trust God – Page 21 – Meghan E White

Are You Hungry?

August 13, 2021 meghanewhite

pexels-valeriya-kobzar-8630143

Photo by Valeriya Kobzar from Pexels

Each morning I grab my beat up old Bible from the nightstand. I’m very attached to my old Bible. The binding is taped. Pages are falling out. It’s a mess and I love it. My Bible holds a spiritual legacy. It was my mom’s first Bible when she placed her faith in Jesus. Mom gave me her Bible when I was in Junior High and she bought a new one. It’s the only Bible I’ve used ever since.

Mom’s notes are written in certain books of the Bible that she studied. Every so often as I’m flipping through the pages I’ll see Mom’s perfect handwriting reminding me of her passion for God’s Word. When she got saved it ignited a hunger in her to learn as much as possible about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.

I see the craving and passion in Mom’s words scrawled on the pages of her old Bible. She was blessed as a new Christ follower with great Biblical teachers at our church.

I love these notes. It’s Mom reminding me of what really matters.

Remember your Savior.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3, NIV

Love one another.

Love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22b, NIV

Rid yourselves of sin. Malice, envy, deceit, etc. Crave pure spiritual milk.

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:1-3, NIV

As a new Christian my mom was so excited to devour the Word of God. She couldn’t get enough. Mom was spiritually hungry and she was going to the right place to get fed. Mom was feeding on God’s Holy Word. It was filling her up and she kept coming back for more.

We are all hungry. We were born hungry for more. The only satisfaction is in Jesus Christ. Nutritious food for our soul is in the Word of God. We can feast on it day and night and never get full or bloated. We can’t get too much of God’s Word in us.

If I feast on worldly things that temporarily fill me up I will get queasy, and never truly satisfied. It leaves me empty, so I have made the mistake of pursuing more of the worldly things in hopes of satisfaction that never comes. It’s a vain pursuit.

When we fill up on God’s word it changes us. God’s words are alive. There’s no other book like it. The entire story of humankind is written in the pages. God wrote the end from the beginning. God’s word stands forever.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

1 Peter 1:23-25, NIV

There is a beautiful feast waiting for us in the pages of the Bible. One verse can transform a heart. The more I read the Bible, the more I am changed, convicted, filled with hope, joy, love, wisdom, knowledge, and excitement. God’s words to us are more powerful than any book we have ever read.

I have to ask myself what am I feeding my soul with? Am I settling for the junk food of the world? Am I sitting at the table with the Lord filled with inexhaustible resources of grace and mercy? I want the same hunger for God that my mom had as a new Christian.

Thanks Mom for the legacy you left me. Each time I hold my torn up Bible in my hands I am reminded that’s where it all began for you. It continues on for me and I pray the same for my sons.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Matthew 4:4, NIV

Love you all,

Meghan

Father God,

Thank you for Your incredible book, the Bible. It has the power to transform hearts and minds for it is Your life giving words. Give us a hunger for Your word, a hunger for Your presence, a hunger for more of You in our lives and our world. Help us to make daily Bible reading a priority and a passion. We praise You almighty God!

Amen

God

The Lord Bless You

August 7, 2021 meghanewhite

“‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

Numbers 6:24-26, NIV

The Priestly Blessing is one of the most beautiful passages in scripture. I adore these verses. There are denominations that end each service by reading this blessing. What an incredible way to end a time of worship.

These are God’s words to the Israelites and to us. God loves us so much. He is with us, guiding us, protecting us, shining His face on us. This is miraculous. The God of the universe is infinite and intimate.

When the Lord gave these words to Moses to tell Aaron and his sons, Israel would soon leave Sinai and head out to the desert.

³⁴For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ Numbers 14:34, NIV

The Lord used those forty years in the desert to prepare the Israelites for the Promised Land. They would need that daily reminder of the Lord’s love and faithfulness. This was His blessing for the journey through the dessert.

You might be in a desert right now, or about to go through one. You will make it. The Lord will bless you and keep you. You may have to eat some manna during the desert time, but you will come out stronger with a deeper faith in the Lord.

God never lets time in the desert go to waste.

There were countless miracles in the wilderness for the Israelites. God provided manna and quail. Their flocks increased. God blessed them with health. They followed a supernatural cloud by day and fire by night. All these things and more happened in the desert.

I can’t help but think of what is happening right now. As the world turns against Christians increasingly more and more, we must keep our eyes on the Lord. The Lord will sustain us. The Lord will continue to bless us. The Lord will keep us. The Lord will keep shining His face on us.

²⁷“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:27, NIV

The Lord is the one who blesses through the words spoken by the priests. God putting His name on the people shows they belong to Him, and He is the source of all blessings. Those of us in Christ are now children of God through our faith in Jesus (Galations 3:26). We belong to God from whom all blessings flow and we bear the name of Jesus (1 Peter 4:16). In Jesus we have every single thing we need.

The Lord bless you and keep you,

the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you peace.

