30) “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the second: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 31) There is no other commandment greater than these.”
When we are searching for God’s will in our lives, it begins with the two Scriptures above. Reading the above, it takes all we are to love God. Your heart, soul, mind, and strength is required. When I began this journey, I will say that my mind and heart were there sometimes, not all the time because I wouldn’t have made some of the choices that I did. However, as I continue to follow the leading of Scripture, I have come to know God better and better by His Word, and the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus.
God is faithful to His promise to never leave us nor forsake us. He has given us His Word and His Spirit on this journey. I cannot say everything was easy. I cannot say I didn’t cry any tears or didn’t have my own pity party. What I can say is that God has seen me through and continues to do so. He is faithful and loving.
Today I want to talk about change. The only constant is change. Circumstances don’t remain the same. They change, for better or for worse. However, they do change. When I reflect on my life, I see major changes and minor changes. My question is how much impact do you want to have when the changes occur?
When we make choices in our lives, do we make them with regard to changes that may occur? I have pondered change for myself. My heart’s direction is to impact my faith. Change it for the better. Strengthen it and grow it. Why? Because my faith will see me through when the changes come that are out of my control.
My faith helps me with the loss of family, friends and other things that impact me. My faith in God is the rock that anchors my soul. I have discovered that I can get through anything that occurs with God at the helm. It is not my intent to make it seem like it is so easy. Faith in God takes surrender and consistency, no matter what it looks like. I would like to add to the point that some may say that it is better to have control of everything by your own standards. That may seem to work for a while, however, things will change. When things are out of your control, what is your anchor? What do you hold on to when no matter what you attempt to do isn’t working out the way you want it to?
My faith in God is through the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and my Lord. Is everything down pat? Of course not. I will say that is my direction though. This journey of life is not easy, sometimes not even clear. However, through it all, God says He will never leave us nor forsake us. God gave His one and only Son so that this life of mine would be better. And, not only this life but the next one in eternity. What is your anchor?
God is the epitome of faithfulness. He has promised in His Word that He keeps His word. He promised to provide for us. Not necessarily in giving us what we want but what we need. He promises protection. He promises deliverance, and comfort and guidance. With God’s faithfulness in these areas, it provides inspiration for us to be faithful in loving one another, sharing the gospel and trusting Him.
One of the major areas of faithfulness is gratitude. When we are grateful for what God has provided, we grow. He blesses us continually in gratitude. In gratitude, we develop patience. God’s faithfulness to us is not merited by us. His faithfulness is who He is. Jesus’ death and resurrection is evidence of this. He is faithful in giving us hope through His Son, Jesus Christ.
This is a short post albeit it very important to grasp that God has everything we need. Through His faithfulness, He has provided.
As we enter 2023, the mantra remains the same for us all. Keep pushing forward in Jesus Christ, no matter the circumstances. Even when things are going well, there is a need to stay prayed up and focused on Jesus. There is an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.
John 10:10 – “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Walking with Jesus gives us wisdom, courage and strength so that we are not blindsided. There are times when we are not aware that there is a force in the background in our lives trying to take us out.
Walking with God is about trusting Him and believing His Word for your life. His promises are yes and Amen. Look to the future through the Word of God.
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,“ says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
This is one of my favorite Scriptures. If you have read a few of my posts, you will see that I refer to this Scripture often. Why? Because it gives me peace. It builds my trust in God. Through Jesus Christ, God has already proven that He loves us. If He has already given us eternal life, would He not even more be faithful to us to give us life more abundant?
John 10:10 – “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Repeating his Scripture, there are two sides to this coin. Jesus came to give us a better life here also. He didn’t say He came to erase every trial or every challenge. In growth, we have a better life. Growing in Him…in grace.
Whether there are sunny days or cloudy days or both together, God has everyday in His hands.
Happy New Year! to all my readers. Hope this year brings you peace; the peace of Jesus as well as all the blessings He has for you. My hope is even more in Jesus because He brought me into another year with health, sanity, family and friends as well as purpose.
I wanted to share with you something I read that reached out to me. Hence, the title of this post. This statement was shared in a devotional by Andrea Chatelain from YouVersion (Trust Me). The statement is not exact but the point was made. “I resign from the self-made post of control freak and trust God to lead no matter the consequences.” Each level we attain in this journey requires this commitment. My resignation is now tendered. God through Christ Jesus my Lord is my rock, my strength, my hope, and my life. Not saying I don’t miss the mark sometimes but I press on towards the hope of His calling.
This sentence hit home. As we continue on this journey, acceptance is required that we are not in control. Truly, good success comes from the Lord. Whether we are looking for success in our families, our marriages, our businesses or relationships in general. I read this yesterday, 01/01/23. It resonated so that I will have a reminder in several places. When things are not going as I plan, I will have reminders to adjust my perspective.
