Graced To Do God's Will

Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.

They say, good things come to those who wait. That’s only partially true. Waiting alone doesn’t allow good things to come. It’s what we do while we wait that allows the good things to come.

For believers, while we wait, we maintain our belief for those good things. Circumstances will attempt to cause us to doubt that those good things will happen. But if we maintain our belief in God’s word for those good things, they will come to pass.

Another thing we can do while we wait is make positive confessions that align with God’s word. Our words have power to bring things to pass, so confessions while we wait is highly beneficial.

Finally, while we wait, we can be a blessing to others. Being a blessing is a seed. The seeds we sow towards others can provide a harvest for our good thing.

Waiting is not enough. What we do while we wait gives us the advantage towards our good things.

Jesus traded His righteousness for our sin. He traded His riches for our poverty. He gave us His peace for our chaos. He took our bad health and pain (emotional and physical) and gave us health. He gave us the blessing and took the curse that was on our lives. Jesus traded for our eternal death and gave us eternal life.

These don’t seem like fair trades. That’s because they’re not. But, He traded all of these things, and more, because He loves us. He made these trades so that we can have an abundant life now. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to experience the goodness of God. We can have a great life now.

So, if you need another reason to be grateful for Jesus, think about the trades He made and begin to thank Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

People have said, if it doesn’t make you happy, you shouldn’t be doing it. That’s not true. If that were the case, we all would still be destined for hell because Jesus wasn’t happy getting on that cross and being separated from the Father.

Happiness is an emotion. And our emotions shouldn’t be governing our lives. The Holy Spirit should be leading and guiding us to do God’s will.

Sometimes, what God requires of us doesn’t initially make us happy. He may tell us to leave our family and everything that’s familiar and go to a different state. That wouldn’t make most of us happy. He may tell us to take a job that requires us to take a pay cut. That’s not exciting. He may tell us to sell our house and move in something smaller.

No matter the instructions, follow them. We may not be excited about following them, but our obedience will lead us to happiness, perseverance, and most importantly, glory to God.

Luke 8:3 NLT Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and His disciples.

These people were contributing to Jesus’s ministry from their own resources. Some of us may say, “I would have given out of my resources if I were around during the time of Jesus…” But, would you???

Think about it. There were a lot of skeptical people when Jesus walked the earth. He didn’t glow as He walked around. He looked like an average person, but claimed to be the Son of God. They probably said, “If He’s the Son of God, He shouldn’t be taking our resources. It should fall from heaven.” Followers of Jesus didn’t know the details of what Jesus was planning to do for mankind, and yet they gave to His ministry. These people truly were giving out of a heart of love and gratitude.

We know the details of what Jesus accomplished for us. We know we’re free from the law and have been made right with God. We know He died on the cross for all our sins. We’re experiencing the abundant life now. With all of that, some of us are still reluctant to give.

Some are afraid that the preacher is taking their money for personal gain. Some have been deceived into thinking, “God understands my heart and situation so, I won’t give.”

God has been way too good for us to shortchange Him. If it was beneficial for Jesus to receive from His followers, surely we can give to God now. We can read about everything He’s done and what magnificent things He’s prepared for us. Based on this alone, we should cheerfully give, from our own resources, to the Kingdom of God. Don’t be greedy, give.

Lamentations 3:40 Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.

It’s examination time. It’s time to look at every area of our lives to see if there are areas where we need to turn back to the Lord. Turning back to the Lord means, in that area, we do things God’s way. It’s a form of repentance (changing).

We may go to church, pray, read our bibles, but we’re not a giver. That’s an area where we need to turn back to the Lord. We turn back to God by trusting God with our money. We may do all the right things, but we know we heard God tell us to quit our jobs and go into full-time ministry. Turn back to God by following His voice and stepping out on faith. If your attitude needs improvement, turn back to the Lord where your attitude is concerned.

Whatever area we need to do things God’s way, let the Holy Spirit lead you to do things God’s way.

Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him.

If you want to experience the goodness of the Lord, depend Him.

