god

Situational Faith

by 4myluvs89

I listened to a clip the other day and was still thinking about it as I woke this morning. If you’ve never heard of Travis Greene, you should give his music a try. In the clip I referenced earlier, he was sharing a portion of his testimony and how he came to write the song, “Made a Way.” So as not to spoil your research, I won’t tell it all, but his situation was such that only a touch from God could make a difference.

In that clip, he shared that he wrote the song based on what God had done in this situation, not what he could’ve done or didn’t do. I often talk about giving God glory in advance, but even this testimony caused my ears to perk. In the midst of bad news, he sang about how God made a way. Sure enough, he’s able to stand firm on it and, years later, it’s still strengthening his faith.

I’m sure someone reading this may be thinking, ‘well, he didn’t do that for me,’ and the truth is that God doesn’t do that thing for everyone. Travis’s testimony was his and his alone so his faith would increase. He was walking out John 20:31 in a situation where the Lord continues to answer Luke 17:5. While the Lord God may have not given you this testimony, yours, too, will be for your good and God’s glory.

READ: Psalm 118:5-7; John 20:30-31; Luke 17:5-6

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/MimVg0OMGvA?si=oCbMdq6sTd_UNiPb “Made a Way” by Travis Greene

Misplaced Guilt

by 4myluvs89

Have you ever done something and just knew the reason you were going through (some thing) is because of what you did? If you have, don’t feel too bad about it. We all have. If that doesn’t suffice, I have even better news for you…not everything that happens to us is about us.

Now, I’m not oblivious to the fact that the latter may not make you feel like jumping up and down singing, ‘hooray! everything’s not about me, so I shouldn’t feel despair over the trials I’m going through!’ No, My Friend, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I am saying, though, that you can take comfort in knowing that you don’t have to walk around on pins and needles thinking everything is your fault.

There are plenty of examples in the Bible that support this truth. And so I don’t present as though any are above guilt, we must avoid being self-righteous. In the Book of Romans, we are reminded that we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the will of God. I could be facetious and insert ‘will’ versus ‘have,’ but there’s no validity in it. I digress…

Let’s consider the prophecies given in Leviticus 26. As you read that chapter today, think about how easily we assign guilt to others, then remember we are ‘others’ in someone else’s story, too. Don’t readily take on guilt, but don’t relieve yourself of it by misplacing it on someone else. There are true situations that result in a guilty verdict. Since we do not always know what trials and tribulations will come our way, our response should be to pray to God for strength during them, having repented and asked God to create in us a clean heart, in the event we did tip the scales.

Do it humbly and, if revelation is given for it, then move in the direction God leads to correct the error. But don’t linger. Don’t stay there. Misplaced guilt is yet another trick of the enemy to cause us to take our eyes off what’s most important. We cannot heal nor can we be a burden bearer for another if we carry around false or misplaced guilt. It also causes us to lose sight of the fact that, no matter what we’re going through, God can use that thing for our good and his glory. May the Lord give you fresh perspective today and set you free from all guilt, shame, and harm. Be blessed.

READ: Leviticus 26:3/9/14/18; Romans 3:23-24

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/lEIRjQHkWqE?si=q5GRY29yniI-rCs- “Trouble Don’t Last Always” by Reverend Timothy Wright

Some Things Will Manifest Through Your Seed

by 4myluvs89

I did not realize just how much my daughter truly loves biology. Sure, she’s told me that she enjoys learning all the subject has to offer and she loves the past few biology teachers she’s had, but when I tell you she really loves it, she really does. How do I know this, you ask? Because I had to help her study the other night! LOL!

I’ve always taught my children that there are a multitude of ways to study and our brains don’t always work as well with the same method for every subject. That said, aim to stick with what works. So, she opted to make some index cards to help her prepare for her upcoming test. When she gave them to me for us to begin studying, I quickly realized that ‘us’ would never be a reality. I’m not the smartest chic in the world and I’m no dummy either, but the material on those cards was truly above my pay grade. Yet and still, for each portion I called out, she all but gave me 100% of what she had on the card as the reply. I was floored.

