Category: <span>thoughts by Lynn Mosher</span>


Exhausted. Forsaken. Lacking.

Barren. Depleted. Void.

Dry. Unfilled. Empty.

Do any of those describe how you are feeling? Has your bucket of joy, peace, and faith been drained and now you’re looking for an answer, a refill?

You say to yourself, “What’s missing?

So, you begin to search for that elusive “something” to fill up your bucket. You decide to go on vacation in search of “it.” Maybe “it” is in the soothing sands of the beach, with the ocean’s gentle waves lapping at the shore. But the remedy doesn’t work. When you return home, all the vacation drains out of your bucket. You’re still empty. “It” was not in the vacation.

Next, you buy a new car, thinking “it” will pump up your ego. But that does not fill your void. Your bucket is still empty. “It” was not in the car.

You purchase a new house to inflate your pride, but the house just cost you more money and didn’t fill your bucket. “It” was not in the house.

Then, you go after a higher paying job because you need more money. You think the power of your new job will appease your empty bucket. But now, you work late every night to pay off the car and the house you couldn’t afford, which only causes more problems in your marriage. Your bucket remains empty. Work was not “it.”

So, you begin to bar hop. All the drinks do not contain “it” until you meet a lovely young thing or a handsome young hunk. That pumps you up libido, for a while. But all the air escapes from your balloon one night when you come home from your tryst and find that all your family has moved out.

Then, the words of the old song hit you in the face, “Looking for love in all the wrong places.” And your bucket seems even emptier. An affair was not “it.”

So, you find yourself upon your bed, in tears, wondering where it all began, where you went wrong. Reaching back into your memory box, you pull out the memory of you on your knees beside your bed, saying your prayers.

You slide off the bed and onto the floor, with knees popping and creaking from years of not bending. You bow your head and begin to sob as you seek the One True Answer…Jesus. The One you have so long ignored. The One you have been searching for and didn’t even know it. The One Who loves you more than anything, enough to die for you.

You pour out your heart to Him. He comes and kneels beside you, wrapping His loving arm around your heaving shoulders and whispers in your ear…

“What you needed was not to be found in your vacation, nor in your new car or new house, or all the other things you used as a substitute, for what you needed was My Love.

“I’ve been here all along, kneeling by your bedside, night after night, waiting for you to kneel and find Me once again. Now, you’ve recognized your need.

“Let’s get rid of all that stands in the way between us, separating us from that special companionship you so desperately need and I so desire to have with you. You have found your Answer. “It” is Me, the Lover of your soul. I am your dwelling place. Never leave My side again.”

You fall at His feet in praise and say as David did, “You have shown me the way of life, and You will fill me with the joy of Your presence.” (Acts 2:28 NLT quoted from Psalm 16:11)

Whatever you have been through or are going through right now, I pray that your bucket be filled and runneth over with faith, hope, joy, and love in Jesus.

By Lynn Mosher
Used by Permission

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FURTHER READING

•  The Walk of Obedience – by Mary Pinckney

•  Blessed Obedience – by Idelette McVicker

•  God Requires Risky Obedience – by Jon Walker

thoughts by Lynn Mosher Thoughts by Women

What happens to us, as Christ seekers, when ill winds of adversity whip around us?


The cry of the heart….“We would see Jesus.”  (John 12:21 KJV)

The cry of the hungry and thirsty…a cry that sometimes cannot be identified. Some nebulous something or other.

Yet, most of the time, those who cry out don’t even know they are searching, for, they (we) attempt to fill that void in our lives by pursuing all sorts of other things.

But what happens to us, as Christ seekers, when those ill winds of adversity whip around us? Many times, we fall apart.

Cries can be heard in the wilderness. We cry out in our hunger and thirst. We find no comfort, no peace.

And yet, sometimes, the Lord allures, persuades, and draws His people into wilderness valleys. Hosea said, “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there.” (Hosea 2:14-15a NKJV)

The only word used in the Old Testament for wilderness is midbar. It doesn’t mean a sandy desert; it means a pasture (as an open field, where cattle are driven) and implies the meaning of a desert as a deserted place. It also means speech and comes from a word meaning to speak.

Wilderness is a lonely, uninhabited wasteland, yet, a place where God will draw you in order to speak to you. Where you are set apart from the madding crowd.

To a place filled with His presence.

A place where He will speak comfort to you.

In the Hosea verse, comfort (or comfortably) actually means heart and also means speak into a heart tenderly, friendly, and comfortably.

So there, in the midst of your heartache, your afflictions, your trials, He will speak tender comfort to your heart and bring forth vineyards from the Valley of Achor, meaning the valley of trouble.

Vineyards, as a fertile place, a place of growth in circumstances, a place to glean a harvest, this is where Jesus will meet you. And you will sing there, as Hosea said.

