Testings can be Heavenly designed…..

God: will allow you to be tested…..

Luke 4:1-2 (KJV) “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.”

Sometimes in our lives we go through periods of prolonged situations which can be seen as difficult. Getting through them can only be described as unusually challenging as best.

But in hindsight, it can only be viewed as ordained and that of God. The steps of a good man is ordered by God.

It can be good to be good practice to quick to observed and slow to speak rashly when periods of testing arise.

When the testing ends…

God: allows the testing for a purpose….

Matthew 4:10-11 (KJV) “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

Life never comes without testing and trials and for some of us, it is heavier, darker and more pressing than others. But the important thing is to understand that it is necessary to go through these testings to understand your strength.

When you get through the testing phases and know that you were able to overcome, you have graduated to go on to bigger things.

Jesus was tested and came through after a while; you and I can do the same thing. Testing is only for a season.

Succeeding when tested….

God: will allow us to be tested…

Matthew 4:1-3 (KJV) “When was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

Times and circumstances come upon us wherein we are tested and have to go through unusual things which bring something out of the core of our insides. The test is whether we overcome and if we are able to withstand the pressures to go against what we know to be right.

Sometimes it is tempting to just give in to pressure, no matter where it comes from, but in this season, this is where perseverance dictates standing up for something.

We might never understand why when we withstood tempting that it was good for us, but ultimately it becomes clear.

Fight the good fight.

Being thankful…such a blessing

God: appreciates the thankful heart….

1 Thessalonian 5:18 (KJV) “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

In our lives, saying thank you can be a difficult task especially when we didn’t expect a gift or when it is coming from an unlikely source. Maybe the gesture is unexpected and there is the shock factor; we end up walking away without that important aspect of saying “thank you”.

When we give of ourselves or our time, it warms the heart when the recipient can be appreciative and state it.

Much so, in our relation with God, literally moment by moment He blesses us and thinks of us to do good. Should we not take the time to bless Him in thanksgiving?

I sometimes forget and maybe you do as well, but counting our blessings and giving thanks isn’t much, but it is a big deal in looking at our character.

Be thankful.

Doing it as He says…

God: Called us for a purpose…

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Many of us tend to scrutinize the things we do and align them to common expectations of what a christian ought to be doing. Some of it is according to man’s dictate, the direction granted by an organization versus what pleases God.

One thing that is evident is that God is clear as to what He desires in us; He can talk as we have seen in His word. He has many varying methods of communication which He utilizes.

Saying this to mean; when God calls us, it is a start to a relationship and communication is one of the biggest tools in forging good interaction. If there is an issue with understanding what He has called you to do: talk to Him and He will make it clear.

There are those in need of help and you might just be the one to assist.

The blood is the integral ingredient….

God: directed the process….

Exodus 12:13 (KJV) “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

God’s eyes are always vigilant and watchful in our actions and behaviors; our eyes need to be toward Him as well. Even as we go from day to day, it is beneficial to trust that He has the best intention for our protection.

As He instructed the Israelite so many years ago on securing their protection by following His guidance, we too have a promise from Him to trust Him through the blessed covering of the blood of Jesus.

When Jesus blood was shed on Calvary’s cross, it had a purpose and it is still relevant today; let the blood of Jesus be poured out on your situation and be the safe zone from which you can operate.

The ideal state

God: has certain expectations….

Romans 12:2 (KJV) “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Many times we see folks entering into relationship with God (baptism) and not really understanding what it is all about or the expectation. It begs the question if it is necessary to understand the expectation.

Then again, when we look at some relationships today, there is a breakdown in communications and the expectation isn’t fully expressed so there isn’t an understanding of what the partners need to bring to the table, ending in disappointment.

God stated what needs to be done to satisfy the commitment and keep getting deeper in Him. The next step is ours to do and attain.

Giving what is necessary….

God: needs this one thing….

Psalm 51:16-17 (KJV) “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Many times you see folks desiring of doing things and it isn’t wrong to be a giving person, but at times the motives behind giving might not be altruistic and some folks do the giving and complain about it after the fact.

But apart from giving, it is necessary that our hearts are in the right place and it comes with compassion and empathy.

With our heavenly Father, He needs contrition in our hearts and a spirit which is broken. Examining the state of your heart and removing the things which can cause toxicity that can build up.

Search the heart and guard it dilligently.

Possible when it seems not….

God: able to make a lie into truth….

Romans 4:19-22 (KJV) “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”

Many times in our lives we look at the impossible situations and become consumed with the limitations, but with God it is known that He makes anything possible just by speaking it into being.

