Tag: inspirational Christian articles

“May I help you?”

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“After that He poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet …” John 13:5

 I wonder if anyone in our day and age really understands the concept of service.  Does anyone really grasp the meaning of what it is to serve another?  If you’ve recently gone to a fast-food restaurant or a big box store or any consumer outlet where things are acquired, purchased or eaten, you know what I mean.  The lack of good customer service drives me away from some establishments regardless of how cheap their prices are.

I remember when one of my daughters, who was a teenager at the time, was working her first job in a national fast-food chain, and how much the idea of good customer service rang out to me by what I witnessed there.   At this establishment where she worked,  they would take servicing the customer very seriously.  If it was raining outside, some of the employees were on post at the front door, umbrellas in hand, waiting to assist patrons to and from their cars who didn’t have one.  This company did many small things and details that let people know that they mattered to them and they were important.

Although things like this are considered uncommon in our day, what those employees did really spoke to the fact that they were at that place of employment to work according to that company’s standards.  Every day they were urged to step outside of themselves to assist others.  Oh, if more would catch on to this concept!  But, the infectious, self-serving mentality, which permeates this world’s culture doesn’t allow people to see or even consider others over themselves.

That is far from the teaching Jesus laid out for those who would follow Him.  He has given us many examples to follow but the one that really sticks out to me  is Jesus stooping to the level of the lowliest servant in the house and performing duties that were detested by all in that day,  “He began to wash the disciples’ feet.”  Can you imagine what those feet must have looked like after walking many miles in sandals?   Can you imagine what they must have smelled like?  Yet, He took a towel and wrapped it around His waist, took feet in hand and began to carefully administer this duty to them.

We all know that Jesus always considered and worked for the betterment of those around Him.  He did this to the point of laying His life down on the cross for the sins of the world.  But, what Jesus showed them on this occasion, was a one on one lesson with those who would be responsible for carrying the gospel to the world.  He showed them that there are everyday occurrences where one can serve, where one can put another before themselves.

We are so thankful for the many areas of missionary work that go on throughout the world.  Those who render themselves to such service are able to reach the unreachable and set up foundations for Christ in far off lands. But every day, right where you are, there are opportunities to let the love of Christ shine in this dark world.  The world is already used to seeing the inconsiderate side of man, so now it’s time for the church to rise up and show them the loving side of God.  How?  Through our service to them.  Through everyday occurrences where you show somebody that you value them.  Oh, how would that make them feel?  I’ll tell you.  It would make them feel loved!

It makes people feel as if they matter also.  That someone cares enough to let them go first in line, or take your right-of-way in traffic.  These are little things – but, can I tell you, little things done in great numbers make a great impact.  If each of us would show the character of Christ’s service and stop placing so much focus on other things, I think we could make a tangible difference in this world.  It would still be an infectious cycle. Instead of the world’s disease permeating the church, the church could infect the world and really show them how much Christ loves them.

“God Knows Best!”

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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isiah 55:8-9

We all want the victory in life, but we don’t always know how to go about doing it.  There is a right way and a wrong way of getting things done.  If you have ever purchased one of those DIY furniture kits, then you know what I mean.  If the directions are followed incorrectly, often we will end up with a product that doesn’t look the picture describes or a product that doesn’t function as it should.  One misstep in the procedure of putting it together can really derail the end result.

So it is true in life.  We can see in our minds how this or that will work out, but the process it takes to get there is a little more obscured.  We know how we want the end to look, but allusive is the way to get there.  And despite what the world shouts, there is a way that is right, holy, and just.  There is a way that is not hidden or playing hide and seek.  It is God’s way!  And sometime human nature has a hard time letting go of their own way to take on His perfect will for their lives.

There is this beautiful word called “omniscient.”  The word itself means to be all-knowing and the only one to whom that can be referred to is God Almighty.  The Bible tells us multiple times and in multiple ways of the infinite understanding of God (Psalm 147:5); that He knows everything there is to know and to be known (1 John 3:20).

So, why am I telling you all of this today?  Because all of us deal with times, situations, and decisions where we simply don’t know.  We barely know how our story starts, let alone each step necessary to walk through the process to reach the finished end.  But, God does.

