Category: devotions

Walking Faithfully Before the Father

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“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”
Proverbs 4:25-27

Some of the moments I most enjoy as a grandparent are when I have the chance to take my grandchildren to the local playground. Here, their adventurous side emerges as they attempt to accomplish new feats such as climbing higher, swinging with more experience, or sliding faster than the day before.

More than once during this time, I will hear, “Grandma, can you help me?” Especially when it comes to the balance beam. Although it is low to the ground, the challenges of walking with one foot in front of the other on that narrow implement can make the bravest little hearts nervous about falling. Taking their hand in mine, I steady them until they are confident to do it on their own.

For these little ones, and us big ones, focusing is an integral part of our walk. And it will determine if we end up with the desired results we had hoped for when we first started out.

Proverbs 4:25-27 (above) offers us wise words to help keep our course correct and walking faithfully before the Father on the “narrow” path we are called to (Matthew 7:14).

Advancing along this path of life, first we are instructed to “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee” (v. 25). Where the eyes lead, the heart will soon follow. What has your attention has your life. Whatever you fixate upon holds your reins and steers your steps in its direction. Just ask Eve, Achan, and David (just to name a few) whose eyes steered them away from God’s perfect purpose for their lives and into sin. So, Proverbs tells us to keep our focus straight.

A wayward focus leads to a wayward heart. A stern warning given by Solomon a few verses prior, accentuating the importance of keeping the instruction of what is right “in the midst of thine heart” (Proverbs 4:21).

Secondly, we are told, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (v. 26). Whatever flows through the eyes and lands in the heart, it begins to direct the heart’s choices or one’s thinking. So, not only are we to be direct in our focus, but we are to be equally intentional with our thought life.

Walking with our physical bodies is something many do instinctively, naturally, not giving the whole of one’s thoughts to the hows of it all. They just get up and do it. But when it comes to our spiritual life, we cannot just follow every urge or natural human instinct. We, who seek to walk supernaturally, must have our steps guided by godly, spiritual thinking.

We want “established” steps that are firm and sure. As such, we cannot adopt every idea into our thoughts. But we must carefully strain out the negative, the natural, the ungodly – and “ponder” the right ways (comp. Philippians 4:8).

Lastly, Proverbs 4:27 promotes rigidity. A refusal, at one’s core, to be moved: “Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” There is no room for compromise. On the balance beam and in life, it is your core strength that will keep you steady. A slight shift here or there can alter your center of gravity, leading to a fall.

Jesus, in one verse, gave us an easy way to remember these three points together, making sure we are moving in the right direction, the right way, by teaching us, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). This one verse keeps our eyes, our thinking, and our heart focused on our core strength who is our Heavenly Father. When we have Him as our primary center, our feet will stay on the steady path.

Often we are given to praying as the psalmist did when he said, “Order my steps in thy word…” (Psalm 119:133), and that’s good. But that does not negate our personal responsibility. Before each action taken in Proverbs 4:25-27, there was a command of responsibility for the individual: “Let,” “Ponder,” and “Turn not.” These are personal, conscious efforts that each person is to take to ensure they are walking and moving in the right direction.

Personal accountability for our spiritual walk can not be delegated to another. We must choose with heart, mind, and soul to walk faithfully and live in a way that is pleasing to God.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

God is our very present help!

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Dear Friends, are you in a present time crisis?  Has trouble found you when you least expected it and at the very wrong time possible?  The wonderful thing about being connected to the wonderful, heavenly Father is that no time is an inconvenient time for Him to come and help – even right now, presently.

God is never bound by the limits we experience or others we may run to for a source of hope and strength.  God is also the only One who not only knows us completely through and through, but He knows more about the details of our struggles, hurts, and pains than any other.  In His omniscience, there is no part of us – no part of anything we endure or go through that He is not aware of.  As such, there is no other place, person, or thing where we can truly find the satisfaction of help where we need it the most.

Please, do not misunderstand me.  God is not to be beckoned and treated as if He is an imaginary genie to grant our every wish on a whim.  No, but He is a promise keeper and so much more, who invites us to come to Him and seek His face – seek what He has to offer and trust His will and His timing – trust Him alone and above all during the times of conflict and uncertainty.

