“Take it to the Cross!”

August 15, 2023August 13, 2023Leave a comment

Every worry and every fear, take it and leave it at the foot of that blood-stained banner that was raised for our freedom.

Every doubt and every hurt, take it to Him who is stretched wide upon those old rugged beams to experience fully the troubles we face.

Every sorrow and every tear, take it to Him whose nail-pierced hands flow with a life poured out for you and me. He that endured the pain of the piercing knows of the rejection, the betrayal, and the indecency of evil we all face in this life. He knows this and more for in His bearing, He held the crushing weight of all sin upon those beaten and slumped shoulders even as His heart cried out to the Father the agony of separation.

There is nothing we feel that He hasn’t already felt.

There is no experience so unique to us that He has not already carried the weight of.

There is no trouble we face that He hasn’t looked in the eye and gained the victory of it on that cross.

On that cross, He became authority and victor over all. His kingship may have been inscribed in writing by man: “And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS,” (John 19:19), but God declared Him Ruler over all through His atoning sacrifice of the blood on that cross (Revelation 1:5; Romans 3:25; Matthew 28:18).

Whatever you are facing, take it to the cross and trust Him who was hung there so that you may rise to a life of victory today!

Why take it to the cross?

It’s the place where the King would suffer for our healing: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5

It’s the place where reconciliation takes place and hostility is put to death: “He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.” – Ephesians 2:16, CSB

It’s the place where we find the truest form of peace: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” – Colossians 1:20

It’s the place where our sins were blotted out: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” – Colossians 2:14

It’s the place where we are given the opportunity to lay down the dead and pick up a life of righteousness: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24

And, it is the place where we experience true love: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

Take it to the cross today!

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Jesus is With You in the Storm

August 11, 2023Leave a comment

You are not in this alone in this. We carry this promise with us: “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,” (Matthew 28:20). Believe that the same Jesus who stood on the boat and “rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm,” (Mark 4:39) is the same Jesus that is with you now.

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The Great Acts of the LORD

August 10, 2023August 9, 2023Leave a comment

“But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did.” Deuteronomy 11:7

How would life look for us, or how much more would our faith be fed if we were intentional about remembering “the great acts of the LORD?” We don’t need to see the seas part, the ground opened to swallow, or mighty plagues – but surely, there are moments in our lives when we know that it was nothing but God. There are miracles, blessings, the moving of His holy hand, and His Holy Spirit that could be nothing short of His intervention for us.

As Moses recaps God’s commandments in Deuteronomy for the wilderness wanderers, he also wants them to remember personally what their eyes have seen, the things they have experienced during this time with God.

Days gone by supply us with a life full of the stories of His deliverance, His patience, and His constant and consistent work in our lives. Sometimes too numerous to tell, but when we think back, our eyes of faith behold them and we see that it is nothing we have done, nor can we take the credit. We see a God who has done more to love us, so this is where our trust should lie. This is where we should look in hope also for the days coming ahead.

If you look back into your bygone moments, what can you see? Can you see His hand showing up unexpectedly in a moment of grace? Can you see where His mercy touched what was once believed to be untouchable? Can you see where His promises came alive more vividly when you thought it was all over?

There are big things and there are small things – events and seasons that grow our appreciation all the more for the wonderful God we serve.

It takes nothing more than for us to simply appreciate that our eyes have awakened to a new day, and our lungs are breathing what He provides, to see God’s wonderful acts at work in our lives even right now.

His presence and concern for us are marked by the care He invests in us. Every prayer is heard. Every prayer responded. The feelings of His love wrapped around us – yes, He is there.

Even in times of tears and upset, His comforting presence saturates the atmosphere with His reassuring peace.

Throughout your life your eyes have seen many things and many things have been your experiences. Some may have been wonderful and good. Some may not have been. But if you pick through all you have witnessed, your testimony would call to mind: “I have seen the great acts of the Lord in my life.” In that, God’s faithfulness and neverending love for you shines through, holding you in faith through the days when it’s hard to see anything positive.

Take a walk down memory lane today and see those moments where He has faithfully made a way. Pray for God to show you Him in that walking and may your faith be increased as you take in the great acts of the Lord, for wherever He is, it is always great.

“I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11

Giving God My All

August 9, 2023August 9, 2023Leave a comment

Giving God my all. What exactly does that mean?

What are you holding? What do you possess? What is important to you? Where does your love rest?

There are many parts of us. And while many parts make us us, there is only one God, and He is to be over all. Not just over all in the sense of His complete Sovereignty – but over your all, personally.

So, I ask you again, what is near and dear to you? What do you treasure and hold in high regard? There are no areas to be withheld from Him. Wherever He wills, He can touch. But how do we respond when He touches it?

As I ponder those questions, I am reminded of the time when adverse circumstances struck Job’s life in many different ways, all at the same time (Job 1-2). Job’s response may seem mind-boggling to some for we are told in the midst of it all, he “worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:20-21).

