Recognizing God's Will

David and Jonathan had one of the most celebrated friendships in the Bible. Yet, the two of them had just cause to hate each other. Jonathan was the son of King Saul, the man who was literally doing everything in his power to hunt down and kill David. David stood as the one man who would take over King Saul's throne - a throne that by right belonged to Jonathan.

However the two men were closer than brothers. They loved and looked out for one another. They recognized the honor and grace that each of them had inside and respected one another. They didn't allow outside circumstances or inward envy or selfishness to taint their views of the other. Because they were able to remain humble, they were able to experience a friendship that was beyond comparison.

Both of them respected the Lord in their friendship. David refused kill King Saul because He respected how the Lord had chosen Saul to be King. Even when he had every reason to take out his enemy, David chose to honor the Lord's will.

Jonathan respected God's call on David's life. He did not become bitter or envious when he realized that David would one day reign as king over Israel. Instead, Jonathan honored the Lord and did his best to protect the future king.

Do you recognize and respect the will of God for those around you? When you see other people, are you looking with the eyes of the spirit? Or, are you looking at things in a selfish or envious light?

We must make strides to always remain humble and remember that God's will far outweighs our own. We must not look with resentment on someone whom God has placed in a position, even when they may be abusing their place. We can't become bitter when God chooses someone else to take on a task that we might have thought belonged to ourselves.

In all things we must recognize God's omniscient control. In all things we must remind ourselves that His will is what's best. With everything, we should choose to follow after Him because it will all work together for our good in the long run.

Verse of the Day: At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD’s name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” 1 Samuel 20:42a

Uniqueness All Around

Last night my church had a great discussion on the soul during Bible Study. It was really interesting and I learned some things. Plus, the topic was so intriguing, I'm going to be doing some further study on the soul on my own.

Nights like yesterday always remind me of why God created all of us with different thought patterns, ways of seeing the world, and personalities. None of us is the same. All of us have something unique and different to offer that will help better those around us.

The Bible says that there is safety in the company of good counsel. (Proverbs 11:14) Also, friends help to "sharpen" each other in their daily walk. (Proverbs 27:17) Because of the effects we can have on each other, the Word also cautions us to not be "unequally yoked" with those who do not believe in Christ.

So, who is sharpening you? What have you learned from those around you? Are you sharing your unique insights and viewpoints with the world?

Today, enjoy the uniqueness of those around you. Remember God created each one of us especially for a specific reason and purpose. Don't hide you're exclusive qualities, share them with the world!

Verse of the Day: Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

Is Your Light Shining In Darkness, Or Just Brightening Up An Already Lit Room?

In my last class, I came across something interesting in my reading concerning evangelism. Most people get saved because of a friend or family member who leads them to Christ. The majority of people don't get saved in a church setting.

On top of that, most of the active evangelists are new Christians. Most Christians who have been saved for some years don't evangelize. We are too busy socializing with our saved friends, attending our Christian events, dealing with our Christian issues... The lost doesn't come up that much. Sure, we talk about saving souls and winning the world for Christ. Yet, when it comes down to it, we are usually preaching to the choir.

Now, as I was reading I was struck. That is me plain and simple. I have to go back to my college days to identify any friends I have that do not know the Lord. Right now, my contact list is full of saints. I'm missing it somewhere. I need to broaden my circle.

Jesus did leave us a great example. When He came to earth, He didn't hang with the rabbis, the leaders of the church, or the priest. Jesus kicked it with the tax collectors, the publicans, and those that were despised by the society of His day.

Why?

Because they were the ones who needed His light. They were the ones who needed to have the Kingdom revealed to them. They were the ones who were lost. And Jesus came right in and showed them the way to right standing with God.

So, for all of us (I am definitely included), how many people in darkness are benefiting from our light? How many friends do we have that don't know the Lord? When is the last time that we were able to share our testimony with one of our friends or loved ones? How often do we get to model Christ to someone who truly does not know Him?

We were all told to go into the world and preach the gospel. Too many of us are staying comfortable in our self-made bubbles and not venturing into the world.

Today, ask the Lord to show you someone who needs your Christian friendship. Ask God to send someone who is truly lost across your path. Open up your mouth and share your testimony with that loved one that you know needs Jesus. Take some time and show concern about someone's eternal well-being today.

