Keep Trusting In The Lord

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Many of us confess to having a relationship with the Lord; however, one must do a personal inventory to figure out how deep that relationship is… It is so easy to claim to love the Lord, but when things go south we often ask the question why me… As we ask this question, God answers us with a question of His own, do you trust me…? Do you trust in the Lord or in the things that you accredit Him for putting in your life…? Do you truly trust the Lord not only when things are calm in your life, but also when the storms are raging and you feel all alone…? When the storms of life are upon your doorstep and adversity is present, then we display our true trust either in things or in God… I can recall growing up and how it was instilled in me at a young age that the most important component to a relationship is trust… 

After thinking about this statement, I soon realized how many things branch off from that very word… If I cannot trust someone, I cannot have confidence in them, I cannot believe in them and I cannot love them… Solomon writes today a couple of verses that we often hear people quote; however, notice that the first thing Solomon writes is that we must “trust the Lord…” The desire that I have is to allow the Lord to direct my path, I want Him to lead me because I know that He won’t lead me down the wrong road; however, if I don’t “trust” Him then I will not follow His lead… Likewise, we must have complete confidence in the Lord to develop a secure foundation within Him… Think of it this way, if you didn’t trust your spouse or your boyfriend/girlfriend… How can you grow with them? Trust in the Lord, it’s the key to unlocking your God-given ability and destination…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Humility Proceeds Exaltation

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 14:11

The standards of this world are not the standards of Jesus Christ… The sooner we grasp this concept, the sooner we can start reaching higher levels than we ever thought possible… This is the lesson that Luke teaches us today in his gospel… So many people have been confused and found themselves falling short because they have not aligned themselves with the will and desires of God… The people who fall into this category are the ones who have been in prayer; however, they have not totally turned the situation over to the Lord which means that they are lacking in humility… Something is missing in their lives and even though they call on the Lord they have not sought Him with their whole hearts for Him to be found… This is the same thing that plagued the rich young ruler in the gospel of Mark… Even though He knew who the Lord was, He measured his happiness by wealth and not faith… 

Today, decide to be humble so that God doesn’t have to humble you… This is a very scary truth and is also why Luke starts off by saying, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled…” Make no mistake about it, even though it may appear that people with pride and egos are flourishing, this passage tells us that it won’t last and that they will reach a point where their high horse comes crashing down… We see this all too often with image-based celebrities who fall back to earth through the most precarious situations… Today, even though the majority may choose otherwise, you must make a decision… Are you climbing the ladder of success defined by the world or by God… The latter is the one which appears least acceptable but is the most profitable… The way to ascend is to go down and the way to fall is to stand up…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Be Steadfast & Unmovable

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

As you grow in God's knowledge and will, you are assured to be subject to many temptations and snares placed in your life by the enemy… There will be many tests that you must endure and many hardships that you must face; however, in the midst of your circumstances, you can find courage in knowing that your sweat, blood, and tears are not in vain… I know that it is very easy to become discouraged when facing opposition and it appears that all of the seeds you have planted are not bearing fruit; however, you must “be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord…”Today’s focus verse challenges us to walk by faith and trust that the Lord knows and sees all… The enemy wants you to believe that you have lost, he wants you to believe that you cannot obtain victory; however, Paul wants you to know that every stumbling block will eventually become a stepping stone and you will have a testimony that will lead others to Christ… No seed, when planted sprouts immediately; this principle applies to our lives as Christians as well… 

You have a seed that God planted in you and the storms of life that you face provide the water and nutrients needed for that seed to grow…This is why we must be steadfast; don’t let Satan corrupt your seed… Don’t let him dig up what God has planted in you while it tries to take root… The things that you face in life will either provide water to your seed or a shovel to the dirt which protects and keeps it… Despite what people may say (being that shovel that the enemy will use), you must continue to abound in the work of the Lord… No matter what the appearance of your current predicament may seem, you must continue to fight the good fight and walk in faith… Don’t get caught up in the moment, continue to look ahead at the big picture which is God’s plan and His expectations for you… 

Be encouraged and always remember you are favored by the KING!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love God And Others

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Matthew 22:37-39

The foundation of our being starts with love… Love has to be the cornerstone and driving force, meaning you must have a relationship with the Lord… The Bible says that “God is love…” So you are not walking in love if you are not in Christ… Make no mistake about it, you are not here by your own doing, but through the love of God… It was the love God has for us that allowed Him to sacrifice His son and pave the road to forgiveness and salvation, it was the love Christ had for us to hang on the cross and go down into the belly of this earth and it is the love that we have for God that keeps us in His will and striving to become more and more like Him… This walk as a Christian calls for a total commitment to the will of God! Jesus is instructing us today through the gospel of Matthew about the foundation that will lead to eternal salvation. True love is formed or born through trials and tribulations… I can always say I love you to someone, but until my love is tested (and grounded in the Lord) you will never know the severity of how much or deep my love goes.