He, in His perfect love, is concerned about you and the things that are presently before you.  And, He knows that you are concerned about them too, and thus, He has allowed these assurances of His love and willingness to be available for help to be declared over and over in His holy Word, such as what the psalmist wrote when he said, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” (Psalm 46:1).

There are times when I need Him in all those areas.  I need to find that in my weakest moments, in Him I can obtain strength.  When the storms are angry and blowing tempestuously in my life, He is my refuge and safety.  And yes, when troubles in any shape and form rear its ugly head, that God is our very present help – our right now source through it all.

Oh, if only every day were sunshine and rainbows, but alas, we know that there will be times when things and situations stir that makes us uncomfortable, shake us a bit, or cause some unsure feelings to arise.  But, the truth of what the psalmist wrote still stands just as sure today as it did when it was originally written, and the summation of that verse states that God cares deeply and lovingly for you.  Why else would He concern Himself with your present circumstances?  It is His love for you that compels Him.  It is His concern for you that causes His eye and heart to see what you are dealing with and moves Him to come to your aid.

Come, and take comfort in these blessed words that speak of His help and care for His people, and for you:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” (Psalm 46:1-7)

Reposted from September 23, 2020

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

“Before there was Egypt, there was a promise!”

Many times when we discuss the land of Egypt within the confines of the Bible, our minds automatically track back to the time when the children of Israel were in bondage there.  We see them under the weight of the taskmasters, dealing with oppressive circumstances that are beyond their control.  They stand by and watch as some are beaten, others are killed; lack and degrading situations run rampant throughout their time there.  Fear, hatred, and jealousy by others drove them to the place where they are residing; a place where tough days seem like they will never come to an end.

Oftentimes, when people find themselves in a hard spot of life, or when they find themselves coming up short and just not happy with the way things are turning out at this particular time, they refer to that circumstance as their place of “Egypt.”  This is where heartbreak and troubling times lie.  This is the place where it seems everything is fighting against them, and no matter what one does, it just doesn’t appear that they will ever come out on top.  People may not have taskmasters’ whips to deal with, but other things just lash and lash out at them, making it hard to get back up again.

As hard as this may be to believe, I assure you your Egypt will not last forever.  I’m sure the children of Israel had doubts about this.  After all, their time there lasted about four hundred years.  Yet, even before this family of seventy ventured into the land and grew to the astronomical numbers we see in Exodus, God knew all about their time there before they were even there.

In Genesis 15:13 God told Abram, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.”  Outside of that prophecy God also said, “And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance,” (Genesis 15:14).  In this we see, there was a promise before they even set one foot in Egypt; before they even encountered a problem, God already had a blessing lined up for when they came out.

Today, we fight against so many unknowns.  We deal with all the this’s and that’s of life that simply weigh one down.  One might not find themselves in a literal state of captivity, but something just sits on them heavy, becoming an almost unbearable burden, and they just don’t know what to do.  With a feeling of exasperation, some just give up, content to go through the motions of life, without grabbing hold of the feeling of hope because of the fear of being let down again, just to drift back into that state of uncertainty once more.

But, I am here to tell you today, continue hoping and never give up.  Your “Egypt” is not lost on God.  God knows what you are facing.  He knows every disappointment you are dealing with.  He knows every struggle you are battling.  He knows everything that you are fighting through, and that’s fighting against you.

It may be hard to see the proverbial silver lining in a dark cloud at times or the light at the end of the tunnel, but we have something better.  We have a promise!  God told Abram that when his people came out, they would be coming out better than when they went in.  God was going to judge those who did them wrong, and God was going to bless them greatly.

Another promise Abram received was in a few verses before those noted above.  God told him, “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be,” (Genesis 15:5).  Not only were they going to be blessed, but they were going to come out increased in the people they were.  To go from one individual to the millions they would come out to be, they were going to grow not only in number but in experience through their troubling times.  They would have to learn to endure some stuff to be the people who would eventually be fit to take on the Promised Land.

While it may at times seem like the hard times are breaking you, they may actually be making you.  So remember, before there was Egypt, there was a promise.  And, I don’t know about you, but I will take a promise of God over a so-called silver lining any day.  The promises of God are sure.  Through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are told, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us,” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

In other words, no matter what you are facing today, Jesus has you covered.  No matter the obstacles or hard places that make you feel like you are in Egypt and you just want to give up, God has an unfailing promise of His love, grace, mercy, peace, and deliverance through even the most difficult circumstances.

