Graced To Do God's Will

@everydaygodswill

John 9:1-3 NKJV Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

The one option the disciples didn’t ask that some of us would have asked today is if God made him blind. It never crossed the disciples’ minds that God made him blind. 

Unfortunately, some believers still link God to negative circumstances. If someone transitions, they assume God took them home. If someone gets sick, they assume God made them sick to teach them a lesson. If someone loses their house, they assume God is humbling that person.

This goes against the character of God according to scripture. God doesn’t cause death to take us home. John 10:10 lets us know Satan is responsible for stealing, killing, and destroying. God isn’t making people sick to teach them something. He uses His word to correct us (2 Tim. 3:16). He’s not taking things from us to humble us. Romans 11:29 says God’s gifts are irrevocable. 

God is not behind negative circumstances. There are numerous reasons why we face them, but God isn’t one of them. He’s that good until He turns negative circumstances in our favor, but He’s not the cause of them. He’s a good Father and He’s not the cause of evil, harmful, or hurtful experiences.

#God #is #GOOD #allthetime

@everydaygodswill

Jeremiah 10:23 NKJV O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

Mankind’s steps, ways, and decisions aren’t directed in himself. Our decisions are influenced and directed by the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of Light. We have free will, but we were created to have an overlord. That overlord will be God or Satan.

With this understanding, we must be mindful of who’s feeding our souls. Because who we’re feeding from will determine our steps, ways, and decisions.

This is why it’s so important feed on the Word of God. By knowing God’s Word, we can filter our thoughts to determine if they’re thoughts of light or darkness. 

Satan will throw some obvious dark thoughts in our minds like, stealing money or punching a disrespectful person, just to see if anything works. But he will also throw some subtle thoughts like questioning our spouse’s whereabouts or thoughts concerning our children’s safety based on news reports. 

God will fill our minds with thoughts agreeable to His will (Prov. 16:3). Those will be thoughts of love, forgiveness, positive communication, and trust in Him.

If a thought contradicts God’s Word or what He promised us, it’s a dark thought. Those thoughts are NOT meant to be acted upon. Likewise, if a thought aligns with God’s Word, it’s a thought of light and those thoughts ARE meant to be acted upon. It’s up to us what we will choose.

What we align our thoughts with will determine our actions. Let’s align ourselves with God’s Word.

#may #my #thoughts #please #God 

@everydaygodswill

As believers who are choosing to trust in God’s Word, when we’re talking about our lives or the lives of people close to us, speak in facts and not in absolute terms.

For instance, our bank account may show we only have $10. If someone would ask about our finances, we shouldn’t say “I only have $10.” Or worse say, “I’m broke, I only have $10.” When we speak in absolute terms, we limit our lives solely based on what we see. We’re not considering the truth of God’s Word. Instead, we should reply by saying, “the facts say I have $10, but wealth and riches are in my house (Psalms 112:3).”

We can tell people the facts. Faith doesn’t deny the facts. Faith chooses to believe God’s Word above the facts. Faith doesn’t give the facts the right to govern our lives because our lives should be governed by the truth in God’s Word.

The facts may show we have a lump in our breast. Instead of just informing people of the lump, we should say, “the fact says there’s a lump in my breast, but by His stripes I’m healed (Isaiah 53:5).”

Even when it comes to our children, the facts may show our children have a learning disability, but the truth is our children are taught by the Lord and great is their peace (Isaiah 54:13).

The beautiful thing about God’s Word is when it’s accompanied by our faith, it has enough power to change the facts.

When talking about our lives, be sure not to speak negatively in absolute terms, deny the facts, or lie about the facts. Put God’s Word above the facts and those facts will align with God’s Word.

Psalms 141:3 NLT Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.

#speak #life #Truth #God’s #Word

@everydaygodswill

Galatians 1:23-24 NKJV But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me.

Paul was a failure. He was being used by the devil to persecute, imprison, and kill followers of Jesus. On the road to Damascus, he received a revelation from Jesus, and after a 3-year transformation, he began preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

No matter what we’ve done or how far we’ve strayed, we can still be used by God to share the gospel. It doesn’t matter if we’re 74 or still struggling with a bad habit, we can still be used by God. We can preach the gospel to our family, friends, and the people in our environment. Like Paul, we may have to take some time to consistently get in God’s presence to learn more about Him, but don’t let that time turn into a crutch of procrastination.

We ALL have something to say. Don’t let your failures of the past hinder you from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

#share #Jesus #gospel #love #truth

@everydaygodswill

Luke 6:45 NKJV A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

What’s stored in our hearts, in abundance, will come out of our mouths.

When trouble comes, what will you say? Will you talk doubt and defeat saying, “I don’t know what to do?” Or will you speak the Word of God which says I have access to all the wisdom I need (James 1:5)?

When pressure comes, what will you say? Will you say, “This problem always happens to me?” Or will you declare God’s Word which says I have victory in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)?

If we store doubt, death, and negative news articles in our hearts, that’s what’s going to come out of our mouths when a negative situation comes. However, if we make the effort to store the truth of God’s Word in our hearts, that’s what we’ll believe. And what we believe is what we’ll declare when a negative event happens.

