“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11
There is a time, a place, and a season for all things, Ecclesiastes 3 tells us. The scope of one’s life and days travels down many pathways. Although some paths may be littered with the less-than-beautiful side of life, it is on this walk where our living is carried out.
How appropriate in times of loss to find tears? And for times of gladness are we met with rejoicing? It is all a part of this wonderful life we live.
Every part may not bring fond memories or the fulfillment of future dreams, but living life beautifully says I trust God even when I do not understand all the paths upon which my feet stand. Whether the heart is in sadness and sorrow, or lifted in jubilation and joy – wherever and whatever part of life I am living, Lord, help me to know that this is just a little piece of the bigger picture You have in store for me and it is all beautiful in its time.
The varied seasons of life will come and go, but God’s sovereign plan and hand are steady and faithful through them all. He is the one who takes the not-so-beautiful and the beautiful and makes all of them work together for good (Romans 8:28).
When was the last time you laughed out of pure joy? Not a giggle here and there, but from true happiness inside, the inner expression of the heart that cannot be contained?
To laugh like this is the outer proof that something wonderful has transpired inside. This type of enjoyment with life cannot flow from an empty well, so to speak. And if you haven’t laughed from pure joy in this way in a while, what is the well that you are daily drawing from filled with? Perhaps it’s not the lack of expression of laughter that’s the problem, because that will be a natural occurrence when one is filled with those things that will naturally produce it.
Then, there must be a problem with what’s in our joy tanks. There must be a depletion of those things that will, without effort, produce joy.
Today, in the natural, you can make a conscious effort to fill your life with those things that bring you delight and enjoyment. It can be something as simple as changing how you view a mundane routine and making it a place where the work may be mundane, but beautiful joy can be found in the work. It could also be as simple as changing thought patterns and where one chooses to focus. Philippians 4:8 helps us with this, saying, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
God wants us to enjoy the beauty this life can offer: “And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15, ESV).
While those things are good, true joy doesn’t begin or end there, and we should not rest or be solely content with a natural filling. As we are making the effort to fill our lives with the things that bring us joy, we must be even more mindful not to leave out the greatest source of joy found in the spiritual.
In heaven, we are going to know the extreme happiness of “joy unspeakable” (1 Peter 1:8), but even now, that kind of joy is ours for the taking because when we are filled with Christ, who is the ultimate reason for joy tanks being filled, the overflow of all He is in us will saturate our very lives from the inside out.
Trust me, my friend, we may not fully comprehend how it will all be or turn out in our tomorrows or future forever, but we can surely act on what we know today. Today, we know that we can laugh with pure joy because pure joy is what Christ brings to our lives. Today, we can focus our hearts on filling our joy tanks with Him, knowing that our wells cannot help but overflow in happiness and all that blessed pleasure that comes as a result from on high.
The Lord Jesus spoke this beautiful summary, saying, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Life may seem rough at times but there was a great exchange that took place at that cross on Calvary that gave us the great privilege of laying down what is burdensome and picking up a life filled with JOY!
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith…” Jude 1:20
Churches, books, inspirational speakers, and yes, even the internet are not short on teaching and encouraging our need to have faith, but I find that it could benefit us to also give attention to the “how” of building one’s faith. We’ve all read the stories and great exploits done in faith, but how was their faith initiated? How did they get to that point of moving in faith? How was their faith built?
Firstly, one must know and understand that to be spiritually healthy, one must acknowledge and embrace the spiritual. Now, I know this can encompass many thoughts that can lead down various avenues people may reference as “spiritual.” But I am referring to the spiritual associated with God, our heavenly Father, the Spirit (John 4:24), and the source of all things holy spiritual.
With that, building our faith first begins with one’s inner man. When we are born again, we experience what is known as saving faith. That’s the faith that prompts us to turn from the world of sin to Christ. It believes in Jesus Christ as the source of our salvation through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (see John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 2:38; 4:12; Romans 5:8; 6:23). This initiates our relationship with Him. It opens our hearts to that holy communion and fellowship. Without this step, no other can be taken. Without our relationship with God, through Christ Jesus, one’s “faith” is null and void.
But faith does not stop there at that initial step. There is what I like to call living faith. It is the faith that prompts our daily decisions and choices. This lifetime endeavor is determined by how we nourish our faith.
Lastly, faith must be exercised. Faith is like a muscle, if it gets used it gets stronger. It will increase. But if it is never put to the test it will not stand when it is tested. David gives us a great example of how to do this. When he faced Goliath, that was not his first encounter with conflict. It was not the first time he stepped out in faith to do the extraordinary.