Amen

Love you all,

Meghan

fear

Fear Not!

July 30, 2021 meghanewhite

I went to clean out the pool skimmer basket and jumped back. This terrifying looking snake was waiting for me. I quickly realized it was not alive. Phew. I was safe but still freaked out knowing a snake had been in our pool. The same pool we swim in freely. Now I was questioning if I should ever swim in the pool again.

There is an epidemic running rampant these days. No, it’s not that one. Fear is out of control. We are told in hundreds, if not thousands of ways, every single day to “be afraid”. Fear the virus, fear the new variants, fear getting the vaccine, fear not getting the vaccine, fear inflation, fear the potential food shortages, fear losing your livelihood if you disagree with someone, fear natural disasters, fear the rise in crime, fear the government, fear your neighbors, fear travel, fear pollution, fear standing up for your convictions.

These fears are based on potential outcomes that are legitimate. I call these, “What if’s”. It’s the worst case scenario that runs through our mind. It does not mean any of it will happen, but it could possibly happen, so we need to operate in fear, right? Wrong.

All of this fear comes from the enemy. The devil is real, and he loves to spread fear by lying. He’s very good at it. Jesus does not mince words when talking about the enemy.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44, NASB

As followers of Jesus we are to be wise and discerning. Don’t let fear motivate your decisions. Make decisions based on Godly wisdom and discernment. How do you do that?

Pray. Ask God for wisdom and clarity on those things which cause you fear. He will show you what is really going on. He will give you peace and comfort. He will also help you know how to respond.

Trust God fully. You can stand firmly on The Rock, even when you cannot see. He sees all. He knows all. He loves you.

Stay in The Word. God’s word is the truth. With the bombardment of lies we must go to the truth.

Worship. Turn up the worship music and turn off the news, social media, and all the other stuff that fills our minds. Praise God simply for who He is.

Fear is a spiritual battle so we must use our spiritual weapons.

When you feel afraid let that be a reminder to take your fear to Jesus. If you have to take your fear to Jesus a thousand times in one day then do it. He is always available and able to help you.

We are in a fearful time in history. There are plenty of very real things to be afraid of. As Christ followers we are not to live in fear. Sounds easy. It’s not always easy, but it is possible to stand our ground in faith without fear. You can guarantee the scary stuff will come. It’s our response to it that makes all the difference.

You belong to God.

For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26, NASB

Jesus intercedes for you.

Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:34, NASB

Jesus is always with you.

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:20, NKJV

The Holy Spirit will help you.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. John 14:26, NASB

God will never forsake you.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5, NKJV

The Lord is your helper.

So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6, NKJV

Things are not always as they seem. Remember my creepy snake? It was actually just a baby snake. Discernment is essential when there is so much deception.

Love you all,

Meghan

Father God,

Praise Your holy name. Thank you for your faithfulness and goodness. I lift up every person who is gripped with fear. Give them peace, comfort, and wisdom. Help them to see with their spiritual eyes the truth of Your soverignty. May they experience Your incredible presence in new ways. Lift their heads and their eyes towards You. Give us all wisdom and discernment to know truth from lies. Let us hear Your voice above all the noise of this world. Shine Your light through us to a dark and hurting world.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Food

Caprese Skewers

July 14, 2021 meghanewhite

This delicious appetizer is super easy to make. All you’re doing is assembling a few simple ingredients. No cooking, no heating up the oven. You can make these ahead of time and add the balsamic vinegar right before serving.

If you like Caprese salad which uses sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil then you will love Caprese skewers. It’s the same thing just bite-sized. These little skewers make a great snack, appetizer, or side dish.

I keep mine very simple and only sprinkle salt and fresh ground black pepper. You can easily add dried herbs if that’s what you like. Make them as small or large as you want. I have made them with regular sized toothpicks or larger like the ones pictured.

Happy Eating!

Caprese Skewers

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 8oz. container mini mozzarella balls

large sprig of fresh basil (cut basil leaves in half)

balsamic vinegar

salt

fresh ground black pepper

toothpicks or bamboo skewers

Directions

Slide a tomato, then half of a basil leaf, then fresh mozzarella on a skewer. Repeat until there are two of each item on your skewer. If you are using toothpicks just add one of each item.
Lay the skewers on a platter. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over everything. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

Cut bamboo skewers in half to make larger appetizers.
The basil wilts once it’s in the refrigerator but it still tastes good.
If you can’t find mini mozzarella balls just cut up small pieces of fresh mozzarella.

Joey Flynn's Extraordinary Tale

Book Review! —

June 30, 2021 meghanewhite

Welcome back to… arielaonthego! It means that I am officially off hiatus! School is over and I’m going for a summer vacation. Yay! Today I’m going to be reviewing the book by Meghan E. White, Joey Flynn’s Extraordinary Tale. You can purchase this book on Amazon.com. Ms. Meghan very kindly sent me a free copy […]
Book Review! —