Abraham and Sarah are examples of the grace of God in action; they got the promise and believed it until came to fruition.

With God, it just is when He says it is.

Keeping the heart clean….

God: is closer when the way is clear….

Psalm 51:1-4 (KJV) “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”

The one thing which befalls every one of us is that we sin; it might not be deliberate, but situations creep up on us and there it is. The word goes into details about how sin is birthed in our hearts before it is manifested; however, we know it takes a process and we still get entrapped.

The good thing about our Heavenly Father is that He already placed a measure in place to assist us in overcoming and that is repentance through the blood of Jesus.

King David was subjected to failures in his walk as well, but he was quick to repent and seek repatriation with his Lord.

Let that be an example of searching the heart and removing the things which can easily have so caught up wrong behaviors.

Living in Him equates absolute freedom….

God: in us and with us (keeping us alive)

Philippians 1:20-21 (KJV) “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

A songwriter penned the words “my hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’s blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name”. It is meaningful and full of impact to our lives today.

In our estimation of events occurring, it is good to know Jesus as our Savior; it is better to trust Him fully as our Lord.

When we can get to the the point that what bothers us, is a problem for Him, then we know that we are leaning on His everlasting arm.

His request is that we cast our cares on Him and it is prudent for us to do so at His request.

It’s all connected: Faith et. al…

God: gave us a perfect methodology to His side….

Romans 5:1-5 (KJV) “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Sometimes as parents we get impatient with our young ones especially when they don’t “get it” immediately or the first time we correct them. In all honesty, we didn’t either and we still don’t, because we are still messing up in the process. The nice thing about our Heavenly Father is that He gave us a blue print which indicates that He is having patience with us.

One of these days, the light bulb in our brains will go off and we will get it; most certainly, He keeps instructing us on the the manner in which we ought to do things and for sure, His love is demonstrated in our lives on numerous occasions.

It gives a person the kind of faith needed to press on and do what is necessary.

Our hope isn’t in our strength, but in the Almighty God and what He can accomplish in our lives, knowing that it all works together for the good.

Reminding me to “trust HIM”…

God: demonstrates total trust….

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

In this walk with Christ, we know that He is trustworthy and that the words He gave us has been tried and still proves to be true; hence we know that we have to activate the words in our lives to gain the benefit of them.

That’s why we are exhorted to encourage each other; that person might just be the one to speak a reminder in our lives to let us know that the word is life and it is still relevant today.

As we go through, know that God’s work is still working and it will take us through to the end.

The wonder of faith….

God: is magnified in this thing called faith….

Romans 4:16-17 (KJV) “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

The wonder and supernatural ability of God is that even when we shudder at the outcome of an event, He can just speak or think it into being. His ultimate power and control is of such ability.

If we have a personal promise from God and when I say this, it is you knowing that He has given you that promise and not made up in the air as some of us are won’t to act upon. Then know that even if it appears that you might be dying, God will allow you to be revived to receive that which He has spoken. His word cannot go back to Him without accomplishing that which He has said.

Cheer up if you think that promise is long in coming and have faith in God who should be our only confidence.

Trust Him that it will surely come to pass.

Depending on His graciousness….

God: always willing and ready to act on our behalf…

Psalm 71:1-4 (KJV) “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.”

In this tumultuous times we are living, it is never a wonder when things get so hectic we barely have time to understand or grasp the rapid unfolding of events. It appears that life can be so chaotic we long for the peace and quietness of the recent times.

Through it all, Jesus has not deserted us or allowed us to carry anything which we cannot bear.

He actually is still needing us to call upon Him in our times of need.

The road might be rough, but there is a present help available who will respond to our cries. That name is Jesus.

Priorities

God: Established a good method of operation….

Matthew 6:33-34 (KJV) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Many times in life we try to accomplish things we desire and would like to see evident in our lives. Sometimes it might appear that it is not available or might never manifest itself, but then again what is required is a different approach to how we garner the prize.

At times, it might be necessary to review our approach and restructure the priorities and measure if there is an action that needs to take place as we go about the accomplishment.

Acknowledge God in what we are seeking and gain His insight and the direction will be that much easier and uncomplicated.

Keen Interest pays rewards

God: is drawn when we pursue Him….

Psalm 37:4-5 (KJV) “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

In our interaction with folks it is obvious that when we display earnest interest in someone and our portrayal is honest, then that person can respond with likewise interest. That can be the expected outcome even if it does not always happen in that manner.