He had experience in exercising his faith. Before he even knew there was a giant with a bad attitude, David knew what it was to face a bear and a lion head-on (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Those situations gave him exposure to facing unthinkable circumstances. In encountering those, he also encountered what it means to have and build confidence and faith in the God who delivered him.
Our experiences may not come by such drastic means. Sometimes it may come by taking little steps outside our comfort zones to travel into paths unknown. What may seem like unchartered territory to us is the way God may choose to lead us in increasing our faith.
Jude wrote, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith…” (1:20). This is not a passive pursuit, but it is a personal one. Something for each individual to walk and live out daily. And as with any good workout regimen, the more consistent we are, the more we do right by our spiritual health, the more positive results we will see in building a stronger faith. We may not see or understand everything before us, but God does. A mature and strengthened faith will fit us for whatever lies ahead.
I know I could have went even deeper with this subject of building one’s faith, but I believe these three basic steps can anyone, in any situation who is serious about increasing their spiritual health.
As a woman of God, a daughter of grace, are we any more beautiful than when we are reflecting the character of our Father?
Graciousness, for women, often applies to her poise, her friendly and welcoming demeanor, manners, status, and more. But, oh, my friends, she is so much more. Those things may describe what people see, but her true excellence comes from within.
Inwardly, she is known and loved by God. Inwardly, His salve of grace has covered her wrongs, hurts, and scars. Inwardly, she has received a holy covering, and she cannot help but cover those she meets in the same manner. Inwardly, she has been touched and transformed by the Father, and in turn, she wants to touch those around her in an authentic and meaningful way.
She is true for people and not a woman of pretense. Sincerity is the rule of her heart. The changed heart inside of her won’t let her be anything but. She sees the personal beyond the people. She is solicitous in her concern for others. She pays attention to them. People and their circumstances matter to her.
She loves the way her Father taught her to love, thinking of others before herself. She seeks to put their needs ahead of her own, selflessly moving through this generation with compassion as her guide, being a vessel fit for the Master’s use (2 Timothy 2:21).
So, she shares her heart through her words, ready to bless, encourage, and lift others with the power of her tongue. She shares her heart through service, loving people through acts of selflessness. This gracious woman adorns herself not with merely external adornments of this world but with “bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:12).
She is her Father’s daughter, ready to pour grace into the heart that needs it. As He loves, so she seeks to love. As He operates, she wants her life to echo the image of what He desires from one’s heart, will, and mind. She wants her footsteps to mimic His as she walks through this life distributing kindness, gentleness, and compassion; cultivating love, and expressing to those she meets the true beauty of what it means to be a child of God, a daughter of grace.
Where can you pour extra grace into a life today? Your actions, no matter how small, may be the largest act of kindness another receives today. I encourage you, don’t hold back. Pour, dear daughter of God, pour out His love, and let it overflow into the lives of others. You may never know the impact it makes, but no small deed done for the Lord will ever be insignificant.
For more encouragement, check out this poem I previously wrote titled Within.
Every day we are given is precious. Every moment is a treasure from heaven. God perfectly crafted our days in these 24 hours that cycle in and through our lives. He fashioned each one precisely as a gift to get things done and rest and enjoy life as well.
With that being said, I must wonder why time seems so elusive to most of us. Why aren’t we able to craftily work each section of the day for our good and still enjoy other pleasures of life that God endowed us with, things that bring the fulfillment of personal joy and happiness (ex. more family time, rest, and so on) that’s supposed to come with it? Why do we bemoan the idea that there are just not enough hours in the day when God perfectly gave us all we need?
The problem is not with the design of days. Nor will the problem be solved by adding more increments of time to the day. The problem is us and how we prioritize and manage this gift of time that God has already given us.
In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul wrote that we are to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). Everyday opportunities abound to spend the hours of our lives in one way or another. The choice of how we use it is always ours. Let’s look at it this way: if we have been given a bunch of money to spend, hopefully, we would sit down and think carefully about how to get the most use out of it. That same diligence should be applied to our time management.
The hugest difference between money and time is this: for many, there are usually ways to replenish or re-earn funds to add to one’s finances if money is spent recklessly. However, for time, that opportunity is not there. Once time is gone, it’s gone! Once the moment passes, it passes off the scene as a part of our personal history. Therefore, we are encouraged to make the most of every second given. And, although God’s grace, mercy, and faithfulness are new every morning, we are not promised the dawning of a new day.