Remember this… what we store in our hearts will shape how we think. What we think will determine how we believe. What we believe is what we’ll speak. And what we speak will come to pass (good or bad).

#believe #speak #God’s #Word #Truth

@everydaygodswill

We may have recently gotten bad news from our doctor, lost a job, or just realized a loved one has transitioned. When bad news comes, the devil will throw numerous thoughts (firey darts) in our minds. These thoughts paint the worst scenario possible based on the news we just received.

The thoughts may include questions like, will this kill us? How are we going to pay our bills? And how are we going to make it without them?

We can entertain and continue to dwell on those negative thoughts or dwell on God’s word. One option is based in fear because of uncertainty. The other option is based on our faith in God’s promises. One option is solely based on what we see or experience in the natural. The other option is invisible and it’s solely based on our belief in the supernatural.

What will you believe?

When bad news happens, to keep ourselves sane, we must meditate on and speak God’s Word. Every time Satan throws a thought in our minds, we must counter those thoughts by speaking God’s Word. Stop dwelling on what you’ve seen, heard, or experienced and start dwelling on God’s Word instead.

Isaiah 26:3-4 NKJV You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

#trust #believe #God

@everydaygodswill

Romans 8:31 NKJV What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Prior to verse 31, Paul informs us about all the benefits we have in Christ. We see the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us, all things work together for good, and we’re justified (Rom. 8:28-30). Once the truth was preached about all these wonderful things we have in Christ, Paul asked a rhetorical question. “What then shall we say to these things?” He immediately answered with another rhetorical question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” He was convinced that since God is for us, nothing can stop us.

What will we confidently say? We’ll only say what we truly believe. If we don’t believe it, we won’t say it. In fact, we’ll say the opposite.

Although it says the Spirit makes intercession for us, if we don’t believe this, we’ll say, “I need someone to intercede for me.” Even though it says we’re justified or declared righteous, if we don’t believe this, we’ll look at our behavior and say, “we’ve got a long way to go to be righteous.” It says all things work together for good, but an unbelieving heart will say, “everything is turning out terrible.”

We will only say what we believe. To be fully convinced of God’s Word, we must study, meditate on, and listen to God’s Word until God’s Word is more real to us than what we see in the natural. Believe and speak the Word of God. 

#believe #speak #God’s #Word #Truth

@everydaygodswill

Jeremiah 1:6-8 NKJV Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

A lot of us have been raised to “stay in a child’s place.” This means being seen and not heard (keeping quiet), staying out of grown folks business, and not speaking unless we’re spoken to. This type of training as a child leaves a lot of us, even as adults, timid to speak the truth to older individuals. 

As adults and as the Holy Spirit leads, we can speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). It may be to our parents, grandparents, older relatives, or even a supervisor. We should tell them what we believe God is instructing us to say. It may be about their eating habits, their negative attitudes, or other areas where they can improve. Like God told Jeremiah, we shouldn’t be afraid of their reactions.

They may get offended or completely ignore what we’ve said, but we did what God instructed us to do and sowed a seed. That seed was planted in their minds and what we said may yield a harvest in the future.

Even though we’re younger, let’s be bold and fearless, and say what God has said. 

#boldly #speak #truth #in #love

@everydaygodswill

Jeremiah 1:6-8 NKJV Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

As adults, we often minimize what the youth have to say. We disregard what they’re saying because we feel like they don’t have enough experience or education to speak with wisdom. 

With God, experience and education are irrelevant. If anyone (young or old) allows themselves to be used by God, they can provide a prophetic word, Godly wisdom, guidance, and ideas. However, if we only see them as young, we can miss what God is trying to say to us.

God can get a word to us through a 5-year old, but we must allow ourselves to be sensitive to what they’re saying. Some things they say may be child’s talk, but other things could be revelation from God. Let’s filter what anyone is saying with the Word of God or through confirmation of the Holy Spirit. 

#revelation #from #God

@everydaygodswill

John 9:6-9 NKJV When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”

Some of us don’t want to share what God has done in our lives because we don’t want to seem boastful or make others feel bad because they’re not experiencing a blessing. These things are based in fearing the opinions of others. And the only one behind fear is Satan.

If we hide our blessing, we limit God’s glory. By sharing what God has done, others may give God glory on our behalf and they may be encouraged to put their faith in God for something themselves. 

It’s not boasting when we speak of the goodness of God. It’s giving Him the glory He deserves. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from giving God praise. 

#give #God #glory

@everydaygodswill

Okay…
I went to church today.✔️
I read a devotion.✔️
I prayed.✔️
I read my bible.✔️
I listened to a sermon.✔️

We shouldn’t go to church and do all these other religious things as a nod to God. God’s not grading us on how many acts we do towards Him in a day. There’s no check list to be approved by God.

We do these things to strengthen our relationship with Him. We read our bibles to learn more about this wonderful Savior Jesus Christ. We spend time in His presence to learn how to overcome attacks of the enemy.

Nothing should be done as a nod to God or to get on His “good side.” Everything from prayer to fasting to going to church is for our benefit.

