Graced To Do God's Will

1 Samuel 7:3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD.

10 As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.

The Israelites worshipped false gods and they had no interest in God until things got too difficult for them with the Philistines. But as soon as they turned to God and asked for help, God immediately stepped in and helped them.

What does this mean for us? No matter how long we’ve turned our back on God, as soon as we turn to Him, He’s there to help us. As we seek Him, He’ll fix our problems, guide us through our shortcomings, and help us become better people.

Don’t let your past hold you down or define who you are. Turn to Him and He’ll be there to help.

Colossians 4:17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”

We all have a God-given ministry. Some of us are assigned to a ministry within the church such as, pastors, ministers, and church staff, but the majority of us are assigned to a ministry outside the four walls of the church.

We are teachers, lawyers, engineers, business owners, politicians, and more. Some may think of this as a job, but it’s a ministry. As born-again believers, we are to bring the Kingdom of God in those areas. That means we pray for God’s protection, supernatural increase, and efficiency in our ministry. We work unto the Lord. We allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in our decisions. We bind and rebuke demonic influences that cause drama. And we loose peace and joy in our ministry.

It doesn’t matter if we’re working in a fast food restaurant or on the board of a fortune 500 company, our responsibility is to complete the ministry we have received in the Lord.  

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

Spouses, children, siblings, and friends should all receive prayer from us. We always should be praying for someone else. As much as we want to succeed and prosper, we should want the same thing for others.

We should desire that they succeed and prosper in their families, their businesses, and their health. We should want them to fulfill the purposes God has for them. We should want them to mature and grow in the things of God.

There’s enough God to go around for everyone. We have to stop thinking about ourselves only and take the time to intercede on the behalf of others. Let’s sincerely pray.  

There are so many people who get so serious when they talk about God. It’s fine to be serious about God, but it’s also okay to have fun with God.

When it comes to God and the things of God, we can have fun. Praying can be fun. We should talk to God like we talk to our best friend. Listening to God’s Word can be fun. People like Jeremy Foster and John Gray incorporate humor in their message. Even reading the bible, yes the bible, can be entertaining. When reading about the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, with a smile on our face, we gladly appreciate Him.

When it comes to God, we don’t have to get deep and serious all the time. Laugh, smile, and have fun with God. He enjoys us so, we should enjoy Him too.

Philippians 4:4 (MSG) Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

When a relative or a close friend tells us about how they were hurt by another person, we usually get upset with the other person.

Some of us don’t talk to them anymore. We may talk bad about them to others. In some cases, we hope they fail. They haven’t done anything to us, but they hurt someone close to us. For that, we don’t like them.

Guess what? They still need prayer. They should receive grace and mercy just like we need grace and mercy. They still need to know they’re loved by God, they’re forgiven by God, and loved by us.

It’s not popular and it can be difficult at times, but that’s the Christian thing to do. If we don’t pray for them, who will? If we don’t extend grace and mercy to them, how will they become a better person? How can they fix their mistakes if someone doesn’t lovingly show them their faults? We needed grace and mercy when we hurt someone else, so extend that same grace and mercy to others.

There are some of us who want to do the right thing. We want to please God by being a good servant for His Kingdom, acknowledge God in all our ways, be a good spouse, and be a good parent.

It’s a good thing to want to do the right thing, but sometimes we miss it. We desire to do good, but our flesh gets in the way and we miss the mark. That’s not the time to beat ourselves up or believe Satan’s lie that we’re going to miss our blessing. We must extend grace to ourselves.

Step 1: Acknowledge that we missed the mark.
Step 2: Receive God’s forgiveness and His forgetfulness of the mark we’ve missed (Heb. 8:12).
Step 3: Understand if God has forgiven us and forgotten our sins, we should too.
Step 4: Continue on with life as if we haven’t done anything wrong.

By extending grace to ourselves, the devil can’t hold anything over our heads (condemnation). Follow these steps to experience complete freedom from everything we’ve done wrong.  

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Job 8:7 Though your beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.