So, whether it’s mundane, it’s a moment we won’t get back. Treat it as the treasure it is. If it seems trivial, remember that in the scope of all the days given, it’s a time to be honored. Even if it seems like the most basic of all days, keep in mind there is nothing basic about the gift of waking up again and being given the chance to make the most of the time you have been gifted with.
When you feel there aren’t enough hours in the day, treasure what you have and be determined to make the most out of what God gave you. When we do, we can make a better impact for His kingdom and in the lives of those entrusted to our care. No matter how smart our watches become, it will always be up to us to make smart use of the time that registers there.
Inspiring Your Time:
“This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use it as I will. I can waste it – or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.” – W. Heartstill Wilson
Pray: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12
Pray: “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.” – Psalm 39:4
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” – Colossians 4:5
Hold on, dear friend, for He is present — your solid source of dependence through it all. Whether the days are of peace or as turbulent as the harrowing storms, there is a God we can wholly link to and rely upon. He will never fail you. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He is your steady rock, your hope realized, and He is everything and anything you need in this journey called life (Exodus 3:14).
You may experience ups and downs, but your days are not spent in futility, as if you are fighting against the wind. The Author and Anchor of your soul is holding onto you as you hold on to Him. As the waves crash about, He buoys your head above the waters, keeping you from going under.
No one wants you to have a successful Christian journey more than God the Father. Today, we lean into Him and secure our faith in Him, holding on to His promises, for they are as sure and reliable as He is.
His holy Word encourages us: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3). When we depend wholeheartedly on the immovable power, strength, and grace of our God, my friend, we are kept.
Tired of being wind-tossed? Your safety and surety are in the One who’s never moved, shaken, or stirred by what this world is experiencing. His throne is forever (Ps. 45:6), and He is your forever help (Ps. 48:14). Tether your heart to our dependable God and be filled with peace, establishing your hope and faith on Whom you rely: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” – Psalm 39:7
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” – Psalm 31:24
“The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” – Psalm 147:11
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 15:13
Sometimes you may come to a place that seems impossible to pass. This is a place that edges the border of what we have been delivered from to where we are being brought to. It is in situations like these when God shows up, there is no doubt that His hands have been working something extraordinary through it all. The waters may crash on the shores before and the enemy’s army may be rolling behind, but God sees you, standing there on the fringe, in a world where these two impossibilities meet, yet in Him, there is nothing impossible. In Him, there is always a way. In Him, you are not in a helpless position. In Him, the victory is already won. Before you ever came to this place, He already knew what He would do. So rest, weary one, in His sovereignty. Rest in His plan. You may not understand it, but He does. You may not know how it will work out, but He does. This will be performed by His strength, His wisdom, and His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6), not by anything we say or do. In getting past this place, all glory, honor, praise, and credit go to God. He is the one who will get you to the other side in peace and wholeness, with singing and rejoicing (Exodus 15:1-21). To you who are standing on the edge, in Him, you are not standing alone.
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.” Exodus 14:13-18
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There is an old hymn written by Joseph C. Ludgate titled “Friendship with Jesus.” In this hymn, the refrain sings out the sweetness of being in fellowship with the Savior:
But what about our fellowship with one another? How often have the hands of division ripped away the core foundation of our Christian faith by seeking to tear apart what Christ has established: fellowship among those who are recognized as being of Him; that blessed, sweet communion with one another?
Unity among the body of believers was so important that Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me,” (John 17:21). Jesus knew that if His disciples would ban together as one they could positively impact the world, helping many believe in Him. Vice versa, if divisions and contentions prevailed it would not work to draw people to Himself, to His kingdom message; rather, it would repel.
How often are we fighting amongst ourselves, in our congregations, or even with different denominations because they serve differently than we do?
John, the disciple of Jesus said one day, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we fobade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us,” (Luke 9:49-50).
Instead of rebuking the one who was accused of: “he followeth not with us,” Jesus set the record straight among His own disciples that they should not be focused on a reason for division. Jesus said, “For he that is not against us is for us.”
Too often great emphasis is put on how one group may do things differently as opposed to another group, or how one may work the gift that God has given them over another. One may not care for the way another does something for God’s kingdom but Jesus Himself said, “For he that is not against us is for us.” If someone is working to build up the kingdom of God, do not forbid them just because they are not following what you are doing. Don’t forbid them just because they are not in your clique. Don’t forbid them because they worship differently than you do.
There is no room for division in the body of Christ. There is no room for infighting among the members of God’s family. The Apostle Paul put it like this by saying, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).
