His Stripes | Healing for Every Area of Life

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023Leave a comment

“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

Those words from the prophet Isaiah are words we are reminded of when facing sicknesses or other health crises. It’s the first go-to verse others will use when attempting to encourage those dealing with such maladies. Yet, the Bible doesn’t narrow the power and authority of this verse or its meaning to only travel down the avenue of physical pain and/or illness. No, my friend. Its scope and range are mighty for so much more.

Healing is not limited to only what the body is dealing with. As a whole person, we may have other areas that may seem out of whack that need the touch of the Savior’s sacrificing blood to flow toward its troubles and restore, fix, and yes, heal, whatever ails a person.

What’s to stop the power of His sacrifice from flowing into the crevices of relationships or to help in any number of places and with the many decisions we face, along with the hope of health for the body?

The stripes that tore His flesh cannot be confined to just the healing of the flesh. Today, when you think of the word healing, what area of your life instantly comes to mind at this moment? It may be a physical illness that you are dealing with, and I stand in prayer with you over it. But, does something else come to mind? A hurt that is not physical? Resoration sought in another area? His stripes come to heal all areas of our lives, and I pray for the places where you need His healing touch, be it heart, mind, body, life, relationships, or wherever. Don’t limit the power of His sacrifice. Do not limit the impact this great word and promise can have in your life.

Whatever came to mind when I asked you, “when you think of the word healing, what comes to mind?”, even this, even that thing that instantly came to mind, He is able to heal and cure the worst of it.

O Lord, we pray, that You would touch us and keep us under Your healing flow, no matter what issues we may encounter today. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN!

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The Grace of Time

February 28, 2023Leave a comment

Have you ever thought of the many different ways the grace of God shows up in our lives? Have you ever taken a moment to reflect on His great gift of time?

Time. Oh, how precious it is. For every second that has passed, there will not be another in its place. Once those moments, hours, days, and years are gone, they are gone.

Time is not a reusable commodity. It’s a use-it-while-you-have-it reality.

Therefore, when I think about time, I think of each precious bit that is doled out to us daily, not only as a gift but as God’s grace at work in our lives once again.

The grace of time can present itself in so many ways. Perhaps, it’s found in just the few extra seconds the light stayed green for you during a hectic morning rush. It could be found in the opportunity to hold a dear one a little bit longer. At one point in the Bible, God even graced Joshua and the army of Israel with more time to advance against their enemies by holding the sun and the moon still (Joshua 10:12-13).

But I think the most precious grace of time is seen in the longsuffering of our Heavenly Father. 2 Peter 3:9 shows us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” This verse shows us the love in action behind the grace of time. It shows us that our eternal God, who is not bound by the hours on the clock, holding off the final day of judgment for a little while longer to give as many as possible the chance to repent and turn their lives around.

This grace of time isn’t for us to determine when it is done. The judgment of time belongs to the Father. Even Jesus said, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father,” (Mark 13:32).

To that, He adds, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is,” (Mark 13:33).

How wise it would be for us to take a page from David’s story and acknowledge, “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding,” (1 Chronicles 29:15).

With that being said, Father God, we thank You for this day that you have given us, and we thank You for the grace of time.

“My times are in thy hand . . .” Psalm 31:15

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16

From the Inside Out

February 21, 2023February 21, 2023Leave a comment

No matter how good we look on the outside, or how well we can talk, or how much we have acquired, if our hearts and minds are not right, it is all in vain. Father God, I want to be right from the inside out. “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.

When Little Means a Lot!

February 13, 2023February 8, 2023Leave a comment

There are few places in life where it seems anything associated with the word little is appreciated. And while our culture and this world tend to only see the big things, the grand, the outlandishly oversized as important to regard, the Bible continually teaches us that those things that we consider to be little, mean so much more.

For instance, Psalm 37:16 lets us know, “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.” It’s all a matter of where value is placed. The values that the righteous man has within him because of his relationship with God far exceed the value of things, stuff, and money many wicked together can possess. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven . . .” (Mt. 6:19-20). Little possessions may not account for much here, but a heart rich in Jesus is worth so much more, here, and in heaven.

Another thing our culture celebrates is the idea of success, especially what appears to be an instant or overnight success. In an age where clicks to like can boost an “influencer’s” reputation or clout, it Is not hard to imagine the rise of some to happen so quickly. And yet, the Bible asks this in Zechariah: “For who hath despised the day of small things?” (4:10).