The Hebrew word for sing means ‘to heed, to pay attention, to respond, to begin to speak, specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce.

So that which causes affliction, as the valley of troubles, will be an entrance, a gateway to hope, as a cord of expectancy.

Oh, to see Jesus when we are in that lonely wasteland of hopelessness, to walk with Him there, to hear Him speak comfort to our discouraged soul, that we may pay attention to His voice. And there, we will find our vineyards, as sustenance, supply, and growth, in Him.

Our hope is renewed in Him. And we sing His praises, for that which had been a source of calamity has become a source of redemption and blessing.

A valley of trouble. A strange place to find vineyards, isn’t it? But it is God’s doing.

“This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:23 NKJV)

Yes, God knows your need while you’re in that wilderness experience. He knows how long you’re to stay there and just what you need while you’re there. Mainly, you need Him.

And Jesus is there to walk you through the wilderness and to bring you out of it.

The cry of the hungry and thirsty? Yes…

We would see Jesus.” (John 12:21 KJV)

By Lynn Mosher
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•  Struggles, Despair
•   Forgiveness – Yourself and  Others
•  Salvation Explained


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thoughts by Lynn Mosher Thoughts by Women


Dwell deep. I heard the Lord say. Just as the rains coming down soak deep into the ground, they are yet feeding the soil that brings new life. Therefore, when the rains of life come, dwell deep. New life will come.

And the rains come “on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45b NKJV)
Life’s events and heartaches and trials and disappointments and griefs and sorrows and…and all the other stuff happens to every one of us. All that junk-du-jour piles up around and within us, and, unfortunately, we end up pulling a veil of camouflage over the Lord.

He’s hidden. Covered over with dishes, diapers, duties, distractions, dates, dues, debts, discouragements, disillusionments, distresses, and all the other D words you can think of.
We wonder, Where is God? And Jesus whispers to us, Abide in Me. But we dash in and dash out of His precious presence. Not giving Him time to soothe our soul with His words of comfort.

The Lord says to us…
Do not rush into My presence looking at your watch. The busyness of life derails your attention. Let down the wings of your disquieted and busy spirit. Prepare by being still. I will be found in quietness and stillness.

If My people would take time to be with Me, they would hear those soothing words of comfort and guidance for which they so desperately yearn. Therefore, be still and know.”
But we’re in a hurry and we don’t sit still. So, again we wonder, “Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?” (Job 35:10 NKJV)

When sleepless nights compel you to toss about and tears dampen your pillow, He draws near and giveth those songs of hope in the night. David sang, “Deep calls unto deep…The Lord will command His loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me.” (Psalm 42:7-8 NKJV)

To hear those songs, to find that peace, comfort, and joy, dig beneath all the muck. Dig down through it all and dwell deep in your soul. The Lord is there.

Dwell deep under those layers of discouragement, grief, failure, disappointment, hurt, or heartache. Dwell there, and “Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence.”
(Ecclesiastes 8:3 NKJV) No fitful visit, but a real dwelling, a real abiding.

Abide in Me, He whispers. Do you hear Him?

Dwell deep, my precious friend. Oh, dwell deep. The enemy sends his emissaries to harass you, to toss flaming arrows of heartache at you, to steal all that you hold dear. “The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10a TLB)

Just as God told the tribe of Dedan to physically flee their enemy, He tells us spiritually, “Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths.” (Jeremiah 49:8a NKJV) Dwell deep and hide from the enemy.

The Lord is there…dwell deep. Deep down where sweet, intimate fellowship abides, where comfort flows like warm oil of the Spirit.

Dwell deep to gaze upon Him, upon the scarred wounds of His passion, where the reality of the cross pierces the unbelieving heart, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” (John 20:27 NLT)

Dwell deep to gaze upon His holiness, where the glory-rays of His abundant life spill over into your soul, where He makes the exchange: your fear for His courage, your defeat for His victory, your darkness for His light, your heartbreak for His heart-rest, your storms for His calm, your discouragement for His hope, your helplessness for His rescue, your doubt for His faith, your suffering for His restoration, your loss for His gain, your brokenness for His wholeness.

To dwell deep is to find the Lord and be changed into His likeness. He says, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10b TLB)

“Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets.” Luke 5:4a TLB

By Lynn Mosher
Used by Permission

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thoughts by Lynn Mosher Thoughts by Women


Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Where shall we go today? To far-off lands of intrigue? To clear blue lakes? To lovely mountaintop vistas?

How can we get there? We arrive at our destination by the daily choices we make.

We all make good decisions. And on occasion, we also make bad ones. But, if we’re smart, we choose to make good ones because we want the good results. I know I do.