I often remind her of a prophecy given to me by our (then) pastor while she was still a beautiful babe in the wound. He shared that God was going to use her to do great things. It’s funny how we receive and perceive based on our limited capabilities. I told her after our study time that I wanted her to always remember to seek God first for the way forward in her life. Her life’s goal is not a glamorous one, but she’s certain it’s what she wants to do after college, etc. I told her to keep in mind that what God wants her to do is so much more important than what she sees on the surface. I don’t know what that it is and she won’t either if she doesn’t ask him. What I do know is that he’s given her a beautiful mind to process, understand, and regurgitate these things in science. I know that some of the stuff God’s promised to us will be manifested through our seeds. And I also know that God doesn’t give us talents to be buried until he returns.

As you read these passages of scripture today, I urge you to consider the talents the Lord’s given you and the blessings he has in store because of them. Don’t sell yourself short because of your own personal desires or doubts encountered by others. I once noted that “there’s a manifestation of a made up mind” (author unknown), so let the mind of Christ be in you, recognizing that your value to the kingdom is far greater than you can imagine.

READ: 2 Kings 4:1-7; Matthew 25:14-30

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/3WbkHC6js8k?si=FdnJgLtoLEiMd4Qd “Manifest” by Jonathan Nelson

When to Give Up on God

by 4myluvs89

Mannn, let me tell you – I’ve had a week. Oh, for sure, it’s not the worst week ever, but still, it’s been a doozy. I’ve been on a new, temporary job for about two weeks now and I do thank the Lord that the negative stress level is minimal. It has it’s downfalls, but doesn’t every job? If you don’t think so, we’ll just agree to disagree upfront, LOL. I contemplated listing the things I could remember that caused me to feel so downtrodden this week, but I’m going to skip that part and get to the ‘when and why’ of our topic.

All throughout the bible, there are stories of trials and tribulations. My brother often jokes me about how much I’d reference the Book of Job over the years. It’s hard not to revisit Job’s story. He endured so much and was blessed even more. But for most people, it’s hard to read Job’s story from the beginning and feel better anytime soon. Here is where I submit to you that we have got to recognize that our lives, too, are but pages on a book, yet to be written.

When we read any book, it usually never gives the ending at the beginning. So, we have to read it, just as we have to live life. One of the biggest delusions about this, though, is that life is supposed to be lived out at the same speed. How soon we finish a novel is dependent on how long we decide to sit down and read it. Eventually, we’ll read to the end and can move on to another book. We get one life to live and there is no other book to move on to (it’s life and death). If you’re not a fan of Ms. Shirleen or are unaware of her altogether, this would be a great introduction to her. She submits to you that she is going to live her best life and I submit that we all should do the same.

Living our best life is encouraged in the Book of James, Chapter 1. Verse after verse provides a stark reminder that the time to give up on God is never. I will be the first to tell you over and over. I choose to be your friend today and tell you that nothing is ever so horrible or traumatic that it warrants an unexperienced or broken relationship with God. We will fall and mistakes. We will become weary and afraid. Bills will come due and money will be short. But God. Friends will hurt us and family will betray us. Still God. The Lord is faithful. Never give up on God.

READ: Job 19; James 1

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/B2YHvIam5vY?si=OEXfSSgE8pPaNe5P “Faithful Now” by Vertical Worship

Clouds and Streets of Gold

by 4myluvs89

Wow! What a blessed morning I’ve had! The song I’ve attached for you today! May I suggest you listen to it several times over. Undoubtedly, some of you may have heard it before, but there’s nothing like a fresh breath of air to change your perspective.

And after all, isn’t that the majority of what life’s about, perspective, that is? As I was reading the Word this morning, I had to pause so that I could take a picture of the beautiful cloud hanging outside my window. Yes, I said “hanging” because that’s truly what it was doing (Job 26:7-9/14). I have no sense of memorization when it comes to these things, i.e. the scientific names of clouds, etc., but I do love that the Lord’s blessed my daughters with the gift of being able to tell me. They both love science in their own regard, but I digress…

I recently revisited the idea of wealth with my daughters and I can tell you that my focus was on them knowing that it is not in money. We need money, yes, but the wealth that involves knowing the Lord Jesus Christ for yourself is unlike any other. We are never indebted because of it, it is not on a borrow/barter system, and it can never be taken away from us.

