Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13‭-‬14 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.7.13-14.KJV

For a very long time, I wanted to be a professional writer. I had this dream of writing something great one day. I was just a kid then. I knew I could not afford to do something like that because it cost money to get anything like that done. When you are a kid, dreams seem so far out of reach, and they seem like they will never come true, so, they become forgotten about; put on the back burner if you will. I never thought about it again, but I would find something to write about even if it was just copying down a poem that I liked.

Now, as the years went by, I realized I had been given a great talent that I knew could take me places in the world if I was ever to write something great. Just thinking about that back then, I had to have some strong faith. I always did reports in class in which required a lot of writing. That is where I developed my writing skills. I had to learn how to use my words correctly so my grammar would flow like it should. There is a lot to writing; it is not easy as it looks. There is a lot of editing and rearranging of sentences. Words must be spelled correctly. When writing, there must always be a rough draft just in case something needs to be rearranged until the final draft is ready to be written.

Well, I have had my share of writing for others in the past, now it is time to start writing for myself. Now that I have written my first book, my dream has finally come true. It is so amazing to know that I am a professional writer just like I always wanted to be. This is a new beginning for me in my life. I am embracing all of the new beginnings in my life. I have something to look forward to, something I can be proud of. I am proud of myself for what I have accomplished. I can see my dream with my own eyes and hold it in my hands. I can carry it with me wherever I go. I can take pictures with it and tell everyone about it. I can share it on social media. I can share my dream with the whole world.

Embracing new beginnings can be scary just as well as exciting. Whenever someone does something new that they have never done before can be a bit a bit unnerving. When things like that happen, we have to know that it will pass and everything will be alright.

I will not be afraid to embrace new beginnings. Everything that happens new in my life, I will embrace. I will embrace new challenges. I will be the best new me in my new beginnings. For as long as I write I will have new beginnings and fresh starts. I cannot wait to see what awaits me in the coming new year.

This reading plan can be found on the You Version Bible App. Download it for free and start your journey walking through the Scriptures with Jesus Christ our King. God bless you.

bible.com/bible/1/luk.17.3.KJV

I know that this picture is placed with this Scripture, but when I think about how God is even in the desert places, it make me realize that no matter where we are on this planet, God is there with us. We are never alone. A desert place can be something that one is going through and it seems like there is no way out. The desert is a very big place without water, it is very dry. Our soul can be a dry place when we don’t have the Spirit working within us. Jesus is always near us, He cares about our soul. When we feel like we are in a desert place, we can always open up the Word of God and be refreshed by His living water that quenches our thirsty soul .

So, the next time you are feeling sluggish spiritually, take in a big drink of the Word of God. Let His love wash over you and mend what’s broken. Until next time, and as always, stay safe, keep God first, and thank you for joining me on my journey with Food for the Soul.

bible.com/bible/1/luk.17.3.KJV

www.bible.com/reading-plans/15056/day/3

Click on the link above to start day 3 devotional. I pray this study has touched your spirit. May God be praised and all of the glory and honor be given to Him. Until tomorrow comes and the sun shines again, stay blessed and stay safe.

www.bible.com/reading-plans/15056/day/2

Click on the link above to start day two devotional. I pray God will speak to your heart and mend any place that is broken therein Amen.

www.bible.com/reading-plans/15056/day/1

Click on the link above to start day one devotional followed by Scripture .

I am starting this study today, feel free to check it out to see what God will speak into your spirit through His Holy Word. God bless.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.15.4.KJV