With all the choices that pop up like a whack-a-mole game every day, each opportunity of choosing will take me on a journey – a journey either to walk in submission to God’s will or to walk in disobedience. Each preference will have its own path with its own outcome.

I can choose to take the path of self-destruction or self-preservation. I can fill my thoughts with negative thoughts. I can choose to tear others down. I can choose to get even with the one who stabbed me in the back. I can choose to be hateful to my spouse for whatever reason.

Or…I can choose to do the opposite: to be positive and kind, to be forgiving and loving.

Whether it’s a decision about my finances, my physical well-being, my relationships, or whatever, I have the opportunity to make a choice. It’s my decision. And ultimately, my journey of outcome.

What’s your decision path look like lately?

…feeling alone? …on the brink? …dashed dreams? …lost? …rejoicing? …at peace? …in God’s Light?

What does God say about His plan? “I know the plans I have in mind for you…they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.Jeremiah 29:11 (CEB)

Is your journey of choice one that agrees with God’s choice, or is it one of your own making? What are the results of your daily decisions?

~Prayer: Lord, I know Your plans for me are more excellent than anything I can devise. They are for my good and my benefit. Help me to remember to consult You with each choice that confronts me every day. May my choices bring honor and glory to Your name. Amen.

By Lynn Mosher
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Thoughts by All thoughts by Lynn Mosher Thoughts by Women

Water! The necessary component of all living matter for survival. The living cells of every plant, animal, and human are dependent upon that one essential element for their healthy existence.

As necessary as it is for our body to be nourished with water to thrive and stay physically healthy, it is even more necessary for our spirit and soul to be filled with the Living Waters of the Lord to thrive and stay spiritually healthy.

The Lord woos us to His watering place, His well of restoration. For He is that cool refreshment in the midst of an arid desert of circumstance. He is that oasis of refuge, that wellspring of resting, transforming that desolate desert into green pastures and still waters.

David said, “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High,” (Psalm 46:4 NKJV) and this “river of God is full of water.” (Psalm  65:9 NKJV)

Near the end of the book of Revelation, John describes these waters as the “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1 NKJV) Living Waters from the throne, a continuous flow from God as the Fountain of Life.

That Fountain of Life is within you and is greater than your circumstances, greater than your depression, greater than your grief, greater than your debt, greater than any circumstances, greater even than your yourself.

When your soul is depleted and parched from the incessant trials of life, when you’re bone tired from your dusty, wilderness journey, and your bucket of life is empty, when you long desire to hear the words of comfort and feel the Lord’s presence, do you know where to go to refill your bucket, to quench your spiritually shriveled soul, to regain your strength?

Do you ask yourself as the woman at the well asked Jesus, “So how are you going to get this ‘living water’?” (John 4:11Msg)

All your springs of peace, comfort, joy, grace, and all else you need are in God. Therefore, nourish yourself and drink from that “water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14 NKJV)

The Lord says to you, “Come, leave the rushing highways of your anxieties and rest in Me. Exchange the roar of the waves of life for the Still Small Voice, found only in the quietness of stilled waters. Come, dip you vessel into the banks of the Living Waters of My refreshment and taste their sweetness.

Let My peace flow through you as those Living Waters out of the Rock. Let My Spirit bubble up within you and work in you a new thing. Come, rest with Me, and I will restore your soul and pour out the blessings of My peace and joy.

Oh, my sweet friend, God has given you His restorative Living Waters, as the fountain of forgiveness, the wellspring of peace and joy, the reservoir of the Holy Spirit. It is always there, just waiting for you to dip your pail deep into His overflow, to refresh your spirit and your soul!

If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
John 7:37b-38 NKJV

The river of God is full of water. Come, drink of the Living Waters to your heart’s delight!

By Lynn Mosher
Used by Permission

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Thoughts by All thoughts by Lynn Mosher Thoughts by Women

The Lenten season has arrived. A time when many Christians observe forty days  (not counting Sundays) of fasting in moderation or self-denial, of repentance, and of spiritual discipline in order to deepen their relationship with the Lord and be spiritually prepared for Easter celebration.

It’s a time for reflection on Christ, His suffering, sacrifice, life, death, burial, and resurrection. It’s a time for deepening one’s walk with the Lord.  A time of cleansing and refreshing. Of soul revival.

For health reasons, I cannot fast from meals, but I can from a particular food, and I have fasted from things.

If we cannot fast from food, what if we dug deep within our souls and found something in there to fast from? Maybe one or more of these things would be hiding there…

Arrogance, pride, worry, doubts, hypocrisy, indifference, anger, hopelessness, fear, perfectionism, judgmental attitude, pity parties, apathy, bitterness, unkindness, ungratefulness, selfishness, desiring more, critical spirit, negative words and thoughts, desiring attention or approval?

