Go Your Own Way

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  2 Corinthians 5:7

Just like an athlete who trains to be the best in his/her specific sport, for us to live victoriously requires us to live in deep dependence on God and God alone on a daily basis.

The world usually associates victory with success, not stumbling or falling and making mistakes.  But too often, when we are successful in life, we tend to go our own way, forgetting about our loving Father and depending on our own limited strength and resources.

Coming to a place with God where we rely solely on him is not necessarily the path of ongoing success; often times we must encounter multiple failures before we are able to totally depend on Him.  However, with each failure, we grow in our reliance with Him and live the lives of blessed assurance that we will be victorious in this life and the next.

Praise be to God!

SUCCESS

As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.  2 Chronicles 26:5

I cannot recall what I was reading yesterday, but I happened to stumble across one of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein.  "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results."  

How will this year be different for me?  Well, I think I am on my way to understanding by looking back retrospectively at what I did not do correctly last year.  For instance, how many times did I shrug off God's will for my life and follow my own, or listen to someone else?  Too many times to recall, and many times, I feel like I failed miserably.

The first book of Psalms states "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."  Seeking guidance in God's law rather than in the deliberations of the "wicked" is paramount for success in this life.  Knowing that God's will is good and perfect, it makes sense that we should seek Him in all that we do.  When we live in accordance to His will, we are on the pathway to success. 

Don't let your Bible collect dust on the shelf...open it up and explore God's Word and you will be on your way!

Better Days

“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11

Just a few days into this new year, I felt the need to offer some words of encouragement to a few family members, friends, and neighbors who are most certainly looking forward to better days ahead.  I often find solace in the above passage from Jeremiah when life seems to take a turn for the worse.  In addition to giving me peace and comfort, this verse also helps me to better understand just how much God loves each and every one of us.

When things aren't going the way that we would chose to have them, many people grow angry with God and view him as this angry and rigid deity that is just watching and waiting to zap us with misfortune.  This misconception couldn't be any further away from the truth about our Father.  You see, God loves is and only wants good things for each of us.  He not only wants us to have a bright future with him eternally in heaven, but also in this life as well.

When we recognize His goodness in our everyday lives, we begin to understand and believe that He really does love us and wants the very best for us, which ultimately provides us with a hope that sustains us.  God is good all the time, all of the time God is good!

Just Another Day

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow, God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."  Matthew 6:34, The Message

Most people have made their New Year's resolutions and will stay faithful for a short time, at the very least. The gym is typically packed the first few weeks of January and then back to normal by the middle of February. When we make resolutions, we should make some attainable goals so that we don't become frustrated and just give up. The same holds true with God as we need to learn to trust him one day at a time.

When we take each day as it comes, it keeps us closer to God and more responsive to his will for our lives. The problem is that trust is not a natural response for us, especially if we have been hurt before.

If we can exert our will to trust God in all circumstances, He will provide for us our needs-each and every day, which helps us to live in a deep dependence on him for all things in all situations.

This One's For Me

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  Matthew 7:7-8

I truly believe that there is much more to prayer than simply asking and receiving.  After all, God is not just some proverbial genie in a lamp sitting around waiting to answer our every wish.  The truth is that God always seems to work on issues deep within our hearts when we petition him with our requests; many times He answers our prayers much differently that we would expect Him to.

This new year, as we persist in talking and listening to God, let us open our minds and hearts to allow God to work in his supernatural ways to give us a greater understanding of ourselves, our situations, and His purpose and direction for our lives.  Praise be to God!

Sowing The Seeds of Love

Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10

Despite not having much of a ‘green thumb,’ I still understand the concept of sowing seeds that will eventually produce plants if nourished properly.  For instance, if you plant sunflower seeds, the seeds will eventually produce sunflowers, and so forth.

We are all familiar with the saying that "we will reap what we sow" and just like seeds, if we have sinful desires and thoughts, it will become evident later that some 'bad seeds' have been planted in our hearts.

We must continually go to the Lord and ask him to give us clean hearts so that our lives will produce clean thoughts, motives, and behaviors.

None of us will be entirely 'clean' or free from sin in this life, but one of the most worthy goals we can pursue in this new year is to glorify God in all that we say or do.

New Year's Day

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.  Lamentations 3:23

Life is certainly a series of new and fresh beginnings and how we approach them makes all of the difference.  We can sometimes face new beginnings with anxiety, even complacency.  We must remember that each new day/new year presents a whole new series of opportunities, including opportunities to fall in love with God more deeply and to know him better.  When we remain positive and ‘begin again’  with the right attitude, it will impact our relationship with others and effect the people in our lives.

God’s mercy towards us is new every day, despite what we have done or not done the day before and regardless of how we have treated him or others.  This frees us from the burdens of yesterday’s failures and regrets to live the lives that God intended for us to live.

May you and your loved ones be blessed in the new year!!