Always Ready and Waiting
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18
The human experience is full of times of trial, uncertainty and sadness. These days, it can be easy for even the strongest of people to become down, out of sorts or depressed.
But Here is a basic truth; The Lord is near you in these times, He loves you and always wants the best for you. He knows your weaknesses and wants to help you in them, He often doesn’t lift your burdens fully OFF of you right away because He wants to lead you THROUGH them so that your faith in His power and love may grow exponentially and you will be mentally and spiritually stronger for having gone through them at the same time, building your confidence that you have a God in heaven that is ready and willing to stand by your side no matter what this wicked world throws at you.
It is important to understand that He would never interfere and force his will upon you for any reason, no matter how much He wants to. But with that being said; He is always calling, like the loving father that He is, for us to come to Him.
Waiting, ready and more than capable to help at our first petition sent. So be assured, if you choose to call out to him when you are down, depressed or anxious for any reason, He WILL come close to you and comfort you in your time of need.
Until He comes again in the clouds of glory; His peace, protection and mental strength will ALWAYS be there for all that seek it. Especially in times of a broken heart.
Have a great day!
Praise as the antidote
Psalm 34:1
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Life today is full of trials, discouragements illnesses, loneliness and temptations for everyone to some degree or another, but God in His mercy has provided many ways to alleviate these symptoms of “wicked world syndrome.” One of the best you can do when you are feeling down in any way. Whether you are sick, discouraged, lonely, tempted, angry, you name it, Is praising God during it, this is the antidote.
The mind altering power of giving praise to the Creator will uplift you and bring a sense of peace that can give anyone contentment in any situation. Our problem often is, we turn to complaining instead which has the exact opposite effect on our minds.
So no matter the situation/predicament you find yourself in today, praise God. Think of at least one thing that He has done for you, praise Him for it, if you can’t think of anything, remember you woke up this morning and praise Him for that at least.
And as you stay in a mindset of praise you will also stay in a mindset of peace and happiness no matter the situation. I assure you that you won’t be disappointed. Try it today, find out for yourself the mental, physical, and spiritual healing powers of simply giving praise unto God our loving Creator!
Have a great day!
Trust in the Lord
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
Psalm 37:3
Every day brings its own responsibilities, concerns, trials and challenges. Yet when we come together, how often do we focus on our problems and hardships? We worry about things that haven’t even happened, give in to unnecessary fears, and carry heavy burdens of anxiety. Listening to us, someone might think we don’t have a compassionate and loving Savior who is always ready to hear our prayers and help us in every time of need.
Many times we find ourselves living in fear, creating worries about what might happen. Even though day after day, we are surrounded by clear evidence of God’s love and are continually blessed by His faithful care and provision. In our human frailty we often overlook these ever present blessings. And instead, thoughts stay fixed on something unpleasant we fear could happen, or on some small difficulty that becomes so large in our minds that we lose sight of the many reasons that we have to be thankful.
Sometimes Rather than allowing life’s difficulties to draw us closer to God, our only true source of help, we let those difficulties create worry, discouragement, and complaining, which only pushes us farther from Him.
Is this really the way we should live? Why should we be ungrateful or fail to trust God? Jesus is our Friend, and all of heaven is deeply concerned about our well-being. We must not allow the trials and pressures of everyday life to consume our thoughts or steal the peace and joy that God wants to give us.
Today let us again remember this beautiful promise found in Isaiah 26:3
“ you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon you.”
Have a great day!
Trust in the Lord
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
Psalm 37:3
Every day brings its own responsibilities, concerns, trials and challenges. Yet when we come together, how often do we focus on our problems and hardships? We worry about things that haven’t even happened, give in to unnecessary fears, and carry heavy burdens of anxiety. Listening to us, someone might think we don’t have a compassionate and loving Savior who is always ready to hear our prayers and help us in every time of need.
Many times we find ourselves living in fear, creating worries about what might happen. Even though day after day, we are surrounded by clear evidence of God’s love and are continually blessed by His faithful care and provision. In our human frailty we often overlook these ever present blessings. And instead, thoughts stay fixed on something unpleasant we fear could happen, or on some small difficulty that becomes so large in our minds that we lose sight of the many reasons that we have to be thankful.
Sometimes Rather than allowing life’s difficulties to draw us closer to God, our only true source of help, we let those difficulties create worry, discouragement, and complaining, which only pushes us farther from Him.
