Archive for June, 2011
Whose Counsel are You Seeking?
Posted by: | CommentsThere are times when we come to a fork in the road. When this happens we find ourselves seeking direction.
The problem comes into play when we seek the wrong people for directions. If were not careful, we’ll find ourselves even further from the destination than when we began.
Too often, this happens in life. You come to a fork in the road where you have the choice to either go left or right. Many of us ask our friends, we ask the neighbor, we may even go as far as to seek a counselor.
While it’s good to be open to their ideas and opinions, we should not forget who the ultimate counselor is. If you follow the wrong counsel, nine times out of ten you will find yourself deeper in trouble.
Make no mistake, God appoints people in the earthly realm to give you direction. But they are not to substitute the Lord’s counsel. Their advice should line up with the plan God has for you.
In fact, Proverbs 3:5-6 bids you to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. But in all of your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.
Notice the scripture didn’t say to seek man only and man will direct your path. It didn’t say to rely only on the psychiatrist or the physician. No it says to seek the Lord and He will direct your path.
Isn’t it amazing that we serve a God who orders our steps? Remember, He has the road-map. He’s is the ultimate Guide. And without Him we’re lost. Even Read More→
He Has A Purpose for You!
Posted by: | Comments“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.”
God has a plan for all of our lives. From time to time, you might get tempted to think, “well, I don’t have any gifts or talents.” You might think that you have no purpose, but God has a plan even for you!
He assures you that even before you were formed in the womb, He knew you and He set you apart. Isn’t that amazing? That God had something great in store for you even before you were thought of?
I believe that if you seek the Lord God, He will show you the plans He has in store for you. Notice the scripture didn’t say He has plans for you to just barely get by. No, it says He has plans to prosper you, plans to give you hope and a future!
I dare you to walk around in expectation! He has gifts and talents waiting on you but in order for them to revealed you have to seek after Him. You have to inquire about your purpose and His plan for your life!
Not only does he have a plan for you but He’ll carry it on until the end. I don’t believe it’s God’s will for you to give up on your gifts and talents. The apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this, He who Read More→
ShareYour Work Is Not In Vain
Posted by: | CommentsToo often, we validate our work as either worthy or worthless work. We’re very quick to go and work an eight-to-five because we know that we’re going to get a paycheck at the end of the week.
As teenagers, we were eager to cut the neighbor’s yard or sale lemonade at the the corner stand because we knew that we would earn a tip. A waitress knows the importance of working with a great attitude because she knows the more they like her service, the better the tip she will receive.
In fact I’m reminded of a time when I was younger, my first job was a bag boy at the local supermarket. One of the things I always remember is helping the people out to their cars. At the time I wasn’t as mature in Christ, so I always looked forward to the tip they would give me as I walked away.
Unfortunately, if we don’t get the tip we think we should get, we feel like all of our hard work and the great attitude we possessed along the way was in vain. We forget that God is the ultimate rewarder of everything we do.
Instead of getting discouraged, we should work like we’re working for Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 encourages you to work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
You see, man can give you a tip. They can give you only a small proportion of what you truly deserve, but God gives you the ultimate inheritance. The great thing is that God is always watching you. He sees everything you do and He knows your motives.
When you work a daily job, your supervisor may not see everything little thing you do. They’re not there to see you dot all your “I’s” and cross all your “T’s” but God is there Read More→
ShareThe Greatest Stress Reliever
Posted by: | CommentsOften times we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day. In the interim, we find ourselves looking for that place of refuge, or that safe place.
We’re living in a day where most of the population is stressed out about something. In fact, I heard an alarming statistic that 90% of doctor visits are stress related. And nine times out of ten, the doctor will simply put you on medication to numb the pain. But the truth is that this prescribed medication will only tie you over for the moment.
But isn’t it amazing to know that we serve a God who is the ultimate stress reliever? He reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is sufficient for us, His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
The psalmist said “in my distress I cried out to the Lord and He heard me.” You can go to a friend, or a relative or a neighbor and cry out to them, but when it all comes down to it, none can be as comforting or as stress relieving as the Lord God almighty.
The Lord doesn’t do like the doctors do. He doesn’t simply give you a pill to take to numb or hide the pain. No, He reassures you that He is all the medicine you need. In God alone will you find peace. He is the sustainer, He is the one who will be your safe place. The scripture says God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
If you’ll just stay in an attitude of prayer and keep an open line of communication with the creator of the universe, He’ll see to it that you find rest and peace. In fact, we’re reminded that we can go to Him and He will give Read More→
ShareHis Mercies Are New Every Morning
Posted by: | CommentsIt is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23
Isn’t it amazing to know that we serve a God whose compassion never fails? His love and unmerited favor is forever abounding.
I love how the scripture says his mercies are new every morning. That means He’s not going by yesterday’s mercies. He’s not being partial to what you did the day before or last month or last year. No, when He woke you up this morning, it was based on new compassion.