If you’ve ever had to complete any projects around the house, you know that having the right tool makes all the difference in the world. You simply can’t turn a screw with a hammer or drive a nail with a screwdriver. This principle applies to studying the Bible as well. Having the right tools saves one time, accomplishes one’s goals, and unlocks one’s greatest potential. You simply could not and would not attempt some projects without the proper tools. This post is all about showing you three tools that can take your Bible study to the next level. By using these three titles, you’ll get more out of your study time, grow in your grasp of the Bible, and open some doors that you never thought would open. The NIV Word Study Bible At first glance, the NIV Word Study Bible simply looks identical to the NIV translation. If you take a closer look though, you’ll notice some words are a slightly lighter shade of color. That’s because we added tags for both Strong’s numbers and the Goodrick/Kohlenberger (G/K) numbering system. Let’s see how this looks in the app. Select the NIV Word Study Bible in your Library. Then select Ephesians 2:1 in the Verse Chooser. Once you’ve navigated to this passage in the Bible, tap on the word mercy in verse 4. Once the pop-up window opens, you’ll see the word in the original language, the corresponding word number for Strong’s or G/K, a dictionary definition, the number of occurrences of the word, and how these occurrences translate the word. With this window open, you can perform a number of additional searches. You can search for this word by its Strong’s number. This will show you every occurrence of the word. Or you can look up this word in the dictionaries you have in your library. NIV Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible Let’s take this study a step further with the Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible. Select this resource in the Resource Guide and you’ll see the different topics associated with this passage in Ephesians. Since we’re studying the word mercy in Ephesians 2:4, tap on that verse. The Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible is a tool that allows you to study topics found in the Bible. The words and phrases under each of the Scripture references show you which topics are found in those verses. Each of these topics is assigned a reference number. The Scripture reference to the right of the reference number is the next verse in the forward referencing system. Tap on the number next to mercy (2297). All the verses associated with the topic of mercy are arranged here under the characteristic of divine. The verse is describing God’s mercy, the mercy that he has shown to sinners. This topic describes the characteristics of God’s mercy. His mercy is divine, eternal, boundless, etc. The Scripture references listed for this topic show you all the references for God’s mercy from the beginning of the Bible to the end. The references in bold are the Chain Verses, the primary Scripture references for the topic in canonical order. Each of the Chain Verses in bold are listed in full below the complete list of references. You can then choose to review all the verses for this topic or just the primary ones. At the end of these verses, there is also a list of other topics and their number related to the subject of God’s mercy if you’d like to broaden the scope of your study. You can also use this tool to search for topics within the Bible by accessing the alphabetical index of topics in the end matter. NIV Greek Interlinear New Testament For those wanting to take their studies to the next level, the NIV Greek-English Interlinear New Testament is a great additional tool. Usable in conjunction with the NIV Word Study Bible or the NIV Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible, this resource prioritizes the Greek text. You can find parsing information for each Greek word, perform searches by the Greek word or Strong’s number, or search the tagged NIV translation by just tapping on the word. This resource displays in the main window or in the Parallel window as in the above image. Getting the Right Tools for the Job Now that you see how using these tools can save you time, grow in your understanding of the Bible, and create new opportunities for you, pick up one or all of these resources today! NIV Word Study Bible with Strong’s NIV Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible NIV Greek-English Interlinear New Testament

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By clicking on the link above, you can read the blog on You Version and see how God is working in the lives of others, the Word is being shared, and how lives are being changed.

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This is a Bible study I am doing on healing. I am studying healing because there are those of us who struggle with past hurts and it seems as if we cannot get over them, so healing has been the main focus that I have been talking about for a while now. So, if you would like to study this with me, feel free to do so, or if you would like to read over this lesson, you are more than welcome to do so.

At some point in our lives, we have been hurt by someone, or something that scared us for life. We do not talk about it because it still hurts just even thinking about it. But I am going to share Scriptures, and verses, prayers, and inspirations from this lesson that I think can be of help to all of us.

Day One:

Scripture Verse- Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee;

Inspiration:

It is evidenced through both Old and New Testament Scripture that God does have the power to heal our physical bodies. Miraculous healings still happen today! Use the following Bible Verses to talk to God about your pain and fill your heart with hope.

Prayer:

Father, help me to keep my focus on you when the pain and hurt are overwhelming. Help me to be faithful and to see the good and blessings that surround me. Please strengthen my mind, heart, and body, and heal me today. May the Holy Spirit guide me in peace and comfort today. Amen.

Scripture Verse:

James 5:14-15-Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil on the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Exodus 15:26- And said, if thou wilt diligently harken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15- If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place.

Isaiah 57:18-19- I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

Revelation 21:4- And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided light from the darkness.

Day 2: Proverbs 4:20-22

Devotional:

Who is his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Inspiration:

Sin, abuse, neglect, rejection, betrayal…all cause great emotional and spiritual pain that hurt just as physical pain does. God, our Great Physician can completely heal our broken hearts and bind our wounds, healing, and making us whole. Spiritual and emotional healing is often a process with steps that we need to put action behind. Use the following Bible verse to guide your heart and mind toward full recovery.

Prayer:

Loving God, I pray that you will comfort me in my suffering, lend skill to the hands of my healers, and bless the means used for my cure. Give me such confidence in the power of your grace, that even when I am afraid, I may pit my whole trust in you; through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Scripture Verse:

Proverbs 4:20-22- My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8- To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; and a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

James 5;6- Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

Matthew 11:28-30-Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

1 Corinthians 10:13- There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Day-3 Matthew 4:23-24

Devotional:

Matthew 11:5-The blind receives their sight. And the lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. And the deaf hear. The dead are raised up. And the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Inspiration:

Jesus’s healing is for today just as much as it was when he walked the earth and performed miracles of healing the sick and disabled. The Bible tells us that “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his stripes we are healed”. – Isaiah 53:5. Jesus can still heal today!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, by your patience in suffering you hallowed earthly pain and gave us the example of obedience to your Father’s will. Be near me in my time of weakness and pain’ sustain me by your grace, that my strength and courage may not fail’ heal me according to your will; and help me always to believe that what happens to me here is of little account if you hold me in eternal life, my Lord and my God. Amen.

Scripture Verses:

Matthew 4:23-24-And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

And his fame went throughout all of Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lipstick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

It is my prayer that you will be blessed by this message. Feel free to leave your comments, and share if you feel the Spirit leading you to do so. God bless us all. Amen.

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