Every day is an opportunity for us to be like Christ. We have the benefits of salvation and freedom from sin. There is a whole world out there that is dying to get what we have.

Verse of the Day: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

Who Are You Attracted To?

Lots of people give their respect away off of superficial things. If we see someone pull up in a nice car, step out in fancy clothes, carrying expensive bags, hanging with 'popular' people... we look at them with admiration.

We give them credibility merely because they have money and status. We treat them differently... better than others. We want to get close to those types of people. We want to be like them. We want them to like us. We imagine ourselves parading around with their things and dreaming of the day when we can fraternize with the 'popular' crowd.

Yet those people really don't have anything of value to give us. Even if they traded wardrobes, bank accounts, and friends with us... we still wouldn't be better off.

Ruth was a woman who knew how to recognize what was really valuable. When her husband died and she had nothing left, Ruth chose to stay with her mother in-law Naomi, a widower herself. Naomi had no money, no status, no rich connections. In order to eat Ruth had to go behind the threshers in the field to pick up the wheat they had left behind.

Why would anyone want to choose to live that way?

Ruth recognized the value of the God that Naomi served. She recognized the integrity and the spirit of her mother in-law, and Ruth wanted that in her own life. She chose a life of poverty in order to be rich in spirit.

As a result of Ruth's wise choice, she eventually became rich in every area of her life. She married the owner of the field she was picking up scraps from, she bore children, and God blessed her to be at the head of the lineage of King David whose lineage led up to Jesus Christ.

Who do you find yourself gravitating to? Are you attracted to what people have going on outwardly? Or, do you look at their character and listen to their words? Do you study how they live? Can you recognize when someone is close to God? Do you get close to those who are in true relationship with the Father?

Don't get so caught up in outward things that hold no real value. Make sure you are drawing close to those people who will feed your spirit. You'll benefit overall in the long run.

Verse of the Day: ...but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. Ruth 1:14b-17

Friends... How Many of Us Have Them?

I consider myself to be a loner. I prefer to keep to myself. Interacting with a large group of folks usually doesn't appeal to me.

I really don't care to have random conversations. I don't call to just call. It's usually because something happened... or, I'm really bored. I like to work out my problems on my own instead of hashing out questions with others. I prefer to figure out my own business rather than have everyone else know what's going on with me.

Yet, God has blessed me with a wonderful group of friends. They get me, and still love me anyhow. In those times where I need strength or encouragement, they are there to help me out. And I gladly return the favor. They all have their own individual strengths, and I am grateful for their input. Plus, they also have eyes of the Spirit, so even when I try to stay mum, sometimes the Lord prompts them to pull what's going on out of me.

The Lord encourages us to surround ourselves with people who will strengthen and uplift our lives. No matter how much we may think we have it together and can fend for ourselves, there is added wisdom with the voice of a friend. Especially a friend who knows the Lord.

Take time to celebrate your friends today. Pray for them and give them a call of encouragement. If you honestly don't have anyone you consider a friend, ask God to send someone your way. He won't leave you to yourself.

Verse of the Day: The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. Proverbs 14:20 

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Have you examined your "flock" lately?

What kinds of people are in your inner circle? What elements do they bring into your life? Are they helping you, harming you, or keeping you in the same spot? Do they reflect what you're trying to be about right now?

I was just thinking about these things this morning as I was giving God praise for my "flock." My group of friends may not be large, but I can say that each one of them brings strength, wisdom, motivation, and a Godly viewpoint to my existence.

When you are trying to grow, be better, do better, and attain a higher level, it helps to have people around you who are going to help you get to that place.

Sometimes we have to change up our "flock" in order to attain our goals in life. We have to let go of some friends and go find some new friends in order to reach new places and goals. It can be difficult to let them go, and sometimes they might not want you to let them go. Yet, we have to be wise in this one life we get. We can't waste time and energy with people who ultimately do us no good.

Today, take a look at the "flock" you've been hanging with. Are they representing you well? Do you need to change up your roster? Are you grateful to God for who's around you right now?

Take some time and talk to the Lord about your "flock." Good or bad, I'm sure He has some insight for you about them. Have a great day!

Verse of the Day: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

Thanksgiving Friday!