During lunch yesterday, we encountered an old man who blessed me by sharing with us words about his love for Jesus. He’d been at the table near us a while, having had, assumably, finished his meal, and I wondered why he was still just sitting there. I have a tendency to do that, contemplate the why’s of other people’s lives, that is ;-). After some time, he turned to us and inquired about the two beautiful twins I had with me and asked how we were doing. I clarified for him that many people think they’re twins, but they’re not, thanked him for his kind compliment, and shared that we were doing just fine. He proceeded to ask me if he could tell me about his Jesus. Yep, that’s exactly what he asked. I smiled and said, “you sure can!” While I can tell you that our waiter was nice and attentive, it didn’t escape me that during this time, he seemed intent on blocking this man from speaking to us, especially about that topic. One could see it as him just trying to ensure we weren’t being bothered during our meal, but I tend to see the spiritual aspect of it and know that Satan was at work trying to block the exchange of giving God glory. I’m actually glad the old man persisted in speaking to me/us because his words were so comforting. He was obedient and I was intent on being attentive.

What he said to me/us was that Jesus was wonderful. He proceeded to tell me/us that Jesus “makes a way when there is no way.” He assured us that God would provide all of our needs. I thought for sure he was going to sing every lyric of this song, LOL, but he settled on saying that Jesus would pave up streets of gold just to bless us. Now, that may do nothing for the average person, but I received it with open arms.

I’m passing it on to you. I come to you with a humbled heart and I’m telling you that Jesus WANTS to bless you. I share it with you with so much fervor that it’s truly unbelievable on my end because it is NOT what I aimed to blog about today. God changed my thoughts so that you could be reminded and assured that “he makes a way where there is no way.” The one who hangs the clouds in the sky can change your life. Read his words and be open to a new perspective. Allow the Lord to bless you with abundant wealth today.

READ: Psalm 1:1-6 and Jeremiah 7:1-7; Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 9:8, and Ephesians 1:3

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/cWLm6z42Gk8?si=EB0vuIfR_hjjOyhl “My Jesus” by Anne Wilson

Death is a Godly Sorrow

by 4myluvs89

I don’t usually have a title until the end of my thoughts, but today’s title was the first thing I wrote down in my notes. I’m sure it doesn’t read as though it’s good news, but just hear me out.

I agree, death is hard. I agree, death is saddening. I agree that it can albeit make the hearer and/or bearer of its news want to follow suit. I know because I’ve experienced it, too. But death truly is a “godly” sorrow and rather than focus on it, why not focus on life? I’ll throw in that there’s a death to be lived so that your soul may be right when you truly leave this earth.

We are given the same 24 hours over and over until death comes. The believers back in Noah’s day were given a sum of 120 years to repent and begin/improve their relationships with the Lord. They lived life, but their focus was on the wrong things in life. You know that old sayin’, “don’t put off ’til tomorrow what you can do today?” Well, we make of it what we wish and if we die having not known Christ or taken time to repent, we go to the grave truly having wasted life.

When you read 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, don’t stop there. Go back and read that entire chapter, asking the Lord to give you divine discernment for how it can help you today. When we work diligently and plan accordingly, we make the best use of our daily living. If we begin and end the day with thoughts on how we can die to the flesh in order to glorify God, we set up ourselves up to avoid worldly sorrow. I feel so blessed to share this with you today and I pray it makes such a huge difference in your next 24 hours.

READ: Zechariah 16: 6-9; Matthew 24:36-44

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/9jWfcodc_nw?si=wBQetnR5W7Py-TV6 “Come Out of that Grave” (Resurrection Power) by Bethel Music featuring Brandon Lake

I Prayed for You Today

by 4myluvs89

As I read in the Book of Colossians this morning, the thing that was pressing and so beautiful on my heart was just to say this prayer for you today. This prayer is even for the people who may never come across this post. That’s just how important it is – to pray for people I don’t know.

I ask that God “give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your” life and for “him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom” so “the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:9b-10, NLT).

That’s it. Simple, beautiful scripture turned into prayer. As you read it, consider going back and praying it over people you don’t know, including me. This is just one way I’m able to share the love of Christ with you, so I thank you in advance for praying for me, too.

READ: Psalm 18:28-30; Colossians 1

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/1MalHvbSL5U?si=KqwNrzKHBs26WFF- “Who’s Gonna’ Tell Them” by Marvin Winans

They’ll Drink When They Get Thirsty

by 4myluvs89

“You can love a person crazy, but you can’t make them be what you want them to be.” I came across that in one of my journals this morning and don’t readily know if I paraphrased it or not, so I opted to put it in quotations for the sake of giving credit to the seed-planter. It’s certainly a wise note and one that definitely makes you think about the effort you put into another person or people.