Don’t depend on Him only when you’ve tried all you know to or depend on Him whenever you’re at your lowest. Depend on Him from the start. Depend on Him when things are going well. Depend on Him for seemingly minor things like, when to arrive at work, what to wear, what exercises to do at the gym, and what to eat for dinner.

That’s the type of dependence that will cause us to see the goodness of the Lord. So, in major and minor moments, depend on God.

Psalm 30:5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

When people read these verses about God’s anger, they become sin conscious. They think if we do something wrong, we’ll make God angry. They look at all the negative things in their lives and think God is punishing them because of sin.

Look at where all these scriptures about the Lord’s anger are found. These scriptures are in the old covenant. In the old covenant, God had every right to be angry and punish people because sin filled the earth. In the new covenant, we only read about the Lord’s anger towards the unrighteous (those who haven’t accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior).

We no longer see anything about God’s anger because Jesus paid the price for sin. Jesus took our punishment. The wrath of God, that was meant for mankind, was put on Jesus. We may sin, but that sin was paid for by Jesus. Without Him, the anger of God would still be flowing.

So, ultimately, God’s not angry because of Jesus. Thank God for Jesus.

Romans 5:9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Exodus 17:6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

Initially, God told Moses to strike the rock for water. Later, He told Moses to speak to the rock for water. What can we learn from this? Yesterday’s instructions may not be today’s instructions.

As humans, when we find something that works, we want to stick with it. That’s not always the case with God. He may give us a different method for the same outcome. If He’s Lord over our lives, it’s up to us to follow this new method.

For instance, if we had a cold last year, God may have told us to eat oranges, take vitamins, and rest. By following His instructions, our symptoms were mild and we got over it quickly. If we get a cold now, we shouldn’t automatically assume we should do the same thing. We should wait for God’s instructions. If He tells us to do the same thing, do it. If it’s something different, no matter how strange it seems, do it.

Whether it’s a business deal, disciplining a child, or preparing for an interview, let’s keep our ears open and follow the instructions from God.

In the first 20 verses of Lamentations 3, the writer mentions how terrible his situation has become. I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger (Lamentations 3:1). My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs (Lamentations 3:14). The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words (Lamentations 3:19).

Despite all of the affliction, suffering, and mockery he’s facing, he makes a powerful statement in the next 4 verses.

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” -Lamentations 3:21‭-‬24 NLT

When all hell seems to be coming against us, that’s when we need to stand flat-footed and trust in the Lord. Giving up ties God’s hands. We may have to trust God with tears in our eyes, but trust Him. We may have to believe in His word with pain in our bodies, but believe Him. We may not know how it’s going to happen, but rely on Him.

Don’t give up! Regardless of what you see and how you feel, place everything you have in God. This is the only time we should place all our eggs in one basket. Trust God!

If you’re saying “forgive me Lord” frequently and often throughout the day, you’re sin conscious. If you’re feeling guilty or unworthy of God’s blessings because of what you’ve done, you’re sin conscious. If you’re using the old excuse of needing to get yourself together before coming back to church or establishing a relationship with God, you’re sin conscious.

Sin consciousness is when we put our sins and all we’ve done wrong above the sacrifice for sins that was completed and made available to us by Christ.

Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

We have a choice. We can choose to rehearse all the sins we’ve committed (great and small) that day or receive God’s forgiveness that was made available through the sacrifice of Jesus.

When we miss the mark, instantly receive the forgiveness that was made available to us and move on. God has forgiven and forgotten our sins, so why should we hold on to them? Sin consciousness negatively impacts our relationship with God, our effectiveness in the Kingdom, and the promises God has for us.

Receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, ask for help to not miss the mark from the Holy Spirit, and continue to live as if you’ve never done anything wrong.

Mark 11:22-24 (ESV) And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Just a reminder, confessions still work. There’s still power in our words.

Whatever we see that’s not lining up with God’s word can be reversed with our words. It’s that simple. We don’t have to fast for so many days or read 10 books of the bible for it to work. It’s simply speaking faith-filled words at the situation.