However, with God, He makes it plain what His expectation is in terms of relationship; He has a desire for us to delight in Him and show Him deep attention. In doing so, He is drawn toward us and the things which pertains to us.

Our interests and needs is right before His eyes and even as we continue to place an emphasis on the things that is of Him, the knowledge of Him becomes that much more impactful in our lives.

Overall, it is beneficial to have a relationship with God, but the interest and effect is magnified when it becomes intimate. Knowing Him deeply.

Stillness in terror…

God: can be right here and everywhere…

Psalm 46:8-11 (KJV) “Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

The word of God speaks for itself and it literally means what it says; it might appear as if the world is crazy in it’s events, but even though, the Lord is saying to us to be still.

He is with us, no matter what and the expectation is that we trust Him. Even if we go home to glory, just trust Him and be still.

God is still in control.

Praying in this manner….

God: all eyes on Him….

Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)”After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

We tend to be very emotional at times when we pray; it can be because we think that Jesus is so close that we can release everything that is happening to us unto Him. The hurt, the pain, the tears, the abuse, no matter the issue we are dealing with, from the time moment our focus goes to Him our instinct is to cry.

Tears are good and even as we release our angst, the manner in which He taught us to pray comes to mind.

We have an awesome heavenly Father, who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities and knew it would be so from the beginning. God remembered us.

Great is His power

God: creative and innovative (ultimate power)

Psalm 33:6 (KJV) “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”

In this world, there are many theories on creation and how we came into being as humans. Many times the world complicate the outcome and the process seems very unorthodox. In God’s eyes, it’s very simple.

God is so God that with just a thought He can create a situation and with just a flick of His hands He can cause a world to be in existence. That is the power of our God.

With our minds we can understand and with our hearts we can connect with Him and it becomes very simple.

If you believe in Him, knowing that anything is possible becomes that much more easier. He is God and He can.

Friends do this….

God: gave us the best friend we can find….

John 15:14-15 (KJV) “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Sometimes we search all over looking for someone to confide in or just be there for us and rarely do we find that person; yet when we think on the offer from Christ, He is a friend near and far and always willing to listen to the things we thing of as important in our lives.

God gave us the best friend we could ever hope to find and maybe we are overlooking him?

He is available whenever we need to talk.

It’s all good….

God: has and will continue to demonstrate goodness to us….

Psalm 103:1-2 (KJV) “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

When you have met Jesus and you have formed a relationship with Him which is personable and spiritual at the same time, it is pretty not be interactive with Him. His ways are perfect and yet we in ourselves are imperfect.

In my mind I think it’s a good balance

Think on all that He consistently do for us and that without failing: He is pretty awesome I can say. My consideration borders on infatuation. Heavenly Father is awesome and demonstrates His goodness daily. Thank you Father.

Words have power….

God: spoke things into life, much less our words….

Psalm 19:14 (KJV) “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Talking is a gift many of us are blessed with, yet some aren’t so lucky, but they can communicate in some means. The world has evolved quite beautifully.

The words we speak has power and is quite insightful on how we affect others; we can comfort with our words, we can shame with our words and we can cause quite a lot of damage with the words we speak.

The impact we have is up to us; being mindful of the things that come from our mouths is beneficial when we are called to be ambassadors of the faith. It is God’s desire that we be kind, courteous and a blessing versus cursing and causing harm with words.

For some of us, it takes practices, but the outcome can be very rewarding when a happy face smile back at you when you take the time to speak kind words.

It is all worth it after all.

Hope comes in a package….

God: packaged the gift…

Romans 15:13 KJV) “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Our heavenly holds the title of being the Prince of God, the Lord of lords and the King of kings; pretty awesome in His resume of character and it is a delight just to speak who He is toward us.

He is the keep of our souls and as such, brings to us a joy, peace and hope through His Spirit.

To God our Father be all the glory, for His love and gracefulness toward us through His Spirit.

His will and design+perfection

God: knows it all…

Matthew 6:10 (KJV) “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

In our lives today, it is a great temptation to rationalize a situation and attempt to figure out the reason why, and when this happens, it is that we are leaning on our own understanding.

However, when we seek the face of God and try and get from Him why situations are happening and seek His face for a purpose, it all falls together somehow.

It all comes together.

God’s will and His way be done in our lives. In Jesus’s holy and powerful name, Amen,

Perfect love is possible

God: demonstrates perfection in loving…

1 John 4:18 (KJV) “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Love can be quite a dilemma at times; we falter and we fall and many times believe that it is love for someone else, then we wake with a different aroma on the feelings we felt previously.