Reposted from April 19, 2020

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

 

 

Limiting God | Reposting Encouragement

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Today, I am reposting encouragement. May you walk in the fullness of God’s unlimited blessings, because almost everybody wants to see a mighty move of God in their life.  But often, some things get in God’s way; obstacles that act as barriers to blessings.  There are two very specific items I want to deal with in this article that the Bible clearly shows us to be things that limit God’s power to work in an individual’s or a people’s life.

But, before I move any further in this article, I want to clarify a few things: 1) Just because one may be in the waiting process, it doesn’t mean these items that are going to be discussed apply to that individual or their situation.  Sometimes, for His own wise reasons, God just has us waiting for His right time to move.  And, 2) The two items that are going to be listed here are not the only things that form themselves as a blockade to one’s blessings.  A truly seeking heart will prayerfully peel back the layers of self for a close-up examination of the inner man to see if there is anything else that may be getting in the way.

As I was reading my Bible, I came across Psalm 78:41, which states, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.”  This psalm recites Israel’s history, and it highlights several of their rebellious moments.  Particularly, God’s deliverance of them from Egypt, and their provocation of Him in the wilderness, through sin.  The verse above brings out those same disobedient actions as limiting God.  Their sin made a mark or drew a line, prohibiting them from the fullness of God and what He had to offer.  Rather, they ended up provoking Him to anger.

Disobedience is one thing that will definitely limit God’s ability to work in you, through you, and for you.  Disobedience evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-11) when God’s blessing was for them to live in paradise.  Disobedience turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17, 26) when God’s blessings wanted to deliver them from that city of sin.  Disobedience caused Jonah to end up in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:3, 15-17) when God’s blessing was for him to be a great witness to a great city.  And, there are oodles of more cases noted in the Bible.  Disobedience will always forfeit God’s best in one’s life.

As I was pondering this verse in the Psalm about limiting God, I was reminded of a time when Jesus wasn’t able to do great works in Nazareth, His hometown.  Matthew 13:58 tells us, “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”  He was limited by their unbelief.

Now, we all know by now Jesus’ ability to do absolutely anything.  One thing He won’t do is infringe, encroach upon, or overstep one’s belief.  Mankind is a creature made with free will.  It is His hope and desire that one would fully believe who He is and all that He says He can do.  But it is a choice that every individual must make, by faith, for himself or herself.

The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that, “Without faith it is impossible to please him:” (or, to agree with Him), “for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” (Hebrews 11:6).

God is the God of all possibilities, but a lack of faith and belief will hinder those possibilities.  Unbelief caused the first group that attempted to enter the Promised Land to be made to turn back (Hebrews 3:19).  God’s best wasn’t for them to wander in the wilderness for forty years.  His blessing was for them to go in and possess it at that time.  Their own unbelief refused the blessing for them.  Going back to Psalm 78 in the recitation of their history, there are other noted instances where the unbelief of the people came to the forefront (Psalm 78:22, 32).

In the New Testament, if it had not been for Jesus on the boat with His disciples, they may have perished in the storm.  Jesus had already done miracles and even taught many powerful parables, but when the storm blew, they freaked out and asked Jesus, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38).  But after Jesus stilled the storm He asked them this one question: “How is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).  Faith matters.

Back to Jesus’ experience in Nazareth, in parallel verses found in Mark, the Bible tells us, “He marvelled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:6).

God, throughout the Bible, wants the best for His people.  God would rather add blessings to our account rather than subtract them.  If God blesses and takes care of the birds of the air and the grass in the field (Matthew 6:25-29), “shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith,” (Matthew 6:30).

But He says in Matthew, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” (Matthew 6:33; emphasis added).  Go after a life of obedience and faith!  Reject those hindrances to the blessings.  The things that stand in one’s way and limit God’s moving in their life have to be put down so that He can raise His people higher.

We hear a lot of inspirational messages dealing with the subject of “No Limits.”  And, that’s wonderful!  But, in order to have a life of no limits, one needs to make sure God isn’t being limited in their life through disobedience and unbelief.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

The Power of One!