Consistency is the key. When we hear ourselves speak the word of God over our situation, faith is being built (Rom. 10:17). As we continue on, our words have the power to change that situation.

Don’t think for a second that your words aren’t working. That’s what Satan wants us to believe. Our words are working for us or against us. Do yourselves a favor and speak life to have your words working in your favor.

We’ll hear an inspiring message that ignites our faith. From the time we heard it, we’re believing God for anything we’ve ever thought of. We’re believing for a house, spouse, divine health, car, business, etc. We’re quoting all the scriptures like, with God all things are possible, ask and it shall be given, the battle is the Lord’s (Matt. 19:26, Matt. 7:7, 1 Sam. 17:47).

After a month or so, our excitement simmers down. Certain things come up that eat at our faith. We may not see how our credit will get better to get that house. We may not know where the money is coming from. We may not know how things will change. And of course, delay.

It’s during these times we need to maintain our faith, belief, and trust in God. This is not the time to look at our circumstances and believe what we see. We may not be on 10, but as quick as circumstances attack our faith, we should be building it back up. How? By reading and listening to the word, spending time in the presence of God, and making confessions of what we desire to see.

Don’t let circumstances rob you of the promises of God. Maintain your faith, trust, and confidence in God.

The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.-Mark 4:16‭-‬17 NLT

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

Whenever you get a scratchy throat or a runny nose, instead of trying to figure out where it came from or wonder if you have Covid, cast your cares to God and let Him perfect everything that concerns you.

Whenever you lose a job, instead of panicking on how you’re going to pay your bills and buy food, give that care to God and let Him handle it.

Whenever you’re tired, but you still have so much to do, give those cares to God and go get rest.

Whatever cares we may have, it does us no good to worry or fret. Give it to God and go to sleep. He’ll perfect everything that concerns us.

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Psalms 138:8 NKJV

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
James 1:16 NLT

Satan is a great deciever. Through his deception, he has mislead people away from the truth in God’s word.

One misleading is thinking temptations come from God. We’ll all face temptations, but these temptations didn’t come from God. These temptations came from our own lustful desires. Just because we see a deceptive way to get more money, or we’re attracted to a person we’re not married to, we should stop saying God is testing me. Recognize that the temptation came from the devil, and rebuke the thought.

Another misleading from Satan are other doctrines that seem to come out annually. People are always being deceived into thinking that this doctrine or religion was the original and Christianity is just a cheap knock-off.

These misleading ideas can leave us confused and deceived. Don’t be misled. Let God’s word provide the truth.

Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

These are people who are trying to live independent from God and they’re trying to make a name for themselves.

God never intended for us to make a name for ourselves. Through our belief and obedience to the Holy Spirit, He’ll make our name great. In Genesis 12:2 (Amplified) it says, “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you abundantly, And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others].“

We don’t need to hustle, trying out one business venture after another, attempting to build our brand and legacy. If a brand is going to be built, it should be built by walking down the path God already cleared for us.

James 1:18 (NLT) He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.

We are God’s prized possessions. A prized possession is taken care of, cherished, and protected. No need to worry about what’s going to happen to us because we belong to Him.

We should never think we are less than, stupid, or ugly. We are God’s prized possessions and if He thinks we’re valuable, intelligent, and beautiful, we should too.

As prized possessions, we should be confident (not cocky). We should have the mindset that God has got our backs. We should trust that whatever He tells us to do is for our good. We should believe He desires to bless His prized possessions with good things.

Know who you are in Christ. No longer should we have low self-esteem, wonder if God’s going to answer our prayers, or how we’re going to make it. We are the prized possessions of the true and living God and He has our best interests at heart.

John 10:10 (NLT) The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Abundant life is what Jesus came and died for. Abundant life includes, but is not limited to materialistic things. Abundant living is also experiencing peace and joy in our families, health in our bodies, freedom from all fears, and rest.

What good is it to be a millionaire, but we don’t have peace in our minds? How is God glorified if fear and worry is running rampant in our lives? How are we to enjoy life if we’re dealing with sickness?