All success is not bad. In fact, we are encouraged many times in the Bible to work, work hard, and put in full effort. But what is bad is the worship of success and the comparison trap it can bring. The groundwork of what God wants to do in your life is going to need an awesome foundation, and any good foundation takes time to build.

Clicks, likes, and human recognition may not have you shooting ahead fast as lightning, but your progress in God, your progress in what and how He is leading you to build, is worth so much more, even if it takes a little bit longer.

A little in God’s kingdom can do mighty works. And the Bible teaches us “if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed” (Lk. 17:6; Mt. 17:20, and 21:21), you can do amazing things. It’s not always about increasing, as the disciples once asked (Lk. 17:5), it’s about working with what you presently possess. And if what you presently possess is not much, God can multiply that if you just will use your little bit.

With God, size doesn’t matter, but source does. If you look at what you have and you depend on that as your source, that is not faith – God’s not interested in that. But if He’s your authentic, true-enough source; if it is to Him you are raising your eyes to heaven, with your two fish and five little loaves (Mt. 14:17-19) – now, that kind of reliant faith is something He can work with.

Friends, I have only touched the tip of the iceberg here to teach you that with God, a little means a whole lot. But I hope it’s enough to encourage you to stop comparing where you are with another’s progress. Don’t let discouraging thoughts discount the value in you. You are important. What you have is important, no matter how any other views it, even if it appears to only be a little.

“There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.” Proverbs 30:24-28

Little things can make a big difference.

You Are Not the Only One

February 1, 2023February 1, 2023Leave a comment

You are seen. You are heard. You are not alone.

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“. . . knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:9

Sadness. Sorrow. Pain. Sickness. Disappointment with others. Disappointment with yourself. Hurt. Betrayal, and more, can make anyone feel like they are living on an isolated island of despair. While others may be physically near, the trials and troubles we encounter in this world can often make people feel alone, as if they are the only ones going through anything adverse or hard at the moment.

But the truth is, no matter the smile that splits across a face, and no matter how a social media post may read, people, every day, are suffering behind the façade. Some are excellent at grinning and bearing it, while others will show you only what they want you to see. Different people handle their different circumstances in different ways, but it does not mean they are not going through hardship or dealing with adversity.

It is easy to feel alone in the midst of trials. The enemy would like nothing more than for you to think this way because when we feel alone, we tend to pull back into hiding, and we pull back our trust. We don’t share with others what we are going through, carrying the burden and the weight of the moment on our own shoulders.

The beauty of the Bible is it does not hold back. It shows us the good and the bad and lets us know the reality that comes with this life, that whether they show it or not, there are perhaps others around you who are experiencing afflictions of their own.

Jesus gave us no illusion that every day would be an awesome experience. He said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation . . .” (John 16:33; emphasis mine). We may not like to say or think about it, but there may be some things that come your way that will not put a smile on your face. It may even leave you wondering, crying, “Why is this happening to me?”

While the words “you are not the only one” may not make you personally feel better, know that any affliction you face for your Lord will come with a promise that you are not alone (Hebrews 13:5). It comes with grace and strength to say, “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).

In times of personal pain, all of this may be hard to digest. And I, for one, never want to brush off the realness of what others are going through. But I do hope to encourage you, dear blessed one, that you are seen, you are heard, you are not alone regardless of what it feels like, and you matter so much to our heavenly Father.

What you are going through is not a trivial thing and we are not brushing it under the rug of Scripture or a well-placed verse. But I personally pray that your heart will be full, knowing God’s love for you, and knowing the body of Christ is rooting for you. We love you, dear one, and God loves you more.

By the Seaside With Jesus

January 6, 2023January 5, 2023Leave a comment

“And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables . . .” Mark 4:1, 2

By the seaside with Jesus. To sit under His words. To hear His gentle yet commanding voice. The stories He told were more than just stories. They unfolded the realities of life. More importantly, they opened the truth of the Kingdom of God.

“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,” He speaks (Mt. 13:9), knowing the choice will always be up to the individual heart.

He will plead for you to listen. He will die in case you do. For no story is worth more than the story of love played out in the life of this beautiful Savior who sees us, knows us, and still decides to lay it all down for us regardless of what our choice may be.