We may have an efficient vehicle, decent employment, and a moderate house, but our dreams are humongous.

Don’t get down because your dreams are not matching your reality yet. Continue to trust in God for your desires. Continue to believe that you received them. Prepare, in whatever way you can, to receive what you envision for your life.

It may look small or basic now, but it won’t always be like this. Keep your faith in God and expect an abundant future.

The best way to discredit someone is to mock them, belittle them, make fun of them, and tell someone else how ridiculous they sound. It’s bad enough we do this to people, but some of us (saved and unsaved) have done this to the Holy Spirit.

In some circles, He’s a running joke. He’s been reduced to jumping, dancing, and fainting. Some pretend to jerk their bodies and talk in tongues.

Who’s behind this discrediting? Answer: Satan.

Satan has discredited the Holy Spirit because he knows if we properly use the Holy Spirit, his attacks will be instantly defeated. He knows we’ll have an abundant life, tap into our purpose, and advance the Kingdom of God.

So what does Satan do? He makes people feel foolish if they consult with and pray in the Holy Spirit. He causes division in the body of Christ about the Holy Spirit’s role. He influences believers and nonbelievers to make a mockery of Him.

Don’t get caught in this trap. Study and learn about the Holy Spirit. Learn about His role to assist us in obtaining a prosperous life. Jesus lets us know the Holy Spirit is a gift and our helper. So why wouldn’t we use Him?

Acts 1:3 After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The next time you pray, be mindful of how many times you use the words, me, my, and I. There’s nothing wrong with praying for yourself and your desires, but don’t forget about others.

Pray for that relative who hasn’t accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Loose ministering spirits that will encourage them to receive salvation. Pray for your friend’s child that may be stressing your friend out. Pray for the President. Pray that He makes decisions that align with the word of God.

There are so many other people and situations to pray for outside of ourselves. Equalize your petitions. Instead of always saying me, my, and I, include, he, her, and them.

Psalm 71:18 (CEV) Don’t leave me when I am old and my hair turns gray. Let me tell future generations about your mighty power.

*Let’s set the record straight, God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

As we get older, it’s important to tell the next generation about the goodness of God. How will they know God is the Savior, the deliverer, and the healer if we don’t tell them?

We’re old enough to have testimonies of our own. We can tell them how God came through when the situation seemed impossible. We can tell them how God answered our prayers better than we could have imagined.

From our children to our grandchildren, let’s position ourselves to tell the next generation about God and His wonderful works.

If an old friend we haven’t seen in a while asked about our mother, father, or siblings, most of us have no problem giving them an update. However, if that same friend asked our relationship with God, some of us may get squirmy and uncomfortable. Some of us may even say, “that’s private.” How is asking about our relationship with God any different from asking about our relationship with members of our family? 

We shouldn’t feel uncomfortable talking about our relationship with God. If it’s great, tell them how good God’s been. If it can be better, be honest and let them know. If it’s nonexistent, tell them that too.

The only one who doesn’t want us to talk about God is devil. He’ll do everything in his power to make talking about God weird, uncomfortable, or problematic. In fact, in a corporate setting, people say don’t talk about religion (God) and politics. Where do you think that line of thinking originated?

Let’s normalize speaking about our great and mighty God. He’s the One who helps us, blesses us, and implemented a plan to save us through Jesus. So, why wouldn’t we want to talk about our Heavenly Father? He is our everything.

Isaiah 63:7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us– yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

Some people act like they don’t understand faith. But honestly, they’re displaying faith every day. We wear our mask, based on someone else’s word, to avoid a virus we can’t see. If that’s not faith, I don’t know what is.

If we can have faith in a thin piece of cloth covering our faces, based on the word of humans, surely we can place our faith in the word of our Creator. We believe in the word of an imperfect human so, why can’t we believe in the Word of a perfect God?

Stop trying to complicate faith. It’s believing and acting on the word of God. Whatever He tells us to do in His written or audible word, do it, and believe it’s in our best interests. If we can have faith naturally (wearing mask), we can have faith spiritually (believing and acting on God’s word).

