The Devil Wants to KILL You!

You are a fabulous being. God created you in an exquisite, perfectly unique way. He made you expressly for His pleasure, and your life is a testament to His great handiwork. (Psalm 139:14) He is proud of each breath you take.

As fine as you are, there is someone who hates every atom of your core. From the time man was created, the devil has been scheming, plotting, and interfering with God’s intended purpose for mankind. The devil’s very existence is now dedicated to thwarting mankind from living the life God chose for him to have.

The devil is one cunning creature, and he has studied you well. He knows exactly where your weak spots are, and he takes every opportunity to tempt you away from God’s chosen path. He offers his “treats” to you daily presenting them in such a way that it’s hard for you to resist. Lying becomes convenient, our flesh cries out to over indulge, our patience grows thin and we give in to harsh, angry behavior…

Each time you partake in the “treats” the devil offers up to you, you ingest something that’s sole purpose is to poison and kill your spiritual life in God. He wants you to get so hooked on his junk that you start neglecting the good fruit the Lord has available to you. As you succumb to the devil’s diet you will eventually stop partaking of the Lord’s bounty. Your spirit will grow sick and weak and your enemy will have prevailed.

You can choose instead to resist the devil, dig in, and go with the fruit of the Spirit the Lord has provided for you instead. The fruit He has for you produces life and brings blessings. It will cause your spirit to grow strong and enable you to live in victory while here on earth. God is your Creator. He takes pleasure out of your well being. Everything He has for you enhances your living experience. As you live according to God’s will, you cannot help but have favor and success.

So the next time you find yourself struggling to resist the devil’s temptations, remember his blatant agenda. He only wants to destroy you. Anything he brings your way is guaranteed poison. Why would you want to continuously partake in something that’s trying to kill you? Grab hold of God’s fruit of the spirit and thrive instead.

 
Verse of the Day: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

All You Need

This morning I got frustrated. I mean really frustrated. I could feel the tension building up in my shoulders and I felt my mood turning darker.

I caught myself and said a prayer. I laid everything on the altar, gave my frustrations over to the Lord, asked Him to fight my battle - and left it all there with Him.

I could feel the weight lift and my emotions calm down. The Lord gave me peace, and I was able to move on with my day. I'm so glad we have the blessing of prayer!

Something so simple as having an honest, open conversation with the Lord can change so much! Trusting Him to be Who He has said He is can make all the difference. He has told us in His Word that He is our source of peace, joy, comfort, strength, and love. When we find ourselves in need of those things, we should have the faith to come to the Lord and receive those gifts from Him.

Far too often we turn to other people, food, shopping, other vices, the internet, or anything else we can find for the comfort we seek. God has already told us the foolproof way to get what we need! All we have to do is turn to Him with open hearts in complete surrender.

God will not berate us. He won't ignore us. He won't leave us hanging. He will fill us up with all that we need. He will embrace us with His love.

Today, when you find yourself in need, turn to the One Who can completely satisfy all your needs. Allow the Lord to be your Everything.

Verse of the Day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:11

Attitude Adjustment Needed: Put It On Repeat...

So, this morning I was awakened early out of my sleep with a phone call about nothing. No emergency. No fire to put out. Just someone calling me because they were up already and felt like talking.

I am not a morning person. It takes a while for me to feel like myself at the start of the day. So, I was not in a good mood after receiving my early morning call.

From there, I got another phone call and some text messages that only added to my frustrations and work I had to do later in the day. Then I had to rush and take on an extra task that I was not planning to do. On top of that I had to come in to work and run around in circles trying to get things in place before the start of the day.

I was really on the way to being a grouch all day.

As I was walking through the hallway though, I became aware of my attitude and the nastiness I was feeling inside. I didn't like it.

Right then and there I said a prayer asking God for forgiveness and help. What I was experiencing wasn't that deep. I had no reason to be in such a foul mood, and I knew it. Today, I'm thankful that God is merciful. I certainly needed some mercy today.

So, I went back through my blog and found this post. Apparently, this is a test that I will continue to take until I pass. I'm reposting it because I clearly need to just pray today. Would you say a prayer for me too?