Abundant life is something that God promised. This promise must be received by faith. If there’s something in your life that’s not lining up with abundance (shortages, chaos, sickness, or insufficiency), cancel it and believe that you’ve received the abundance God desires for you.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.-John 10:10 NLT

Wherever you are in life and whatever you have, God has more.

Abundance means a very large quantity of something. Jesus died so that we can have abundance.

A lot of us are satisfied with the basics. We have a decent job, a place to live, a vehicle, and some money in the bank. We’re not looking nor are we asking God for more. In some circles, it’s almost sinful to desire more, but that’s not what the word says.

God wants us to have more. More to enjoy life AND more to dispense goods to others. How can we show our children the world if we only have enough to pay our bills? How can we be a blessing to others if we only have enough for our immediate family? How can we advance the Kingdom of God if we can’t give over and above our tithes and offering?

It’s not sinful to desire the best. This is what Jesus died for. If an upgrade in some area in your life is in your spirit, request it from God. The blood of Jesus has already purchased it for you. It’s up to us to receive it by faith and don’t feel guilty for enjoying it.

Genesis 12:2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

Between the recession in 2008, staying healthy from Covid, the increase in unemployment, and the possibility of inflation, people have adopted a survival mindset. Whatever they have or get, they’re trying to keep it all to themselves.

Regardless of what’s going on in the world, believers are still called to be a blessing. We can be blessings because we receive the blessing given to Abraham through Christ Jesus. This blessing allows us to prosper in any season (Psalm 1:3). The more we bless others, the more God blesses us (Ephesians 6:8). Luke 6:38 says give, and it shall be given back to us. And as we give to the Kingdom of God, blessings will be showered down on us (Malachi 3:10).

Don’t rearrange and make adjustments to your life based on what the news or so called experts say. Continue to follow the word of God, continue to be a blessing, and continue to be a giver because God is the One Who is working through us to bless others.

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

There are so many people trying to create their own righteousness with God. They’re trying to do so many good things they think please God. They’re not eating a certain food, they’re not wearing makeup, they’re not enjoying themselves because they think God is pleased with their seriousness.

These same people torture themselves when they miss the mark. They punish themselves by reading the bible all day, they fast to punish their bodies, they may go into mild depression.

The righteousness Isaiah prophetically spoke about was a righteousness through Jesus Christ. This righteousness realizes that we’re at peace with God. This righteousness understands there is nothing we can do to earn His love or be more righteous than we can be through Jesus. This righteousness is not beating ourselves up because we know God’s not mad at us.

Don’t attempt to earn your righteousness through works. Be at peace and know you’re righteous through Christ.

Mark 5:19-20 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

Revelation 12:11 says, we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

When God blesses us with that new job, healing in our bodies, that new husband or wife, or that raise, it’s our responsibility to tell our testimony.

Some people have been deceived into thinking we need to keep it to ourselves to “remain humble” or not “flaunt” our blessing in the face of someone who’s experiencing a difficult time. That’s a lie. We’re not boasting in how great we are. We’re giving all the credit to God for blessing us with our desires. Psalm 34:2 encourages us to boast in the Lord.

When people hear us giving glory to God through our testimony, it shouldn’t make them feel bad. If it does, they have some maturing to do. Our testimony will hopefully encourage them to place and keep their faith and trust in God for all their needs and desires.

Fear is not okay. It robs us of the abundant life God made available to us through the sacrifice of Jesus.

The fear of getting hurt stops some of us from getting into a relationship with another person. Fear stops some of us from enjoying vacations because of a fear of flying or getting on a cruise. Fear of being turned down stops some of us from putting in for a promotion. Fear of failing stops some of us from starting a business.

We can allow fear to hinder our lives or trust God for a favorable outcome when we face our fears. Either way, it’s up to us. God’s not going to make us deal with our fears or love us any less if we have fear in our lives. Fear reveals an area where we don’t trust God completely.

Be free from the bondage of fear and enjoy the life God wants you to have.

