Tag: Inspirational Bible Devotions

“Get Your Hopes Up!” – Word For Life Says

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When discussing your dreams, ambitions,  and life goals there are two types of people you deal with: the pessimist and the optimist.  The pessimists have the habit of speaking negativity into everything that comes across their path.  And, if one is really stepping out on faith and shooting for the moon with a certain determined objective in mind, one that doesn’t fit into the ordinary way one may think, it usually eggs this negative Nelly on to speak even more of all the things that could go wrong.

Whereas, the optimist doesn’t see the same barriers the pessimist sees.  The optimists believe that if you want to shoot for the moon, shoot, and don’t stop until you land on it.  For this one, there is no such thing as an unattainable goal.  “If you can dream it, you can live it,” is their life motto.

There are a lot of things that many of us want to do in life but setbacks cause some to shrink away from those dreams.  The fighting to press forward before can damper the will to fight again to see desires fulfilled.

But, in our Christian journey, if we do nothing else, we walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7).  Everything we believe in and look forward to is based on hope and expectation.  There are many things we can’t see in this present day, but a glorious future is whispered in our ears by the voice of hope; the voice that never stops believing there is more.  There is greater to come because God has declared it throughout His Word.

While the world tries to dim your light and say, “Don’t get your hopes up;” I say, “Get your hopes up” and get excited about what God wants to do through His people in this new year!  Enter this year with expectations raised higher than ever before!  Don’t shrink back, but stir up the hope within and believe so much more!  Reach beyond even the positivity of the optimist and declare, “I am a hope-imist!”

Why?

Because…

“I am a child of God who is favored!” (Num. 6:25-26; Ps. 5:12; 30:5; Gal. 3:26)

“I have an enduring hope!” (Ps. 71:14; Pro. 23:18; Isa. 40:31; Mk. 9:23)

“I am special to God!” (Jer. 1:5; Luk. 12:7; 1Pet. 2:9)

“His plans for me are so much greater than I can envision!” (Jud. 6-7; Pro. 9:2; Jer. 29:11)

“I have a reason to believe!” (Gen. 15:6; Ps. 112:7; Joh. 3:16; Mk. 11:24)

“I have a reason to keep pressing on!” (2 Chr. 15:7; Job 17:9; Gal. 6:9-10; Phi. 3:14; Jam. 1:12)

“I have a reason to expect victory in the end!” (Deu. 20:4; Joh. 16:33; Rom. 8:37; Phi. 4:13; 1 Joh. 5:4)

“I am in the plan of God!” (Ps. 138:8; Mat. 6:25-34; Eph. 2:10; Phi. 1:6)

…Therefore, I will get my hopes up!  I will believe in the best for this new year ahead!

Scripture Prayers:

“Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” Psalm 33:22

“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

Text Free Image by Nanne Tiggelman from Pixabay

Reposted from a previous article

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“Take it to the Cross!”

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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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“Embracing the Promises of God!”

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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

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com articles/lessons/worksheets may not be copied or redistributed without the express written permission of WordforLifeSays.com.  Please see the COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.  Blessings to you.

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“You Make a Difference to God!”

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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!

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com articles/lessons/worksheets may not be copied or redistributed without the express written permission of WordforLifeSays.com.  Please see the COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.  Blessings to you.

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I am a lifter…

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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

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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, 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.

“God Puts Gladness in My Heart!”

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Circumstances don’t dictate a child of God’s joy.
Daily things can and will happen that will throw
us for a loop, but the joy we have in Him is real.
The joy that we have in God cannot soon be
shaken by the cares and the drama of this life.
The joy we have in Him will stand the test of
time.

Times of increase is wonderful. Times of
blessings are great. But, the greatest thing we
could ever experience is that gladness in our
hearts that God puts there because we have
experienced Him for ourselves; because we are
in a relationship with Him. No matter what’s
going on today, hold on and remember, “The
joy of the LORD is your strength,”
Nehemiah 8:10. What a great feeling!

It’s a Promise!

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“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth,” Genesis 9:13

This morning I was reminded of a day long ago when I woke up feeling, well . . . .  blah!!!  That day, I had a headache, no energy, and not feeling really with it.  It had been a hard week and it took its toll on my body.  That day, and the original post I wrote, came to mind this morning and I decided to share some of it again here.

I remember looking for something to wear and I reached into my closet and pulled out a white shirt (black and white shirts are a standby for me because they usually don’t have to be ironed 🙂 – telling on myself, I know).  But, even though it didn’t need to be ironed, I put it back declaring, in my dreariness that day that I needed a pop of color.