Thank you. :)

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Attitude Adjustment Needed!

So this morning I was in a funky mood. I woke up because of God's grace since my alarm certainly did not go off like it should have done. Then I forgot that I had to go get some gas before I started my commute to work, so I was about 10 minutes late getting on the expressway. The drizzling rain did not help lift my spirits at all (or move traffic along, for that matter).


I arrived to work with the work coming to greet me as soon as I walked in the door. I mean, can I get my coat off first, please? Yes, I was starting on work items - that weren't even my normal responsibilities - before I logged onto my computer. My bad attitude was turned all the way up. I was so not feeling today.

While doing the other person's job (they were blessed to be off today), I happened to ask one of my co-workers how they were doing just to make conversation. Listening to her response literally made me feel like the most ungrateful, selfish person on the planet.

In comparison to her, I was experiencing bliss! She was going through real issues and if anyone was entitled to be a little sour, it was her. Yet she still had a pleasant smile on her face. There was no trace of anger, attitude or crabbiness in her voice.

I immediately repented of my bad attitude and made an internal adjustment. Thinking about things later, I had to admit that I allowed that mood to overwhelm me. I woke up upset, but I didn't choose to put a stop to it and take on the joy of the Lord. Instead I wallowed in it, and probably made some room for it's growth as the morning went on.

So, I am going to work to give thanks in all things. Life is a blessing, and I should give praise at every opportunity. With all that Christ experienced and does for me, I should always strive to reflect His light no matter what's happening. How can I reach someone if I'm walking around wrapped up in a funky attitude?

Lord, help me to be a better person even when things don't go according to plan. Help me to realize that if it's happening, it's a part of your Master Plan. You still have everything under control, so I can just rest in You. Thank You for Your forgiveness and grace.

Verse of the Day: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2 (NLT)

**Did anyone else catch that I said I woke up because of God's grace, but I still had an attitude? Lord, help me!**

Weak Spots

I did a post a while ago about old demons. I was talking about how the devil uses the same thing with some of us to get us snared in his trap and off of our purpose.

With all of the coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral and my spirit's tug to send up prayers constantly on behalf of her daughter, I couldn't help but think of how the enemy works. Seeing all those people of faith, hearing their testimony of Whitney's drive, grace, and talent... you could not help but be moved. You could not help but mourn the spirit that was snatched away.

We all have our weak spots. We all have a place where we struggle. It may not be drugs, but it might be pride. It may not be an abusive relationship, but it may be fornication. It may not be alcohol, but it may be gossip.

Whatever our weakness, the devil is looking for any opportunity to make us fall. He's looking for any spot where he can get in and take over. He's constantly searching for a way to cut us off. (John 10:10)

As believers, we have to remain vigilant against the attacks of the enemy. We have to constantly stand guard against his attacks. We have to feed our spirits the Word of God, spend time in fellowship with the Father, and walk out the revelation He gives us. We have to recognize when the enemy's coming our way. We have to choose to walk away from sin.

I know how difficult it can be to live right. Sometimes it seems so easy, so 'harmless', so trivial... Yet, no matter what the sin, it pays in death. (Romans 6:23)

I'm glad Whitney knew Jesus. I know, despite her struggles, that she is in heaven. We all can learn something from her story. The enemy is no respector of persons. If he can get one of us, he's going after us all. We have to stay on the wall, saints. We have to remain anchored in the Lord. We have to stay under the covering of the blood of Jesus.

Verse of the Day: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour... 1 Peter 5:8

Afternoon Ti: Strength in Weakness

Today was certainly a "Footprints in the Sand" kind of day. The Lord most certainly carried me through today. It's so great to know that I have such a strong Presence helping me along my journey. Thanks for your prayers!

When we are weak, He is strong. We just have to remember to lean back into His strong arms. Far too often when things get hard we scramble out of our Savior's arms trying to run around and fix things on our own. All we really need to do is trust His guidance and allow Him to take the lead in our affairs.

He will carry us through the greatest of trials and the hardest of challenges. When we are at our wit's end, He has not even scratched the depths of His wisdom. He sees the end from the beginning and knows the exact way we should go. It's up for us to look to God for the guidance we need.

