Tag: encouragement for the Christian walk

sun above the clouds, encouraging God is forever faithful, Hebrews 13:5

Above the Clouds

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This morning, when I drew back my curtains, the day wasn’t as sunny as before. Although there is no rain in the forecast, the clouds sit heavy in the sky. At a time of day when the sun is usually shining its brightest,  the heaviness of the clouds makes the atmosphere feel dull and dreary.

But then a beautiful reminder dropped in my heart: above the clouds, the sun is still shining. Though we cannot see one ray breaking through, it does not change that truth. Even when there is no evidence to speak against what you see, the sun is still there doing its thing. It has not changed or stopped being the sun.

And neither has God changed or stopped being who He is. Life’s circumstances can sometimes speak contrary to that beautiful truth, making us believe something different. Regardless of the heaviness of clouds we may face in life, our Heavenly Father is still faithfully on His throne, being the great and wonderful God that He is.

Even if we cannot see one ray of evidence, hold on, dear friend, to the faithfulness of our God who said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

It’s not what it looks like. The clouds may be there, but they will never overcome or overshadow who God is in our lives. He is faithfully our Heavenly Father who can never be dulled or dismayed. The times may speak contrary, but He still is there, above the clouds of life, forever shining for you and me.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” Psalm 27:1-6

Blessings~

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“Walk on Your Unique Path”

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I don’t pray anymore for faith like Abraham’s or courage like David’s, or for any other qualities modeled by someone else.

Their lives are significant, and we can learn from them—but God is writing something personal in each of us. Every one of us carries aspects of ourselves that God wants to shape, refine, and bring to life. When we yield to His molding process, we become the version of ourselves that He intended from the beginning.

I want to become the best version of me that God desires. I’ve realized He has placed a unique beauty and originality within every person. Together, we each bring a distinct “flavor” to the larger story of humanity.

The stories of others can inspire us and offer guidance, but trying to replicate someone else’s journey can leave us discouraged when our path doesn’t look like theirs. And that’s because it was their story—not ours.

God sees the beauty in who you are and in the path you walk with Him.

We honor the footsteps of those who have gone before us, but we also embrace the truth that our road may look different. The beauty of your life rests in who God designed you to be.

The best version of you isn’t found in imitation—it’s found in His intention.

“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

Blessings ~

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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. 

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.