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,

Matthew 25:21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Some of us desire a promotion or a pay increase in our careers. The best way to get it is to faithfully work unto the Lord. What does that look like? Work, knowing your performance is being reviewed by God.

God sees what we’re doing and what we’re not doing. He notices things our natural supervisors may not have noticed. He notices if we skipped a step, half did something, or treated a customer unkindly.

We are to operate by faith and faith without works is dead (Heb. 10:38; James 2:20). If we desire promotion and a pay increase, we must work as if we already have the promotion and increase. Understanding that God sees all, and our promotion or increase is tied to our corresponding action, it’s in our best interest to faithfully work unto the Lord. Don’t wait until you get the increase or promotion to work diligently. Start now.

God has done some amazing things in our lives. He’s opened up doors for us, He’s healed us, He’s delivered us from that bad habit, and He’s prospered us in our finances. Everything could be going well, but here comes the devil. Out of all the things God has done, the devil will point out and magnify the few things we don’t have. If we’re not mindful, our entire focus will be on those few things.

We can’t let him control our thoughts. We must shift our focus on all the wonderful things God has done for us. Think about the ways He’s made, the Savior He provided, and the promises that came through.

When we excite ourselves about what God has done, we keep ourselves joyful, at peace, and grateful for all He’s done.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

One of the biggest misconceptions in the body of Christ is the misconception of a problem-free life. Some of us have been taught that once we get saved and become totally submitted to God, we’ll have a problem-free life. We think flat tires, layoffs, attacks against our health, and lost items happen to unsaved people or carnal Christians. And when we get hit with a problem or two, we try to figure out what we’ve done wrong or we blame God for not stopping bad things from happening to us.

Jesus tells us, in life, we will have problems. That’s a promise. So, we can’t get mad when problems show up. Now, for totally submitted Christians, these problems won’t be the death of us or eternally ruin any area of our lives. It will just be a slight inconvenience. As we place our faith in God and put His Word above what we’re facing, we’re guaranteed the victory (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Problems will happen. Just don’t put these problems above His promises.

Numbers 8:1 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’” ³ Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. ⁴ This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

God gave Moses detailed instructions to give to Aaron on how to arrange and construct the lampstands. This was seemingly minor in the grand scheme of things, but the rules were followed precisely.

God, through the Holy Spirit, will give us detailed instructions in different areas of our lives. He’ll give us instructions for very important things, but He also wants to instruct us on minor things. It’s up to us to listen and follow His instructions. Following His instructions positions us to reap maximum benefits.

Remember, no matter how great or small the task may be, consult God on what to do and how to do it and we’ll prosper every time.

Proverbs 17:14 (CSB) To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.

As we can see, starting conflict is problematic. Unfortunately, there are some who enjoy conflict. It excites them to tap into their emotions and cause someone else to tap into their emotions. Some people think conflict adds spice to their marriage. This type of thinking is twisted. The goal of any relationship is to be drama-free.

We can’t be drama-free if we’re willing to argue about everything we don’t agree with. We can’t be drama free if we’re intentionally trying to pick a fight with those closest to us.

If we’re always arguing or desiring to pick a fight, we must look inward. We must ask ourselves, is this God’s best? Our flesh may enjoy it, but is God pleased? There has to be some deep underlying issue that likes conflict. Conflict could be what we saw growing up as a child. We may think starting conflict is how we show love. Starting conflict could be a defense mechanism to avoid being hurt. Whatever the reason is, allow God to show it to you and follow His instructions to root conflict out.

Genesis 15:5 Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

God gave us an imagination for a reason. Like Abraham, God wanted us to imagine ourselves with His promises before they materialize.

God wants us to imagine ourselves healthy and healed from cancer, lupus, or acne. God wants us to see ourselves delivered from pornography, alcoholism, and the bondage of people’s opinions. God wants us to imagine ourselves with all our needs met, having the home and cars we desire, and having surplus to give to others.