We are told to “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct our paths,” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  We are told to let go of our own perceptions or preconceived ideas and notions and lean in complete trust in God, and what He knows, and let Him guide through all of those processes we are so struggling with.

Whatever we are undertaking or engaged in, do not be overcome or feel overwhelmed with what’s before you.  Lean on God.  There is so much in this life that we carry the full weight of when God is offering to take some of the weight off of you if you will just trust Him to do it.

Trusting Him is not passive, it’s a walk of obedience.  It is following His way all the way through.  Abraham, a great man of faith, didn’t become that way by just saying he had faith.  He was given the privilege of that title because the faith he had in God caused his steps to walk in obedience in His will for his life (Genesis 12-25; Hebrews 11:8-10, 17-19 ).  Trusting that God knows best is actively walking out one’s faith in obedience, and depending on God for the final results.  It is not just quoting that His ways are higher than ours; it’s knowing and believing they are and leaving the outcome of everything we are dealing with; all of those times, situations, and decisions in His more than capable hands because God’s knows best.

Our victory begins and ends with knowing above all else, God is in charge of our story and He knows best.  All we have to do is follow Him.

“Today I Believe I am Big Enough!”

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“And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight,” Numbers 13:33

Feeling outsized in life?  The fact of the matter is that many of us feel too small for the task ahead.  Goals, dreams, and possibilities are alright to fantasize about, but when it actually comes down to implementing what needs to be done, we often feel inadequate, as if we don’t have enough in us to see it all the way through to the end.  We feel too small to go in and take hold of what we can be.

Too often we get stuck in a rut because of this line of thinking.  The pressure of what it actually takes to step out into something new, to believe there is a chance for you to be better and to have better, is a little overwhelming to most.  Dealing with the unusual and stepping into the unfamiliar takes a strong act of courage.  It involves one having enough strength and faith to look past what they view themselves as now and see something bigger.

For any area of life where we want to see improvement, there will always be barriers.  There will always be “giants,” whether real or imagined, that will say and make you believe that you are too little; that you don’t have enough in you to be big.

“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).  The world doesn’t want you to make it.  And, he that operates in the world wants your faith to diminish to the point that you feel like you’re a little “grasshopper.”  It is time for you to stop listening to the world and turn a deaf ear to the “giants.”  If God brought you to the edge of the promise, then, He is most certainly able to bring you all the way into it.  The main factor that can hinder you is you!  It is what you believe about yourself!   It is what you believe God can do in and through you!

“Greater is He that is in you!”  Our belief in ourselves and what God can do through us rises when we realize who it is on our side and what He can do.  That’s the beautiful thing about this.  Life may outsize us but it will never outsize God!  God dwarfs to nobody!  He is greater than all.  So much so, that when He was telling Abraham about his promises, “He could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,” (Hebrews 6:13).

God is the greatest there is.  The buck stops with Him.  He can’t be outdone.  He can’t be belittled.  He is king and will be king forever.  And, He is “in you!”  That means you are big enough!  You are nobody’s grasshopper!  You can do it because of who you have on the inside of you!  Your job is to wholeheartedly believe, understand and know His bigness, so that you can believe, understand and know that today, “I am big enough!”

“The God Who Touches Me…”

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The God who touches me is the God who loves me.
Saved, my sins He has thrown into the deep sea.

He carries my soul in His hand day by day.
He wraps His strength around me; my fortress, my stay.

He covers me in light that shields from the dark.
He is the armor that protects from all fiery darts.

He’s my Shepherd and the Lamb, who leads and sacrifice.
My safety; my salvation came at His high price.

The God who touches me cares beyond what we know.
His love on display is the grandest show.

In it we see eternity play out.
His best became our rest; no reason to doubt.

On His throne, He sits in heaven where we bow at the knee.
Never forsaking us, in His presence, till we are there home free.

The God who touches me, I reach out for Him too.
As the woman grabs His hem and is healed through and through.

To feel His virtue; His power; His love – it’s so real.
His Spirit overwhelms; on my heart is His seal.