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
Mark 5:36 NLT

I wish I had that job.
I wish I had that house.
I wish I didn’t have to go through this treatment.
I wish things would be easier.
I wish I had that much.

A lot of times we wish for things when God has given us the ability to ask and decree for what we desire. Wishing we had something will never get us what we want. It’s only by following the instructions in God’s word we are guaranteed to receive what we desire.

God’s word tells us whatever we desire when we pray, believe that we’ve received it and we shall have it (Mark 11:24). It also says we’ll receive whatever we ask in the name of Jesus (John 16:23). Matthew 18:18 says whatever we permit or forbid on earth shall be permitted or forbidden in heaven.

As we can see through the scriptures, it’s totally up to us. When we use our faith and get God involved with our desires, they will come to pass. If not, we’ll be wishing forever.

John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Titus 1:2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.

God’s ultimate plan, before the world began, was for every person to have eternal life with Him. Sin derailed that plan. Because of sin, some people perished and no longer have the choice to be with God forever. God never intended for this to happen. 2 Peter 3:9 says He didn’t want anyone to perish.

God set a new plan in motion through Jesus. Everyone who believes and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will have eternal life. Eternal life doesn’t start when we die. Eternal life starts the moment we believe.

God has always wanted us to be with Him. That’s His desire. Through Jesus, we can be with Him forever. Since God is always giving us our desires, let’s return the favor and give Him His desire. Let’s give Him people. Encourage someone else to receive eternal life through Jesus Christ so they won’t perish.

Proverbs 4:22 for they (God’s words) are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.

The bible is not just a book. It’s the printed word of God.
God’s word is not something we read to check a box. The word of God provides revelation of who He is, what He’s done, and what’s to come.

As we can see, the word of God is health to our entire body. The pain in our knee, the sickness floating in our body, and the pain from that divorce can all be healed by reading God’s word.

Don’t neglect the word of God. Even if we’ve read it from cover to cover, it continues to provide benefits to our lives.

James 3:2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

Some of our mistakes start with our tongue. We speak it first and because our tongue has the power to create, what we speak comes to pass.

Mistakes with our tongues, that impact our lives include, constantly telling our spouse we’re leaving when a disagreement arises, saying we’re never going to get promoted or married, or saying you’re always getting sick.

Stop speaking this into existence. Think before you speak and minimize the mistakes.

Revelation 5:12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Hopefully, we can agree Jesus is the Lamb who was slain. He was slain to receive power, wealth, strength, honor, glory, and praise.

In Romans 8:17 it says, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. We are joint heirs with Christ. This means, whatever Jesus has, we have it too.

Since Jesus received power, wealth, strength, honor, glory, and praise, we too have power, wealth, strength, honor, glory, and praise. Jesus wasn’t slain so that He could hoard all of these attributes to Himself. He was slain so we too can also have access to these things.

When we truly understand what we have in Christ, regardless of how it looks in the natural, we should never feel powerless, poor, or weak. Why? Because Jesus died so that we can be powerful, wealthy, and strong.

Praise God for Jesus and making us joint heirs in Christ so that we can live an abundant victorious life.

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:25‭-‬26

There are some bible beaters out here. Bible beaters are Christians who are beating people up with scripture after scripture attempting to get them saved or turn from their unholy ways. What a lot of them are missing is gentleness.

If we gently instruct those who oppose the truth, God can potentially work on their hearts to escape the deception of Satan. The key word is gently.

Like anything else, if we come too heavy-handed or harsh, that can be off-putting. No one likes anything to be shoved down their throats. In Ephesians 4:15, it tells us to teach the truth in love.

Based on everything we see, it’s important to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach the truth, but let’s do it in a gentle way.

Proverbs 29:25 NLT Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.

There’s a fear that’s not mentioned much. That’s the fear of people. Fearing people because they think differently than us, fearing people because they look different from us, and fearing people’s opinions.

All this fear is detrimental because we’ll have to deal with people for the rest of our lives. The answer to this fear is putting our trust in God.

When we focus on God, we won’t get distracted by what other people are doing or saying. We’ll be so focused on what He tells us to do until we won’t have time to consider what people are doing and saying.

