Tag: inspirational Christian article

Life goes by quicker than we know . . .

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“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24

It was Kurt Vonnegut that is quoted as saying, “Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the BIG THINGS.” I could not agree more. Things that we deem big often scream at us for attention, but the little things, the things that seem inconsequential, the things we can easily overlook – boy, are those precious moments huge. May we not miss the magnitude of their importance.

Life goes by quicker than we know it. May we stop to smell the roses. May we grab a hug from a friend along the way. May we cherish the tender moments God gives and enjoy the small things in life. For in them is a treasure of experiences we get to enjoy. Every day is a gift. Every day God presents us with big things to celebrate and love. We just have to slow down long enough to recognize them for the true value they are.

Have a very blessed Saturday ~

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.” Ecclesiastes 5:18

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. 

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“Your Anointing is Dangerous, but it’s Worth It!”

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A shepherd boy who had been forgotten when Samuel came to call, David was treated as a “less than” by everyone who knew him the most, except God.

God, looking past his outer array saw something special in him. He instructed Samuel to, “Arise, anoint him: for this is he,” (1 Samuel 16:12). Following God’s lead, “Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward,” (1 Samuel 16:13).

Not only had he been empowered and anointed by God’s Spirit on that day, but his life has never been the same since then. Because of the anointing in his life, David experienced ups and downs; he experienced victories, and he experienced times of loss. But in the end, he is still known as one of Israel’s greatest kings; as the bloodline through whom our Lord Jesus Christ came, and as a man after God’s own heart, Acts 13:22.

What David gained, Saul lost. As David became empowered by God’s Spirit, Saul was stripped of this anointed pleasure and replaced by something evil, 1 Samuel 16:14. This made David a continual target of hatred and adversity. What started out as a relationship of love (1 Samuel 16:21) quickly turned to envy and hatred after David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines because the women of the city sang, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,” (1 Samuel 18:7).

Saul knew he was on a downward spiral and as a bird of prey perched to claim his next victim, “Saul eyed David from that day and forward,” (1 Samuel 18:9). Even when David was sent to relieve Saul of the distressing spirit that had come upon him, his life became an endangered treasure as the javelin of hatred whisked through the air intent on taking his life, 1 Samuel 18:10-11.

The LORD was with David. The people loved David. The anointing was on David, but that didn’t mean people wouldn’t try to squash what God was trying to accomplish in his life. David was at times a fugitive, constantly on the run, but he escaped time and again in what I am attributing to the providence of God.

At one point, in a dark cave in the wilderness of En-gedi, David had the opportunity to rid himself of the provocation of Saul once and for all. Yet, David refused to come against anything or anyone who had once been anointed by God, 1 Samuel 24:6.

This did not immediately vanquish Saul’s pursuit of David. Not until Saul perished in the battle against the Philistines did David become free of this enemy who pursued his life, 1 Samuel 31.

Hear this, we may not be aligned to be a great king of Israel or the like, but the Bible tells us, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people,” (1 Peter 2:9a). The anointing on your life makes you and me something and someone special before God.

The rest of 1 Peter 2:9 states, “That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” Because God has poured His oil of anointing, through the power of His Holy Spirit, upon each and everyone that belongs to Him, we are designed to make a mark for Him in this world.

This anointing will bring enemies and battles, and yes, at times may seem dangerous, yet, “He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God,” (2 Corinthians 1:21). God is the one that has anointed us, and “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Through Jesus Christ; through the power of His Spirit in us, we have been called and blessed to walk in the power of all God designed each one of us to be. Don’t let your circumstances dictate your anointing. Don’t let the Sauls of your life pierce through what God has divinely appointed for you. David ran for his life yet God’s plan for him never faltered. He was set aside for the Master’s use, and so are we.

There will always be adversity against God’s anointing, but if God anointed you choose today to walk in all that He has blessed you to be. Your anointing may seem dangerous at times, but in the end, it is well worth it. Just ask David.

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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Alive in Us | The God We Feel!

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God is not only this great and wonderful God that we read and learn about, but in our walk with Him we experience Him; we feel Him in every area of our lives, and through every situation we face. Even if words escape us and we can’t properly explain it, and even if we don’t see it clearly right now, we know that He is there because we can feel Him alive in us, working around us and through us, covering us, carry us, and holding us through it all.

“The God We Feel!” — Word For Life Says…

“Jesus Didn’t Let Discouragement Win!” — Word For Life Says…

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Discouragement is a pit that we don’t have to waste time swimming in. As children of God, we are made for so much more! Sometimes it does get hard, but we must make a conscious decision to respond the way Jesus did and to not let it frustrate us from everything that God has for us, and everything He wants us to be and do.

“Jesus Didn’t Let Discouragement Win!” — Word For Life Says…

Your Heart, God’s Temple

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“So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the Lord.” 1 Kings 7:51

As you read and study, you begin to realize the amount of lavished riches that went into constructing and furnishing the original temple that Solomon built for the house of the LORD (and, rightly so). Yet, as lavished and as wonderful a sight it must have been to behold and walk through, with silver and gold this and that everywhere, the grand temple in which God truly desires to live is in the simplicity of the human heart; a place where He can abide and guide by His Spirit.

It may not appear to the human eye to be as beautiful and as ornamentally decked out as that magnificent building, but to God, a heart that loves Him, and makes room for Him to dwell – there are no luxurious accommodations found on this earth that can compare.

Jesus taught, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23), showing it is the temple of our hearts where He desires to reside.

Paul taught in Corinthians: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16), and “. . . for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).

A lot of people are living for a showy outside life, but it’s the treasury of your heart God values the most because it is in this place He wants to reign, rule, and abide through His Spirit. The lavished, ornamental details of a physical building cannot compare to a heart that has been made a ready place for God to dwell.