As I was going through the drudgery of ironing my pop of color, I wondered if that’s why God made His covenant with Noah and all the earth in the form of a rainbow.  After the rains and the storms of life, after the hardships and turmoils, after being tossed about to and fro, maybe we all need that promise in a pop of color. We all need that beautiful and colorful covenant to gaze upon to let us know that despite what we are going through, God’s got this and His promises never fail (Joshua 21:45).  

Today, I don’t know where life may find you or what you are going through.  I don’t know if you have rain and storms with the possibility of seeing a physical rainbow at the end.  I don’t know how your day begins or ends, but God does.  I don’t know how it will all turn out, but our Heavenly Father is still watching over His children.  He is sovereign, beautiful, and perfect in plans (Jeremiah 29:11), and He does all things well. 

Friends, the rainbow is just one of the beautiful reminders of God’s hand and promise in our lives.  Never are we left to fight these circumstances alone (Isaiah 41:10; Hebrews 13:5).  Never are we left without the assurance we have in our God who is for us (Psalm 56:9; 118:7; Romans 8:31).  So today, if you need it, here is your promise in a pop of color.  

Blessings ~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com articles/lessons/worksheets may not be copied or redistributed without the express written permission of WordforLifeSays.com.  Please see the COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.  Blessings to you.

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“Location, Location, Location” – Word For Life Says

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“Location, location, location,” that’s the real estate mantra.  No matter what a house looks like or the sad condition it may be in it can always be repaired or rebuilt.  The location, however, is not so easily changed.  Particularly, if there is a certain view that can’t be matched with landscaping caressing the horizon which can’t be found in another location.  So, location for some is the deciding factor of whether or not they want to purchase a certain property.

As I was thinking about this and I realized location is really involved in many areas of our lives, not just our actual residence because location is where we center things.  It’s where we place and position our stuff.  It’s where we are established.

When it comes to our Christian faith, where we are established and what is placed in position in us speaks volumes about where our heart is, and in it, what resides there?

The Bible tells us, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being…” (Acts 17:28).  “In Him” is the location of the believer.  Our hearts readily admit that God is our source and reason for existence.  Every fiber of our being recognizes that because He is, we are.  In the innermost parts of us, we see not only our physical lifeline being shored up in Him but our spiritual as well.

As the source of all life, God is also the source of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  He is the reason we believe (Hebrews 11:6).  In Him, we are located.  In Him, we are found.  God is the reason for us, and we, by faith, plant ourselves in that truth.  Through Jesus Christ, our eternal lives are secured in Him.

When we get connected with God in such a way, God gets connected to us.  He dwells in us (John 14:23; Ephesians 3:17) and He strengthens us by His Spirit in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16).

Plain and simple, when we are found in Him, He can be found in us.  It’s all about location.  And, in order to have Him here with us, we need to be where He is.

The first step is to make sure you are “in Him.”  That you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.  That your eternal life is secured on the foundation of God’s loving sacrifice of His Son.

When you do that, you open the door of your heart to receive Him, to receive His Spirit in you.  Acts 2:38 explains it like this, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” (see also John 3:5).

God’s Spirit locates Himself in the crevice of your heart and soul and you move and order your life according to His leading and guiding.  “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you,” (John 14:26).  When we are centered in Him and Him in us, our eternal location shall be established forever and we can live this life with full assurance that we will not be moved from His everlasting promise.  On that coming day, as we come into our heavenly home, we can say we are there because we allowed Him in our hearts while we were here.  It’s all about location.

Purpose in the Struggle | Another Look at the Hardships Faced in Our Christian Journey

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Why, we may wonder, why God does not just remove every obstacle and resistance to our faith?  Why in this journey must we fight?  Why must we strive against adversity in reaching where we are aiming to be?

Can a faith that is not exercised truly be called faith?  For if the road traveled is always smooth and the pathways are always leveled plains, how then will we ever learn to climb?  How will we learn to exert our muscles and pull our weight to mount upon the top? 

More strength only comes by using more strength.  More faith only comes by being forced to use more faith.  We can only learn to climb by experience.  We can only learn to push ahead by continuing to push ahead.  We can only learn to fight by being made to fight.

There are things that God knows His people will only learn by going through them.  That’s why Judges 3:2 says, “Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;”. 

