Notes from "The Word in Real Time" by Kathy Slamp

A new year always reminds us that there's hope for the future.....As we stay close to Him, He keeps us safe, each day is brand new, and grace for that day is sufficient. The Father expects one thing of you and me this year, and that is that we will grow in Him and grow closer to Him.

God is always willing to rescue a sincere person....He's willing to respond to a broken, contrite heart.....When He senses a sincere heart, He's always willing to come to our aid.

He will send His angel before you, and you never make the journey alone.

Risk takers see possibilities before they see risks....When God calls you; He'll be there for you. Don't look down and around at the circumstances that could cause you to sink; look up to the One who is enabling you to succeed.

Leave your grudges and hurts in the past. Don't sweat the small stuff....unity is more important than our petty opinions and differences.

There is wisdom in obedience to parents; there is wisdom in faithfulness to the Word; there is wisdom in trust in the Lord, there is wisdom in a "healthy" fear of the Lord; there is wisdom in giving God His tithes and offerings. And one of the results of this wisdom is long life. Of course, we have no guarantees, but we do have His word.

Whatever is in your past, you can "get over it," and set God free to accomplish good in your life and the lives of the others around you.

Your suffering may be a test. Will you pass?

All of us yearn for God's touch on our lives. Heartaches and broken pieces aren't reserved for sinners, and God's touch isn't exclusively for them either. He wants to touch you wherever you are; He wants to give you back a new life -- perhaps a different one than you had planned -- but nevertheless one in which He is in total control....Allow Him to touch you today. He can do it!

When we dwell and obsess on life's unfair circumstances, we quickly begin a spiral downward into an endless cycle of despair, depression, and loneliness...God knows! He is always fair; He is going to have the last word, and He will justify your life fairly. You bet! Life's not fair, but God is! We can rest in His ultimate fairness....God never plays favorites.

He's not just in good things, but He's in all things! We flail out at Him: "Where are you, God?" When we listen with our heart, we hear His calm reply: "I'm in the storm, and this is for your good and my glory."

God cares about every detail that affects you....What's concerning you? It doesn't matter -- big or small -- it concerns God because it concerns you. Take it to Him.

It's the most difficult thing in the world to remain silent when we are falsely accused....Sometimes, very little we can say or do will make any difference. It's best to cut our losses, deal with the inevitable, and leave the retribution to God. He can handle it.

When God is moving, nothing will stop Him -- not temperaments or authorities or bodies of water or weather. Absolutely nothing can thwart the movement of God...God holds the future, and He's still in charge.

Whatever you're facing, God is there.

Life is often dark and foreboding. In our clouds, we have the opportunity to absolutely depend on the one who will absolutely not forsake us. Clouds are unwelcome, potentially destructive, and lonely. God speaks to us in clouds in ways we would never hear otherwise.

Whatever you are trying to alter or change in your life, give it to Him, and allow Him to do anything that is necessary. Perhaps He will patch it up, or maybe -- just maybe -- He will toss it out and begin a brand new work in you.

Whether in the cloud or down below looking up at the cloud, we feel confused and lonely. When we remain true, in due course we discover that we are never alone -- that God is in the cloud with us. One day, we'll walk back down the mountain -- battered and scarred -- but with a glow that only comes from surviving a storm...The price of experiencing His glory is always high, but He knows what is best, and He's in control of the storm.

While we are waiting for Jesus to touch us, we may pass up our golden opportunity of faith to touch Him. Reach out and touch Him. He loves you; He cares about you; and your faith will make you whole.

The countenance reveals the contents of a man's soul....Life is too tentative and the road too dangerous to go it alone...When we least expect it, God may lead us up a mountain alone, and soon we disappear with Him into a dark cloud. In the shadow of the rock, we are nearer to Him than we ever would be in our day-to-day worlds. Are you hidden in a cloud today? He's there. This may be your big break. Listen to Him. His promises are sure, and when this test is past, you will shine again with a glory that comes only through adversity.

"Things" are not life's beginning and ending. As we mature, we learn. The good learner quickly realizes that much of the stuff of life isn't necessary for life.

If you've had a warm, tender loving look sent your way by someone, you know it. You never ever get over the comforting feeling that love emotes. True love is rare, and when someone reaches into the deepest part of your being, making a connection, you feel it. It goes so deep that there is a near physical pain....When your heart is filled with love, your look will show it.