Is this really the way we should live? Why should we be ungrateful or fail to trust God? Jesus is our Friend, and all of heaven is deeply concerned about our well-being. We must not allow the trials and pressures of everyday life to consume our thoughts or steal the peace and joy that God wants to give us.
Today let us again remember this beautiful promise found in Isaiah 26:3
“ you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon you.”
Have a great day!
God is Faithful
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor. 10:13
There is no power in the whole satanic force that can overpower the person that trusts fully in God and His power.
Christ is our tower of strength, and Satan can have no power over any soul that humbly walks with God. The promise is sure “Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.”
In Christ there is perfect and complete help for every tempted soul. Only call His name in time of trial and temptation and He will be there with His whole host of angels if need be, to put peace in your heart and supply you with your every need.
It is true; pitfalls surround us in every direction, but also be assured, that all the powers of heaven are standing on guard, that none may be tempted above that which they are able to bear.” Our trials are an avenue that God uses to strengthen us.
Today, rest easy knowing that our God, who loves us so much, is on throne of the whole universe and wants nothing more than for His children to put their full confidence in the protective powers of their Heavenly Father so that He can show you His love in action. He will see you through anything, patiently wait upon His perfect time and way.
Have a great day!
True Kindness
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Want to know what makes the heart happy? Forgiveness does! and it works two ways, the power of God sends a sense of peace and joy to both the receiver and giver. God is never happier than when He sees His people follow His example and forgive one another their trespasses.
The verse above actually shows us that the ultimate way of kindness and tender hearted action toward one another is to forgive.
When we don’t forgive ultimately we hurt ourselves the most. Holding onto a grudge does no one any good on either side of an issue. It certainly will take a toll mentally, physically and spiritually on the grudge bearer, that, if held onto too long will be hard to recover from. Also Do not worry yourself if they don’t right away accept your forgiveness, just continue in kindness, do right because it is right and let the Lord work with it for good.
A special note: Forgiving is not always necessarily forgetting, there is a difference, neither are you called to be a doormat for an unrepentant person. You can still forgive, keep your distance, if necessary, from such but prayer for the offender still is an important aspect of forgiveness that is vital for your own healing and the potential redemption in the offender.
Today make Jesus happy and do your friend, loved one or professed enemy the ultimate act of kindness; forgive them
And pray for them, if they have wronged you in any way, and see what the Lord will do for them, the relationship and you! Forgiveness on your part often leads to repentance by the guilty party, which truly makes the Lord happy (see 2 Peter 3:9)
Blessings, hearts filled with peace and joy from the Father will be the product for all, especially for the one that in kindness forgives.
Have a great day!
Be of good cheer
“In the world,” He says, “ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
"It is not the will of God that we, His people should be weighed down with worry. Worry is a product entirely of the world of sin that we live in.
But neither does our Lord deceive us. He does not say to us, “Do not fear; there are no dangers in your path.” He knows there are trials and dangers, and He deals with us plainly. He does not propose to take His people out of a world of sin and evil just yet, but instead He points us to a never failing refuge until He does. This refuge is the same one that He himself had and appealed to on a daily basis when He lived among us: His and our; EVER loving, ALL powerful Heavenly Father. I don’t know about you? but I believe what was good enough for Jesus in His life here, is more than good enough for me!
His prayer for His disciples was, “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” John 17:15
He has asked the Father to put His protection around us while we are still here in this world of sin. (You know that one will get answered and does everyday!)
If we only knew how many times He has sent His Holy angels to protect and save us? I think we would be surprised, to say the least and full of awe and appreciation of our Father’s love and mercy!
It is good news for us that Christ, through the Father, overcame the world. He Showed us that through Him, with the Fathers protection, we too can overcome this world and one day soon go home to live forever with Him. (See Revelation 3:21) Meditate on today’s scripture. Take heart and find peace in His words.
Have a great day!
Keep on the sunny side
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalms 103:2
Do you want a peaceful existence in this life? This 👆 is the ONLY true way for peace in our hearts.
We, far too often dwell upon all the wrong things. What has gone wrong, what is going wrong, who has wronged us, what could possibly go wrong. If we would instead take time to think of even one thing that God has done good in our lives, there would be a great change in our dispositions and mental outlook. If we chose to make it a daily action of focusing on God and the good that He has done and will do for us, He makes us this amazing promise. 👇
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3
Those who will take Christ at His word, surrender their souls to His keeping, focusing on Him and His goodness towards us, rather than on the distracting woes of this life that do us NO good to focus on, (to do so changes nothing other than make us more miserable!) Those that will do this; change focus to the positive, will find not just peace but PERFECT peace in their lives.