In 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, attempting to squash division, Paul said, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”
Over and over again we see the Bible proclaim unity among God’s people and division to be put away with. While we may have differing doctrinal beliefs, love must be the motivator for addressing those differences because Jesus also said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” (John 13:35; see also 1 John 4:20-21).
Remember Jesus’ prayer that I quoted above, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” Is this why the world can’t see the Christ in us and believe because there is too much infighting? Does our rejection of another who “followeth not with us,” push the world away from believing in the Christ we proclaim and follow?
Regarding the Scriptures, and seeing Jesus’ prayer, I would have to conclude that it can play a part. Let us learn from our Lord and say, “For he that is not against us is for us.” Let us work to build up God’s kingdom together. We are all fighting in the same war. Let’s edify one another and not tear down.
Be determined. Determined to not be thwarted. Determined not to leave with one’s soul unsatisfied. Determined to forge ahead in resilience, refusing to go into this day without this sacred meeting.
Fight if you must and move intently ahead. Let nothing come in between or interfere with this time of sweet communion with the Lord. Thoughts may encroach and seek to pounce like an animal in waiting for prey, but keep thine eyes fixed on the things above (Colossians 3:2), trusting in the One who is the lover of your soul and life.
It is no simple thing, this gift of prayer, nor is it a pleasure to be taken for granted that we can approach the Lord with our honest and sincerest petitions. Getting there is a great privilege not to be neglected, so fight if you must to enter this holy conversation with the Lord.
For He, your Heavenly Father, is the main goal of your life. He is the compass and direction by which all our days are to be guided. Turbulent times, left unchecked will try to pull you off course, so fight if you must to get into the solace of this blessed sanctuary of prayer, for He has the wheel and knows the route to take.
Many distractions will attempt to interrupt and capture your mind for their audience. But when I come on my knees, with my heart opened to my King, it is His attending audience that means everything. Fight if you must to enter near this throne of grace, a guarded court surrounded by the angels who do sing.
What treasure lies within that holy realm of prayer. Go, search, and dig, and fight if you must to get there. For He will be a little sanctuary for you (Ezekiel 11:16), the true refuge and blessing of life who sees, hears, and knows everything you can unearth before Him in that divine assembly.
Fight if you must, and be persistently determined. Refuge, hope, power, and relief from life’s burdens lie ahead. Do yourself a favor, deprive not your soul of this great pleasure of meeting with the Father daily.
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world,” 1 John 4:4
Have you ever struggled with thoughts of inadequacy? Maybe you have thought that what you do or who you really are doesn’t make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, as if your contribution really wouldn’t be noticed regardless?
Oh, how I loathe thoughts such as these, and I am here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.
Lies like these make people underestimate themselves and the talents and/or gifts that God has placed in them. And that, my friends, is a feeling God never intended for His people to have. As a matter of fact, Jesus taught the exact opposite. He compared His followers to the salt that brings good flavor to this nasty-tasting world. Matthew 5:13 says, “Ye are the salt of the earth!” If you are in Him, you have some flavor to offer.
You are here to make an impact. You are here to stand out from the crowd. To be noticed, so that the whole world will have a beacon of hope, seeing, that if God did it for them, He’ll do it for me also. Daily, what you do in your life can affect others around you. You have power working on the inside of you that was meant for influence. Your actions, and the way you think, matched up with the gift of God at work in you, were meant to effect change for someone else.
Sadly, too many slide to the side of self-pity, not understanding and believing enough in who God says they are and what they have to offer.
But I am here to tell you, and the Bible confirms that “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world,” (1 John 4:4). When we were adopted into the family of God there was a certain degree of unexplainable spiritual awesomeness that He planted inside us. He has Himself at work in you!
What?!
Yes!
Just put up a “God at work” sign and tell all the skeptics to move out of your way because greatness is going on in me and I can make a difference!
The only one that can really stop you from doling out your influence on this world is you. You must believe in the power of God at work in you: “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places,” (Eph. 1:19-20, NKJV). The same power that raised Christ from the dead is now at work in you. It’s there and He wants to use it to work some greatness out in this world. If you were the salt shaker that only flavored one person’s life, then you have changed that person forever. God can do so much more through you. All you have to do is believe more in who you are in Him and who He is in you.
You can make an impact. You are meant to influence. Imagine if each of us, with the power of God in us, could touch just one life. What would that do to the national or global landscape? Now, imagine if we could touch one life every year, or more. Impact! He Who is at work in you is greater than all. All you have to do is believe it more than you do other thoughts that try to convince you otherwise.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,” (Gal. 2:20, NKJV)
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