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One is not a lonely number. Nor is it weak. One shows its beauty in its strength because it stands firm when others may be wavering. One holds on in faith to God, Who is their surety of hope. When others cannot work it in their hearts to see beyond the now into something better to come, one sees more by faith.

One makes a difference. Although God would love to use the multitudes for His glory, He only needs one who will open everything up to Him and simply believe.

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Think of Noah in the days of old. The whole world had gone mad and corrupt, but there stood this one who found “grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen. 6:8). By faith, he “moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house…” (Heb. 11:7).

And what of Rahab? Although she was a harlot, when she heard about God and all He had done for His people, she took steps of faith that not only saved the messengers but also her house and relatives (see James 2:25; Joshua 6:17, 25, 23).

So, if you sometimes feel like you are the only one – the only one concerned, the only one willing to take steps – then you are in great company with others whose single decision to believe led them to follow God with feet stepping out in faith.

Your impact matters. When you feel like you’re standing alone, stand even taller knowing that what you do will never be forgotten in the eyes of the Father. He sees you.

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You may be just an individual. But you are an individual meant for change. Because you refuse to give up, even when it seems you are walking alone, other lives may draw closer to the Lord. Both Noah’s and Rahab’s families experienced a tremendous deliverance because one person in that family chose to stand in faith.

There is power in one! You make a personal impact! You are an individual with influence! Stand, and be that one!

Be further encouraged by visiting the selections below:

“A Woman Ready”

Determination and decisions not only impact this day but also become a foreteller of what all your tomorrows will be. Are you ready? Refuse the what-ifs of life and be resolved to go where God is leading.

“Stand Your Ground”

Don’t settle or rest in the opinions of others. Trust more in how God sees you and take your stand confidently in Him.

“Her Name Was Deborah”

Her name may call her a bee, but she was lionhearted, sure, confident, and decisive, and she literally rose to the occasion when her people needed her the most.  She was a spiritual champion who wielded her faith unflinchingly. Her name was Deborah.

Text Free Top Image by Roman Kogomachenko from Pixabay

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Preparing for a Holy Encounter | Readying Yourself

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In many ways, encounters mean everything to one’s progression forward. People judge others on first encounters. We often hear the importance of making a good and lasting first impression. It will determine if one should go deeper in the relationship or not. Opposite that, there are experiences with encounters that can go sourly wrong if not handled correctly. Think of a surprise meeting with a wild animal such as a bear.

Moses learned early on in his encounter with God that God cannot be approached in a haphazard fashion (Exodus 3:2-5).  One must be very serious when coming into the presence of God.  The standard has to be raised from the normal, and the steps which one treads to approach Him must be done with reverence because He is God.

Approximately two months after God’s final blow of the last of the 10 plagues, the death of all the firstborn in Egypt, and Israel’s departure from that land, the people have traveled and arrived in the wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 19:1) and are now camped at the base of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:2).

Moses was then called up the mountain to come before God (Exodus 19:3).  From that place, God began to speak words of promise and instruction for Moses to relay in the hearing of the people.  God wanted them to remember their deliverance and how He brought them out of that land of oppression (Exodus 19:4).  Afterward, God laid out stipulations for being in a covenant relationship with Him.  Unlike the Abrahamic Covenant which was unconditional, the Mosaic Covenant had guidelines, rules, and rituals for the people to follow: “If ye obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,” God spoke, “then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people,” (Exodus 19:5).

Moses then called the elders of the people together and relayed all of this to them and their status as a “holy nation” (Exodus 19:6-7).  After, the people agreed to do what God commanded (Exodus 19:8).

But now that they have met with Moses and received these terms, it’s time for them to prepare their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls to meet with God.  Moses was relaying all this pertinent information as God’s mouthpiece to them, but God wanted a one-on-one audience with His chosen people, His peculiar treasure.

As far as the purpose for that audience, God made it very clear: “Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever,” (Exodus 19:9).  God wanted them to hear and experience His power up close and personal.  He wanted them to hear and bear witness for themselves, as He spoke with Moses, so that they might believe and listen to Moses as His chosen leader, who receives His words and instructions and passes them on to the people.  Although the covenant is for all His people, it was given to Moses; thus, it is referred to as the Mosaic Covenant.

