Give God the Floor to Speak to You

We are a week and a half into this new year, and I pray that you are basking in new blessings to go along with it!

This week I've started my annual consecration and fasting time. I make it a practice every January to fast, pray, and seek the Lord about the upcoming year. I have found it to really help me to cleanse my mind, body, and focus my spirit to what God has for me.

I would like to encourage you to take some time to God before the Lord as well. Take some serious time to sit down with the Lord and really hear what He would like to share with you. Use this time to listen. You may have your requests, issues, and concerns - and God knows that. But take some extra time just to hear from Him.

When we quiet down ourselves, turn off or own dialogue, and get still before God, He is free to unleash His all-knowing wisdom on us. He is able to share with us His secrets, His desires, and His insights. God is just waiting for us to get before Him and allow Him the floor to speak to us.

So, today find some quiet time. Get still before God and let Him speak to you. Let Him share with you His plans for your life. Let Him reveal the next steps He wants you to take on your journey.

He may not address your current issues, requests, or even your desires... But, you can trust that whatever the Lord reveals to you now is far more important than anything you may have on your agenda.

Verse of the Day: Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

New!

The song I shared above has been ringing in my spirit this morning. I know I've shared it with you before, but the words are powerful and true: Christ Jesus makes all things new.

It doesn't matter if you feel that you have totally wrecked your life. Jesus can take that wrecked life and turn it around to a shining, glorious testimony of His supreme power. He can take what we view as useless and make it an important facet of the Kingdom of God.

There is no depth we can sink to where He cannot draw us out. There is no sin too great that He cannot redeem us. There is nothing that can separate us from God's love. Not one thing.

Today, bask in the fact that God can make you brand new - He has already made you new when you accepted His Son. He doesn't care about your mistakes. He doesn't care about your missed opportunities. He doesn't care about your failures, your falling down, or your sin.

Under His grace and mercy, He can make you brand new. He can turn those things into tools to build up His Kingdom. Be encouraged! The Lord will cause all things to work together for your good. You've already received His saving power. Now accept the power of His forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

Verse of the Day: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Flashback: Faith Decision Moments

Yesterday I was blessed to minister the word impromptu during our service. It's amazing what the Lord can do! The Holy Spirit is amazing because I had no clue I'd be speaking.

What came to my mind was a post that I've done speaking on deciding to move forward in faith. So many of us are looking at the open door God has provided, and we are deciding in some form or another not to walk through it.

Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's complacency. Perhaps it's doubt.

No matter what is holding you back - reconsider. God is holding an open door in front of you! Why would you not want to walk through?

Today, make the decision to trust God's Word. Decide to walk forward in faith!

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In our walk with the Lord, we will encounters faith decision moments. In those moments, we will decide either to move forward in faith or shrink back in fear.

Moses had his moment right before he stepped in to see Pharaoh after his time in the wilderness.

David had his moment after he picked up those five stones for his slingshot before facing Goliath.

Esther's was right before she walked in to see the king unannounced.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had their decision moment when the furnace doors were flung open and they felt the heat on their faces.

Peter's was right before he stepped out to minister to the crowds after the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Right before these men and women of God faced their greatest time, they had one moment where they could have decided to turn back. They could have consciously decided to not believe God. They could have listened to the fear, doubt, and indecision that was probably present in their minds. They could have decided not to follow through.

But they chose to walk forward boldly in faith. And when they decided to move forward, God was able to do what man had never seen before.

Maybe right now you're facing your faith decision moment. Maybe right now you're poised to move into something that no one's experienced before. Maybe the Lord has placed something on your heart that seems out of this world to you, and you are pausing wondering if you should really follow through with what He has spoken.

Don't be like Jonah and run from the call! At the least, be like Gideon and find some more courage before moving forward. But, most importantly, move! Do what God is calling you to do! Decide to move forward in faith and watch what the Lord does with your life.

On the other side of your fear is greatness. On the other side of the unknown is victory! Don't allow indecision to snatch away your dreams. Don't allow doubt to keep you from your destiny in God.

Choose to move forward.