Sitting with Jesus beside the sea is a beautiful scenario. But sitting with Jesus within heaven’s walls is even more glorious. It’s a story whose chapters never end, being read through eternity is the love we have found in this Friend.

Don’t settle for the here and now, look for Him then. For by the seaside, those stories lead to a marvelous end.

I would love to sit with Jesus, with my toes in the water, but on this earth, I don’t want to loiter.

Those stories, those words, put a seed in my soul, and I declare today, on good ground, it was sown.

The call of the sea is beautiful to me, but more pulling is the call, with Him, to spend eternity.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3

One Sure-Fire Way!

January 5, 2023January 4, 2023Leave a comment

If you have ever had hiccups the advice comes out of the woodwork on how to deal with them. “Hold your breath” some will say. While another may tell you to drink this or that, believing this will be the cure.

Growing up, we received a lot of advice on how to do this or get rid of that, or how to treat a specific ailment. Some refer to these homegrown remedies as old wives tales, and yet, history shows that some actually help in dealing with illness and the like (chicken noodle soup is a definite go-to for me). And it doesn’t matter if you didn’t agree, you would never convince those who pass down these remedies that it doesn’t work, for they have seen it help in the past and are convinced it can still help today.

David knew a thing or two about going through some things. Adversity was no stranger to his doorstep and yet, for all he faced, he always managed to stay in the faith.

How did he do this?

One way we can see this happening is through his own testimony found in Psalm 16:8 where he states, “I have set the LORD always before me . . .” Was this David’s sure-fire remedy for remaining when others would have moved?

Let’s examine the facts. When facing Goliath, David said, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).

When dealing with Saul’s mess, the Bible says, “David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14). Leaving it all in the hands of God, David refused to lay a hand on king Saul (1 Samuel 24:12, 13).

When his son, Absalom, drove David from his kingdom in his rebellion, and Zadok desired to bring the ark of the covenant, David spoke, and said, “Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation” (2 Samuel 15:25).

When cursed by Shimei, David refused to allow vengeance to take place on his behalf. Rather, he said, ” . . . let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day” (2 Samuel 16:11, 12).

And when faced with his own sin, David said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). To God he said, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”(51:10).

David found God even in the adversities he encountered. The rest of Psalm 16:8 is when David proclaimed, “Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Keeping God before his face was David’s way of being able to come through many difficult times, and yet still be dubbed “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).

We can learn a thing or two from David.

How can we keep the Lord always before us?

Simply put, don’t take your eyes off God. When Peter was invited to walk the waves with Jesus, his focus shifted to what was before him instead of the Christ who stood with him, and he began to drown (Matthew 14:25-30). Peter may have seen Jesus physically, but David saw God with a heart of faith and that’s where he kept his focus.
Don’t compromise your beliefs. If God is before you, His word, His instructions are before you (Psalm 16:7), and like the three Hebrew boys, there is no fear of the furnace that will cause you to sway from that truth (Daniel 3:16-18). Hold on to His unchanging hand.
Establish your hope in God alone (Psalm 16:11), now, and in the time to come. One day, this will all be over and we will see God face to face (Revelation 22:3-4).

David’s sure-fire way of dealing with this life will work in your life, too. With that king of old, we too can say, “I have set the Lord always before me.”

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God stretches our faith . . .

December 30, 2022Leave a comment

God stretches our faith, pulling us to follow Him through what seems to be desert wildernesses. His fulfilled plan is on the other side, yet to get there we have to venture out into the unknown territories where He calls us, step by step in our own walk of faith.

May we, through this day, venture forth where God is leading with a heart of faith that refuses to turn back.

It’s a Matter of Choice

December 13, 2022Leave a comment

When I was a child, one of the simplest toys we used to play with was dominoes. I never played it as the game intended. My only use for dominoes was to stand them aright like little soldiers in a line just to watch them fall.

After the pattern of my desire had been set, I tipped the first one, and that’s all it took. As the first fell, it tipped the second, and the second tipped the third, and so on until they all lay still in the place where they had fallen.

My designs were simple, but there are those who master intricate patterns and make designs on a grander scale. And when their first domino tips, a beautiful display of artistry and showmanship unfolds, mesmerizing the onlookers.

The time and talent it takes to perform such works are amazing. Investment of oneself is key for without that dedication the performance that brought the end reward would have never been accomplished.