For this “meeting” to take off properly, what the people do beforehand is of great importance.  They had to consecrate themselves before approaching God.  Filth had to be washed off, clothes had to be changed, and the people had to be sanctified (Exodus 19:10, 14), or “set apart.”  Boundaries had to be set (Exodus 19:12-13).  His sacredness was going to pervade that mountain, and the people needed to respect His presence.  During that time, even intimate relations with their spouses were prohibited to be considered ceremonially clean (Exodus 19:15).

Friends, if we are to go deeper, if we are to be a people who will draw near to His presence, then we must, ourselves also, prepare for the approach as they did in the days of the ancients. Not with ceremony, but with sincerity. Not with rituals, but with a heart seeking an intimate relationship with the Father as the driving force. There is no greater place to be, nor any greater experience to experience than whole and beautiful, sweet fellowship with our God.

But when we start discussing rules, compliance, and the like, it tends to put people off. As we are born with the nature of free-will beings, sometimes it bucks against the very thing that is most helpful for us to have a better life. That is discipline, order, and obedience to the One who knows the healthiest guidelines for our lives to be directed by.

Any child of God should hunger to be nearer to Him than the day before. Therefore, daily, we need to monitor and adjust our approach if need be. We need hearts and minds prepared for the encounter.

How do we do that?

We must ready ourselves.

For anything important we want to do or any event we want to attend, we work hard to make sure we are properly prepared. Oh, how much more the effort should we put forth in readying to meet our God!

The people of old had to wash off any dirt and be sanctified. Is there anything that needs to be removed from your life that would be an impediment to the approach? Hebrews 12:1 says, “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Everything that wants to hold us back; everything that stands as an obstacle to our spiritual success; everything that works against our salvation, preventing us from a proper approach.

The people of old set boundaries and had to remain where the borders allowed and not enter where they prohibited. Previously, I shared, “God’s Word is filled with instructions, commandments, statutes – lines, if you will, not to confine us, but to give us a life far greater.  Jesus taught, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).” (We Need the Lines/WordforLifeSays)

His holy Word shows us the guidelines for the approach. It reveals to us not only the importance and how of drawing near to our Heavenly Father, but also life principles and directions that will help us to keep the pathway of relationship clear of obstacles and hindrances: “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble,” (Psalm 119:165).

We are promised “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). In that, we should not want anything to come between us and the moment of that great, holy experience. So, like the ancients, what we do beforehand will determine how close we can draw near.

The Bible encourages us to “Examine yourselves…” (2 Corinthians 13:5); prepare for our day of approach both now for relationship, and for eternity, where we will finally hear those blessed words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23). For it is then and there, we will experience the Holy Encounter like never before.

God’s desire has always been to have an up-close and personal relationship with each one of us. May we let nothing hinder our coming closer. Are you ready?

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22

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Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

“Don’t Romanticize Life!”

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Cultivating Slow Living

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If you have ever spent time in a garden, you know to get the most out of what you are planting, you must first spend time cultivating the soil. This involves preparing the soil to support the life of the seed or the plant. It is about nourishing and amending the soil. This ensures it will have all the healthful benefits needed to reach full maturity and fruitfulness.

Many want fruitfulness. However, the way we have been pursuing it has left many less than satisfied. They feel deflated, worn out, and frazzled because of all it takes to reach it in this world of demands.

Our modern culture allows us to do many things. This increase in perceived productivity has been helpful in some areas while taking its toll on others.

The physical, emotional, and mental burnout that people have come to equate with success has created dissatisfaction. This has awakened a not-so-silent call for a better way to live. There must be more than this constantly rushing about.

Many have become aware of the unhealthy way our over-rushed and overworked culture has pushed us forward and the term “slow living” has regained our attention. Dealing with constant busyness and hurried lifestyles has caused some to take a step back. In this, they reflect and reevaluate what is really a priority for them to have a wholesome, balanced, and healthy life. And what many are finding out is that there is a real need to put space on the calendar or the everyday routine of life to let go, and get slow.

Slow, misunderstood, and used wrongly, can be viewed as laziness. But slow can be beautiful because you are deciding to be purposeful with your life. Moving forward at a hundred miles an hour is not your goal, rather you account that people and life, in general, are made for so much more than mere zooming by without the time for deep connections. So, you take the time to love, nourish, be intentional, and simply live and enjoy all the ways God has blessed you.

