Tag: daily inspiration

Meant for Influence

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“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)

Text Free Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay

Exchange

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Friend, isn’t it encouraging to know that no dismal state, regardless of how low the clouds may hang or how much shade is cast over one, who we are or were, through Christ, is made totally new. The grace of His love and sacrifice given to us is a picture so wonderful, who would not want to turn to Him and receive this great exchange? For He will “Give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3).

~Word for Life Says

“Heavenly Father, take my hand…”

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Heavenly Father,
take my hand,
and lead me through
this desert land.

Where hope seems dismal
and love fades.
But, You are my shelter.
Your heart is my shade.

Each step I walk,
I am found with You.
You hold me, You guide me.
You carry me through.

No matter the dreariness
of the land ahead.
I have no reason
to fret or dread.

My hand in Yours,
we keeping walking through.
Til I arrive in that City
whose destination is true.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  I and my Father are one.”

John 10:28-30

Reposted from July 2, 2018

Hope

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Friend, our hope is not dimmed. Nor is the flame of fire of our faith extinguished. For as long as our Lord remains on high (He always will) and remains on the throne of heaven (He always will), our reason for hope is always alive and fanning the flames of faith in our hearts. Today, don’t look around at what you may see but look up to Him who is the source of our true hope: “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7).

~Word for Life Says

In With the New

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“Out with the old, in with the new,” they say. Whether we are using that phrase to declutter closets or our lives, it awakens us to the possibility of allowing something fresh to enter.

Fresh can’t come when we hold on to unprofitable and unproductive things which is why countless individuals use the passing of the old year into the new as a marker for change in many areas of their lives.

As time goes by, we can often get into ruts or feel stale in our routines and daily lives, and we need this refreshing point to reinvigorate us, to reevaluate and reawaken our perspective, and challenge our resolve to do better and to do more. This is a time for redirecting paths that may have gone off-kilter in our relationships, work, ministry, health, life, etc.

When bringing in the new, what are we looking for? That is a question only you can answer for yourself.

When introducing the new for myself, I am looking for an increased awareness of distractions to my goals, which can help me navigate each one as it comes in a fitting manner.

Knowing that distractions will come since we live this thing called life, I am also trying to be more aware of my priorities.  How do I best use my time each day to get the most out of the gifts and life God has given me? Am I spending the proper amount of time developing the things that I say are “priorities,”  or am I just talking about them?

There is a measure of accountability with oneself that comes with those questions.  Am I happy with what I see?  If not, what can I do to improve those areas?  Where and how can I inspire and challenge change?

Approaching the idea of new is not supposed to be stressful or put a sour taste in your mouth as you grit words of resolve through your teeth.  It is a breath of fresh air, bringing with it renewed inspiration to work and/or improve areas of my own life where I desire to see positive adjustments made.

There are countless stories in the Bible where people had the chance to start over and walk into the new, but two of my favorites are Ruth and Abraham.  I find their experiences encouraging for all who are pressing forward and inviting this level of change in their lives. 

Ruth, especially, in the natural, lost everything.  And when she was willing to walk away from everything familiar, comfortable, and reliable – she found what she was walking toward to be so much more fulfilling.

Her story, like Abraham’s, stretched them to go forward into an unknown future, and holding on to faith in God, they went. Neither one of them knew exactly where each step would lead, but they walked forward and were greatly rewarded for their press, for their diligence, and for their continued faith in God.

Starting over, bringing in the new, and allowing these fresh steps to happen can look different for each person. The example of Ruth and Abraham can teach us all a little something about letting go of an unprofitable past and moving forward in faith (take time to read their stories in the Bible).

I don’t know what last year looked like for you and can’t predict what’s in store for this year.  As with Ruth and Abraham, we may not have all the answers about the future we are currently going into, but through it all, may we be found moving in the forward press of our faith in God.  As we are walking into the new and opening the door of our lives to allow this freshness in, be confident that He has us, and may we continue holding on to Him as we trust in God’s guiding hand, for He is the “same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Psalm 48:14

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8

Updated and Revised from January 1, 2022

Text Free Photo by Reynaldo #brigworkz Brigantty on Pexels.com

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Can vs. Can’t

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Friend, do you ever feel like you can’t? Oh, how that contraction of perplexity hinders our progress of moving forward. But as we prepare to cross the threshold into the new year, we can choose to override that contraction and replace it with the Bible’s language of faith. The Bible says we “CAN” and when it comes to our faith and where God is leading us in the next season of life, the words of Philippians 3:14 can be a great source of encouragement: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

~Word for Life Says

Upon My Knees

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Holy Affection,
upon my knees,
there I turn
with my heart’s pleas.

Near the cross
to Him, I bow,
request made known,
burdens laid down.

Unloaded griefs,
upon Christ, I stand,
blessed assurance,
promises in hand.

Helped and held
by relieving grace,
upon my knees,
I run this race.

Raised in courage,
full speed ahead,
for upon my knees,
my faith is fed.

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21

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“God’s Voice Over All!”