Verse of the Day: Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:38

Hungry for Righteousness

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

It's Thanksgiving Friday! I am thankful for entering into this new year with a fresh outlook and a fresh attitude. I'm moving forward, and I'm grateful to have the Lord on my side as I walk.

I love what Jesus shared with us in this scripture. According to the Bible, none of us are truly righteous on our own. (Romans 3:10) Yet, through the power of Jesus Christ, when we truly get a hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will have our fill.

When you're hungry or thirsty, food and drink is all you think about. You can't really concentrate on anything else. You're sole focus is to find something to stop your body's craving for sustenance.

A true hunger and thirst after righteousness makes it our main focus. Our lives become consumed with the goal of walking uprightly before our Heavenly Father. Everything we do is bring Him pride and joy.

When we position ourselves in that way before the Lord, despite our human failings, Jesus said we would be filled with what we desire. We will find ourselves transforming into the righteous of the Lord. God will give us our hearts desire!

Today, ask the Lord to give you a hunger for righteousness. Ask Him to make you thirsty to stand right before His eyes. Then allow yourself to be filled with His Word, His ways, and His love and watch the transformation that goes on.

Verse of the Day: Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Blessed Are the Merciful

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

We have received great mercy from our Heavenly Father. As sinners, we were destined - deservedly - to live an eternal life in hell's fury. Yet, He chose to show us mercy. He chose to accept Jesus' sacrifice in place of our own.

Despite our daily failings... In spite of our habitual sins... Regardless of our continual falling away... Our Heavenly Father continues to pour out His love on us.

We have obtained the greatest mercy in the universe.

Yet, how much mercy do we show to others? When we are mistreated, misused, and abused, how often do we show forgiveness? How often do we overlook a wrong and choose to show undeserved kindness to another?

We have obtained great mercy, and we hold a great promise of eternal life as a result. It is only right that we show great mercy in return. It is only right that we reflect the great love that we have been shown.

Jesus told a telling parable about a man who was shown mercy with a debt he owed. Even though the man was pardoned for a great debt, he still chose to torture another man who owed him little. In the end, that same man was punished for his cruelty.

Despite the fact that we have been shown great mercy, are we missing out on blessings because of our inability to show that mercy to others?

Today, aim to reflect the great mercy that you've received from the Lord. Remember the great things that you've been forgiven of, and show someone else the joy of that forgiveness.

Verse of the Day: Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 106:1

Living A Blessed Life

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain:

and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:

for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 5:1-12

For the next couple of days I want to focus on this passage of scripture. Many people are optimistic at the start of the year. We decree and declare that this year will be better, greater, and more significant than all the ones that came before. Yet, somehow, we tend to lose our zeal. Midway through the year we start looking ahead and writing off the year that we thought was going to be so great.

In this passage, Jesus is beginning to share what it means to live a blessed, Kingdom centered life with the great crowds who came to Him. Here, we find out how to get into the Kingdom, how to inherit the earth, how to find fulfillment, how to see God... and a host of other things.

What I find so intriguing, is that so many of the keys to obtaining God's promises for us are so simply obtained. All we need is a meek, humble, loving heart that strives to get closer to the Lord. Plain and simple.

Today, search your heart. Ask the Lord to reveal any places that are full of false pride, hatred, unforgiveness, and fear. Ask Him to remove the hardness and replace it with God's pliable love.

As we embark on our new year with excitement, we can only keep our zeal by reaping the blessings that come from living purely before the Lord. We can make this year one of the best years yet! We can do bigger, better, and more amazing things! We can reach our goals! All we have to do is remember who we are and how we are supposed to live as children of the King.

Happy New Year!

It's a new day, a new month, and a new year! Let's celebrate!

Enjoy your day today and soak up the newness all around you. Spend some time in prayer and get your focus for this new year. Listen to what the Lord is saying and get a fresh, new attitude about how you can accomplish what He's showing you.

God can do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you can think. So, stop thinking yourself out of His promises for you! Just go with what He's showing you. Fall headfirst into His plans, and trust that He will lift you up to your place in Him.

It's 2013, guys!

We're in a whole new place!

Happy New Year!

Verse of the Day: It 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