Or maybe we would find that lie the enemy keeps slipping under the door of our heart, the one that says we’re not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or whatever. Maybe we would find something in our schedule that needs to be eliminated…if only for a while. Or maybe we need a vacation from the internet, TV, movies, etc.

Maybe we should fast from one thing each day.

If you are not able to fast food (now there’s a good one to fast from!), make your own list and choose one for each day.

Right now, I’m enjoying reading a new book called 40 Voices: A Lenten Devotional and it’s written by my friend Jean Wise.

In reference to Mark 11:2, where Jesus asks two of His disciples to go to the village and acquire the tied-up donkey for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jean writes…

Untie it and bring it here” is Jesus’ command. It is a wonderful statement to bring to our Lenten prayers. What, Lord, do you want me to untie and bring to Jesus this season? What do we need to unravel? What are we clinging to Jesus wants us to bring to him? Jesus knows where our knots are located. He sees the sin that tangles our hearts. He understands the hurts to snarl our beliefs.”

It’s not just giving up something;

it’s untying it from our heart, getting rid of the knot, and relinquishing it.

Surrendering  one thing in order to receive something else. Something so much better.

Untie it. Bring it to Me. Asks Jesus. Such a great thought. Deep  thought. Makes me ask myself, What do I have tied-up within me that I need to release?

What, what if we turned away from certain things and truly fell on our faces at the feet of Jesus, seeking His presence?  On. Our. Faces. Suppose we let loose of those ties that bind and prayed for our heart to be cleansed of all the yucky stuff. What would happen to our lives and the lives of others?

We are to let go, to “turn away from everything wrong, whether of body or spirit, and purify ourselves, living in the wholesome fear of God, giving ourselves to him alone.
(2 Corinthians 7:1 TLB)

Are you tied to anything that is distracting you and marring your relationship with Christ? Do you need to heed the Lord’s command to “untie it and bring it to Me”?

If you decide to embark on this Lenten journey, I pray the Lord will bless you as you untie all the knots.

By Lynn Mosher
Used by Permission

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Thoughts by All thoughts by Lynn Mosher Thoughts by Women

Feature Dark Storm Clouds - Dark Days Devotional

Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? Job 38:22b-23 (KJV)

I rarely read the King James Version but, as I read one of my devotionals, these verses caught my attention. The treasures of the hail hit me – right between the eyes. This is what I saw.

Okay. Here’s a thought. When you were little and frightened by a thunderstorm, did you ever run to your dad or mom and crawl up in his or her lap, wanting to be comforted with hugs? Just the nearness of the one who loved you sufficed, right?

So, what is my hail? What stormy circumstances pummel me with pellets of heartache? What is my treasure in all this? Where do I go in my tears? To the Father! To the One I know who loves me and longs for me to crawl up in His lap.

Sometimes, we see these trials as black cloud-shapes of the enemy, but not every black cloud contains an enemy. What if those times of trouble could be used against the enemy, for that day of battle? Can I use those situations for God’s glory by not complaining, by being thankful and praising God, and by seeking God’s presence and His will?

Do we realize those dark clouds threatening to overtake us announce His arrival and conceal His presence? F. B. Meyer wrote, “A storm is only the outskirts of His robe—the symptom of His advent and the environment of His presence.” As the hem of His garment. Stirring up the atmosphere. But His presence is in the cloud. His peace awaits us in the midst of the cloud. In the eye of the storm.

The Father’s nearness is our treasure hiding in the dark clouds. Where did David say God hid? “He made darkness His hiding place.” Psalm. 18:11 (NASB)

Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the dark chariots of bright grace.” ~Charles Spurgeon

If God hides in the clouds, don’t the riches, the blessings, of His presence await us there? In the eye of the storm awaits the treasures of His guidance, His peace, His words of comfort, the riches of His glory. And more. Do we seek all He has for us in these times?

Do not be afraid to enter the cloud that is settling down on your life – God is in it. The other side is radiant with His glory.” ~Unknown

Do not allow the clouds and hail of your circumstances to cause the darkness of heartache and discouragement to hover over you. Draw near to God in the dark cloud…and find His treasures awaiting you.

Under the shrouding curtain of His pavilion, you will find God awaiting you.” ~ Unknown

Remember, when a dark, rumbling cloud looms over your life, it is the advent of His presence. Trust Him. Continue your service to Him. Wait it out, rest in His presence, and things will be better on the other side.

You are never without hope, for He will never leave you lacking the assurance of His presence. He will see you through the hail and the storm.

Praise Him Who rides the clouds over your life, Who meets you in the eye of the storm, in the midst of the pellets of hail, and says, “Peace. Peace, be still!”

What is your hail circumstance? Where does it send you? What is your treasure?

By Lynn Mosher

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