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Faith has never been about or worked by seeing what it is believing for first. Faith works independently of the visible. What true faith does is it grabs hold of and grounds itself with confidence that says, if God said it, that’s what I choose to believe. If His Word promotes something as true, then it must be true. End of discussion.

And yet, a discussion is often what we deal with. It comes through voices and ideas that speak contrary to what faith was hoping for. It speaks against what faith was believing for.

Today, refuse to enter those discussions. If “faith is the substance of things hoped for” then we must be mindful of what conversations are feeding our faith.  Communications with others, or even within one’s own self that speak doubt will sow seeds of discord against what God’s Word has already spoken to be true.

Refuse their arguments and hold on to that pull of God, that drawing of His voice that says, to just trust Him.  Trust what He says. Trust that His conversation, written in His Holy Book, is the one we need to draw an attentive ear to.  

If they could, many conversations of this world would pull you from His conversation of truth. But, hold on to what God says, dear friend, as if it is your life preserver in these tumultuous waves. Because it is.

If you keep your heart steadfastly focused on Him you will not soon be moved. Just as sure as He is, so are the beautiful things His Word promises us.

Where have you placed your confidence today? From upon what have you built your foundation of faith? Whose conversation is your ear giving more time to? And, whose words are feeding and supporting all that you believe?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Conversations contrary to that supporting faith – turn a deaf ear to, for they are not nourishing you where you need to be nourished. Those words are not building you where you need to be built.

Refuse their invitation to get involved with them, because when you are a child of God, what the Father speaks is what I need to hear the most. The best support system one can find, who is truly trying to live a life of faith, is going to be found in what God affirms as true in His Word. Get into agreement with Him.  Get into agreement with what He declares for your life and over your life, and avoid all other toxic discussions, for they will not profit you or your spiritual journey. 

Draw near to what God says.  Take every bit of it to heart and build your faith upon it.  In His Word resides the confirmation of everything you need. In His speaking, your faith will be made strong.   

~Blessings!

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“When my spirit was overwhelmed…”

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“When my spirit was overwhelmed…” those are the words David wrote at a very tumultuous time in his life.  He spent many days on the run, hiding, with his life hanging in the balance because the current king, Saul by name, had it in his mind to kill David without a second thought.  Therefore David ran, with many days running together into a blur of trying to stay out of Saul’s target range just to remain alive.

Some of those running experiences took him to a certain cave.  David was known for staying in a cave referred to as Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1).  This was a hiding place for him, but it was also a gathering place for his brothers and those from his father’s house to join him.  Some others who were also in “distress” and dealing with other issues of discontentment of the way things were joined forces with him as well in that place (1 Samuel 22:2).  There, David became a captain over this group of men, but also there, David prayed.

A life spent hiding in a cave and on the run is not a life anyone with a promise on him would deliberately sign up for.  But, this is where David found himself and it was overwhelming.  He has already been driven into the wilderness.  He had already escaped the throw of a javelin more than once that was purposed to end his life.  He had already dealt with a king whose anger, fear, and jealousy were eating him up and caused him to eye David with a suspicion that made his every step miserable.  He knew if he didn’t flee he would die and if he didn’t pray to the only God who could comfort and strengthen him through this whole situation, he would collapse because he was weak from it all.

That was one of the special things about David: he knew how to pray (Psalm 142:1-2).  He knew how to take everything he was facing to the Lord without hesitation.  It didn’t matter if he was dealing with enemies such as Saul, or if he was dealing with his own sin (Psalm 51) – David knew that there are times in this life that are just plain old overwhelming, and rather than get crushed, he prayed to the true God who could redeem him from the crush; who could lift him above that trials and the storms, and strengthen and heal the brokenness he was dealing with.

In that, David knew all that he was going through had never escaped God’s notice.  Every heart-rending prayer, every night of dealing with the unease of another attack from Saul, and every moment that caused him to be anxious over his situation, David confidently believed and stated, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path,” (Psalm 142:3).  Trouble may have seemed like it was following him everywhere he was going, but so were the eyes of God.  There was never a time when he was off of God’s radar, and neither are we.

Listen, we may not be hiding in a cave, but there may be other things that we are dealing with that cause us concern, and make us feel weak as if the world is crashing in us.  We may be in our own cave experience without a cave, but the same God who knew the path David was on, is the same God that knows the way you take also.  Psalm 139 assures us that God sees every part of us and He knows everything about us.  He knows our beginning from our end.  He sees.  He knows.  Our paths are not hidden from Him.  Everything is opened before Him!  Every trial, every test, every burden that you carry, and every overwhelming thing you are facing, God is very much aware of it all.  As our Sovereign, Heavenly Father, you dear child of God, are on His mind, and He knows.

He knows how hard it is for you right now.  He knows when the paths they push you on is unfair.  He knows the tears that you have cried all night long.  He knows the heartbreak that you constantly face.  He knows when some are against you and try to tear you down.  He knows it all.

When overwhelmed, David found comfort in releasing the pressure of everything he was feeling into the only hands that could truly help.  He released all his worries and pent-up frustrations into the hands of God.  He prayed and poured out every burden he was carrying at the throne of grace.  When nobody else stood with him, he prayed to the only God who would be there with him through the thick and thin of life, and he placed his confidence in Him.