Nothing of the world can make you sad when Jesus makes you glad by His presence, Invite Him in by thinking on Him. There is an old gospel song that has some really good advice
keep on the sunny side
“Let us greet with the song of hope each day
Tho' the moment be cloudy or fair
And let us trust in our Saviour away
Who keepeth everyone in His care
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us ev'ry day, it will brighten all the way
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.”
In perfect acquiescence/obedience with our minds/hearts on Christ there IS perfect rest. Try it today, I guarantee your day will brighten and you will not be disappointed that you did!
Keep on the sunny side and
Have a great day!
There for us
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Psalm 46:1-2
There is an inherent peace that a Christian has just knowing there is a benevolent Creator in heaven who controls the universe. I do much wish those that don’t know Him yet would see just this little, yet significant aspect of Him, the anxiety level in this world would be greatly reduced if they did.
I have seen, even in my own life, that the closer I get to and learn more about Him, the greater my peace is in any situation. It is verses like our promise above; memorized and repeated when needed, that help us trust more in Him. To just believe in Him is good but it is not enough to equip and prepare us for the daily battles of life in this wicked world while simultaneously preparing us for eternal life in heaven
Let us do ourselves a great favor and move onward and upward in our relationship with our Creator/Heavenly Father, He wants nothing more than for us to have the fullest confidence in Him, His love and that He is always there for us.
We can do this by daily communicating with Him through prayer, study, memorizing and reciting the promises that He has given us for life in general but especially in times of trouble. Decidedly; Fear of man, nature and even the principalities of darkness will fade from our hearts as we seek, find and trust our God of love.
Have a great day!
His special gift to us
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
There is no peace known to man that is more complete than the peace that comes from a genuine relationship with God. The source of most anxiety and fear today is because people have let go of a relationship with God and the many blessings that come from it.
This world is uncertain at best, growing in evil daily. Not one of us really know what is around the next corner, nor what the next moment, let alone the next day holds. But what IS certain is that we have access to the One that does know and holds the future, not only this, but He loves us more than we can ever imagine (that is a winning combination for our success) all that is required of us is to humbly ask for and accept His help.
The verse before this one gives the source of Gods help that we are to call upon.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Also see ( John 14:16-18; Luke 11:13)
What we need for ANY situation that we face; He has the remedy and power to handle it. The enemy IS absolutely helpless in the face of such power and to think, this FREE gift of the Omnipresent Holy Spirit is there just for the asking. Why? because the Creator of the universe LOVES US and wants the best for us, Our Father is too good to us!
Take advantage of His royal benevolence; get the comfort, courage and peace that He has and wants for you today. One sincere prayer for help will do it. (see John 16:23,24)
Have a great day!
A daily blessing
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11
If we come to our Father like a child, we shall receive day by day what is required for that day’s need. Every day we are to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Don’t be worried if you don’t yet have what you need for tomorrow. (See Matthew 6:33-34) You have the assurance of His promise for today. “ Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Psalm 37:3
The prayer for daily bread doesn’t just refer to physical food, in fact it is secondary to the more important spiritual food that will nourish the soul unto life everlasting, this is what we truly need a daily portion of. Jesus has told us, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (John 6:27).
He says, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever” (Verse 51). Our Savior is the Bread of Life. In Him is everything we need to be sustained in this life and prepared for the next.
We are to pray day by day that as we read His Word, God will send His Spirit to reveal to us the truth that will strengthen our souls for the day’s need. And once we are fed, God wants nothing more than for us to turn around and feed another with physical and spiritual encouragement in His name.
Also In teaching us to ask every day for what we need in both temporal and spiritual blessings, God has a purpose to accomplish for our good. He wants us to realize our dependence upon His constant care, for He is always seeking to draw us to Him. God wants nothing more than to have a close, loving, parental relationship with us, where He is allowed to take care of our every need, every day. That is love!
Always remember you have a Father in Heaven that wants to take care of you every day and He is just a daily prayer away.
Have a great day!
Yes even them
27 But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:27-28
Christianity by its very name holds it’s followers to a higher level of love, As they take on the name of the One who IS LOVE. Can one really say they are Christian and treat their fellow man with contempt and hatred, would Jesus do that?
Often times we can act like undisciplined and immature school children in our interactions with one another, I can only imagine the sad expression that is on the face of Jesus as He looks down upon us, especially those of us that claim His name and still continue to treat others as only the devil would. Sad fact: Christians are the greatest reason that others reject Christianity.