Let’s shift our mentality on these acts. Let’s shift them from hoping to be approved by God to knowing we’re already approved and we’re just using these things to continuously build our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Romans 7:6 NLT But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

#alreadyapproved #relationshipbuilding #know #God #more

@everydaygodswill

There may be some who read God’s Word, can quote scripture, and know all the church lingo, but have no power. They have no power because they don’t truly believe what they’re reading or quoting. They say the right things in the four walls of the church or when they’re around their church friends, but when the pressure comes, they fear, fold, and get frustrated. This shouldn’t be.

Our lives should reflect God’s Word. If we say, “God has not given us the spirit of fear” and “He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways,” we shouldn’t be afraid to get on a cruise, afraid of going to that country, or afraid to be in that neighborhood. Either we believe God’s Word of protection or we don’t. 

We all are growing in being fully persuaded of God’s Word, but let’s not be pretenders acting as if God’s Word is truly down in us, when in reality it’s not. Let’s not act like we’re so deep and spiritual, but when demonic activity happens, we run the other way.

Let’s get to a place where we actually believe what God’s Word says about us. Let’s believe in what He promised us. Let’s believe God’s Word regardless of what we experience.

Acts 19:14-15 NKJV Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

#believe #God’s #Word #nofear

@everydaygodswill

Luke 4:5-8 NKJV Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Spiritual warfare is real. On one side of the war, there are demonic attacks in our minds attempting to make us think, say, and do things contrary to God’s Word. On the other side, there’s the Holy Spirit instructing us to think, say, and do things that align with God’s Word. What we listen to and focus on the most will determine who wins these daily battles. 

Jesus, The Example, shows us how to win these battles. When thoughts, ideas, and suggestions contrary to God’s Word entered His mind during His fast, He countered those thoughts by speaking the Word of God. He didn’t entertain those ideas, He immediately countered them with the Word of God. 

Satan wasn’t done after Jesus rejected his first idea. He came to Jesus again and again. Each time, Jesus countered Satan’s suggestions by speaking the Word of God. Eventually, Satan ended his attacks, but his plan was to return at a more opportune time (Luke 4:13).

When we get attacked in our minds to divorce or cheat on our spouse, steal money from the company, cheat on our taxes, lie to someone, or do anything else contrary to God’s Word, we must follow The Example and counter those thoughts by speaking the Word of God. We must have the Word of God inside our hearts in order to use it against Satan. Let’s study God’s Word to equip ourselves with the weapons we need to win every battle (2 Cor. 10:4). 

#know #speak #God’s #Word

@everydaygodswill

John 6:28-29 NKJV Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

The people wanted to know what works or requirements they must do to be accepted by God. Jesus responds with a singular work of believing in the One God sent (Jesus).

Although Jesus provided an answer about our work, there are still believers who are looking for works (plural). In their minds that one single act of believing in Jesus is not enough. They’ll add other things like prayer, studying God’s Word for so many hours, fasting, and proper behavior. All of these other works are important, but according to scripture they’re unnecessary to be accepted by God. 

When we truly believe in Jesus and believe all that He’s done for us, those other works will follow. Our appreciation for what He’s done will increase our desire to pray, study God’s Word, and improve our behavior.

Just know any work outside of believing in the Lord Jesus to be accepted by God is unnecessary. If there were other works, Jesus had every opportunity to inform us of them. Our singular work of believing in Him is enough and we all must accept that. 

#just #believe #Jesus #is #Lord

@everydaygodswill

You just heard a store you usually go to was robbed. Will you stop going to that store? Will you take two guns and a knife the next time you go to that store? Or will you believe God will cover you with His feathers, He will shelter you with His wings, and His faithful promises are your armor and protection (Ps. 91:4). What path would you choose?

The doctor just told you that you’ll suffer from a disease for the rest of your life. Will you accept this over your life? Or will you believe because Jesus was whipped in Isaiah 53:5, you have been healed of that disease? What path would you choose?

With every negative situation we hear, see, or experience, there will always be two paths. One path is built on fear and the other is built on faith. With hypothetical scenarios, it seems easy for us to choose the faith path, but we’ll see how much faith we have when the situations actually come.

To consistently choose the faith path, we must inundate ourselves with the word of God. We must believe the Word so strongly until it’s almost offensive when negative experiences enter our lives. We can’t accept anything less than the Word of God for our lives.

Don’t let negative experiences run your life. Overcome those situations by believing the Word of God more than the experiences seen in the natural.

1 John 5:4-5 NLT For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

#just #believe #God

@everydaygodswill

Tolerance is the capacity to endure, accept, or allow something, even if you disagree with or disapprove of it.

Sometimes we tolerate struggles we don’t actually have to carry, according to scripture. Although God’s Word says we’re healed and we’ve been given authority to speak to things contrary to God’s Word, some of us have been walking around with back pain for years (Isa. 53:5; Matt.17:20). In other situations, some of us find ourselves struggling financially when God’s Word says He’ll meet our needs and wealth and riches shall be in our houses (Matt. 6:31-33; Ps. 112:3).