Taking me to heights in heaven to know,
where for eternity I bask in His unimaginable glow.

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“In Christ, you are forgiven!”

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“When God forgives He forgets.  He buries our sins in the sea and puts a sign on the bank saying, “No Fishing Allowed.” – Corrie ten Boom

Forgiveness is one of those things that we can give away to others, but also receive for ourselves.  Sometimes it’s hard to get over hurdles of wrongs and mistakes we have done.  Sometimes letting go of offenses is not the easiest thing to do.  But, in Christ Jesus, the Word of God consistently tells us that we are forgiven.  When we repent before the Lord, He throws our sins away and gives us a clean and clear slate to work with.  Micah 7:19 tells us, “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea,” and David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” (Psalm 51:10).

The stories in the Bible are plentiful of people, who when walking through this life, have stumbled and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  And in that, there are plenteous stories of ones that have been redeemed, set aright, renewed, and forgiven.  God doesn’t hide from us, nor does He hide His forgiveness from the truly repentant.  It’s there; He’s there, if we will just seek Him for restoration, seek Him for forgiveness.

When He forgives, don’t go back digging it up.  Don’t keep coddling that thing that God has let go of.  Since He let it go, you let it go, and seek to move on with your life from here.  Seek to do better with the days that are up ahead instead of dwelling on what’s behind.  Know that His forgiveness is very much real for the one who turns to Him, repents before Him, and trusts and accept His forgiveness.

Listed below is inspiration and encouragement to help you build up your faith in receiving and accepting God’s forgiveness today.

“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” – Isaiah 43:25

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” – Hebrews 8:12

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” – Psalm 103:10-12

“If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” Psalm 130:3-4

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” – Isaiah 55:7

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” – Romans 4:7-8

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”  – 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

You can’t bypass confession and repentance before God.  But when taken care of properly, in Christ, your sins are forgiven!  Receive God’s forgiveness today.

“Father God, It’s to You we pray!” | A Prayer for Today

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Father God, Sometimes in this life we just don’t understand everything that’s going on around us.  We have ups and we have downs, but through it all, You remain the same.  Thank You for being our source this day and every day.  Thank You for holding our hand through the turbulent tides we face.  Thank You that You have continually kept Your promise to never leave us, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  Thank You for bringing us through.

Father God, our hearts are opened before You.  Nothing is hid from You.  We take great comfort in that because we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that You know us better than we know ourselves.  You are our Lord.  You are our King.  You are sovereign in all Your majesty and power.  You are our leaning force, our shelter to run and hide in the time of the storm.  You are He who loves us beyond measure in spite of our faults and shortcomings.

Father God, we love You so much.  You are the One who deserves all the glory and honor.  Without You we are nothing and apart from You we can do nothing.  Our life is in Your blessed and mighty hands.  We are praying for Your help throughout this day.  Help with life, help with the decisions and choices that we make, help in every situation and circumstance we may face.

Father God, we are asking You to bless our homes, bless our families, and please remember the unsaved members of our families.  We are praying for hearts to be opened to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.  We are praying for hearts and minds to be sensitive to Your holy call.  Thank You for the grace and mercy that You have bestowed upon each one of us this day and every day.  Thank You for another day that You have kept us.

Father God, it’s to You we pray and it’s in Your hands we commit every one of these prayers.  You are our trust and our stay.  You are our comfort through this day.  You are our peace even when we don’t know what to do.  You are where we lay each burden down and know and believe that You are just, faithful, and true.  You are the God of all righteousness, and to You be the glory forever and ever.  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, AMEN!

Edited Image by Arnie Bragg from Pixabay

Confident in God!

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There is always something about the stories where the underdog comes out on top, where the least of all becomes the greatest that sends chills of inspiration up the spine.

The story of David and Goliath has long evoked a sense of awe at the victory won and the hope of possibility in the soul still in the fight facing his/her own giants. The fact of the matter is that many things in this life which we face day to day can at times seem too much to bear.  Our worries don’t necessarily have to be against the biggest guy around.  Just the struggle of making it one more day, another try at giving it your best shot, can make it really hard for some people.