True it is not always easy to treat those that hate you kindly, but we who will take on the name “christian” need to live by example, always taking the high road , riding above the pettiness of the world and showing kindness and love even in the face of hatred from others. Heaven will not have even one set of enemies within its eternal gates.
To love those that do you evil doesn’t mean that you have to condone their evil works
Ephesians 5:11
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
But even this must be done, like Christ, in a loving way, hoping and praying that it will turn their hearts back to Him.
If we will just prayerfully Invite Jesus in to our hearts today to rule, He will give each of us the strength (Phil 4:13) to overcome all differences, hatred and bigotries that the devil insists on bringing between men.
LOVE as He loved, yes even those who choose to be your enemy. Time is too short and the stakes are too high to live any other way. Assuredly the blessings from Above will be yours as you do.
Have a great day!
The right order for true happiness!
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
There is an order in life that produces true joy and happiness. To give of ourselves unselfishly for the happiness of God and others, will in turn, create in us a loving Christlike character that will also bring us great peace and happiness. A simple formula for this 👉God first, others second and self last.
The benefits of putting God and others before ourselves are innumerable, here are just a few: Our faith will grow and our prayers will increase in power as the connection with God is strengthened by exercising His unselfish ways in our lives. Also when we devote ourselves to unselfish effort for the good of others, we are preparing for a life eternal with the most unselfish of all; our Creator. He who IS love.
The reason so many are miserable in their existence today is because they are always too busy looking out for number one alone. This can be exhausting and is never truly satisfying, there is always a void leaving one empty inside and always searching for more. They truly are selling themselves and others short by not sharing in the joy of service that comes only from above.
From one of my favorite authors:
“Seize every opportunity to contribute to the happiness of those around you, sharing with them your affection. Words of kindness, looks of sympathy, expressions of appreciation, would to many a struggling, lonely one be as a cup of cold water to a thirsty soul. A word of cheer, an act of kindness, would go far to lighten the burdens that are resting heavily upon weary shoulders. It is in unselfish ministry that true happiness is found.”
Let’s look and see what we can do to brighten someone else’s day and in turn ours will be made better as well.
Have a great day!
Ours for the asking
If ye, then, being human and evil, “know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” Luke 11:13
The Holy Spirit, is the greatest of all gifts. He was Jesus’ favorite topic in scripture. Why? Because He loves us and knew how great of a gift for us the Holy Spirit would be. ALL “good things” are comprised in His presence in our daily lives. The Creator Himself can give us nothing greater, nothing better. The enemy of souls trembles when His greatest fear is called upon to lead, strengthen and comfort us because he knows that he is powerless when the Holy Spirit is with us. That my friends is reason enough to ask the Father daily for this amazing gift. (Ye shall receive power…Acts 1:8)
When we sincerely ask the Lord to come to us in our distress (we are always under attack), and to guide us by His Holy Spirit, He will NEVER turn away our prayer. Yes It is possible for a parent to turn away from their hungry child, but God can and will NEVER reject the cry of His child in need.
An unfathomable love above all love IS the One who first sent His Son to take our place and die so that we might live forever and now He sends the sweet Spirit to comfort and guide us on the journey home. TAKE THE GIFT! He is just a prayer away every day, you will never regret that you did.
Have a great day!
All that we have ever needed
And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
In times of darkness and discouragement it can be hard to exercise a living faith needed to persevere. But know this; when darkness and discouragement surround us, this IS the very time when we should exercise faith in God and His word the most!
When you don’t feel like praying for God’s strength, this is the very time you need to pray the most, because this is the time the enemy is working hardest to separate us from our Lord. When he sees that you have the greatest need of God’s help he works hardest. He fears the power that comes when anyone of us petitions our Father, he knows that he is powerless against us when we are connected with the Ruler of the universe, but he also knows that if he can keep us away from our Source of strength, we can easily be defeated. Don’t let him win!
Today all the power of heaven is waiting on your call to supply your every need in every situation, especially in the ways of salvation. Take ahold of the promises in God’s word, believe that they are true and for you. Call upon Him especially when things seem bleakest and He will supply your every need through His Son, our Savior. He will drive back the enemy, bring peace back into your heart and prepare you for eternity.
Remember Jesus is ALL that we ever have and ever will need!
Have a great day!
Choose Wisely
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:9.