Some believers tolerate things after they’ve tried to believe for God’s Word to come to pass and it “didn’t work.” Some people haven’t tried to use God’s Word to eliminate their struggles at all. They’ve just accepted it as their burden to bear. For some, this is the first time hearing that you don’t have to tolerate negative experiences in your life. 

When (not if) a negative situation comes, we can do something about it. First, we find scriptures in God’s Word that counter what we’re facing. If we’re experiencing sickness, we find scriptures on how we’re healed. If it’s difficulties in managing our emotions, find scriptures on self-control. 

Secondly, we read, study, and meditate on these scriptures daily. Get these scriptures in our souls.

Third, we act on these scriptures. The moment we experience pain, we speak to the pain and let it know that Jesus took this pain years ago and we’ve been healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Finally, don’t give up. Hebrews 10:35-36 says, therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. It may take years for us to receive what we’ve believed in God’s Word, but don’t give up. Continue to resist and don’t accept what this fallen world has to offer.

Don’t tolerate anything less than God’s best.

1 John 5:4-5 NLT For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. [5] And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

#believe #trust #God #expect #good

@everydaygodswill

Colossians 2:8 NLT Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

Between YouTube and other social media networks, people have created a platform to say whatever they feel is important. There are conspiracy theorists, overnight pastors, and scientists all with something to say. Some of these things sound deep, factual, truthful on the surface, but if we pull back a layer, they don’t align with scripture. 

Paul warns us to not allow these empty philosophies that come from human thinking and spiritual powers to capture our minds. To be honest, some of these arguments and philosophies make a strong case. We must compare what they’re saying with the truth of God’s Word.

We must especially be mindful of some of these internet pastors. What they’re saying may sound like the truth because they have scriptures to back what they’re saying up. But some of them are using the scriptures out of context. 

To not be captured by these empty philosophies, we must have knowledge of the Word of God and a relationship with the Holy Spirit. If we’re listening to someone who sounds spiritual or intellectual, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit will confirm if it’s the truth or not. 

Let’s validate what is said with the truth of God’s Word and not be led astray by empty human philosophies and high-sounding nonsense.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 NLT but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.

#know #Bible #God’s #Word is #Truth

@everydaygodswill

Matthew 6:6 NKJV But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.


It’s a gift that we can go in the presence of God anytime we want. We have no restrictions at all. It doesn’t matter if we’ve been on our holiest behavior or if we’ve made numerous bad choices that has us poor and in prison, God will hear our prayers. 

We don’t need a priest or a holy man, to get to God. We don’t need to confess our sins before He can hear us. We don’t need to pay our tithes and offering for God to answer our prayers. 

We don’t need to know Greek or Hebrew for God to understand us. We don’t need to speak in King James. We don’t need to bow our heads or be on bended knees.

We don’t need anything mentioned above. All we need is a believing heart and a way to communicate with Him…(sign language counts too). As we communicate our needs or desires to God and believe that He’s listening, every single one of our prayers will be answered. It doesn’t have to be long. A simple, “God help” can go a long way. Once we make our requests, the prayer is not over. Listen, look for, and expect an answer from the God of the universe. 

Don’t forfeit or minimize prayer. All of our answers can be found in Him.

#pray #God #hears #us

@everydaygodswill

I Samuel 18:13-15 NKJV Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.

Saul put David in a position of power. He made David captain over 1000 men. The scriptures make it a point to say that when he became captain, he “behaved wisely.”

It doesn’t matter if we’re in charge of children as a teacher, a supervisor over a group of workers, president over a company, or president over a country, when we’re in authority, we need to behave wisely.

What does behaving wisely look like? Behaving with honor and integrity. Respecting others and making wise decisions. Doing the job with excellence. When we behave how the Word of God instructs us to behave, people will see something different about us. They will know that the Lord is with us. 

Let’s not compromise on our morals or do anything that goes against God’s Word to fit in or get ahead. Let’s not cut any corners or half do the job. In positions of power, let’s behave wisely and represent the Kingdom of God. 

#act #wisely #represent #God #Jesus

@everydaygodswill

II Corinthians 5:15 NKJV and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. He was innocent of any wrongdoing, but He paid the price and died as if He was the worst sinner in the world. He exchanged His righteousness for our sin. He was whipped, beaten, spat on, and publicly humiliated just for us. He did all of these things and more because of the love He has for us. 

Because of His sacrifice, we’ve been totally forgiven and made righteous. We have 24/7 access to God. We’ve been adopted into the family of God and He’s our Heavenly Father. We have God’s Spirit living in us. We are joint-heirs with Christ.

As a token of our appreciation for ALL that Jesus has done, we no longer should live for ourselves, but for Him. This means continuing to walk in love and keeping our emotions in check when we come across an extremely rude or aggressive person. This means giving to the Kingdom of God when we already had plans for that money. This means serving in our church and communities when we don’t feel like it. 

We shouldn’t exhaust ourselves or act unwisely when living for Him. But, if we’re led by the Holy Spirit to serve and give even if our flesh doesn’t want to, let’s do so as a way to thank Jesus for all that He’s done for us. 