Hey All! It's Friday!

I'm so happy that I made it! I (literally) just finished a paper, and now I can relax!

This weekend I'll be attending a leadership conference. I'm trying to invest in myself this year, and I'm so excited at this opportunity. It's looking to be really promising. I have to give God thanks for my church family who sent me off with their prayers and financial support for the weekend. I am truly blessed!

Before I get down to being ministered to, I'll be celebrating one of my girlfriend's upcoming nuptials. It's so nice when you can celebrate a friend. I'm so happy for her. Plus, I'm excited I get to sow some seeds of love that I will definitely be reaping come my turn!

Lord, I give you praise for my family and friends who add so much richness to my life! Thank you for blessing me to be surrounded by so much love and happiness. I am so grateful for how you've blessed me!

Have a great weekend everyone. I'm out!

Verse of the Day: The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. Proverbs 14:20

Thanksgiving Friday!

Praise God! We not only made it through another week, but we made it through another year! God is so good!

I am thankful today for everything that I have learned about myself this year. Realizing the true value of my talents and gifts has helped me to pursue my purpose with more conviction. Taking control of those negative areas of my life and working to better myself has helped me to stay humble and brought me closer to my heavenly Father.

I'm also grateful for all of the friends and even associates that are in my life. The Lord has truly blessed me to have such an amazing pool of people surrounding me. Their strive for greatness, goal reaching, honesty, and character has helped encourage me to keep trucking. They inspire me to keep up with them!

I know I've thanked you before, but today I'm thankful for you as well. The fact that you appreciate what is written in this blog means more to me than you'll ever know! I'm happy to share what I glean from my walk with God, and I pray that you continue to be blessed by My Morning Ti.

Next year, I'm looking forward to kicking it up a notch - videos, anyone? - and spreading the Word of God to even more people!

Have a Happy New Year! May God's love and peace be with you continually! See you Monday...

Verse of the Day: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High... Psalm 92:1

Push Me!

I'm a competitve person. I hate, hate, HATE to lose! I have friends who are the same way, and we always have fun talking trash when we play games against each other. We like to push each other to be the best to ensure the best possible scenario of a win. It's always a sweeter victory when you know that everyone involved brought their A Game.

In this game of life, we should be doing the same thing. We should always encourage others to be the best they could possibly be. Why go through life just coasting along or folding at every challenge? Just by being born, we were declared winners! We've been winning since our inception, why stop there?

This philosophy takes on more credibility when one considers our faith. We should be working as hard as we can to be the best Christians that we can be in order to please our Heavenly Father. He already gave us His best by sending His Son, so the least we can do is live our lives before Him as holy as possible.

And as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we should be pushing each other to be upright before the Lord. With our encouragement to each other, we can all lead more fulfilled and prosperous lives.

So, as we go about our day today, let's take time and push the others around us to be better people! Together, we can make this world a beautiful place.

Verse of the Day:And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works... Hebrews 10:24

You Can Handle the Truth

It’s great to have friends that are saved. Every now and then a person needs someone to give them a good slap of the Word to get them back on track. Sometimes – since we’re saved ourselves – we tend to avoid our Christian friends when we aren’t in the “mood” to hear the Truth. But that Holy Spirit connection has a way of kicking in, and we still wind up hearing God’s Word of instruction.

I found myself slippin’ the other day, and my good friend reminded me of some words of faith I had just spoken days before. I could only thank them for reminding me and force myself to receive their words of wisdom.

It’s always easier to dish out the knowledge than to take it when it’s your turn to get right. At least it is for me. Thank God that we continue to move forward. That is a hard spot to stand in. The key is to remember that it all comes from a place of love. If your friend didn’t care, they wouldn’t remind you of what God felt about your actions.

So, consider your own life: Can someone rely on you to tell them the Truth about themselves? Or are you too afraid that you’ll lose a friend if you try to steer them right? It’s better to tell the Truth than to stay silent and let your friend go down the wrong path. Can someone feel comfortable telling you the Truth without you catching an attitude or starting an argument? Can you take a loving rebuke?

It’s always better to go through a brief bit of discomfort now than a world of pain later. Thank God for people who aren’t scared to speak the Truth!

Verse of the Day: Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17