Remember, man is quick shun you at the drop of a dime. When a person wrongs us, too easily we put up a wall and cut them off from our camp. But isn’t it great to know that the God we serve has unending compassion?
His love is unconditional. When you’ve done wrong He forgives you, then showers down more blessings than you have room enough to receive.
My friend we are triumphant in Him. We have overcome because the God we serve, the creator of all the heavens and earth, has mercy enough to not allow us to be consumed. Read More→
ShareHe Always Builds You Up!
Posted by: | CommentsFrom time to time, we allow negative thoughts to creep into our minds. Even the best of us fall prey to those defeating mindsets.
But if we don’t watch it, we’ll find ourselves basking in those negative thoughts. And before long it starts to effect our moods and our actions.
But if it gives you any consolation, God is not the author of those bad thoughts. He doesn’t create that defeating mindset. The enemy is the one who would have you to lose all hope. He’s the one who persuades you to give up on all your dreams.
But God causes you to do the opposite. He’s causes you to remain hopeful even in the darkest of circumstances. He persuades you to continue pursuing your dreams and visions even when it seems no progress has been made.
The scripture says that Satan came to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus says, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!” So as you can see, the devil wants to break you down, but Jesus wants to build you up.
The devil will tell you there’s no way possible you can achieve that dream, but God says through Him, all things are possible. The devil will convince you that everything is falling apart. But God says all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord, and are called according to Read More→
ShareBe The Change You Want To See!
Posted by: | CommentsIn the New Testament, when Jesus came on the scene, He set an example. He didn’t go around condemning the people and making them feel bad about their short comings. No, He simply became the change that He wanted to see.
He was the ultimate example that pleased God. Jesus simply became the change by preaching love and showing us how to serve others. He simply went around doing good.
He preached the importance of being salt and light in the world. I found out, that in the Old Testament, whenever the people would bring a sacrifice or burnt offering to the priest in the temple, they had to purify it with salt. The salt was the preservative that preserved the meat that was offered up as a sacrifice. The salt was part of the change that made the offering an acceptable sacrifice in God’s eyes.
So when Jesus says we’re to be salt and light, He’s saying we’re to be a pure example for others to follow. We’re to be a light so that all men, who walk in the darkness, can see their way.
Just like Jesus, we should strive to be the positive change people need to see. Instead, of complaining and looking at what someone else is not doing or what they should be doing better, look at what you’re doing. Read More→
ShareComplaining Doesn’t Help!
Posted by: | CommentsWhen hardships come our way, one of the things we do is complain. Although we do it without intention, it’s something that gets the best of us.
But I believe that complaining doesn’t please the Lord. Let’s use the story Israelites in the wilderness as an example. When God delivered the Children of Israel out of bondage land in Egypt, they journeyed through the desert for approximately forty years.
The whole time the land that God promised them was just on the other side of the mountain. But it was their constant complaining and murmuring that caused God to get angry and delay them from going into their promise land. In fact, when God rained bread from the heavens, they complained about the bread, they preferred meat.
Due to their complaining God vowed that their children, the next generation Israelites, would be the only ones to see the promise land. The first generation that was delivered out of Egypt died in the wilderness.
My friend, just like the Israelites we too have a tendency to complain through our wilderness experience. When something doesn’t go our way we’re tempted to get upset and Read More→
ShareWhat Kind of Fruit Are You Producing?
Posted by: | CommentsIn this day in time, it’s not hard to distinguish the righteous people from the unrighteous. It’s becoming more and more rare to find those who are salt and light.
People should be able to determine if you are a child of the most high God by the fruit that you produce. All around us day in and day out we see fruit that is not of the Lord. People are power hungry. They’re in it for themselves. Everyone is in such a hurry that no one takes out time to lend a helping hand.
The scripture reminds us that you can identify people by the fruit they bear. Matthew 7:17,18 says, “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.”
Notice here that there’s no middle ground. In other words, you can’t wake up one day and say I’m going to bring glory to the Father by doing good deeds, then wake up the next day and do the exact opposite. No as God’s disciples, we Read More→
ShareWhere Is Your Treasure?
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the greatest downfalls that we have is putting our treasures in the things of this world. Yes, it’s human nature to delight in things of this world but when you passionately place your desires in the things of this world that displeases the Lord.
The scripture says that wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Too often many people go about it the wrong way. They put their treasure in that sports car or that mansion or they put their hopes in being popular with the “in crowd”. But God wants you to seek Him with all your heart and in turn He will provide you everything you need. The scripture says to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you!
Don’t put your treasure in the approval of man. No, remember God is the ultimate approver! He is forever uplifting!
He is the greatest treasure you can have. He’s constantly assuring you in His word that you have the favor of the Lord. He says you are above and not beneath. He says that you’re more than a conqueror. He assures you that all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord. My friend, I don’t know any greater treasure than that.
Now here’s the key: It’s not wrong to desire things of the world, It’s human nature. But the key is not to idolize the things of this world. Don’t over-indulge in trying to gain Read More→
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