words of encouragement for nov 5th

today's song is called praise you in this storm by casting crowns www.castingcrowns.com

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
And stepped in and saved the day
Once again, I say Amen, and it is still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
I'm with you
As your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll Praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
You are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will Praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find you

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
I'm with you
As your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll Praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
You are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will Praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes into the hills
Where does my help come from
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth

I lift my eyes into the hills
Where does my help come from
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth

I'll Praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
You are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will Praise You in this storm

each one of us will face a storm in times of our lives. some will be stronger then others and we may feel like its hard to go on living, but God promises comfort and to guide us through this storm and he will sustain us in the end. like a sepherd leads a flock of sheep through a dark valley, the Lord is our guide in the deep valleys of life. it may feel like its a dark and lonley path but the Lord is right there beside us guiding us with his rod and his staff. also the sepherd protects the sheep from enemies, the Lord protects us from ours as well so that nothing can harm us. that doesnt mean that we wont have problems but like job, they can knock us down but the Lord wont let them tko us like in a boxing match. instead he'll give us the strength to stand again. whether your facing a storm right now or not, any time is a good time to Praise the Lord just for who he is or what he has done for us but when we praise God in the storms that arise, thats when we will find strength to carry on. just like when peter took his eyes off Jesus while walking on the water he started to sink and we too will sink when we put our focus on our circumstances instead of the Lord God Jesus Christ who reigns over all the heavens and the earth for eternity!

Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

Matthew 14:22-36
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

thank you Father for the storms that we face in this life for we know they will bring us closer to you and build up our faith to be a better Christian then we was before.

In Christ's Love,


Pacific	Mountain	Central	Eastern	England