That’s why this article is not going to focus on the beast Goliath was or how David brought him down with just a stone and slingshot.

Nope. I want us to focus on the confidence that David had in God.

To me, it doesn’t matter if what you face is big or small. Sometimes the hardest stuff is the routine, small stuff that gets on your nerves every single day and makes you want to throw in the towel and quit.

Yes, David did the impossible in the name of the Lord. But, what I have found out in my own life is when we have that same confidence in God in every area of our lives, big or small, God tends to step in and work it out for us.  And, you know it was Him because that very area in life that used to be a source of hardship and frustration now becomes a place of peace and productivity.

David, before confronting Goliath, declared, “The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine,” (1 Samuel 17:37, emphasis mine).  I want us to focus on “He will” of that statement.  David expressed in those two little words the amount of confidence he had in the God he served.

Confidence in God is the key no matter what. Many times we misplace our confidences in the things and the people we see around us, allowing them to become our focus and control when God should be at the forefront of the battle with us.  Over and over again we are told in His Word, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man,” (Psalm 118:8); yet, man seems to always get more of our attention and we wonder why we falter in the battle and don’t end up standing as victor over the giants and circumstances we face.

We have to rely more on God than anything else in this world. He truly is the only one who can get in there and fight with us and for us and bring us to a victorious end on the other side.

Below are some reminders to trust God and have confidence in Him no matter the size of anything we face. Knowing this will improve our day to day struggles in life and turn them into day to day victories.

  • “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5
  • “Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” – Isaiah 26:4
  • “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” – Psalm 37:3
  • “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” – 2 Chronicles 20:17
  • “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie Ten Boom
  • “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” – Martin Luther
  • “So many of us limit our praying because we are not reckless in our confidence in God. In the eyes of those who do not know God, it is madness to trust Him, but when we pray in the Holy Spirit we begin to realize the resources of God, that He is our perfect heavenly Father, and we are His children.” – Oswald Chambers

Words To Live By – “Rest In Jesus!”

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“THAT’S IT, I HAD IT!!!” We have all had those moments in life. Don’t lose your cool, lose your problems instead. Jesus invites us to “CAST” everything on Him because He “CARES” for us! Take that encouragement with you as you go through this day. Make it up in your mind that whatever irks you, gets under your skins or makes you want to wash your hands of it all, give it to Jesus and let Him help you with this day!!!

Father God, thank you for Your Sovereign hand at work in my life today. Thank You that you are willing to be my burden bearer and my heavy load sharer. Thank You that you are concerned enough about me to lend me Your ear to hear my prayer requests that come up before You. You are an awesome and amazing God. Time and time again You work to pull me through. I am ever so grateful for every drop of Your love, Your peace and Your anointing in my life. Apart from You, I can do nothing and without You I am nothing. Into Your hands, I commit every prayer request. In the name of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, I pray – AMEN!!!

“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 lifts 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 spirituals 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 lets us know that it is our personal responsibility to lay hold of everything concerning our faith God speaks, including His promises.  If you believe that God is faithful, then believe that He will faithfully follow through with all that He spoke concerning you!

God will do His part without fail.  Our job, when the unwelcomed interruptions of life come, 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

“Power Belongs to God!”

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ARE YOU FEELING DEFLATED AS THIS NEW WEEK STARTS? ARE YOU FEELING LIKE IT’S OFF TO A BAD START? LET IT GO!!! Right now, make it up in your mind that you ARE NOT going to try to do this on your own! That you ARE NOT going to operate in your own power! Rather, you are going to put it all in the hands of God and allow Him to take control of it all because “POWER BELONGS TO GOD!”
 
Father God, in your hands we commit every worry, every fear and every trouble. Father God, we lean and depend on Your grace and mercy to bring us through. We thank You for all that You have already done and continue to do in each and every one of our lives. We know that You see all and know all. Help us to rest in You. Give us that peace which surpasses all understanding as we hold on to You and Your word and Your hope for this day and this week. Thank You that You love us enough to hear our prayers and it’s in Your hands we leave them. Thank You for being our all in all. In Jesus’ name we pray – AMEN!!!