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.

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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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The View That Will Change Your Life Forever

December 5, 2022Leave a comment

Some views will change your life forever. The scenic wonder as you look out over the mountaintops. The sun that sets below the horizon daily. The waves that crash on the ocean shores where land and sea collide. Seeing and feeling the peace of a forest walk as nature saturates your senses. When our eyes meet with places like these, there seems to be an extraordinary pull within us that longs for us to want to relive that experience day after day. What your eyes see and what you experience has a way of affecting you on the inside.

But what about what your heart sees? How do you respond to the vision of Jesus before you today? When you look at Him, who do you see?

One day Jesus had a private moment with His disciples. In that moment, He wanted to know what they saw, not with their eyes, but with their hearts. After asking about the opinions of others (Mt. 16:13), He wanted to know what those around Him thought for themselves: “But whom say ye that I am?” He asked (Mt. 16:15).

With that questioning digging into their personal understanding of Him, only one spoke in revealed truth that centered itself in his very being and wouldn’t let go. Only one man, by the name of Peter, saw Jesus for so much more. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” (Mt. 16:16) he said without hesitation or flinching, being fully confident in his answer.

In Jesus, I believe he saw not just the miracles, and wonders, and powerful teaching. He saw Him for who He was: “The Son of the living God.”

When you see Jesus for who He really is, your life will be filled with wonder in a way you have never experienced before, and you will be changed forever. When the veil of truth is pulled back and revelation dawns upon your knowing heart, and heaven shows you the Son, things will never be the same.

As your eyes of faith look upon Him and your soul is drawn to Him, you find in Christ what you have been searching for all your life. Forward you walk. Closer to thee, O Lord, I must be, becomes the craving of your inner man, and it cannot be satisfied with another.

I know how the world views Him. They call Jesus many things and have many opinions. But as I rise this day and every day, I see your glory. I see Your hand in the very details of my life. I feel you in my heart, and as with Peter, I see the Son before me. That is a view that has changed my life forever.

Blessings ~

Father God, we are praying today for many souls to see You for who You are. We are praying for eyes and hearts to be opened to the eternal truth: salvation can be found in no other, but only in Jesus Christ can lives be truly changed forever (Jn. 14:6). May many grab hold of this truth today and believe and receive Him for themselves. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, AMEN!

Above image by David Mark from Pixabay

Here’s a quick reminder . . .

December 1, 2022Leave a comment

Here’s a quick reminder. This life can make you feel some type of way sometimes. It can make you feel isolated like you’re all alone in dealing with this stuff. But I’m here to remind you that you are NOT. God’s unfailing hand of love is holding you through every trying circumstance. Don’t let the enemy convince you otherwise. All he wants to do is steal, kill and destroy the plans God has for you. God has greater than THIS in store for you and YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS! He’s holding on to you. Keep holding on to Him! Blessings~
Word For Life Says

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” – Isaiah 41:10

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” – Hebrews 13:5

Before the day was, I am He!

November 18, 2022November 18, 2022Leave a comment

“Yea, before the day was I am he . . .” Isaiah 43:13

There is a time and a place for all things, that is what they say. Some will argue their disbelief in God because they have trouble with not being able to pinpoint His beginning. This life, this walk of faith demands that we believe God for who He says He is: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8), meaning there was never a time God was not. He was before all and will continue to be, forever and ever. The psalmist celebrated this by saying, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2), a truth repeatedly recognized throughout Scripture (Job 36:23; Psalm 93:2; Isaiah 41:4).

The Bible begins with the very words, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). God is responsible for all of the Creation events. He “laid the foundations of the earth” (Psalm 104:5). When “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2a), God was already there moving: “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2b). Before light (Genesis 1:3-4), and even before there was a day or a night (Genesis 1:5), there was God. He has always been and will always be.

“To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things” (Isaiah 40:25-26a). God is the Creator of all things. Knowing who laid the foundations. Knowing He who was before all things, solidifies our faith in the one and only true living God.

There is no one like our God. He testified of Himself before Moses and said, ““I AM THAT I AM,” (Exodus 3:14), meaning just that. He has always existed before anything else, and He has always been before even one day was ever noted in history. He is God all by Himself: “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6).

God has no equal! There is nobody that can be measured up to Him! There is no comparison, no rival, no match, and no substitutes – none that can be even remotely like God! There is only one God, and from before the foundations of the earth, God has been, and He has been in control. All we need to do is simply put our trust in Him, believe in Him, wait on Him, and watch Him work: “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).

The eternal nature of God cannot be understood by pinpointing days, only by believing in faith: “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Psalm 102:25-27).

God, plan perfectly my day.

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022Leave a comment

We all have desires. We all envision how we want our life to go. And we are all guilty of thinking we know the best way to achieve it. Often, we try to come to our own rescue by formulating plans, mentally putting pieces of this puzzle together, thinking, if this happens, then I’ll do this. And if that happens, then this can be done. Even though we may have prayed over the matter, maybe quite sincerely, that doesn’t mean we have invited God into the issue. It doesn’t mean we have actually asked for His input, released it into His hands, or asked for His perfect will.

Leaving God out of the process means we have to have all the answers. It means we need to know the beginning from the end and all the future consequences and ripples in our lives that those decisions cause. It means we have to have perfect knowledge of everything about them now, and what’s to come – and, I am sorry, not sorry, to say, none of us are that smart. No, not one. That type of omniscient power can only be of God. So, why do we fight so much to have it our own way?

Getting your way all the time is not all it’s cracked up to be. With it comes more responsibility than we are equipped to handle. So, today I urge you to release your plans, days, and life to God and pray for Him to plan it according to His perfect and unfailing will.

“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

Word For Life Says…

God's Word for Your Life Today!

Tag: inspirational Christian articles

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

The View That Will Change Your Life Forever

Here’s a quick reminder . . .

Before the day was, I am He!

God, plan perfectly my day.

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