#serve #love #give #share #Christ

@everydaygodswill

Philemon 1:6 NKJV that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

As believers, we should be excited about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So much so we can share all that we are in Christ and all that we have in Christ. It’s great to know that we won’t go to hell because of Jesus, but there’s so much more. 

To know all the things we are and have in Christ requires hearing, studying, and meditating on God’s Word. For instance, believers are still calling themselves sinners. Because of Christ, we’re no longer sinners, but we’ve been made righteous (Rom. 5:19). Through Jesus, all of the promises of God have been approved (2 Corinthians 1:20). So, the promise of healing has been approved, sweet sleep has been approved, etc.

As we share the good news with others, this excitement should spill over to others and there will be a chain reaction.  Share all the good news we have because of Christ, and cause a movement.

#share #Christ

@everydaygodswill

John 7:24 NKJV Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Unfortunately, some believers have a bad habit of judging unbelievers and believers alike. If they find flaws in someone that are not like their own, instead of praying for them or talking with them, they openly judge them.

Believers can judge others, but there’s a right way to judge and there’s a wrong way to judge. As we can see from this verse, judging based on appearances is wrong.

So, if we see a person smoking a cigarette, it’s wrong to say they’re a sinner or unholy. That cigarette has nothing to do with their righteousness. Our righteousness comes from Christ alone (Rom. 5:19).

If we see a woman who is wearing clothes that we feel are too revealing, it’s not our place to judge them based on their appearance and say they’re dressing like a whore and are causing men to lust. We don’t know anything about her story, but criticize her clothing. That’s wrong. Our job is to pray for her, and if led by the Holy Spirit, speak the truth about her attire in love, not judgment.

So, what is righteous judgment? Righteous judgment is judging the actions of a person who is doing something contrary to God’s Word. If we see someone doing something contrary to God’s Word, we can say those actions are sinful. That’s where it ends. What we do next will determine if we judge unrighteously. If we label them, criticize them, and don’t offer to help them in some way, we’re judging unrighteously.

It’s common knowledge that Christians are seen as judgemental. Christians judge because other people sin differently than them. Let’s put an end to unrighteous judgment and only judge righteously.

#righteous #judgement

@everydaygodswill

Proverbs 19:5 NKJV A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.

When we lie, we open ourselves up to receive spiritual and natural consequences. 

Spiritually, our consequences are allowing ourselves to be used by Satan, who is known as the father of lies (John 8:44). By allowing Satan to use us, we weaken our guard against his schemes. If we “get away” with the lie once, he’ll easily influence us to lie again, and again, and again.

Ultimately, those lies will catch up with us and we’ll experience natural consequences. Those consequences may include losing our family, losing our jobs, jail time, or being labeled as a liar. 

There is NO reason to lie about anything. Not an opinion about someone if they ask, a surprise birthday party, our location, or the amount of money we spent. If we feel the need to lie, that feeling is based in fear.

Be honest with everyone and speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). If God made Himself with the incapability to lie, we can follow His example and renew our minds not to lie.

#speak #truth

@everydaygodswill

I Samuel 8:7 NKJV And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

God wanted to rule over and lead Israel. Samuel took it personally when Israel wanted a visible king to rule over them rather than an invisible God. Samuel was informed that they aren’t rejecting him, but God. 

We may want people to get saved and have a real relationship with God. When we tell them about God’s love and how Jesus died for their sins, they may reject or mock what we’re offering. We don’t need to take it personal. They’re not rejecting us, but God.

If they reject or mock our beliefs, our flesh may want to respond. We may want to defend our God, belittle their beliefs, and let them know they’re going straight to hell.

First of all, God doesn’t need us to defend Him. He would still be God if no one believed in Him. Secondly, belittling someone’s beliefs doesn’t display the love of God. It shows that we’re immature and no different than the rest of the world. And although it’s true that people are destined for hell if they don’t accept Jesus, it helps no one if it’s coming from our flesh and not out of love.

Let’s continue to let the world know about Jesus Christ. Let’s continue to inform people about the benefits of living holy and being led by the Spirit. If they reject what we’re offering, know they’re not rejecting us, but God. And although He doesn’t want to see anyone perish, He’s strong enough to accept their rejection. 

#share #Jesus #show #Love

@everydaygodswill

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Luke 6:45 NKJV A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

We need to be mindful of what enters our hearts. I’m not talking about our organ, but our spiritual inner man (soul).

We can screen what enters our hearts by analyzing what we’re hearing and seeing. What we hear and see will determine how we think. What we think will determine what we believe. What we believe will determine what we say. And what we say will manifest in our lives.

If we’re hearing and seeing a bunch of negative news on TV or social media, our hearts will be negatively impacted. We’ll be worried that the economy will negatively impact our finances or we’ll fear being robbed. To keep our hearts full of faith, we need to exchange negative news for God’s Word. The news may say there’s a new virus strain going around, but God’s Word says no plague will come near our dwelling (Psalms 91:10).

It’s not just news that can negatively impact our hearts, but it’s music, movies, and TV shows. If we’re watching shows or listening to music that glorify sex, it can be difficult to stay abstinent as a single person. Those words and images are entering our hearts and can tempt us to lust.

