This week I have heard God's voice so clear. Don't get too excited on that yet. When God speaks its always good for us. Sometimes its not easy to receive or swallow. I spoke in my blog Monday that I had forgotten my purpose. This week God also reminded me that I had lost sight of of a significant treasure that I had been blessed with. Faith in the Savior........... I was blessed today by the book of Matthew. Here is just a glimpse: What do you treasure? And what is your greatest treasure.......?
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5 As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, 6 "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." 7 Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him." 8 "Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. 9 I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. 11 This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions - streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12 Then those who grew up 'in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened." 13 Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well._____________________________________________________
What do you consider your most prized possession? A house, car, boat, or cash would likely be high on most folks' list. But even treasures and luxuries won't bring lasting satisfaction—why else do so many men and women keep trading up and adding to their collection? Sadly, in the race to have "better" and "more," a lot of people overlook the most valuable asset of all: faith.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"—and this corresponds to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. Faith isn't something we can work to obtain; rather, it is a gift from the Lord.

Consider the power that God makes available. Jesus said that faith as small as a mustard seed—one of the smallest seeds in existence—enables us to do miraculous deeds (Matt. 17:20). In the book of Acts, for example, we see that the apostles' belief led to numerous healings (3:1-8; 5:16). And Matthew's gospel tells us that through a Canaanite woman's faith, her daughter was freed from demonic possession (15:22-28).

Trust in Christ is even more than an avenue to miracles; it is the way to salvation. The Bible states that there is nothing we can do to achieve eternal security in God's kingdom; we are saved only by His grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).

The best way to move forward is by first receiving life's greatest gift—faith in the Savior. Romans 10:9 says to "confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, [and] you will be saved." Salvation and abundant life are found nowhere else.

Yesterday I studied Psalm 150. I needed a boost. A pick me up. I was feeling away from God. I'm reminded to always remember the mountain top experiences of life, to help you make it through the valleys of life. I was in a funk yesterday. Struggling, struggling, what a day. The scriptures reminded me that I'm created with purpose. We are created to worship God. Our lives are given as a gift to us to bring glory to God. We are to offer our lives back up to God. I realized that I was in a funk because I had for gotten my purpose. Thank you Holy Spirit........Created by a Special God....Yahweh!!!!!!!!

The Lord has made us a special people in order that we may fulfill a special purpose. Isaiah 43:21 says, "The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise." An integral part of worshiping the Lord is proclaiming His greatness.

To praise our Father is to applaud Him for who He is and what He has done. This involves the release of our emotions, which frees us to express unrestrained adoration of the Lord. When someone loves another person, the most natural response is to speak highly about the cherished one. In the same way, those who love Christ find that praise comes easily to their lips.

Praising the Lord is good for us. In our self-centered society, people are primarily interested in getting their own needs met. Sadly, this same attitude has infiltrated some churches. But God doesn't want us to come to church concerned only about ourselves. Praise lifts our eyes to Christ and fills our hearts with the contentment that eludes us when we focus exclusively on personal needs and problems.

Although praise and worship are usually associated with church services, they ought to characterize us wherever we are. Some of the most intimate and precious experiences of worship can happen during times spent alone with God.

If you find that your praise lacks vitality, tell the Lord you want to learn to extol Him with your whole heart. The focus of worship is the key. Remember how God has cared for you, and look for daily evidence of His hand on your life. Then tell Him how great He is.