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (NLT)
God truly wants the best for us. The hope and goal for 2023 is that this Scripture becomes even more of an anchor than it already is for me. My encouragement today is that you develop your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. As the past several years have gone by, we see the chaos the world brings. Personally, I will take the peace of Jesus since I am not in control of anything but my responses.
No matter how cloudy, He still knows. Trust Him!
John 14:27 – I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (NLT)
Beginning with Thanksgiving, this is the season most get excited about. However, as we venture deeper into the season for Christmas, let us remember those who are feeling lonely and desperate. We cannot fix their problems. However, we can let those close to us know that we care about them and are there for them. The tricky part is to remember that we are not able to fix everything wrong in their but to help with the loneliness. Sometimes, being present is the key to helping others get through this time of the year. There is always hope.
God’s mercy and grace is renewed every morning. Today there is a cloud but tomorrow the sun will shine. Our hope is in Jesus. I would like to encourage all those feeling lonely that God is for you and with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Have you accepted Christ?
Romans 10:9-10 – 9)If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10)For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you saved.”
It is good to know that when family and friends are no longer there for you, God is and will always be. I am a believer and truly know that God is real in my life. I believe He will change your life. It is your choice. Choose this day whom you will serve.
Joshua 24:15b – “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Happy holidays to all and remember Jesus is the reason for the season!
I want to encourage all my readers today with Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap eternal life.” This Scripture is very important for a believer because we have hope. Our souls are eternal and we must keep our eyes on doing well. God knows that we sometimes get tired. That is when you ask for His strength to keep going, His courage. The Scripture does say not by power, nor by might but by His Spirit.
The Journey – Stay in the Faith Lane
This journey is not easy. However, nothing is impossible with God. 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.”
As we help others out of a pure heart, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. God says He will never leave us nor forsake us. No matter what you are going through, He is with us. We will face trials and tribulations. We are overcomers. We have the victory through Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we walk in victory, we share our journey of faith and encourage others. I just wanted to speak into your spirit today with the truth of God’s word. No matter what it looks like, God is still in control.
Expounding on peace from my post on Monday, I want to encourage looking for the real and eternal peace, the peace of God. This peace is founded on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John 14:27 – “I am, leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” NLT
Two of the critical elements of this peace from Jesus is trust and faith. You have to have faith in the words of Jesus and you have to trust that He keeps His word. When compared to the fragile and unstable peace of the world, this is the real thing. The peace of this world is not stable. Here today, gone tomorrow. The peace of God is never-changing and eternal. How can you question something unchanging and eternal?
Philippians 4:6-7 – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” NLT
Real peace takes commitment to Christ. Reading the word of God daily keeps me focused on Jesus. My peace is based on reading and knowing His word; trusting that He keeps His word; and, that He will bring it to pass in His time. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” This is a promise from God and the promises of God are “Yes, and Amen”. He “will keep in perfect peace”. No question.
God’s peace, the peace left by Jesus is amazing. It does lead to patience. When you are at peace with God, it does give you patience. Patience leads to being present in your life. This position says you are grateful for the things in your life. You appreciate what you have and enjoy the ones you love.
I read a post today and these three words were together. They struck a cord with me. The peace of God keeps me focused on the things I need to get done. God’s peace is a critical key to living a full life. When at peace, no worries about things out of our control. As stated above, I reiterate that when at peace, patience is there. No anxiety about what is to come. This is a position that everything is alright. There is no anxiety about things you cannot control. Those two things in place, you can be present in your life with those you love.
It all starts with the peace of God. Your own peace is temporary. However, God’s peace is eternal. John 14:27 – “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” NLT
God’s peace is the beginning. I wish all God’s peace. It starts with Him. Develop your relationship with Him; worth more than all the money this world has to offer.
Courage means “the ability to disregard fear.” I got this definition from the Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder published in 1996. Twenty-six years ago. Still holds true today.
His Presence is always with us.
However, what does God say about courage.
Genesis 46:3-4 – 3) I am God, the God of your father,” the voice said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make your family into a great nation. 4) I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you to close your eyes.”
God was speaking to Jacob. He was going to be with him during this major situation in his life. God promised to be with him. Jacob’s God was God. No matter what he went through, including death, God would be with him. We will all die someday. I would rather die with God than without Him.
Jesus reassured the disciples in John 16:33 – “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
There are so many Scriptures that encourage and direct us to be of good courage. I shared one Old Testament and one New testament Scripture because courage is necessary when we are going through, even unto death. There is a need to focus on more than what is just comfortable for us. In fulfilling God’s plans and purpose for our lives, there is a need for courage. Each of us, individually, must dive into the Scriptures for our own lives.
When we have the courage to stand on God’s word, our life is in His hands. God is not going to tell you to do something He is not prepared to carry you through. When we have surrendered to the Almighty God, there is nothing He cannot do in our lives.
Do you have the courage to surrender to Him? The gift of salvation is free. Moving forward on this journey can sometimes be a challenge, but you are not going alone. He tells us to be of good courage, trusting and relying on Him. Praise God! Hallelujah and Amen.
