He'll Return Before You Know It

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:7-8

The 7^th verse of the 4^th chapter of 1^st Peter (a lot of numbers I know) declares but the end of all things is at hand… Truthfully, the word of God reminds us today that tomorrow is not promised; every day you see on this earth is another opportunity for you to grow in the knowledge of God and not leave something for tomorrow that could be taken care of today… Knowing that tomorrow is not promised and that the end of all things is at hand; Peter reminds us today that we must be ye therefore sober… To be sober means to be clear-headed, somber, or serious; in a nutshell, you cannot take the day that you are privileged to see lightly…  You cannot allow things to clutter your view or understanding of the will and plan of God for your life… So many of us have missed opportunities to grow in Christ because we are occupied with so much other stuff that we don’t have time for the things that should take priority in our lives… Being sober is the foundation for preparation in fulfilling the will of God… When you clear your mind, God now has room to work and instill the plan that He has designed uniquely for you… A sober mind is important; however, you must add a strong cornerstone to that foundation which is prayer… This is why Peter goes on to say that you must watch unto prayer… So many have a clear mind, but they have not taken the next step to allow the thoughts and desires of God to take root in that unoccupied space… Situations always come about, but in order to clear your mind and see results, you must turn it over to God (prayer) and invite Him in…  

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Be Led By God

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

 Romans 6:13

 

A choice is presented before you from the time of your birth to the time of your death; you have a decision to make as to how your life will be handled and in which direction it will be led… Notice that I did not say that you decide the direction of your life but that you decide who will lead it; there are so many of us who think we are in control when in reality the enemy has us on strings like a puppet, toying with our emotions, mental state and the desires we have in this world… This passage declares that we can either yield our members as instruments of righteousness or unrighteousness… The Lord once to see you succeed; however, through the fall of man, He knows that you cannot handle making your own decisions without a guide which for us is the Holy Spirit… The enemy knows that you are a weak vessel without the guidance of God and so he has you thinking that you can handle situations which in reality you are digging a hole that you can never climb out of on your own… 

Paul refers to you as an instrument because you are a device that can either unlock untapped potential or destroy a unique path designed specifically for you… You are a tool that can lead others to Christ, break generational curses, and take down strongholds; the enemy knows your ability, and this is why he tries to use you to do the exact opposite… In reading this passage I am led to ask a question; where do you allow yourself to go that does not please God? What things do you take part in that bring disgrace upon the name of the Lord…? We all have indeed fallen short of the glory of God; however, a saint is nothing more than a sinner who got up and repented from their sin… God has called us to be better, achieve more, and reach higher, but you will not be able to do that if you allow your body to be used by this world and allow your choices to be influenced by others… Paul charges us today in his letter to the Church of Rome to simply understand that these battles we face are real. Life is built on the choices that we make, and life itself is a choice… Choice God! 

 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God Is Waiting For You To Turn

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

2 Chronicles 16:9

The words recorded in today’s devotional serve a since of comfort in the hearts of all believers as we are reminded that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth… God has His eye on you and will continue to watch over and protect you… Having His eye on you means that He not only is observing, but that He also knows all your shortcomings and mistakes… As a child of God, we must be open and honest with Him as we grow in the knowledge of Him… This can only be accomplished through an open heart and mind in the dealings and communications with our Savior… There are so many of us living in self-inflected bondage because we have not turned all of our afflictions over to Him… God is ready to show himself strong on your behalf; however, you must first acknowledge your weakness and need for His presence… The children of God had experienced much success at the time of this writing; however, their confidence in trust soon resided within themselves and not God… It was through trial and hardship that God regains their attention to teach them of His power and perfection… Today, know that God must take priority in your life; you must continue to trust and confide in Him if you want to Experience His power and perfection… This is why the word of God concludes by saying that God does all of these things on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him… You are not required to be perfect in order to be blessed; on the contrary, you must have a perfect desire to please and adhere to the will of God… This message informs us that the eyes of the Lord are present; however, He cannot move on your behalf until you have a heart for Him… He's waiting on you to turn toward Him.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Don't Be Anxious, Just Pray

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

A lot of us may be walking around wondering why God hasn’t answered our prayers; we may even be at a point where we find ourselves wondering if He even heard our prayers which have been laid before Him… The answer to this question resides in the verses we focus on in today’s devotional… Despite all the confusion and chaos we find ourselves dealing with directly or indirectly; Paul reminds us that the first step which must be taken in walking according to the will of God is that you do not be anxious about anything... Anxiety - nervousness, unease, and apprehension about something eventually becomes a bridle within our minds, taking captive our thoughts and the direct steps we take upon this earth…   When we worry, we reach a state of unrest and therefore find ourselves tossing and turning until we either get an answer or resolve the situation on our own… This is not of God and this captivating mental state must be denied within us so that we can clearly see God working through us… Some situations we all face concern us; however, when we walk in faith, we pray about them and completely turn them over to the Lord… 

Doing this keeps us from becoming anxious… Knowing that God has heard us and will step in on His time gives us peace of mind over every situation and stronghold that we encounter… How you handle things outside of your control is the best indicator of the depth of your relationship with the Lord… Jesus, through all His life and even through all His persecutions, never rushed or tried to speed up the actions of His father… You can say that peace was on Him and dwelt within Him no matter the storm or test that was presented… Remember, in the gospel of John, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This passage comes as Jesus tells them that He will be going away… Knowing that His death is coming, knowing that sin will be thrust upon His shoulders, and knowing that He would be betrayed; Jesus lets the disciples know that He is at peace… His peace is derived from complete trust and faith in His Father’s divine plan… This is the mindset that we all should be trying to achieve in this life; knowing that there are things that are simply out of our control, realizing that not everything will work as we planned, we can still be at peace within ourselves knowing that God has a plan and just like it’s written in Jeremiah, His plan is to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you hope and a future… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!