Jesus doesn't "give a hoot" about the size of your gift, the flare with which you give it, or what you wear the day you present it. Jesus cares about your heart. He really doesn't want our gifts; He wants us.

When He gives us something; it's ours.

The next time you're stopped dead in your tracks by an unseen obstruction and are frustrated by yet another blind delay, stop. God may have placed something or someone in your pathway to humble you and open your eyes to what's ahead....God may use the ridiculous to get our attention.

Regardless of your sin, forgiveness is available.

Expect His blessings; expect His healing; expect salvation for your family....Nothing can stand between the truly expectant heart and the healing Jesus!

Are you coming up short today? What's available in your situation? It may not seem like enough to you, but with God anything is enough. Little is much when God is in it.

If you sincerely want something from Him, ask. If you are earnestly seeking an answer, you will find it. If you knock on Christ's door and beg His forgiveness, He will open the door for you....Do you want God to bless you? Ask Him. He wants to bless you, but He needs to know that you really want Him. As you seek and knock, He's right there ready to open the door and help you find whatever it is that you are searching. He loves you and wants the very best for you.

We're stopped short of great things for God because we're searching for BIG faith. Start with small steps and see the great things God can and will accomplish through your faith.

Horoscopes and other "harmless" entertainments; no one truly believes in them. Therein lies the problem...God warns about staying too close to the edge...Dabbling in the occult, witchcraft, or fortune telling is on the edge...We must know what we believe and why we believe it....Dig into His Word; put your total trust in Him. There's enough guidance in the Word of God to handle any situation of life. Don't make Him have to repeat Himself.

The church is jammed packed with people who are doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

Suffering causes a true believer to look to God rather than to himself.

God is the great equalizer; He knows our hearts. If you give to be recognized, He sees that. If you hope to get attention or maybe win in the next election, He sees that as well. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. There are no degrees of sin; there are no degrees of forgiveness....He justifies, evens the score, and sets the record straight.

When any man truly looks into the eyes of Jesus, he will never be the same...At what distance and to what extremes have you gone to see Jesus? What limitations or excuses are keeping you from seeing over or through or around the problems and situations of your life? There are no accidental encounters with Jesus. He yearns to come into your life, sit down and fellowship, and truly be your friend.

Everyone grieves when a loved one dies. In a large part, things are never the same. We recall shared times and commemorate their lives with memorials. There's a hole in our heart and a vacancy in our lives. Grieving is a normal and necessary process, but somewhere along the line, the healthy griever realizes that "life goes on." Others need and deserve our love and attention. Eventually, a smile revisits our face, and we rediscover the silenced song of our hearts. We never forget our lost loved one, but life is about living.

Don't give up. God has a plan for your life. There's no obstacle too big or too daunting for Him. When the time is right, nothing will deter God from working your long awaited miracle.

Do you have an impossible situation? When you have exhausted your resources, ask Him for the impossible.

Just when we think all the problems, issues, concerns, and circumstances of our lives are all ironed out, here comes another one. Et cetera. Et cetera. It's unavoidable. The only thing that's really constant in life is change. From one day to the next, life can change drastically and permanently....How does God expect us to handle the unexpected -- the et ceteras -- of our lives? He wants us to face them squarely, deal with them, and move on....He's the God of every situation and every crisis. You can lean on Him anytime, anywhere, for anything.

All that will matter on that day is our relationship with Him and others.

A secure person is secure in and of themselves and has no real need to prove it.

Perhaps an act of disobedience in your life has produced a splinter, and the pain and infection is incessant. God could remove it, but He chooses to leave it in your life as His daily reminder that He expects complete obedience. If that is your situation, you can face it and appropriate His lessons. What He says; He means.

God is patient and understands us. God promises that we can "prove Him." Spiritual fleeces are a wonderful tool for testing God's directives. Put Him to the test. He will show you unmistakably what His will is.

God's ways are stranger than the thoughts of men....When things are the most confusing, God has a way.

Intelligence is enhanced by education and life experience, but it isn't defined by them. Some of the wisest people have little to no formal educaiton. On the other hand, some of the most educated people have little common sense.

It is critical that we lean on the Lord and avoid pursuing foreign gods and idols. It is the Lord that has led us to the point we are today, and it is the Lord who will safely lead us home.

Panic is paralyzing, and we all experience it at one time or another.