuberant Joy

Someone brought happiness into my morning, took delight in me all day long, and filled me with joy in the evening. This happened on a day when the problems invading my life seemed to have no solution in sight. As my thoughts turned to Jesus, He surrounded me with an escalating joy. In the awesomeness of His love, peace engulfed me, assurance strengthened me, and delight filled my soul. Once again, I was reminded that it is God who carries my burdens, when I am willing to release them to Him.

Releasing burdens to the Lord is not easy. I want to hang onto my troubles, seek sympathy from others, and then solve the issues all by myself. This only leads to more difficulties until I get so overwhelmed that I have to cry out to Jesus for help. But it doesn’t need to be that way. God’s grace is always available to me, if and when I choose to let go of my burdens. And the joy and relief that comes when I give my struggles to the Lord is far greater than anything the world has to offer. What I need the most is more of Jesus.

It is You, Lord Jesus, who sustains and carries me.
It is You, who watches over and protects me.
It is You, who shields and defends me.
It is You, who brings me peace.

It is You, Lord Jesus, who has compassion for me.
It is You, who holds me close and comforts me.
It is You, binds up my wounds and strengthens me.
It is You, who gives me joy.

It is You, Lord Jesus, who enables and equips me.
It is You, who feeds and nourishes me.
It is You, who guides and directs me.
It is You, who cheers me on.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for being an awesome God.

Lynn Zuk-Lloyd is an artist/author who portrays the love of God through art, poetry, praise and stories. Let her work lift you up and encourage you on www.promisegarden.com