Our imagination helps combat thoughts of doubt and unbelief because it may take some time before our desires manifest. However, if we can believe God’s Word about His promises and imagine ourselves with those promises, we’ll maintain the faith to eventually receive God’s promises.

Children are not the only ones who should use their imagination. Every believer should be using their imagination daily.

John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

This is Jesus speaking. Jesus says, if we don’t believe that He is the Son of God who came to die for our sins, we will die in our sins. It’s that simple.

Notice what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t say if we don’t go to church, fast, or get baptized we’ll die in our sins. If we don’t believe, we’ll die in our sins. For salvation, all God requires of us is our belief in His Son Jesus.

Receive salvation by believing in Jesus and receiving everything He’s done for us. If you’re already saved, don’t be selfish. Share this message with your friends and family to ensure they won’t die in their sins.   

Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

1 Corinthians 14:4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

*Praying in the Holy Spirit and praying in tongues means the same thing.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is a tool God has given to believers to stay on top. When situations in life have us mentally and physically exhausted, we can recharge our batteries by praying in the Holy Spirit. We build ourselves back up when we’re praying in the Holy Spirit. Praying in the Holy Spirit compels us to maintain a positive attitude when things aren’t going our way and it keeps our faith free from doubt. Not only that, 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 says when we pray in the Holy Spirit, we declare the hidden wisdom of God about our futures.

If you’re waiting for this to make logical sense, you’ll be waiting forever. This doesn’t make sense. It’s faith and faith is a spiritual thing.

Don’t let the thought of looking foolish stop you from praying in the Holy Spirit. Use all the tools God has provided to live a victorious life.

Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Jesus tells us to live by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. This includes His word that we like and makes us feels good, but it also includes His word that challenges us and our flesh hates.

We all love to hear that God eternally loves us (Rom. 8:38-39), God has forgiven us of our past, present, and future sins (Rom 6:10), and we’re made righteous because of our faith in Jesus (Rom. 5:1). But, if we only read scriptures that make us feel good, we’ll never be challenged to do better.

On the other hand, if we only hear scriptures such as, be holy (1 Pet. 1:16) and the rules under the Law of Moses in the old covenant, we’ll never fully appreciate God’s grace and we’ll constantly live in a state of condemnation.

There needs to be balanced diet of the Word. We should honor God with our behavior, decisions, and attitude, but also, receive His love, grace, and forgiveness if we miss it.

There are some extremely intelligent people in this world. They have numerous degrees, a lot of education, and a lot of experience. Here’s where it becomes an issue: some people are so intelligent and knowledgeable until their intellect can slowly push God out of the picture. They rely on their intelligence instead of relying on God.

When a problem comes, they don’t turn to God. They attempt to figure it out using all the knowledge they’ve accumulated over the years. If it works, they’re more likely to use their intellect again and again.

This is not a bash against intelligence. This is a reminder to put intelligence in its proper place. When a situation comes (great or small), go to God first. Once we’ve gone to God, He’ll show us what intelligence tool to use to fix the problem. He may even give us something we’ve never thought of before. That’s wisdom.

There’s nothing wrong with getting a great education and being knowledgeable, but be intelligent to know to go to God first about any situation and let Him show you the solution.

Proverbs 3:7 (GNT) Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong.

Romans 5:1 (ESV) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

By faith, we’re justified. Justified means we’re righteous or made right with God. We’re not made righteous because of actions and works. We’re made righteous because God’s Word says we’re righteous when we believe.

Satan loves to point out all our flaws. He loves showing us how we missed it in this area, how we sinned in that area, and how we could have done better in another area. If we’re not mindful, these flaws he’s pointing out can give us a sense of unrighteousness. We must understand there is nothing we can do to make us any more righteousness than we are now and there’s nothing we can do that can take away our righteousness. We’re righteousness through Jesus Christ.

So, if we messed up a couple of times this week or we’ve been sinning for years, if we believe in the finished works of Jesus, we can boldly say, “I am righteous.”