Even conversations with our friends must be screened. If our friends are gossiping about another person and causing us to think badly about that person, we need to change the subject or limit our conversations with our friend.

Start screening what enters our hearts. Although certain things are informative or entertaining, we must evaluate if it’s best for us to consume.

#guard #your #heart

@everydaygodswill

Proverbs 21:23 NKJV Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.

You’re about to give me a heart attack.
You scared me to death.
You’re driving me crazy.
I can’t believe that.
I’m so stupid.

These are statements some of us say, but we don’t really mean. When are we going to make the connection between our words and our lives? God designed us to have everything we say (good or bad). If we don’t mean it, don’t say it.

Some of us may say, “I say these type of things all the time and nothing has happened to me.” Praise God nothing has happened, but do you really want to gamble with your life or health for the sake of a statement?

Secondly, when we make statements like this, we’re training our spirits to not believe what we say. How do we make statements like, “I’m dying to go,” then turn around and say, “by the stripes of Jesus Christ, I am healed?” To manifest the promises of God, we need to condition our spirits to bring everything we say to pass.

A few chapters before this is Proverbs 18:21, God lets us know that death and life are in the power of our tongue. Obviously, God is giving us wisdom and informing us that our words have power, and we need to use them wisely. Let’s train our spirits to speak what we actually want to see.

#speak #life #guard #your #mouth

@everydaygodswill

Habakkuk 3:17-18 NKJV Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Everything may not go like we want it to all the time. The facts of our lives can change. Marriages may be problematic, finances may be acting funny, and there may be a health decline.

What will you do if these things happen? Will you panic or freak out? Or will you do the unfathomable, and rejoice in the Lord. Obviously, the word of God is instructing us to do the latter. 

As we rejoice when everything seems chaotic, we’re reminding ourselves of God’s ability working through us to change the situation. As we rejoice, we’re keeping our focus on God’s ability and not the magnitude of the circumstances. As we rejoice, we should be agreeing with God’s Word and not the facts in front of us. 

When tough times come, rejoice by faith, believing that the outcome will change as we allow God’s power to work in and through us (Ephesians 3:20).

#God’s #power in us #changes #circumstances #rejoice!

@everydaygodswill

John 8:32 NKJV And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

God’s Word is the truth (John 17:17). We can only be made free based on the truth we know. If we know a little truth or a little of God’s Word, we’ll be a little free. If we know a lot of God’s Word, we’ll be free in a lot of areas. 

That’s why it’s important to consistently spend time in God’s Word. Reading alone won’t make us free. We must meditate on, confess, and rightly divide God’s Word in order to be free (Joshua 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:15).

When we meditate on, confess, and rightly divide God’s Word, we’ll be transformed because our minds will be renewed (Rom. 12:2). The way we previously acted and thought about things will be changed based on the truth we received. 

For instance, we may have thought we were going to hell if we had one unconfessed sin. This leaves us in bondage to sin hoping we’ve confessed all of our sins so we won’t go to hell. The truth of God’s Word lets us know that Jesus died to sin, once for all, and God is merciful to our unrighteousness, and our sins and iniquities will He remember no more (Romans 6:10; Heb 8:12). By accepting this truth, we can be free from the bondage of sin knowing that we’re totally forgiven.

We can be as free or as bound as we want to be. It all depends on how much truth we know. Let’s consistently spend time in God’s Word to be completely free.

#live #free #God’s #Word is #Truth

@everydaygodswill

Backstory: David slept with another man’s wife, got her pregnant, then had the man killed by putting him on the front line of a battle. God told David, through the prophet Nathan, that He was displeased with him. Although David repented, God told David that his son from the woman would die. After the child was born, the child became ill. David pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted all night in order to receive God’s grace for the child’s life.

II Samuel 12:19-20 NKJV When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.

Although David knew it was coming, it was still devastating to know that his child was dead. After the child’s death, David’s first thought was to worship God. Selah. 

David never blamed, nor turned his back on God. He worshiped. And although it was his fault, he never blamed himself. He simply worshiped.

When we face devastation of any kind, our first mind needs to run towards God and worship. We shouldn’t walk away from God, curse God, or disown Him. We should go to Him and worship.

We may be mad at Him or confused, but worship Him. We may not know what to do, but worship Him. We may not know our next steps, but worship Him. We may not know when the pain will go away, but worship Him.

Our Father is the only One who can help us during difficult moments.

As we worship, we’ll receive comfort and guidance. As we worship, we remind ourselves that God is our Source and greater than anything. As we worship, we dismiss demonic thoughts of suicide and depression. As we worship, we’ll gain strength to move on.

When devastation strikes, pull out your weapon of worship. Don’t blame God, yourself, or anyone else. Just worship.

#worship #God #always #in #alltimes

@everydaygodswill

John 16:27 NKJV for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

Some people pride themselves on God’s love for them based on their performance. They think God loves them because they prayed, fasted, gave to the poor, or haven’t broken “the big 10” (ten commandments).

Our confirmation of God’s love for us is because of our love and acceptance of Jesus. Because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God who loved us enough to die on the cross for our sins, God greatly loves us and adopted us into His family (Ephesians 1:5-6).