Verse of the Day: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9a

Still on the Pottery Wheel...

It's one thing to know God's Word. It's another thing to live God's Word.

Lately my cry has been Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. It seems like I am encountering situations that are making my fleshly side sit up at attention. I'm recognizing my reactions and responses, and I know that God is not pleased. Shoot, I'm not pleased!

I was in prayer on yesterday asking God to cleanse my heart and make me more like Him. I realized that God was allowing these circumstances to come to show me the places where I still need work and deliverance.

I was just thanking God for my progress and celebrating my spiritual growth, and God shifted me back into the repair lane. He showed me that I wasn't as together as I thought I was.

I can only be grateful. My God loves me so much that He wants me to be the best I can be! He cares that I embody His love fully, and that I live my life as a total witness to what His transforming power can do.

Don't lose heart when God allows you to go through His purifying fire. Yes, it is painful to see our faults. It is difficult to change into the image of Christ. Our flesh doesn't want to follow God's ways, and it chafes under His pruning hand.

However, there is joy in knowing that we are living in a way that pleases the Father! There is peace when we know that our every action brings a smile to His face! It also boots our witness when we can share honestly how the Word has changed us and transformed us into new creatures.

Stay in the fire! Don't give in. You're being made into His image.

Verse of the Day: But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64:8

You Win!

It’s like the scene in The Lion King when Scar had Simba hanging over a cliff. Or the one in The Matrix when Neo appeared to be dead. We can even take it back to when Sho ‘Nuff held Leroy’s head under water in The Last Dragon.

All of these characters were at their breaking point. They were fighting their ultimate enemy and seemingly failing.

Right now you are in a battle. Maybe it feels like the ultimate fight. You are facing your greatest trial, and it seems like it’s going to win. Before you give in, let me remind you: You are more than a conqueror!

You are a child of the Great God! You were made in His image and likeness. He gave you the keys to the kingdom. He gave you power over the enemy. Use it!

Don’t believe the hype! Don’t believe the lies the devil’s whispering. If you have to close your eyes to how it looks, shut them tight! Hang in there! If God is for you, who can be against you?

You have to believe God’s Word and stand firm.

Grit your teeth and remember that at your greatest point of pressure, you are about to receive your greatest breakthrough. If you give in, you’ll never taste the thrill of victory and will have to settle for defeat. Why settle when God has already told you that you’re going to win?

So, jump back over the cliff like Simba, find a way to breathe again like Neo, and put on your spiritual “glow” like Leroy. Keep on fighting! You’re the hero in the story of your life! You Will Win!

Verse of the Day: …in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

Btw: I know I have to get some better movie examples. But it's the point that's important, people. The point!

I'm No Island After All

I consider myself to be a strong person. I don’t like to be in need. I don’t like to ask for help. I don’t like to appear weak. I’m the one that dishes out support, not the one who needs to be supported. However, I am still human. Despite my abhorrence at weakness, I too have moments of struggle, frustration and pain.

Yesterday evening was one of those times. I just hit a wall and my insides crumbled. Thankfully, I had to go to my church for a rehearsal, and the saints were on the job. As much as it pained me to show my cracks, I was in the midst of emotions I could not hide. They put the set agenda on hold, and chose to take care of me in my time of need.

It warmed my heart to feel the love of my sisters in Christ. I melted in their arms as they cried out to God and voiced the words that I could not bring myself to say – the words I had no strength to utter. While I blew my nose, they pounded on the enemy. As I wiped my tears, they washed me with the water of the Word. I left the church feeling strengthened and renewed, ready to face my reality again.

So, as much as I like to be to myself and keep my issues private, there is something special that can occur when fellow Believers can show the love of Christ to one another. There is a certain strength that one needs to admit weakness, and I experienced that today. If I hadn’t spoken up, I’m sure I was on the way to having a meltdown.

When you’re facing tough issues, ask God to show you who to lean on. Encouragement can be found in the oddest of places, but the key is that encouragement can be found. And when you see someone struggling or bending under a heavy weight, take the time and show them the true love of Christ. There’s no telling how great of an impact your attentions will bring.

Verse of the Day: We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1