Job may not have understood everything, and he may have felt sorrow and experienced grief, but even in this, he surrendered everything he held dear in his choice to worship. He held on to his integrity and “In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

How does our heart respond when that which is dear to us has faced times of crisis? Do we really surrender all to Him, trust, and move forward even if our steps seem heavier than before? Or do we shut down as we try to hold on to the very last thread of that beloved thing?

To “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30) means there is to be no part of me, or what I am, or what I have that comes before God. Everything else must be willingly surrendered so that my love for Him shines first.

“Embracing the Promises of God!”

August 7, 2023August 7, 2023Leave a comment

Are you just saying, “AMEN!” to the preacher and the message, or are you really getting into an agreement with the words coming forth from the mouthpiece of God? Do you think the songs that are sung, which carry His good word and lift your soul, do you think they are just to make you feel good for a moment, or are they truths binding themselves on your heart because you can see with eyes of faith what God really wants to do in your life? Do you think the words written in that Holy Bible are just a collection of tales to temporarily inspire you or are they moments in the lives of others God is using to show you that He can do the same thing for you?

It’s one thing to hear messages, read the Word, and listen to the songs about the promises of God, and it’s another thing to grab hold of them for yourself and believe with a fervent grip that they are for you, too. Embracing God’s promises is saying, “I may not have it now, but my faith is tied to what God already spoke over my life. With my physical eyes, it may not currently be before me, but with my spiritual eyes, I am persuaded that God will do what He said He would do, and I embrace that truth! I choose to hold on to what God said over all else!”

Embracing is active participation in claiming the promises of God for your life. God gave mankind a will and He won’t force you to believe His promises, but oh how sweet it is if you do. He puts it out there, and many times He gives evidence that it will happen (and sometimes He doesn’t), but it is up to each individual heart to not only accept it but to hold on to what He spoke for dear life. That’s why Hebrews declares, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” (Hebrews 10:23; emphasis mine). The word “us” in that verse tells us that it is our responsibility to lay hold of everything concerning our faith God speaks, including His promises. If you believe that God is faithful, then believe He will faithfully follow through with all He spoke concerning you!

God will do His part without fail. When the unwelcome interruptions of life come, our job is to keep on embracing that truth when facing whatever is before us. Today, get a hold of the promises of God for your life and refuse to let them go.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13

“Today, I Want to Be Me!”

August 5, 2023August 2, 2023Leave a comment

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well,” Psalm 139:14

Oh, the creative power that took place for you to be here today. From the moment of conception, and from the time cells began to divide within themselves, you were and are a product of beautiful design. Uniquely, you are made just the way God intended. And, since we know that He doesn’t make any mistakes, whatever we view as shortcomings in our lives may be there for a much higher purpose. Our so-called defaults are part of the plan that God has laid out in your life.

What would happen if every Christian really armed themselves with this beautiful truth? How would that personally make us feel? How would it affect the way we live, the way we walk and talk? More importantly, how would it affect the way we move in our Christian walk? How much more would we be apt to express our faith knowing the value He places in each and every one of us?

I believe if Christians really got a hold of this truth they would turn the world upside down. They would step out with a newfound faith knowing that they are something really special before God; knowing that their worth is not in how the world sees them; rather, how God sees them. What does He think about me?

Let me tell you what He thinks about you. Jesus said in Luke 12:6-7, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” “Ye are of more value!” Humanity is the apex of all His creation. He made sure everything that was created was put in the proper place and in the proper order for us. We are the only part of creation where God claimed Himself, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion . . .” (Gen. 1:26). Not only created but we were created in “His image.” Not only in “His image,” but we are also created to have “dominion;” authority over all the earth including the thoughts that come to make us feel less than anything He said of us!

Today, I want to be me. I want to walk like I walk. Express me like only I can. I want to relish in the wonderful thought that when no one else is taking notice of me, He is. Because He designed me this way and I know the care that went into this design, I can rest and enjoy myself. I can love me some me. Even when it seems no one else does, I can love me, because He loves me.

If He says I’m good just like this then all I have to do is learn to work in what He gave me and just be me. “Marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Does your soul know that you are a marvelous work of God? Can you believe that today so that you can just enjoy being yourself? You are so incredibly special. Let no one rob you of the precious way that God sees you.

“Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves. . .” (Ps. 100:3). I’m so glad I didn’t do this myself. That would be impossible because there is so much that goes into this that we will never figure it out. Then again, I don’t have to because He already did. He stepped back and looked at creation and said, “It was very good,” (Gen.1:31).

I am good! From the time that He has “covered me in my mother’s womb,” (Ps. 139:13), I am just the way He wants me to be. So, today, I can be me! Now, that’s something to 🙂 about!

Powerless Flames!

August 4, 2023August 2, 2023Leave a comment

“And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” Daniel 3:27

A lion without teeth and claws is no real threat and flames devoid of the power to burn and devour can do no real harm.

In Daniel 3, there is the very familiar story of the three Hebrew boys facing the fiery furnace. Although familiar, the story begs us to look further into it because the fire should have killed them. The fire should have burned every part of their being to ash with flames so high. The fire should have disintegrated everything about these men and there shouldn’t have been even anything left over to collect, but it was not given the power or the ability to do so.