John 6:28 Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God? 29 Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

Followers of Jesus wanted to know the works of God. They wanted to know all the rules and regulations they must follow so that God would be pleased. In return, Jesus told them the work of God (just one). The work of God is to believe in Jesus.

As followers of Jesus, that’s our assignment as well. We are to believe in Jesus and everything He accomplished for us. We are to believe He’s the Son of God, He was whipped and beaten so that we can be healed, and He was punished and died for our sins. Through Jesus we’re forgiven, obtain mercy, we’re made right with God, we experience unearned favor, we’re redeemed and so much more. When we believe in Jesus and believe in everything He did on our behalf, we’re aligning our lives with the will of God.

It doesn’t take much. Jesus simplified it. Believe in Jesus and God is pleased.

Psalm 41:1 Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.

Let’s face it, there are some people who are extremely poor. They don’t have money for food, clothes, water, or shelter. Some of them made bad decisions that caused them to be poor and others were born into poverty. Regardless of how they became poor, it’s God’s desire that we, the believers, help them.

Look at the promises God has for those who consider the poor. There’s happiness, preservation, blessings, health, etc. Proverbs 19:17 says, whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done. With all these promises listed for helping the poor, it’s easy to see God is compelling us to be a blessing to the poor.

So, with all the promises of God we’re standing in faith for, don’t forget about the poor. God hasn’t forgotten about them and neither should we.
Be a blessing.

James 1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Faith is believing that all the promises of God have been made available to every born-again believer. We act on that belief by verbally agreeing with God’s Word (confessions).

Now, demonic forces will bombard our minds and five senses with things contrary to the Word of God. This is the testing of our faith. The question is, will you still believe?

God’s Word says we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
You go to the doctor and they say you have COVID-19. Two days later, you’re coughing a lot and it’s difficult to breathe. Do you still believe you’re healed? Do you declare you’re healed or say you’re sick with COVID-19? We pass if we say, in the midst of all those symptoms, that we’re healed. Caving in under the pressure of all those symptoms and declaring we’re sick instead of healed lets us know our faith needs to be strengthened.

We strengthen our faith by continuously reading the Word of God until we’re convinced that God’s Word is greater than anything we can see or experience. Pass the test by believing God’s Word.

Psalm 71:14 But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.

Hebrews 11:1 says, faith is the substance of things hoped for. That lets us know hope is associated with faith. As we put our hope in God for things we desire, it’s important not to get discouraged during the times of delay. Between the time we pray, to the time we receive our desires, praise is vital.

We praise God in advance knowing He’ll deliver His promise. We praise God to let the devil and any naysayer know where we’re putting our trust.

Praise may not speed up the process, but it will keep our disposition positive. Let’s place all of our hope in God and praise Him continually.

Psalm 145:16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The devil will always and continuously show us things we don’t have. If we’re not mindful, not having those things can make us dissatisfied. We’ll think we can’t be happy or fulfilled unless we have this or that.

Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, focus on the One who’s responsible for our satisfaction. Focus on God. God obligated Himself to be responsible for our satisfaction. By beholding Him, and all the things He’s done, and all His promises He has in store, we’ll experience complete satisfaction.

The moment we look elsewhere and focus on what we don’t have instead of focusing on God is the moment we’ll become dissatisfied. Focus on God because He alone can provide us with satisfaction.

1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Satan sends an attack in our minds, telling us we will never be this or that and telling us we will never have this or that. We must counter those attacks by preaching to ourselves.

We must open our mouths and declare what God says about us. We must tell ourselves…
“I am victorious.”
“I am strong.”
“God loves me.”

It’s very beneficial to find scriptures that correlate with our confession. Such as…
“God shall supply my needs.” -Philippians 4:19
“God takes care of me.” -1 Peter 5:7
“By His wounds, I am healed.” -Isaiah 53:5

Satan will try to make us think we look silly by talking to ourselves, but don’t listen to him. He knows our consistency with our confession will stop his attack and give us the victory. So, preach preacher!!!