While we are still called to gather together to worship God, learn of His Word, and edify one another (Hebrews 10:35), everyone has the individual responsibility to prepare their hearts to be a place where God wants to be.

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22 (I suggest reading Ephesians 2 in its entirety)

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

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.

Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control over) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.

“Singing in the Rain!”

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Today, like most days here lately, it’s rainy, dreary and of the dismal sort.  It’s the kind of cold, wet rain that settles down in your bones which you can’t seem to warm up from.  It makes you want to crawl back under the covers and wait for a better day.

But real life is here with a call each and every day that must be answered, compelling us to rise and get going no matter what the weather is outside.  Answering that call on a  morning such as this, I remember one day when I drove across the highway to take my daughter to her college campus.  On the way home I saw something that put a smile on my face.  A man was walking in the rain with a bright orange raincoat.  He was literally bouncing along with happiness in his steps.  His mouth was moving and he appeared to be singing.  It was as if he was dictating his day; as if he was telling the rain he was not going to let the dreariness get him down.

Oh, how true does that ring out in life?  How many dreary situations have kept us from enjoying the day; from enjoying each and every moment God has given us above ground?  Unfortunately, as life goes on we find that every day is not peaches and cream.  Times of trouble and hardship can arouse the rainy day blues in anybody.

Psalm 137:4 asks, “How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”  How many times have we felt it hard to work up the happiness inside when going through difficult times?  But Psalm 43:5 declares, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

In other words, Sing in the Rain!  

I feel like getting on board with the attitude of the guy in the orange raincoat.  There you can catch me Singing in the Rain today, too.  After all, we still have a reason to praise God no matter what.  My hope for this day and every day is in Him.  

God Bless!

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.

Times of Refreshing

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After an extremely busy day yesterday, this morning during my devotion time, I was blessed with the most beautiful of songs.

I sat in my time of quietness and I listened as the birds of the morning sang their song. Although Spring is not fully upon us (it’s 32° here right now), this prelude of its coming, the songs of those beautiful birds refreshed me, inspired me, and lifted me for the day ahead.

And that is how our Heavenly Father works. He really does know what you need. He knows how to fill the gaps where you may feel depleted. He knows how to refresh you to tackle new days, new moments, and new challenges.

Sometimes, these times of refreshing won’t be found in big events that scream, “Look at me!” Sometimes it is found in something as simple as a bird’s song.

“For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

More Inspiration:

“Come to the Waters”

“Restored!”

Text Free Image by Piet van de Wiel from Pixabay 

“Eternally Named!”

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“Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.” Isaiah 56:5

Did you grow up wishing for a new name? Sometimes, do you wish you could hide behind the identity of another? God has a “new name” promise in heaven for you. No need to hide, but in Him, literally, all things are made new, including my name.

Names are important. People are identified by their names. Reputations hang on the pegs of one’s name.

Names can come by way of the thoughtful contemplation of parents. Names can also attach themselves to people and children through hurtful expressions.

With God, names always matter. But also with God, whatever name you carry in this world, were assigned to, or cruelly called by another – it will fade and mean nothing in His heavenly courts (just make sure your name is one that is written in the “book of life” Revelation 20:11-15; see also Revelation 13:8).

In red-lettered words, written in Revelation, we have this promise from our Lord: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it” (2:17, my added emphasis).

Those words are so encouraging if you have ever felt the sting of being called out of your given name or had your reputation smeared. Those words give promise if you felt like you have been shouldering a burden that has attached itself too familiarly to your name. Those words speak newness if you have ever had to fight to come from under the umbrella of what people have called you, or even what you have called yourself.

In Isaiah 55, the invitation is given to everyone who thirsts to come and partake of this promise of the new. This promise is for any, no matter their background, origin, or what have you, to gather to God, to be His people, and to reap the glorious blessings of His covenants and promise which also include “an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.”

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.

Please Note: Ads below or referenced on this site are prefabricated and mass-produced (of which I currently have no control over) and DO NOT necessarily represent the views and/or beliefs of this site and its admin.

More than we could ever imagine…

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“Behold, God is mine helper…” Psalm 54:4

Prayer does not have to be hard.  Previously, I published an article titled, “God, I need Help” and revisiting that article, I think, ain’t that the truth.  

The simplicity of our hearts crying out to our God, is really all it takes.  There is no reason to have some convoluted plan to try to “persuade” God (if that’s the way we want to think of it) into hearing and responding to our prayers.  As our Heavenly Father, not only does He hear, but He personally concerns Himself with every area of our lives.

Isn’t that a wonderful thought?  

But, He doesn’t stop there.  

God also gives us more help than we could ever imagine because we are more important to Him than we could ever imagine.  And I think this is where many allow their faith or lack thereof to be swayed like a pendulum, swinging between belief and unbelief of just how much God cares for each of us individually.

 Swing and sway no more, my friend.  Today, let us just focus on trusting God enough to simply ask and believe?  

That is really all it boils down to, a simple ask with a simple belief. 

David, in the above psalm, after praying, “Save me, O God, by thy name… Hear my prayer, O God” (Psalm 54:1-2), simply says, “God is mine helper.”  Do you see the confidence in that statement?  Do you see how personally he knew that God was for Him?  When others were after him and still others sold him out, David remained assured in his faith that God would see him through every trial and work out what he wasn’t able to.  David knew, through past experiences, just to believe God in the midst of whatever he may be facing.

“God is mine helper.”  Is that your declaration today?  If it’s not, it can be.  Don’t overcomplicate your needs, your prayers, and the ability of your God to help.  Simply ask.  Simply remain confident.  Simply believe.  And just hold on and let God work it out.  God knows what He’s doing. 

God is for us more than we could ever imagine.  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:6).   

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.