What a miracle!

I must wonder, what did it look like for these men as they were standing in the flames and looking out without feeling the heat, just the safety of God covering them through it all?

Amazing!

Fire eats up and ravages things every day but when God is in the midst, it has no power!

The enemy was left astonished . . .

No parts of the fire or the furnace experience had any effect on them whatsoever . . .

The only effect it may have had on them was to increase their faith all the more!

Somebody needed to be reminded of this today. I don’t know what flames are trying to ignite against you today, but if He chooses, God can put it out or use it for His glory. Either way, one can never go wrong by trusting in Him.

He will cause the enemy to be astonished before you, amazed that you are still standing. Just like the three Hebrews boys, He will not only cause you to stand in the midst of the powerless flames, but He will allow you to walk around in it giving testimony to the power of the true God you serve.

Flames may be fierce, but God is fiercer! The enemy will try to burn you up, but God can use those flames to promote you (vs. 30) if you will just worship Him, believe, and trust that He has you in the midst of it all, because when you are on God’s side:

“THE FIRE HAS NO POWER!”

“You Make a Difference to God!”

August 3, 2023August 2, 2023Leave a comment

God is after you, dear friend, in a good way. He loves the masses, but the individual heart He wants to hold as His own.

There are so many things in our culture that can evoke an inferiority complex in people. The barrage of advertisements that make one feel less than if they don’t have what others are offering. The seemingly picture-perfect life displayed on the feeds of social media causes a longing for what they appear to have, making one feel they don’t measure up to some invisible criteria. The comparison factor of success that is too much alive in this world which causes many to believe they will never be what another is.

That’s good because God created you and me to be us! The masses that come to Him don’t negate the fact that He wants the individual heart – He wants the individual life – He wants the individual you! You make a difference to God! You are important to God!

God will leave the ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to go after that one which is lost because that one is special to Him (Luke 15:1-7). That one is cared about by Him. That one is loved by Him and He wants that one with Him because to God, they make a difference. God finds joy in just that one heart that will turn to Him, repent, and enter into blessed fellowship with Him.

When the individual heart turns to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, it puts a smile on God’s face and makes the angels rejoice (Luke 15:10) because despite what the world tries to make us believe or feel, each one of us makes a difference to God. You are valuable to God and He loves you more than you could ever know.

Inspiration:

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” – Psalm 139:14

“Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” – Matthew 10:31

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” – John 1:12

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” – Jeremiah 29:11

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10

You are uniquely loved by God. You make a difference to God!

I am a lifter…

August 2, 20236 Comments

I am a lifter.

I am an encourager.

I am a builder of my brother.

I am a minister to my sister.

I am an agent of hope to the downtrodden speaking words of inspiration about His freedom.

I am a promoter of grace, sharing words of deliverance with my war-worn sibling of the spirit.

I am a supporter of peace who chooses to use the mouth and the words God gives me to speak light, life, and love.

We are to speak “that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

Photo: Pixabay

Look to the Fathers

August 1, 2023Leave a comment

I recently attended an event where the fathers of our organization were looked to, recognized, appreciated, and honored for their contributions to the faith and the church body. In an age, where sadly, there seems to be an absence of good, godly role models, I am reminded, currently speaking, that we are never without wholesome examples to pattern our lives and walks of faith after.

In the Bible, the children of Israel did not always have current, good representatives to follow. King Hezekiah, for example, had the wicked King Ahaz as his biological father. But as Hezekiah grew and came to reigning as king at the age of twenty-five, he didn’t follow in his birth father’s footsteps. Through him, a great reformation took place in the land because his heart was stirred to do more and for that, he looked to better examples. 2 Kings 18:3 says, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did.”

Hezekiah reached beyond the experience of those around him and those who raised him to find a good life to pattern his ways after. And yes, David, like all humans, had his moments of weakness and frailty, but in the end, was still dubbed a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). David’s heart was directed toward God and this is what Hezekiah wanted for himself and for the people.

He recited to the people the evil their fathers have done (2 Chronicles 29:6-9; 30:6-9) and pled with them to return to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel – the same God who the faithful fathers followed and not the practicing of current affairs or political influences.

Even if one is devoid of what we would call a good example in their present life and circumstances, we have what the Bible calls a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:) whose lives we can look to as a holy example to follow after. And of course, Jesus Christ is the litmus test that everyone should judge their steps by and seek to represent in their own lives and order their steps after (Hebrews 12:2).

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” Philippians 3:17

“His Footsteps, Our Pathway!”

Word For Life Says…

God's Word for Your Life Today!

Tag: Christian

“Take it to the Cross!”

Take it to the cross today!

Jesus is With You in the Storm

The Great Acts of the LORD

Giving God My All

“Embracing the Promises of God!”

“Today, I Want to Be Me!”

Powerless Flames!

“You Make a Difference to God!”

Inspiration:

You are uniquely loved by God. You make a difference to God!

I am a lifter…

Look to the Fathers

Take it to the cross today!

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Inspiration:

You are uniquely loved by God. You make a difference to God!

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