It kind of mirrors the phrase about leading a horse to water, but not being able to make them drink, don’t you think? It’s plausible that the horse just wasn’t thirsty at the time, but at least you put them in a position to fulfill their thirst when ready. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us by providing his Word. In the Book of John, Chapter 7, Verse 38, we read, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’” (https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Thirst). God provides his Word to us in hopes that we will, eventually, receive it (drink) and live according to his will.

Think on that today as you decide what to read, where to go, and what to say to whom.

READ: Exodus 17:1-7; 1 Corinthians 10:3-4

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/TxSxay_ZpQo?si=3mYxXxfSgQA5CLAM “Holy Water” by We the Kingdom

Pray FOR Your Enemies

by 4myluvs89

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard to pray for my enemies. That word in and of itself is such a huge dynamic. A quick search on the internet defines an enemy as “a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.” I don’t think that definition puts forth enough power, but it’ll do for all intents and purposes.

Psalm 58:6a used to be one of my favorite verses: “Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!” New King James Version. Now this verse puts forth power! David prayed with fervor and sincerity and he shared with God all of his fears and frustrations when it came to his enemies, especially those he knew to be enemies of God. He even included himself (Psalm 51:1-2). David recognized he was an enemy of God, too, when he sinned against the Lord. When I look at praying through this lens, it lessens the desire for my enemies’ teeth to be cracked and reminds me of other scriptures I could pray.

Ezekiel 36:26 is one of those scriptures. You called it – I’m not including it so that you can look it up for yourself. I love these moments that we share, LOL. In that verse, we’re reminded that we all are or have been an enemy to someone whether we know it or not. Sure, we’re an enemy of someone who may have no true validity in naming us as such, but in their heart, that’s who we are to them. More importantly, though, we all are or have been an enemy of God and his categorization is never skewed. So, this verse helps me pray for my enemies, not against them.

As you listen to today’s song choice, consider what the artist is saying before they really move into the song. I can never listen to her testimony as though it’s just a part of a song and I pray it blesses you in that way or even more. God wants to show us mercy and so much more takes place in our lives when we allow him to do so. Pray for your enemies today and allow the Lord to give you peace.

READ: Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:17

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/2U0n_foreyc?si=LsKYJ8EfbkWaS0uw by Mercy/Tremble Medley featuring Ahjah Walls and Housefires (Official Music Video)

Concealed Carry Permitted

by 4myluvs89

I took special notice of an email this morning that referenced concealed carry. I thought to myself, how relevant that is for this day and time, not only for physical weapons, but the weapons of spiritual warfare?

We live in a day and age where gun violence is a daily topic. I’m of the mindset that guns themselves are not the issue, but the person holding it from the other end. And don’t even get me started as to whether or not the status of their mental capacity should even come into play and to what degree. If the powers-that-be had 100% control, there’d be no Veteran or prior service military member able to purchase, let-alone be able to carry, a weapon of any form, shape, or fashion. To hinge on that being a primary deciding factor is unfair in so many ways, but I digress, so let’s agree to table it for another day’s discussion.

For today, let us determine that we can and will carry around not one, but many concealed weapons all day, every day. In the Book of Psalms, verse 11 of Chapter 119, it reads: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” In doing so, that is, hiding the Word in our hearts, not only are we setting ourselves up to remember not to sin against Jesus Christ, but we are, in fact, compiling weapons of warfare. We can be assured of this because of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, where we’re told and reminded that we do not wage war against the flesh nor are our weapons of the flesh. This thing is spiritual and we can freely carry around a “divine power to destroy strongholds!” There is no application, no background check, no hinderance from any perceived or active mental illness, and every weapon owned is free of charge.

I implore you today to open your Bibles and begin to stockpile your weapons. Let every word from God provide you with ammunition against the enemy, the true enemy of God, which is Satan. When the flesh of Man begins to come against you, strike down the enemy within him. Take captive any thoughts of inflicting bodily harm and, instead, use your spiritual armor to wage war against the enemy.

READ: Isaiah 54:14; Ephesians 6

LISTEN: https://youtu.be/jEK6_rz26z0?si=-kV-t4FafsX5kyXx See a Victory by Elevation Worship