Don’t ever think that God’s love for us is performance-driven. God is love (1 John 4:8). He can’t help Himself. He has to love. It’s up to us to receive His love and don’t ever let it go.

#God #is #Love #GodLovesus #greatly

@everydaygodswill

Matthew 3:17 NKJV And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

God loved and was well pleased with Jesus. Jesus hadn’t performed a single miracle or made Himself known as the Messiah, but God still loved and was well pleased with Him.

As born-again believers, since we’re in Christ and Christ is in us according to 1 John 4:17, Colossians 1:27, and Ephesians 2:6, the same way God loves and is well pleased with Jesus is the same way He loves and is well pleased with us.

Some may accept the Father’s love, but they’re uncertain if He’s well pleased with them. If someone is told that God loves and is pleased with them, they may say, “Yeah, but what about…” then they’ll name a sin. Yeah, but what about my cursing? God loves and is well pleased with you. What about this addiction to pornography? God loves and is well pleased with you. What about me smoking marijuana to cope? God loves and is well pleased with you.

God doesn’t love or is well pleased with us based off our behavior. God’s love and delight in us is based on Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life and He paid the penalty for all sin (1 John 2:2). Our belief and acceptance of what He accomplished for us pleases the Father and makes us greatly loved (John 16:27; Ephesians 1:5-6).

God doesn’t like the sin, but because of Jesus, the sins aren’t charged to our accounts (Romans 4:8).

Receive His love and know that He’s well pleased with you. 

#God #is #pleased #with #me

@everydaygodswill

Matthew 3:17 NKJV And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

While Jesus was on earth, God loved Him and was well pleased with Him. Jesus accomplished His mission on earth. After He left, God’s love and pleasure for Him didn’t stop.

1 John 4:17 says, as Jesus is, so are we in this world. Colossians 1:27 says, Christ is in us. Ephesians 2:6 says, God raised us up together with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.

Based on these scriptures, we are in Christ and Christ is in us. When we made Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, the same love that God has for Jesus is the same love He has for us. The same way God is well pleased with Jesus is the same way He is well pleased with us.

We don’t have to earn His love or approval by doing so many righteous acts. Because we believed and accepted the sacrifice of His Son, we are greatly loved and He’s pleased with us.

So when God said to Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” we can truly say He’s saying this about us because we’re in Christ. Know that you are loved by the Father and He’s well pleased with you. 

#truly #unconditionally #Loved #by #God

@everydaygodswill

Proverbs 3:11 NLT My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.

When we drive, we often make little adjustments in order to stay in our lanes. Even professional drivers of big rigs or race cars are making adjustments when driving. As long as we stay in our lanes and get to our destination safely, no one says we’re bad drivers because we make these little corrections. 

When we go through life, if we want to honor the Lord and better ourselves, we’ll periodically have to make corrections or adjustments. The Holy Spirit will help with this. If we were rude to our waitress, the Holy Spirit will let us know we need to adjust our attitude. If we’re watching shows with too much violence, cursing, or nudity, the Holy Spirit will instruct us to start watching other shows.

Like driving, these little corrections help us stay in a lane that honors God and helps us become better people. They’re not meant to make us feel bad or tell us that we’re bad people. If we’re feeling bad about these corrections, we’re listening to the condemning voice of the enemy. He often lets us know that we can’t do anything right. Rebuke him and keep listen to God. 

So don’t reject discipline or be weary of correction. He’s there to help us stay the course.

#coursecorrect #Spirit-led #lifechanges

@everydaygodswill

I John 4:19 NKJV We love Him because He first loved us.

God loves us more than we can imagine. His love goes beyond the limitations of our minds.  His love can’t be bought or earned. It can only be received. 

Satan’s job is to make us forget about or reject God’s love for us. He wants us to think that God’s love is earned based on our behavior. The thought he’ll put in our minds is if we’re behaving properly, then we’re loved, but if we misbehave too many times, our love from God is in jeopardy.

The truth is there’s nothing we can do to stop God’s love for us. We may feel like a horrible human, but God sees each of us like His favorite child. He can love us this way because of Jesus. As we put our faith in Jesus Christ and accept what He’s accomplished on the cross, we’ll always have pure unconditional love from the Father.

Never forget about the love God has for you. Read about it, hear about it, and receive it by faith and you’ll never question the love God has for you. 

#Loved #God #loves #us #unconditionally

@everydaygodswill

In order for our faith to produce results, our actions can’t be contrary to our confession.

Here’s an example. We’ll be in faith and declare by the stripes of Jesus Christ, we are healed and with long life He’ll satisfy us according to Isaiah 53:5 and Psalm 91:16. But some of our actions include overconsumption of food, unhealthy eating habits, and little to no exercise. These actions contradict what we’re in faith for. We can’t expect to eat poorly and live a long satisfying life.

We’ll declare that with God, all things are possible according to Matthew 19:26. But with that same mouth, some of us say, “I doubt I’ll get that promotion at work” or “the possibility of me recovering from this disease is slim.” Our actions (negative speech) is contrary to our faith confession. 