God gives us a special love which never fails, it is a love that passes all understanding, we cannot understand the depth of love God has for us and consistently is demonstrating throughout our lives.

Yet it is there and at times can be so tangible it overwhelms our hearts.

Perfect love comes from our Father and is available. Let go and let Him love.

God is at it, He is doing it AGAIN…

God: heard the earnest prayers and answered….

Psalm 21:1-7 (KJV) “The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance. For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.”

Humility is a character trait which God does not forsake. In our lives, we do a lot of presumptuous things which separates us from the God who is our creator.

May our spirits be sensitive to the prompting of His Spirit, so that we can turn and be humble before our Lord.

Remember Him in what we are doing and ask for His forgiveness so that we can receive bountifully, His love and blessings upon our lives.

In Jesus’s holy name. Amen..

Let only His will be done….

God: has the best plan….

Matthew 6:10 (KJV) “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

When Christ walked this earth, He interacted with the disciples and one of the most important thing He taught them was how to prayer according to God’s will; He explained that they ought to get to the point in their spiritual walk where knowing to request a petition in God’s name through the Savior was the best way to get answers to prayers.

We ought not to be any different today: Our Father knows best and we need to adhere to how He has directed prayers to be done.

Seems simple enough if we obey His direction: His way is the best way.

Everything about Him: true

God: embody truth in all things…..

Romans 3:4 (KJV) “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”

It is the most amazing thing, when we believe God, He holds it to us a level of faith; however, in our believing, at times we doubt Him and the promises He has made toward us.

In such instances, it is best to state even if we believe it is a lie, He cannot and it has to be true.

Trust and believe what He has written in His word.

All of it: not some….

God: is skilled in all areas….

1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

In this life we have all types of troubles and all types of blessings, but we all need help at one point or the other. We all need a shoulder to cry upon ever so often, the tender heart to care when it seems as if it all has fallen apart.

The good thing is that Christ our living Savior has offered us His shoulder to bear our burden.

He will care for us and welcome the opportunity to receive us into His care.

Trust Him for He does care for us all.

The Word: needs to be heard…

God: sent His word…

Romans 10:17 (KJV) “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

We tend to transpose data and create a form of what an original thought or intent was meant to be, and this goes for the word of God as well. It’s been shifted out of it’s original wording into a more acceptable form or understanding in the various versions which we now have available to us.

The word of God is what brings about strength, it is our source of building faith and it is now available to us.

Many of us need a greater spiritual strength; a firm faith to take us through our lives. It might seem like a lot and difficult, but know for a surety that God is in control and He sent His word to us.

Use it.

Not without Him

God: is necessary…

Psalm 127:1-2 (KJV) “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

In this life we place a lot of emphasis on doing things; we need to accomplish things and we have a specific order in which to do so. Sometimes it gets so frenetic that the stress level we operate under, causes sickness to creep in.

Many times we cease to enjoy the things which we labor so much for and then it’s a gone conclusion.

When the God of heaven, our Father is in the midst of our tasks, the effort becomes so much less arduous and His peace accompanies the work we do. Perfect peace.

May God help us to come to the point where His peace and His will be forefront of our plans.

Release a blessing: it will come back…

God: is the ultimate giver…

Psalm 126:6 (KJV) “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Many times in our lives we do, we give and we support a cause, not hoping for anything in return. The good about our giving when it comes from a true place is that it is earning interest on our behalf.

Mind you, we may never see the fruit of our giving today or tomorrow, but as there is a God who observes and see every little thing we do, He will repay.

Never turn your head when you can…Make that a promise to yourself.

So much love

God: has this without limit…

John 3:16 (KJV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

In interacting with folks and especially those who hold a special place in your heart, it may be difficult at times to communicate and express what hurts or even appreciation you experience. Saying what you want to may be inhibited when you aren’t sure of reactions.

Our heavenly Father is an example of how and what to do: He loves us to the point that He doesn’t have a problem expressing it; telling us what hurts Him or putting events in place that will show us how to live in the realm of His love.

He gave so much for us in that love, that for us, knowing that giving earnestly is a part of loving someone. He of Himself to the point that there isn’t any question of: God is love.

When He delights in us….

God: loves His people and is proud of them…

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (KJV) “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”

When God demonstrates His love for us, He sees us through the eyes of His son Jesus Christ and it is a wonderful thing for God to smile upon you and see favor all around you.

His stamp of love cannot be removed because God is love and He made us in His image.

To God be the glory for His favor, kindness, grace and bountiful love toward us.