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You are cultivating, on purpose, the ground of your life to support more than agendas and achievements. The abundance you are desiring cannot be confined to such trivial things. The greatest example is in our relationship with Christ.

Jesus promised us an abundant life (John 10:10). That abundance is not about forcing or focusing on things we can gain in this world or material wealth. The richest thing one can invest in to be more intentional with the life they have been given is more of Him. That cannot happen if we are always distracted by constantly doing and never taking the time to sit and be where He is (Luke 10:40-42).

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10).

Cultivating slow living is not about shirking responsibilities or approaching life with a lackadaisical attitude. This is about valuing everything I have been given, especially the people in my life, and I want to care for each and honor each in a way that lets them know I esteem them, I am here for them, and I love them. I want to use this life in a way that pleases God by stewarding well what He has given me and not have my focus continually on climbing some invisible ladder of success.

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Think about what pursuit has you running about at a hurried pace today? The Bible tells us, “He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour” (Proverbs 21:21).

It is so easy to get caught up in what has been dubbed “the rat race,” but our daily living is made for more. These days, people, and moments are gifts to us by our Heavenly Father and we are encouraged about how we spend our time with each (Ephesians 5:15, 16).

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

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Changing what we pursue and how we pursue it will make our lives a lot less stressful. Take time today to slow down, prioritize, and recenter on what matters most. There is so much more to life, and we don’t want to miss it.

So, how do we make this change?

  • Prioritize – Look where you are now and what you want your tomorrow to look like. To achieve your desired outcome, what can you let go of or shave down some so that you don’t always feel at your wit’s end. I can attest to the fact that often we take on more than we are capable of in any given season. Laying something aside right now doesn’t mean it’s not important; it just means it doesn’t fit in with the season of life I’m in right now. So we prioritize, bringing out the best without being overburdened with things that can wait.
  • Recenter – Once you have strained out the main priorities for your right-now season, you can recenter and mark your path forward. When using a GPS, sometimes I look at the overview screen of the trip to see the highways and streets we must travel ahead of us. But when I need to get back to dealing with where I am currently on my journey, I need to hit the recenter button. While it’s okay to think about the future (the Bible encourages this often), we must also pay attention to where we are in our present moment. What needs our immediate attention right now? How much strength, time, and commitment can I put into this right now? These are important questions to ask. We often get hurried and over-stressed because we want to deal with all the right-now stuff the along with the what-ifs of the future stacked on top of it. Most of the daily things we deal with can be broken down into more manageable tasks and delegated to other times. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing (an attitude that overworks us).
  • Go slow – take a deep breath and move forward at a manageable pace. There have been times I have prayed and asked God to help me steward this day or for the best way to handle the tasks in front of me. He, who is the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9), has the wisdom and strength your day needs. Trust Him with your schedule. We are given gifts to be productive, but remember, God, who is the Author of those gifts, is also the Author of rest (Genesis 2:2,3). Not just with the Sabbath, but throughout Scripture, His call to rest is a call to trust in what He is doing in your life during this season. We become filled with ideas and inspirations and want to put the pedal to the metal and give it our all. And that’s fine. But if you are feeling burned out and extremely overwhelmed, you have to question is this what God has for me in this season, or is it me rushing ahead? And if we feel it is the Lord’s leading, perhaps we need to revisit steps 1 and 2 to be sure we have shaved unnecessary things away for now.
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Don’t be disheartened. Schedules often need to be revisited to see if everything we have going on right now is for our optimal good. Recently, I have personally had to revisit how I approach certain tasks, and it is helping me see that although I love my routines, some routines or expectations may not work for certain periods of life. We must be willing to move and adjust when feeling led or if we feel like this particular thing isn’t working for now, and trust God with the outcome.

We want to cultivate a life where we are productive under God’s grace without completely feeling exhausted and stressed as if we are being buried under the burden of each day’s demands. Sometimes, slowing down will help us to do just that. Enjoy this life God has given.

Blessings ~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Community of Believers | We are here for one another!