And that’s how our lives pretty much go. Daily we are faced with a myriad of decisions and each of these decisions matters. Like dominoes, one will affect another, and then another, and so on, with not only the present moment of the decision being impacted but also the future that is to come.

With people being caught up in the here and now, the future, with its possibilities and consequences, is not the first thought on their minds.

On the other hand, there are those who are concerned about their future and want to know what they can do to improve its outcome, be it physical, financial, or relationally. The better investment of oneself in these areas is for a better turnout.

But what about spiritually?

There was a young man who came to Jesus and wanted to know about his spiritual future. He wanted to know what to do to gain eternal life (Mt. 19:16). Jesus’ response to him was to follow the commands of God (v. 17).

“All these things have I kept from my youth” (v. 20), the young man replied, and yet, was there something still missing? Did he feel a certain void?

I don’t have a definite answer, but I do know he pursued Jesus with more questioning, asking Him, “What lack I yet?”

“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Mt. 19:21).

Jesus’ response to his question of lack was not something the young man was expecting. The answer he had been looking for to secure his future was found in giving up everything and following Jesus.

He had a decision to make, and like those tipping dominoes, one would lead to another.

After processing what Jesus required of him, he went away (v. 22) and Jesus explained how hard it was for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, the eternal life he was looking for. It would be akin to threading a camel through the eye of a needle (Vv. 23-24).

With their thinking that the rich man had the better vantage point, the disciples were astonished at what Jesus had spoken and asked Him, “Who then can be saved?” (v. 25). Jesus plainly let them know, “With man this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (v. 26).

Thinking about their lives and the decisions each of them had made in walking away from everything and following Jesus, Peter asked Him, “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” (Mt. 19:27).

That’s an important question, Peter. When you decided to wholeheartedly follow Jesus, the first domino fell. Everything that followed came from the ripple effect of your first choice. And while there may be many occurrences that happen in the middle thereof, the end result will be the very thing the young man was searching for but missed out on: everlasting life (v. 29).

When asked to follow Him, the young man turned away, but Peter, along with the other disciples, invested themselves and followed on.

The path to follow may not always be easy, but after all the dominoes have fallen, and all the choices have been made, one day we will look back over the story of our lives from the vantage point of salvation, and be mesmerized by the beauty of heaven before us, for that’s what will we have, and it is a glorious future to behold!

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A Truth You Must Know

December 7, 2022December 7, 2022Leave a comment

Perfection. Innocent. Pure and undefiled is how the world stood. It was beautifully unmarked and untainted from heaven’s sky to the dirt on the ground.

Then came sin with all the diseases that follow its wrong course. There was now pain and sorrow, hurtfulness and despair. Perfection has been injured. What was beautiful has received a scar. The world was fallen – utterly torn apart (Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12).

Torn apart from its innocence. Pure no more.

Torn apart from its Maker. What would happen now?

Would He turn away and erase it all? Could the shattered love that spoke of its good still see hope in the end?

He did.

God didn’t leave the fallen world without an answer to its depravity. He refused to forget His love for the ones He made. He made a choice and had a plan to redeem what was broken. In Jesus Christ, He had the cure: “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Gal. 1:4).

We can look around and measure the world by the wickedness we see. Or we can look at how much grace was bestowed on you and me.

In the world, we were far from perfect or right. In the world, we too groped like people in the night. But His plan shone a light to help us see that this is not the end of the story for us or humanity (Jn. 3:16).

Friend, if you have fallen, may your eyes upon Him turn. He has not forgotten you. God is waiting for your return. There is salvation ready in His redemptive plan. Something that could never be earned by any woman or man. But because His love for us is so real, His only begotten Son became our everlasting seal:

“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

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.

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel . . .” (Col. 1:19-23)

When we believe, we are redeemed, covered by the ransom’s cost which His holy and undefiled blood has bought (1 Pet. 1:18-19). That is the truth you must grasp today. The question is, will you accept the Gift that saves (2 Cor. 9:15; Jn. 3:16)?

“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

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

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

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“Then Peter said unto them, 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.” Acts 2:38

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

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Word For Life Says…

God's Word for Your Life Today!

Tag: inspirational Christian articles

His Stripes | Healing for Every Area of Life

The Grace of Time

From the Inside Out

When Little Means a Lot!

You Are Not the Only One

By the Seaside With Jesus

One Sure-Fire Way!

God stretches our faith . . .

It’s a Matter of Choice

A Truth You Must Know

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