God calls for faith in Christ as our only way of salvation. His blood is the only remedy for sin. It is not God’s will that you should torture yourself with the fear that He will not accept you because you are sinful and unworthy.... Even today You can come in repentance and claim Jesus’ blood as an atonement for your sins. Come to Him just as you are and then humbly daily let Him start the work of transforming you into everything He wants you to be! He loves you too much to leave you in the condition that you came to Him.
Don’t believe the devil’s lie that you have gone too far. There are no sins that God will not forgive through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sinner’s only hope; The promise that forgiveness awaits the humble penitent, contrite soul.
Justice demanded the sufferings of man; but Christ rendered the sufferings of a God. He needed no atonement of suffering for Himself; all His sufferings were for us; all His merits and holiness were open to fallen man, presented as the greatest gift ever given. Christ calls upon us to claim that gift, come to Him and lay our sins upon Him, But be full aware if we refuse to let them go, taking the responsibility ourselves, we will be lost. The choice is ours and there is no third choice; either fully surrender to Him or trust and follow our own deceitful hearts. But remember: “ There is a way that seems right unto a man but in the end it is the way that leads unto death.” Proverbs 14:12
Today Let us purpose in our hearts to fully Choose Him as Savior instead of self. Make the choice for life, eternal life of joy, peace and happiness in Christ
Have a great day!
All that we have ever needed
And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
In times of darkness and discouragement it can be hard to exercise a living faith needed to persevere. But know this; when darkness and discouragement surround us, this IS the very time when we should exercise faith in God and His word the most!
When you don’t feel like praying for God’s strength, this is the very time you need to pray the most, because this is the time the enemy is working hardest to separate us from our Lord. When he sees that you have the greatest need of God’s help he works hardest. He fears the power that comes when anyone of us petitions our Father, he knows that he is powerless against us when we are connected with the Ruler of the universe, but he also knows that if he can keep us away from our Source of strength that we can easily be defeated. Don’t let him win!
Today all the power of heaven is waiting on your call to supply your every need in every situation, especially in the ways of salvation. Take ahold of the promises in God’s word, believe that they are true and for you. Call upon Him especially when things seem bleakest and He will supply your every need through His Son, our Savior. He will drive back the enemy, bring peace back into your heart and prepare you for eternity.
Remember Jesus is ALL that we ever have and ever will need!
Have a great day!
God’s care for His people
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psalm 34:15
Every day in this world there are many opportunities for us to become discouraged but We must never let ourselves be overtaken by it, but how?
First we must recognize that discouragement is nothing more than a tool that our enemy uses every chance that he gets. Next we must always remember that our God, has a tender care for His people; His ear is always open unto our cry. If we bring our every concern to Him, He will ALWAYS give the fearful courage and fill the despondent with hope.
Our duty is to live humbly at the foot of the cross, seeking His will and counsel in every aspect of our lives. If we will just do this, empowered by Christ; our entire outlook on life will be transformed, we will not fall victim to discouragement but instead we will be able to stand boldly, faithful to God in all trials, claiming any one of His many promises like.
Psalm 34:17
“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth,
And delivereth them out of all their troubles.”
It is true this world today is increasingly evil and there are trials and uncertainties at every turn. But be assured that this will not worry us at all, if our hearts and minds stay focused on God and trusting in His promises. (See Isaiah 26:3) Above all be assured that we have a Savior that keeps His promises! Everyday It would be good for us to keep before us His greatest promise that will be fulfilled very soon. John 14:2 Says that He would go away and prepare mansions for us in a place where there will be no reason to ever worry about anything again and He will come back to take us there. Now that is something to look forward to!
Today, let us put God first in our lives follow where He leads in humble obedience and continually meditate on all the promises of His love for both here and eternity.
Have a great day!
Give your burdens to Him
pt.2
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
God knows all about us and cares for us more than we will ever know.
There is no chapter in our life book too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no sincere prayer escapes our lips, that our heavenly Father is not observant of, or in which He takes no immediate interest and also has a plan to answer (Romans 8:26-28)
Quite simply He is always there for us! Anytime we May feel that He is not? is because we have been the one to stray away. C’mon back! He is always just a prayer away.
Be fully assured that the relation between God and each of us is distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth, if it were only you that fell to sin, He would have still sent His beloved Son for your salvation. All are special in his eyes!
He wants the best for everyone and that we all return to Him (2 Peter 3:9) so that He can heal our broken hearts and bind up our wounds. He has made the first step, take yours today, you will not be disappointed in the decision. Today, Remember God loves you!
Have a great day!