Though situations may have tossed him about, they never tossed his faith.  David stayed planted with his hope steadfastly anchored in God.  Friend, whatever overwhelming situation you are facing today, I pray that you would mimic the steps David took in dealing with the hardships of life, and take it to the Lord in prayer.  And, not only take to Him in prayer but keep your hope anchored in Him as well.

At the end of David’s Psalm 142 prayer, he stated boldly and confidently, “For thou shall deal bountifully with me,” (vs. 7).  David knew, in the end, faithfulness always wins out.  We may not be able to personally do anything about some of the stuff we face, but God can.  If we don’t quit; if we handle our “overwhelming” moments by remaining secured in the God who can save, heal, and deliver – no matter what distress or hardship we currently face, in the end, God has the final say over it.  Believe as David believed and trust God through it all.

Life can feel overwhelming at times, but nothing we face will ever overwhelm God.  When everything seems to come crashing down all around you, God is the one who can raise you above it all.  Every dark night, He can turn into a day.  In times of mourning, He can bring comfort.  In the days when you see nothing but ashes, He can make it into something beautiful.  In the cave experiences of our life, we can find hope, because He knows and will be there with us through it all.  “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” (Psalm 61:2).

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What to do with days when things just aren’t going right?

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What to do with this day when things aren’t clicking and time keeps ticking?  When things refuse to fall into the designated places you had for them?  When it feels like it’s completely squashed before it starts?  So many plans lay ahead but the weight, the feeling, and the pressure of it all leaves one with a sense of having things unaccomplished and unfulfilled.  To look on the outside, it seems that everyone else is getting on with this day and their doings, but the fight in here, right now, and the press that comes with it, it just doesn’t seem to want to work out.  All the gears for all the mechanics of this day are present, in place, and spinning, but they are just not grabbing correctly to move what we are trying to achieve successfully.

What to do with this day when there seems to be conflict and strain with one another?  When relationships don’t hug the way you want them to hug or love in a way you want to be loved?  When misunderstandings, assuming, and yes, even one’s own personal views on a matter put barriers between the spirit of fellowship and love.  When hurts cause one’s steps to move ever so fragile as if on eggshells, fearing the disappointment and disapproval of someone else?

What to do with this day when rogue feelings break away from the pack you had planned for the day and invade and try to rob you of the potential joy that lay ahead in the hours to come?  Thieves of insecurity.  Thieves of shame.  Thieves of feeling woefully torn.  These thieves come with many hideous and damaging names.  The day was brand new and fresh at the start, but that didn’t stop these unwanted parasitic nuisances from latching on and tainting it with the feelings of mess-ups, adversity, pain, and disappointments from your yesterdays.

So, what to do with these kinds of days when our plans, people, or feelings just don’t want to cooperate with the vision you had set for it?

Give it to God!  That one answer tells us how to deal with it, the proper response to it, and what to do with the rest of it.  This is not some Christian rhetoric or cliche.  It is a solid truth that we can stand on and base our faith upon.  We give it to God.

The real truth is that at any given time on any given day, we will all or have all experienced one or many of the daily upsets listed above (and sometimes even more than these).  It is all a part of life, a part that can really throw us off-kilter if we don’t process it right and deal with it in the right way.

Therefore, when everything is going absolutely bonkers, sometimes without rhyme or reason; when nothing within our power or control is working, we give it all to Him who has all power and control.  Not as a mythical genie creature whose bottle we rub to have things or people turn out how we want them to.  But, as releasing it to His majesty and sovereign will.  It’s saying, “I trust you, God.”  Whether this day turns out how I configured it or not, my plans, my people, my times, my heart, and my feelings are all in Your hands.

God is not only the Creator of all the universe and the Author of all mankind, but He is concerned about your daily needs for each individual day also.  All the areas that need filling, all the upsets that need dealing with, all the plans that need to be taken care of, and all the worries that bog us down – He’s concerned about it all.

But, as we release the day to Him we must also realize His best answer for us may be to not move everything or anything into the places where we see fit.  Sometimes, His best answer for what we are going through with this day is to let us learn from it, experience it, and still maintain trust in Him.  Regardless of how it goes forward, despite what we feel in the process, no matter who we are dealing with and how we are dealing with them – He still sees it all, knows it all, and has it all in His loving and powerful hands.

So, when days like this come, we give it to God, step back, and just trust Him for every part of it.

Here are some verses and prayers to hold in your heart when the days just aren’t going right for you:

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Father God, I acknowledge that I don’t know everything about this day, my future, or even how to properly respond to it all.  I pray for Your leading to show me the right path to walk so that my life might be pleasing in Your sight.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”

Father God, the end of all things may be vague to me or even remain a mystery.  Help my heart hold on to the very real fact that You knew me from the beginning and You know how my story ends; and that if I am in Your hands, then I am in Your plan.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Psalm 126:6 “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Father God, my tears and confusion for the day, You see it all.  Help me to know that it is not all in vain.  Let my confidence be in You and Your love for me above all else, knowing that for every sadness, there will be joy.  When You restore, for every sorrow sown there will be a reaping of happiness and peace.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.