There are people who claim they believe, know, and trust God, but they’re living with fears. I was one of them. Before I got married, I was afraid of being rejected if I approached an attractive lady so, I never approached women. I was perfectively comfortable living in fear. That’s unacceptable.

People are afraid to fly, afraid to go on cruises, afraid their spouse will leave them or cheat on them. That’s a lot of fear. Not only that, those same people want us to accept their fears and empathize with them. As true believers, we can’t do it.

God has told us numerous times in scripture to not be afraid and don’t fear. If God tells us not to be afraid, no matter how we feel about a situation, we should trust Him and not fear. How can we honestly say we trust God, but we’re afraid?

Living in fear won’t send us to hell, but it will drastically reduce the quality of life. Don’t accept, tolerate, or entertain fear in any area of your life.    

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

People desire to get closer to God, but when it comes to reading the bible, they don’t know where to start. Some say start in Proverbs while others say read the bible from Genesis to Revelations. There’s not one right way to read the bible, but a beneficial way is to read it based on a subject that’s most relevant to us.

One great tool is Google. If we’re facing health challenges, we should google, “bible scriptures about healing.” We can read and reread those scriptures until we’re convinced divine health is a part of God’s will. If we’re wanting to know about marriage, we can google, “bible scriptures about marriage.” Anything we want to know in God’s Word can be found online.

A lot of people have already done the work and we’re blessed to be living in a time where the internet is easily accessible. Don’t let the devil succeed by accepting the excuse of not knowing where to start. Study God’s Word to know God’s will, God’s way, and God’s nature.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.     

If we look at the accounts of what’s happening in society and the status of the world, none of this should surprise the Christian who actually reads and believes the Word of God.

God’s Word tells us what’s going to happen. It may not tell us when, but it does tell us what’s going to happen.

Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
-Pestilences means a fatal epidemic disease. If coronavirus is not considered pestilence, I don’t know what is.

Matthew 24:10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
-Have you seen hate lately? If you turn on the news for two seconds, you’ll see someone hating someone else.

Luke 21:25-26 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
-Natural disasters have increased. In fact, while hurricane Zeta was making landfall in Louisiana, an ice storm was impacting people next door in Texas.

People may think it’s all a coincidence, but God’s Word is clear. People want all the craziness in 2020 to calm down but honestly, this is just the beginning. This is not meant to scare the believer, but inform them. We don’t have to be afraid because when we submit to God and have faith in His Word, He promised to always protect, provide, and prosper us in any season (2 Tim. 4:18, Matt. 6:33, Ps. 1:1-3).

So, don’t be surprised or afraid about what you see. This has to happen.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 (NLT) But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

Jeremiah 8:12 Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them, says the LORD.

VS.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

There’s a big difference between the old covenant and new covenant in how God dealt with sin. In the old covenant, a person was punished for their sin, but in the new covenant, a person’s sin was not counted against them. Why is this? One word… JESUS.

Jesus took all the punishment for every past, present, or future sins (Rom. 3:23-26). People in the old covenant didn’t have that luxury. They either had to pay for their sin through the punishment of death or a priest had to sacrifice animals to cover their sins (Rom 6:23; Lev. 17:11).

Thank God for Jesus Who took our punishment so that we can live a life free of punishment, guilt, shame, or condemnation.   

Proverbs 17:9 (CSB) Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

It’s a choice to be offended by the actions or words of someone else. However, if someone does something so atrocious that we take offense, we are to go to them privately and point out the offense (Matt. 18:15).

It’s unfruitful to go to a million people and tell them what so and so did to us. It’s not helping the situation at all. In fact, it’s only shaping the way they think about the person who offended us.

If you’re offended by someone, go take your grievances to them. If they apologize, great. But if not, give it to God and move on. Don’t allow offense to keep you up at night, eating you up inside, and having you display a negative disposition.

Some people have literally allowed the horror stories of others to shape and direct their lives. They think they’re acting wisely, but they’re living in fear.