A lot of us mistake lust for love and the difference between the two is evident in our commitment to that particular person or thing… Jesus says that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind! We can’t say we love Him when we feel like it or when He has blessed us and curse Him when things aren’t going as we planned… We can’t throw our hands up in praise for His goodness, and drop our head in defeat when the storms of life begin to rage… James tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials! Understanding God’s goodness and faithfulness will bring about spiritual freedom and peace that will keep you smiling no matter what task or hurdle lay before you! Your life should be full of love, which means it should be full of sacrifice!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love Fervently

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

1 Peter 1:22

How hard is it to lend to someone who you feel doesn’t deserve it? How hard is it to speak kindly to someone who despises you? How hard is it to turn the other cheek and walk away? On the contrary, how easy is it to speak your mind? How easy is it to wish bad on someone? How easy is it to retaliate and turn the other person’s cheek…? These are the questions that we must answer within ourselves today… These are the things that we face daily and these things show where we are currently in our spiritual walk and how much further we still have to go… Taking on the mind of Christ leads us to extend a helping hand and not dig a pit for another to fall in… In today’s study verse, Peter speaks about the love and desire we should have as a child of God walking under the influence of the Lord… Notice that this passage says that you have purified your souls by obeying the Spirit's truth. Before we can walk we must first stand up, before we can speak we must first open our mouths; Peter reminds us today that we are called to love one another, we are called to exalt one another, and we are called to have unfeigned love one for another as a child of God… 

The love that Peter talks about is instilled in us by God and only can be placed within us when we first turn unto Him… We are purified through the Spirit which guides and directs our lives; to be purified means that you have been cleansed, sanitized, or filtered…  The love that Peter is speaking of isn’t gained overnight, but is learned through the experiences we go through and the mindset that we have… Again, before you can walk you must learn to stand; before you can love fervently you must learn how to simply be kind and overcome evil with good… Love is a word that is better described and defined by actions… When someone has zeal, they have a willingness, excitement, or passion for something; it is shown by how they approach a task or mission… When we talk about loving as Christ loved, I should be able to see all those traits in your lifestyle as a Christian. Remember, greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends!!!!!! That is Jesus showing His fervent love for us! HOW ABOUT YOU!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Guard Your Heart

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

The heart is a sacred and vital organ to your physical and spiritual life… Let's take the analogy of the heart being a pump. We know that whatever is inside the heart will be pumped out (in the physical since this is the blood that travels through our veins, in the spiritual we are talking about whatever Godly or worldly things reside within)…This is why we are reminded that if we want to live, we must keep our heart…  The heart is the source, the critical point, and the very place you’re most likely attacked by the devil… Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” 

How often do you give your heart to others? How many times have you found yourself allowing someone or something to have authority over you by controlling your heart…Whether we have come to realize it or have not comprehended it yet, the heart is the center of our living and being… David wrote in Psalm 37 that if we delight in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart… God knows how critical it is that we maintain our hearts; He knows the importance of the heart and has told us that if we place Him first in our lives, He will give us the things that we seek… God knows the things that we seek are love, appreciation, acceptance, and happiness… Today we are reminded that just because we seek those things doesn’t mean we try to obtain them at all cost… The proverb today reminds us that we must “Keep thy heart with all diligence…” 

The bottom line is that you must protect yourself and your life… If you’re careless with your heart and give it to any and everybody, it will be shown by how torn and tattered your life is…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Struggle Will Be Over Soon

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

Malachi 4:2

When you feel dejected and ready to throw in the towel, just know that “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings…” Jesus was persecuted and appeared to lose; however, His death on the cross produced His greatest ministry (and victory)… Today, know that you will be persecuted, but in your most troubling days, your ministry will be much more intense and exalted…  God knows that walking under His guidelines subjects you to many obstacles and hardships… The Lord realizes that every time you choose to follow Him, you risk losing friends and having sleepless nights; however, He wants us to find encouragement in today’s study verse knowing that we will run free in victory and overcome the storms we face… This verse starts by saying, “But for you who revere my name…” We must stay the course and revere (honor, respect, and admire) the name of the Lord… Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” No matter what you face or what opposition comes before you, stand upon the promises of God and trust Him knowing that when you revere His name, He will protect and keep you… Malachi goes on to inform us that the sun of righteousness will rise again, there is a day marked on the eternal calendar, an hour when the clouds will part and Jesus will return unto this earth… 

When the sun goes down darkness covers the earth; this very principle is one that we must apply today knowing that dark has covered the earth… If we understand that He will rise again, we must understand that things must appear to have fallen first; situations must seem to be insurmountable, trials must seem unconquerable, sin must feel too tempting and Satan must appear to be winning… Understand that our hope may not be evident in the present sufferings that we may be encountering right now; however, Malachi reminds us today that in revering God we patiently await His return and our rescue from this world of sin… We all have been enslaved at one point in time in our lives… We have been imprisoned by our bad choices, locked up behind our fleshly desires, and hindered by our own transgressions… There is good news today for those who revere the Lord, those who serve Him in spirit (within) and in truth (through circumstances)… When Christ returns (rises again) He will escort us into His kingdom and Sabbath will have no end… It is because of Christ's healing that we are even alive and reading this message, it’s because of His sacrifice that we will be able to leap like calves released from the stall. The stall is your current circumstance, your stall is the way you feel when you don’t think things can get better, your stall is the ceiling that has been placed in your life when you think that you can’t go any higher… Your stall is your current limitation, but when you know the one and only true God when you understand who is the author and finisher of your faith, you will be able to hold to God’s hand, you will be able to keep your joy through sorrow and suffering! For there is healing in His wings, He has heard your cry, He has understood your moans and He will deliver you from your current bondage (stall) unto the eternal Promise Land!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!