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Dear Reader, the challenges of this life come in many shapes and forms. Regardless of how it comes or what it appears like, the blow of difficulties can often be softened when another will come alongside to help shoulder the load. I am resharing this post to encourage us in our need to look out for the welfare of one another:

Races can take you through many terrains. Running uphill is hard. The more you go, the steeper the incline, the harder it gets. Breath after breath, your chest heaves for relief. Push after push, your muscles cry out for mercy. And, just when you thought you had no more in you, just when you thought you couldn’t go any farther, imagine for a moment, from behind there comes these hands out of nowhere that steady your stride and help propel you forward. On the side of you come these smiling faces with encouraging words, grabbing hold of your arms and helping pull you up that incline so that you might finish your race. They want to help you make it.

Just as runners need each other on the steepest climbs, so, too, do we need each other in our spiritual journey. We rely on our association with fellow believers to not only run well, but to finish well.

The Apostle Paul often described our Christian life as a race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). We run it. We press for it. But, sometimes the way gets hard, and if it had not been for the grace of God, we would not have made it. 

As the community of racers pushed and pulled the struggling runner uphill, so, too, God will minister to us to help us run our race. Often this is done through the community of believers who will come alongside the one who needs support.

In this world, as they say, the struggle is real. May we, as a community of believers, recognize the support that each one needs. May we join our fellow Christian race runners and offer the help and encouragement they need to make it. May we see beyond our own race and allow God to use our hands and smiling faces to help bolster someone’s faith as they strive to make it up the inclines of this life.

We all have the same goal in mind: to finish the race. We need each other to do it. As a community of believers, our job goes beyond spreading the gospel, being a light in this dark world, and all the other spiritual stuff it entails. Our job is also to seek the welfare of one another, to help those around us. We ought to be there for one another. We need to be present and involved in what they are going through, champion companions in this race, so that, as the Bible says, “that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it,” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).

The hardest climbs can be conquered when we support one another. 

More encouraging verses and quotes:

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow . . .” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a

“God has chosen us to help one another.” Smith Wigglesworth

“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But… the Good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

“Forget, and Be Fruitful!”

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While every day we have is a gift, admittedly, some days are harder to move past than others.  Hurts, disappointments, and pain can sit on people like heavy weights.  Past negatives can seem like an insurmountable mountain we may struggle to climb. So, I pray today’s devotion will help to lighten the steps on the path you are walking and encourage your heart to keep moving forward productively in faith.

And one person who can teach us that is Joseph. He was a man who suffered trials, unfair treatment, and affliction, and yet overcame them all.  His relationship with his brothers was filled with ridicule, lack of support, jealousy, and hatred, which caused them to look unfavorably upon him.

Eventually, their hostility toward their brother led them to do the unthinkable and cast him away by selling him into slavery. The sting of their betrayal was with Joseph as his new life began as a slave in Egypt. But thankfully, this would not be the end of his story, nor would his heart rest in bitterness here.

Though in his land of affliction he originally found favor, unfortunately, there he was also lied about and mistreated, adding salt to the open wounds he had already suffered, eventually finding himself thrown in prison.

And although he was held in prison, prison didn’t have a hold on him. Joseph’s character never changed. In prison and alone, he was still willing to help others by working, being faithful, and using the gift that God instilled in him in revealing dreams.

Unfortunately, once again, he was overlooked and forgotten and left to deal with life alone.  The awesome thing about his story (and ours) is that even if he felt like it at times, Joseph was never alone.  God had a great plan for his life.

Many of us are familiar with how God elevated Joseph from his affliction and blessed him with a position of great honor in the palace after revealing the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream.  Eventually, he became governor over all Egypt, where everyone bowed to him except Pharaoh.  What a change of life and position!

After coming to power, Joseph married and had two sons: “And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.  And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction,” (Genesis 41:51-52). 

His story shows that when stepping into new days, we do not have to carry the unwanted baggage of days before. We can declare, as Joseph did, that we are ready to move on and be fruitful in the place God has us in right now, for that’s what his declaration in naming his sons meant.

Every day, God has opened a world of opportunity for us to forget the past and move on into something greater.  We may not be the governor of Egypt, but I don’t believe God has allowed us to see this new day for naught.  We were designed to make the most of our time here and now and be fruitful right where we are.

Fruitfulness is a desire of God for His people: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper,” (Psalm 1:3). 

Therefore, today is the time to venture forward in faith and be productive.  Today, we can release the weight, lay down the heaviness, and walk confidently and abundantly into where God has us for this season. This is your time. Today is the day of new beginnings!

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Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.