Some people are seriously not getting married because they know people who were cheated on by their spouses. How foolish is that? What does another person’s spouse have to do with them? There are people who won’t fly because they’ve heard about plane crashes. Some people are unwilling to try certain foods because they “heard” it didn’t taste good.

We can’t keep living our lives through the lenses of others. These horror stories are meant to paralyze us with fear. We have to open our minds, do what God tells us to do, and live our lives being led by the Spirit, not through the horror stories of someone else.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

We seem to do fine when it comes to pleasing God by putting God above, friends, coworkers, or random people we don’t know, but when it comes to mothers, spouses, or children, people have a hard time and tend to question some things.

Pleasing God means doing what He says (Heb. 13:20-21): what God says in His Word or through the Holy Spirit. So, when God’s Word says you should leave your mother and father and cleave to your spouse (Gen. 2:24), that’s not the time to ignore that verse because you feel like no one should come before mama. That also means we should put God first by spending time with Him before we spend time with our fun spouse. When God’s Word says to physically discipline our children (Prov. 23:13), that’s not the time to question the bible. It’s better to please God than temporarily hurt your child’s feelings. He’s smarter than us.

Our parents, spouses, or children should not come before God. They are people just like everyone else. Our job is to please God, not man.

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

As we can see, God has plans to prosper us, but we can also see His ways are not our ways. So, whatever pathway to prosperity we think God should have for us will most likely be different. The goal of being prosperous in every area of our lives will still be the same, but how we get there will be different.

For example, we may think God should prosper us in our finances by allowing us to receive promotions every 3 to 5 years. But, God is smarter than us and He sees the big picture. God knows if we receive those promotions, we’ll have more responsibilities at work, which will take us from our families. We’ll be financially prosperous, but our family will suffer.

How we become prosperous is none of our business. That’s up to God. Once we’re convinced that God is smarter than us and He has better plans than we could imagine, the easier it becomes to accept whatever pathway He creates.

When we see a 2-hour movie, we’re seeing the final product of hundreds of hours’ worth of work. There are a lot of behind the scenes things we don’t see, that have been done over months.

There are a lot of behind the scene things people didn’t see for us to get to the place we are today. Most of our efforts are spiritually located, on the battleground of our minds. We had to continuously confess God’s Word despite what we see. We had to continue to believe even though what we’re experiencing contradicts what we believe. We had to continue to renew our minds even though thoughts contrary to God’s Word were bombarding our minds.

People see the final product (house, healthy, genuinely happy family), but they may not know the work that was put in for us to experience this abundant life Jesus provided. Let people know there’s some effort involved to experience God’s best. The devil is not just going to let us have what God has promised. We must resist him and claim what is ours (James 4:7).  

Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.

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

The devil is constantly attacking our minds with thoughts contrary to God’s Word. He often likes to remind us of things we don’t have yet. His goal is to make us feel unloved by God and to make us believe God’s promises won’t come to pass.

Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, capture them, and replace them with the Word of God. So, if Satan tells us we’ll never have a certain career, we audibly declare “God gives me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4).” After declaring God’s Word, it’s beneficial to fill our minds with thoughts of thankfulness.

We think about all the things God has done in our lives. We think about how He healed us, how He provided for us, and how He did the miraculous. When we think about His wonderful works in our lives, we create a sense of gratitude and we can’t help but be thankful.

Don’t allow the devil to win by feeling sorry for yourself about things that haven’t happened yet. Be thankful for everything God has already done in your life.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Jesus said, His words are spirit and life. If Jesus, who operated in the earth as a man, said His words are spirit and life, then so are ours.

Our words are alive and depending on what we say, we can build up or tear down things in our lives (Prov. 18:21). If we declare we have joy, peace, and all our needs are taken care of by God, then that’s what we’ll have. On the other hand, if we say we’re stressed, worried, or broke (even jokingly), we’ll have what we say.

Some may not think our words have that much power but remember, the almighty God didn’t create the universe with only His mind. And He didn’t use His hands. He used words. If He used words, and we’re created in His likeness, our words have power too.