Bridget A. Thomas's Blog, page 3

Victory and Delight in God’s Presence

Psalm 21 is a powerful chapter, with each verse manifesting strength. It is believed that the psalm was written after a battle. And the psalm overflows with a victory mindset.

(Note that “the title names David as the author, but then the psalm itself speaks about the king in the third person. The king as song composer could certainly write about his office in the third person, but it is also possible that the psalmist is some second party who speaks about the king” [1]… We will assume David i...

Tremble, Earth, at the Presence of the Lord

After the many sunset pictures I have posted, I am happy to share a picture of the moon taken on October 16, 2024

1 When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;
4 the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs.
5 Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, earth, at the ...

Pour Out Your Hearts in His Presence

I’ve been digging a bit into Bible verses that speak of God’s Presence. I’m especially focusing on the Psalms because that book of the Bible brings comfort and peace, no matter what season of life we are in.

A Hebrew word that has come up quite often in the Old Testament is pānîm (פָּנִים).

This word has been translated in different ways. Sometimes we will see it as “presence.” But we might also see it as “before” (as in before God or in front of God). It could also be translated as “face,...

September’s Blessings and Reminders

How is it October already? I’m back for another monthly blessings and reminders post! Let’s take a moment to reflect on the month of September and see how God has shown up!

Working on the Heart

There were a few days when I spent more time around more people than I normally do. It was interesting to see how each person (including myself) had stumbling blocks with communication and action. It seems that so many of us have deep insecurities that we allow to rule our speech and our steps.

...

He Must Become Greater and Greater

August 20, 2024

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. – John 3:30 NLT

The verse above has been on my heart and mind lately. The King James Version says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” However, I really like the way the New Living Translation reiterates the words “greater” and “less.” It reminds me that this could be an ongoing process in our lives.

These words were said by John the Baptist when John’s disciples complained that Jesus was also pe...

100 Days

I love when we start a new year because it always feels like a brand new opportunity to make lasting changes in our lives. However, I also appreciate the end of a year, because it gives us a chance to end the year well.

It’s hard to believe, but on Monday we will have 100 days remaining in 2024. This made me wonder how we might choose to spend those days. During this time of year, as many of you know, I have often focused on gratitude. While gratitude is always a good choice, it’s not the...

Jesus is Our Peace

There are times in life when it’s difficult to grasp peace. Even as Christians, we know Jesus offers peace, and He is the Prince of Peace. Yet when circumstances overwhelm us, holding onto that peace isn’t necessarily easy. But as we learn to lean on the Lord, in every situation, we begin to notice that peace growing in our hearts.

Often times when I have something on my mind, I will stumble across that theme in the things I read and hear. So as I have been thinking about peace, I happened to...

August’s Blessings and Reminders

Here we are again with another blessings and reminders post. This year as each month has come to an end, I have been reflecting on things that I have learned or beauty I have seen during the month.

Honesty with God

Last month there was an incident that vexed me. With all the worries that my family has been dealing with, we didn’t need additional stress.

I felt guilty for blasting my feelings in prayer. However, I was reminded that it’s okay to be honest with God when we are feeling down...

The Fruit 🍇

Years ago when my nephew, Joshua, was around two years old, my mother had artificial grapes sitting in a bowl for decoration. Joshua didn’t know these grapes were fake. They looked so real! So, he asked me if he could have some. I tried to explain to him that they weren’t real grapes, but he didn’t understand. His eyes kept looking at them with longing. Finally, he tried to stick them in his mouth and instantly made a disgusted face. Joshua still might not have understood that this fruit was art...

Habakkuk’s Prayer

Habakkuk lived in Judah (the southern kingdom when Israel was split in two) when the invasion of the Babylonians was imminent. While the book of Habakkuk shows the devastation to come, I love that this book is really a conversation that Habakkuk has with God. And although Habakkuk is crushed by what is to come, he provides a beautiful example of how to cling to the Lord during difficult times.

In chapter 3 verse 2, Habakkuk writes, “I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe by yo...