Don’t let fear rob you of your peace, joy, and freedom. Trust in the Lord and don’t look elsewhere.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Every believer comes equipped with two stalkers. Those stalkers are grace and mercy.

Their only mission is to follow us everywhere we go. If we start a new job, goodness and mercy are present with us. If we open a business, goodness and mercy are present. If we’ve done something terrible, goodness and mercy are present. If we feel like we’re not going to make it, goodness and mercy are present.

When we understand that they’re present, we can release our faith to receive what they have to offer. If we’re feeling low, we can say, “I release my faith for goodness to improve my life.” If we’re feeling unworthy of God’s love, we can receive the mercy of God that’s presently there with us.

Embrace these stalkers because these stalkers will never leave us alone.

There are some who are more logically minded. They typically make their decisions based on facts, evidence, and logic they can understand. There’s another group of people who are more emotional. They make their decisions based on how they feel.

Since the logical person uses facts and evidence, if the facts and evidence change, they can change. It can be a little more difficult for an emotional person because it’s dealing with their feelings. If an experience makes them feel a certain way, they feel justified in responding in certain way.

Sometimes, the more emotional person’s responses don’t make sense to the outsider and appears very knee jerk-ish. Since they’re acting out of their emotions, they’re not trying to appeal to logic. Their decisions and responses typically have negative consequences. They’ll say something they’ll later regret; they’ll do something that will have them in jail, fired from a job, or divorced.

It can be difficult to convince a more emotional person to understand how their feelings are affecting their decisions which is ultimately affecting their lives. But that’s why we have God.

Both the logical and emotional person need to silence their logic and feelings and submit their decisions to God. That’s the only way we can ensure our decisions are sound and will work out in our favor. Trust God, not logic or emotions.

Colossians 3:15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

A lot of us use this scripture when we’re dealing with sickness, disease, or physical pain in our bodies. That’s great, but this scripture can also be applied to emotional wounds that haven’t healed.

This scripture can be applied to the pain a person experiences during a divorce, death of a loved one, abandonment from our parents, rejection, or abuse.

This scripture works the same for emotional pain as it does physical pain. When that emotional pain comes in our minds, we must literally open our mouths and say, “by His wounds, I’m healed of (whatever emotional pain)” We’ll also have to say, “I receive the peace and joy of God in exchange for this pain, in Jesus name.” We’ll say this multiple times until the pain is removed.

Praise God for the sacrifice of Jesus that heals us from physical and emotional pain.

1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Some of us sit in a room and wait to feel or experience God’s love. He may give us a good feeling when we’re by ourselves, but a lot of times, God’s love is shown through people.

God’s love can be experienced through our parents, our spouses, and our children. That good emotional feeling we get when laughing and playing with them is an expression of God’s love.

For those who may not have had the best parents and you don’t have a spouse or children, God’s love is being expressed to you in some way. It may be through a close friend or an extended family member who is actively present, offers money, or words of encouragement in our situation.

God’s going to make sure His love is being expressed in some way. It’s up to us to recognize it so we’re not going through life thinking nobody loves us and nobody cares. God loves and cares. Recognize it and receive it.

Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Our emotions can deceive us.

Fear is going to knock on all of our doors. Just because fear is present doesn’t mean we have to let it in. Some of us think because fear is present, that means it’s natural and we’re justified to be afraid. In order to gain victory and be in control of our lives, we must fight off fear.

We fight fear with faith. And faith is activated by the words of our mouth. When fear knocks, we must open our mouths and say, “God has not given me the spirit of fear. Fear, I cancel you now and I trust God to handle this situation.”

When we cancel fear and focus on God’s promises over the fear that’s present, we’ll experience victory every time. But be on guard, because fear will return.

James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

We all are tempted by something. Most of us know what we’re tempted by. The key is not to put ourselves in situations where we tempt ourselves.