When choosing multiple services in life we tend to want to choose those with experience.  Take getting a simple hair cut for example.  We want those who have had plenty of practice perfecting their skill before attempting to put scissors near our heads which could alter the way we look for good or for bad.

God has many plans and purposes for His people but what we fail to see or have the patience for is the seasoning of the saint, the molding and perfecting that goes on behind the scenes.

I guarantee no one whom you have read about or seen doing great exploits for the Lord, just fell into that role ready to go.  There was some teaching.  There was some humbling.  There was some learning along the way.  It may have been behind closed doors and away from the eyes of the public, but God takes the time to make sure His vessels are properly prepared to go forth and hold all the potential and purposes He has for them.

The children of Israel might have been concerned as to why certain enemies were left in the neighboring surroundings.  By them, God was testing His people.  By them, God was teaching those to war who had never known war before.  God was causing faith muscles to be exercised.  He was training hearts to not focus on what they see in the enemy but on what they know about their God.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” (1 Peter 4:12).  There is no struggle or contention that does not come without a purpose.  Though it may not be pleasant it is plentifully seasoning your walk with the Lord.  Like the children of Israel, it is teaching your hands to war.

One can never be a good soldier without ever facing contentions.  One can never learn to fight unless they have been made to fight.  One can never learn to pray in earnest if they never had that petition that would draw them to the knee with fervency.  And one could never learn to seek and lean on Him if their heart were never stirred to do so through the challenges faced.

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” (1 Peter 1:6-7).  It may not always feel like it, and it may not always feel good, but there is purpose in the hardships we face, especially when it comes to our faith which is found more praiseworthy in the eyes of Christ than gold that will perish.

Sometimes we may not understand everything and we may ask, “Why?”  But as we journey, may our eyes never leave Him who promised and is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).  Take heart, dear friend.  Through it all, at the end of our Christian race, we may look back and see the fruit those hard times produced, and we may see the purpose in the struggles.

“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10).

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com articles/lessons/worksheets may not be copied or redistributed without the express written permission of WordforLifeSays.com.  Please see the COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.  Blessings to you.

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He Knows Your Walking!

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“He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.” Deuteronomy 2:7

He knows your walking.  Every step you take has His attention.  The wilderness comes with many perils.  The wilderness can be a place of lack, yet God reminds His people, “thou hast lacked nothing,” Deut. 2:7.

What wilderness are you in right now?  Our God knows.  Does your desert place bring tears?  Is companionship missing in your world?  Nothing is hidden from the eyes of our Father.  The steps you take in this weary land are marked with His supreme knowledge.

When Moses rehearsed their traveling through this land, he reminded them of the good times and the bad – and yet, through it all, God saw their walking.  As His beloved, He knew where they were and what they were dealing with.

The same can be said for each of us.  God sees the paths we take.  He sees the trudging through the murky times.  He sees the hard roads traveled.  He recognizes that every trip is not a time of prancing through the peaceful meadows, but there are hills to climb, some slippery, some steep.  He recognizes the sweat and the effort it takes to keep going.  He sees every choice, every footfall.

My friends,  some days when we walk it seems we are walking through a river of tears, walking in waters too deep with currents that are too strong.  But the encouragement for our souls is it is not lost on our God and no step we take is wasted.  Every step in the right direction, regardless of how hard it may be, will lead to our place of promise.

Some days it may seem that we are walking in circles – not sure what we are doing or where we are going.  But while we are walking, we can walk with hope.  We can walk in faith (yes, even if you can’t feel it, we can still step out in faith by just moving forward).  We can walk in the confidence in the victory that lay ahead for us.

In the unsure moments, the disappointing moments, and the hurting moments, He sees it all.

Knowing that God sees me walking through this great wilderness brings a special measure of comfort to my soul.  The wilderness may take its toll on you, and it may even make us question some things along the way – but, even then, and even there, our steps are known.  Our hearts can be filled with this great truth even in the wilderness.

My friends, we hold so much in us while we are walking through this wilderness.  We experience so much in this dry place.  Each of us has encountered a wilderness area we may be walking through, have walked through, or are about to walk through.  It is in this season of life, that the struggle from day to day can be overwhelming.  For some, you have walked so long and so far, that you may feel like you are lost in a desert.  But, no matter what stage of your walking, God still sees you.  His eyes have not left you and His heart is for you.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com articles/lessons/worksheets may not be copied or redistributed without the express written permission of WordforLifeSays.com.  Please see the COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.  Blessings to you.

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