We can’t say or do one thing, but claim we’re in faith for another. Faith without corresponding actions is dead (James 2:17, 20, 26).

Let’s be sure that our actions compliment our faith. Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where our actions can correspond with our faith and confession.

James 2:17 NIV In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

#led #by #Holy #Spirit #Jesus

@everydaygodswill

Ephesians 3:19 NKJV to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

God’s love for us is constant and consistent, never changing and unconditional. Every good thing we have is a reflection of God’s love towards us. The peace we have, the strength we have, the provision we have, and the wholeness we have are all demonstrations of His love. 

It’s great we can say that we love God, but real change, transformation, and impact occurs when we get revelation of God’s love towards us.

To be filled with the fullness of God and to receive the things He’s promised, we must get a revelation of God’s love towards us. His love for us goes beyond our understanding, but if we can get a piece of this revelation, that piece would be life-changing.

We can be in a terrible predicament, but if we have knowledge of God’s love towards us, we’ll be fine. We’ll realize this predicament won’t last long because God loved us so much until He already provided a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). Our bodies could be in so much pain, but God’s love for us has made healing available for everything (Isa. 53:5). Negative depressing thoughts could be entering our minds, but they can’t stay when we meditate on God’s love for us. 

Anything can be fixed with a revelation of God’s love towards us. We’ll trust Him more, our faith will be stronger, and we’ll be unashamed to tell others about Him.

#great #is #God’s #love #forme

@everydaygodswill

Some of us grew up in churches where we heard people beg God for help. We may have heard relatives begging during a family prayer. They’ll beg God to stop by here and stay for a little while. They’ll beg God to heal this person or that person. And they’ll beg God for money for a bill.

Nowhere in scripture does it say we should beg God for anything. God’s not holding what we need hostage. He’s not waiting until we beg and plead to release it. 

We’re to approach God boldly as sons or daughters (Heb. 4:16). God’s a good parent. He’s not leaving us, so we don’t have to beg Him to stay (Heb. 13:5). Our Father knows what we need before we ask, and He’s already made provisions available (Matt. 6:8). So if there’s a need, all we have to do is ask in faith (James1:6-8). Once we ask in faith, we can expect to receive what we’ve prayed for (Mark 11:24).

No matter how bad the situation looks and no matter what we need, remember we don’t have to beg God for anything. By faith, just receive what He’s already provided.

I John 5:14-15 NKJV Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

#promises #provision #available #through #Jesus

@everydaygodswill

Revelation 2:19 NLT “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.

This is Jesus speaking. He lets us know that He sees all the things we do. He sees our love, faith, service, patience, and improvements.

He sees how we continued to walk in love even though that customer was rude to us.  He sees how we continued to believe His word that we’re healed even though nothing has physically changed in our bodies. He sees us serving in our communities and giving to the poor. He sees us being patient with our spouses even though they made a critical error. He sees our improvements in every area of our lives. Last month we may have cursed someone out five times, but this month it was only twice. God sees it all. Even the things that no one notices.

In 1 Corinthians 15:58, He lets us know that our labor is not in vain. In Ephesians 6:8, He promises whatever good anyone does, they will receive the same from the Lord. Our efforts are seen by God and they will be rewarded. 

Don’t get discouraged. God sees you. Continue to improve to honor God, better yourselves, and be a good example for others.

#God #sees #me #do #good

@everydaygodswill

Matthew 18:19 NKJV “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

Missions get accomplished when we’re in agreement with one another. Miracles happen when we’re in agreement with one another. Prayers are answered when we’re in agreement with one another.

Now, we must figure out who can agree with us, because everyone who says they’re for us may not actually be for us. Also, we want to make sure we can agree with someone who has faith and won’t quit. The Holy Spirit can help with this decision. He’ll show us who can agree with us to bring our desires to pass. It could be a family member, a church friend, or even a believing coworker. Trust the person He decides for us. 

Once we pray with our partners, believe that it will come to pass and it will come to pass. We don’t have to pray every day or every week. Both just have to believe, and it will happen.

We can initiate being in agreement for someone else’s desires too. We can pray with someone and let them know that we’re in agreement with them. Don’t stop standing in agreement until we see their desires come to pass.

Praise God for agreement. It strengthens our faith, our communities, and most importantly, it allows God’s will to come to pass in the earth.

#spiritualagreement #pray #together #trust #God

@everydaygodswill

Psalms 94:19 NKJV In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

Why does anxiety come? Because we attempt to figure out life’s issues on our own instead of giving them to God.

The temptation to be anxious about this or that will always knock on our doors. Instead of opening that door, we must inform those anxious thoughts to go see our God. We do this by informing ourselves that we’re not going to think about those anxious thoughts because God has already handled them. He’s not going to handle them. He’s already worked out a solution.

As we give each anxious thing to Him, we’ll have comfort, peace, wisdom, and strength to continue on. Our stress and worries will disappear and our faith in God will grow stronger.

Don’t let anxiety stay in your mind. If it’s already there, kick it out and refer anxiety to God’s Word. We can’t control what enters our minds, but we control what stays in our minds. Let it go.

#release #worry #trust #God #believe