For instance, if we know we’re tempted with pornography, we don’t need to watch movies where there’s a lot of nudity. If we know we’re tempted to gossip, we don’t need to stand around listening to others gossip about someone else. That will tempt us to gossip about that same individual. If we’re tempted to drink in excess, we don’t need to go to events where they’re serving alcohol.

We may think we can handle being in those situations, but why chance it? Know yourself and be responsible and strong enough to remove yourself from that temptation.

As we close out 2021, start a detailed list of all the things God has done. Don’t limit it to 2021. Make a list of all the significant things God has done in times past.

This list does a few things. It helps us appreciate God even more. As we look on this list, we’ll thank, praise, and worship God for all He has done.

Secondly, it gives us a grateful attitude. A lot of times we’re complaining about what we don’t have now when we haven’t truly thanked God for what He just did. This list keeps us grateful and free from complaints.

Finally, this list stirs our faith. We may have current desires that haven’t yet manifested. Periodically reading this list will reignite our faith and let us know if He did it before, He can do it again.

Keep this list going throughout 2022. If we keep our faith in God, we’ll be amazed from all the Lord has done.

Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.

Galatians 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

When we hear the word blessed, some of us think of stuff (house, cars, money, etc.). Someone else may think of having good health, happiness, and having everything we need. Both are correct and one is not better than the other.

For those in Christ (those who made Jesus Lord) we’re blessed. We’re not blessed because we have stuff or all that we need. We’re blessed because of the blessing. Notice, it’s not plural. This blessing was spoken by God to Abraham and his seed.

Galatians 3:16 the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say “and to seeds” as of many but “and to your seed” as of One, who is Christ.

If we’re in Christ, we’re blessed. Not because of the stuff that we have, but because of Jesus and the fact that God said it. The blessings (plural) we have come from the blessing.

Since God spoke it, it has to come to happen for everyone who believes. It’s not going to happen automatically. We must believe in the blessing He spoke over Abraham and His children. We must believe we’re children of Abraham and the blessing is for us.

Don’t get down because your life is not matching up with this blessing. Once we believe, watch all these blessings start pouring in our lives.

Mark 6:3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

If they rejected Jesus, they could possibly reject us too.

The people looked at His outward appearance and remembered His past and they rejected Jesus. They may do the same with us. They may say, didn’t she have five husbands, didn’t she get an abortion, or didn’t he go to prison. We may have an entirely new nature and truly living Christ like, but because of our past, they may only see us as we were. We’re trying to tell them about God and how He changed our lives, but because they can only see our past, some may not be willing to receive what we have to say.

Don’t get frustrated or flustered. It can happen. It doesn’t mean you’re any less of a person and we shouldn’t feel guilty about our past. Once again, if they rejected Jesus, they may reject us too. Use your message/testimony as a seed. They may not be willing to give God a shot based on what we said, but hopefully, what we said can be a seed for them to repent in the future.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Some of us feel like you need to be reading the bible 3 hours a day, have perfect church attendance, and be relatively flawless to do something for God. This is a deception. God can and wants to use us where we are.

If we feel like we have to “get ourselves together” in order to be used by God, we’ll always have an excuse because there’s always something to work on.

Sit with God and ask what you can do for Him. It may be as simple as volunteering at a homeless shelter. It may be inviting your friend to church or sending them a link of a good sermon. We may not be at the point of preaching on the corners, but there’s always something we can do.

Don’t always look to the pastors and ministers to do all the work. Let’s do our part assisting in the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

Psalm 103:10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

It doesn’t matter if we’ve been saved for a day or 20 years, we’re going to miss the mark. It may be as simple as complaining or being critical. Regardless, the mark has been missed.

Instead of feeling bad because we think God is upset with us or thinking we’ve missed our blessings, tap into God’s grace. God’s grace let’s us know no matter what we do and how long we’ve done it, God’s not mad at us and He still desires to shower us with blessings.

We may feel undeserving or feel like we wouldn’t bless a person who has disobeyed us, but that’s not God’s nature. The punishment for all sins was placed on Jesus. And because He took our punishment, we can experience a life where God will never be upset with us. He only wants to prosper us. Receive this amazing gift of grace.