On Lockdown

So I'm on lockdown at work. There's a virus. I can't even turn on my computer.

Afternoon Ti, anyone?

Wednesday's Word: Steps of the Righteous

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psalm 37:23, 24

Let's look at another angle:

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. (NLT)

And another version for good measure:
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. (ESV)

Today, I want you to remember that the Lord is ordering your steps! You can take joy in your journey. You can delight in what comes across your paths. God is joyfully tending to every detail  of your life. That means the smallest of your worries has already been handled by the Lord.

Rest easy. No matter what comes your way - God is holding you up! Nothing can defeat you! Don't stay down! Rely on the Lord's upholding power! Your footsteps forward are established - sure, firm - through the Lord's power.

Stop standing still! Move forward! Every step you take with the Lord cannot falter or fail. Take some ordered steps today and watch where the Lord takes you.

Only God Can Satisfy

"When I get this new job, I'll finally be happy again..."

"Lord, send me my husband, so I can be content..."

"Starting this new business is going to make everything better..."

"Moving to a new city will help me have the fresh start I need..."

"Once we conceive and have a child, our marriage will get better..."

There is nothing wrong with a new job, getting married, or having a child. However, the motives behind why you want to do certain things can definitely steer you in the wrong direction. Are you placing your faith in the new job? Are you stacking your hopes on a move to a new place? Is your happiness linked to whether you get married or not?

We need to be very careful of where we are placing our faith. When we look to something to fulfill a void that only God can fill, we are placing our hopes on sinking sand. Only the sure foundation of the Lord can anchor us through the many storms of life. Only hope placed in Him will find us feeling safe and secure when everything around us is in chaos.

Nothing this world has to offer by itself will bring you peace and joy. Nothing. There are countless marriages that started off in bliss, but ended in bitter divorce. Many people have started jobs only to be let go months later. Countless people have traveled the world looking for answers to the ache in their hearts and found nothing.

Yet Jesus is our answer. When we accept His love and follow His plan, we find the joy that we had searched for all our lives. We find the peace that settles our souls. We find the comfort that only He can give.

Are you placing too much hope in the things this world has to offer? Make sure that you are placing your hopes in Jesus Christ. Trust me, when you have your heart fully in His hands, it doesn't matter if you're married, rich, and running the country, or single, broke, unemployed - you will be content.

Stop looking to other things to fill the void within you. Allow the Lord to fill the space in your heart with His love.

Verse of the Day: Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. Psalm 145:16

Following the Holy Spirit

Observing Jesus ' ministry, you can truly tell that He listened to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was obedient without question, and, as a result, He was able to do things that had never been seen before.

Jesus' followed the Holy Spirit when He fasted and prayed for 40 days in the wilderness. At the end of that powerful fast, the devil Himself could not tempt Jesus away from His purpose on the earth!

When Jesus came out of the wilderness, He was able to identify the 12 men who would be His faithful disciples for the next three years. He was able to see into the heart of the foul mouthed Peter, Jesus was able to see the potential of the tax collector Matthew, He was able to see the untapped greatness of the "sons of thunder" James and John.

Jesus went on to have the most prolific ministry in the history of this planet. He worked miracles like raising people from the dead. He preached sermons that still inspire people to this day. He formed relationships with people who needed God's love. He debated the religious scholars of His day and established God's new covenant on the earth.

When the time came for Jesus' ultimate sacrifice, He remained obedient still. Knowing that the Father was leading Him to give up His own life for the world, Jesus stayed obedient to the will of the Lord. He never wavered in what God was showing Him.

What is the Holy Spirit leading you to do? Are you remaining obedient in everything being asked of you? Consider your own ministry. Is it flowing in it's full potential? Or is your disobedience holding it back?

The Lord will never steer you wrong. All His plans are to bring you to a prosperous, successful position. Don't let your own doubts, insecurities, and unbelief cause you to miss out on God's awesome plans for your life!

Verse of the Day: ...nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42b

Thanksgiving Friday!

God keeps showing me ways that I can improve. For that, I am grateful.

The Lord has given me His divine grace that still accepts me when I fail Him. For this, I have joy.

Jesus has given me the ability to go before the Throne and talk to my Heavenly Father. I am enriched because of it.

Even in the midst of this "inconvenient" snow, the beauty of God's creative genius is shown. I am thankful to experience it.

As I go about my life's journey, God has placed people who tell me the truth about myself even when it is difficult. I am better for it.

This week, I've been falling in love with this song:

Verse of the Day: How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them. Psalm 111:2 (NLT)

He 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 foods 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 to resist the devil, dig in, and go with the fruit 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 wellbeing. 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 aim is to kill you? Grab hold of God’s fruit of the spirit and thrive instead.

Verse of the Day: Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:25

Wednesday's Word: Amazing God!

O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory

above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants

you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;

you put everything under his feet:

all flocks and herds,

and the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air,

and the fish of the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8

Have you considered the greatness of God lately? Have you taken time to pause and look around at the majesty of creation? Have you thought about how intricately you have been put together?

The world is a witness of the greatness of God. He is high and mighty! He is creative beyond our mental capacity! He reigns in great splendor!

Yet, He chose us to rule over His grand creation. He chose us to be the caretakers of His display of power. He chose us to be crowned with the glory and honor of His deep love.

God is truly amazing!