The Lord Is My Strength

I don’t have a lot of words today, but rather a verse of encouragement.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7

There are times when life knocks you back, people let you down and you feel LOW. Their words may pierce your heart but I am encouraged that God’s word tells me that He is my strength and I can trust Him with ALL my heart and I will be helped.

If this is you today, join with me today – put on your favourite worship CD and offer him worship and praise. Let your heart rejoice and praise Him with your song.

It is well.

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Proverbs 31 Series: Doing Him Good + Having The Right Attitude

I am currently doing a Proverbs 31 study with Good Morning Girls and thought I would share with you what I have been learning. We are part way through week four and so far I am really enjoying getting deeper into these verses and applying them to my life.

Last week’s verses were Proverbs 31: 12-14.

What do these verses mean for today’s women?

Verse 12 - As long as she lives, she does him good and never harm.

This verse reinforced for me that marriage is for life -  “as long as she lives” the Proverbs 31 woman is committed to her marriage and doing good for her husband. As a wife I should make it my priority to ‘do him good’, realising that I have a powerful influence over my husband which should not be abused but honoured.

Doing good needs to be part of our character, which God will help us cultivate and we should always seek to ‘do good’ first and foremost to our husbands. Many times I have found myself treating others better than I treat my own husband, which is wrong. Verse 12 reminds me of where my priorities should lie. Looking for some ideas on how to do good to your husband, check out this post. 

Are you doing good to your husband?

Verse 13 – She keeps herself busy making wool and linen cloth.

Different bible versions say that she ‘works with eager hands’. I believe this verse is referring to the attitude we have when we are undertaking our duties around the home. This does not just apply to wives, but to women in general. Now I don’t get excited cleaning the bathroom as much as the next person, but my attitude when I do it should be a positive one. I mean in the first instance I should be grateful I have a toilet to clean! There are many people in the world who would be happy for this ‘luxury’ which we take for granted. Secondly everything I do should be to the glory of God {Colossians 3:23}. Finally, this is a labour of love for my family and that alone should change my perspective.

Do you struggle in this area? Courtney in her ebook  The Proverbs 31 Woman - One Virtue at a Time, encourages us to research and find inspiration {Pinterest in great here}, speak to other women who we know are good in this area and seek encouragement and advice. When I first met my husband I was not that great in the kitchen, I hardly spent any time there and much preferred to eat out all the time. As a newlywed this was not an affordable long term strategy, plus my husband preferred home cooked meals, so I had to change. I decided to spend some time with other wives I knew who were great in the kitchen, to ask them to show me how to make different dishes. I really enjoyed (and still do) this time of learning and have improved so much. Today I have a genuine love for cooking and preparing meals for my family.

Are you willing to work in your home? Do you have the right attitude?

Verse 14 – She brings home food from out-of-the-way places, as merchant ships do.

I grocery shop online for convenience, it is especially convenient when you have a baby in tow. This verse however did make me think, whilst it is convenient, is it cost effective? Could I be getting better deals if I visited different supermarkets (sans baby!). In what ways am I using our food budget effectively?

For the first time in a long time, this past weekend I planned our menu for the week and went to the store to buy the relevant ingredients. I then spent time making up 4 of the meals for the week in one batch (thanks for the inspiration Mrs O), so that I could freeze some and take some of the pressure off during the week. It’s great not having to worry about ‘what will we eat’.  This verse has challenged me to find ways in which I can serve my family better in this area.

How are you applying these verses to your life?

Related Proverbs 31 Posts
Proverbs 31 - A woman that Fears the Lord

Is Perfection Stopping You From Achieving Your Goals?

“Perfection is the mother of procrastination” Michael Hyatt (Platform)

At job interviews whenever they would ask “what are your weaknesses?’ I would always say I am a perfectionist. I would smile inside because I always believed that perfectionism was one of those ‘positive’ weaknesses. I mean come on, it’s good to want things to be right, right?

Not always. My problem is that I will keep working at something even when it is already good enough, to the detriment of other things. I don’t know when, to say “Enough! This is as good as this can get…let’s move on. Or enough…this is the best possible option for this situation…move on”.

I am currently reading Platform by Michael Hyatt and in his book he spends time talking about setting goals, reviewing your goals daily and not allow perfectionism to make you a procrastinator, something I believe I have been doing. 

Presently I am working on a new project and whilst a lot of things have been completed, there are still certain things I need to be doing to move it forward. Are they difficult things? No. Have I done them yet? No.

What are my reasons…well I could give you a whole host, but are they reasons or excuses? The activities I am spending my time doing are not bad in themselves and will need to be done eventually but they are not bringing me closer to achieving my goal and there lies the problem.

Perfectionism can also stop you even starting a project or fulfilling a dream/goal because you fear that it won’t be good enough, or you’ll never be able to do it as good as ‘x’. Again this is something we should fight against and speak against that fear. God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear but of sound mind or as The Message puts it

“God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible” 2 Timothy 1:7.

The same mind-set works with other aspects of life. Waiting for the perfect man to come along. Waiting for the perfect time to get married? Waiting for the perfect time to have a family? Waiting for the perfect time to start your business or change career.  Let me tell you a secret about ‘perfect’…it doesn't exist.

If God has laid something on your heart, go for it. Take that step of faith and see where it leads, (I am talking to myself as well!). Put in the work and trust God.

Believe that He is walking alongside you and don’t allow ‘perfect’ to rob you of your success.

Is perfection stopping you from achieving your goals? Share below in comments.

p.s. thank you for sharing your ‘this time next year’ goals…I will be praying along!

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This time next year

This time last year we found out we were expecting a baby.

Fast forward 12 months and we have found ourselves enriched by this amazing 4 month old who has changed our lives way beyond we could have imagined. While it sounds a bit cliché, it's hard to imagine life without her.

In my old church we had this saying "this time next year" where by faith we would ask God for things believing that by this time next year we would have seen an answer.

Whether it was for a spouse, a job/qualification or a baby - 'this time next year' was a faith prayer and it was amazing to see how God answered and the testimonies people shared.

Back in 2008 my mum prayed a ‘this time next year’ prayer for me…for a husband {not that I wasn’t praying myself – but she did it publicly, at church, on my birthday}. Over the next twelve months God was kind and gracious and brought Afam and I to a place where by my next birthday we were engaged to be married. I am grateful for that prayer of faith.

Recently I was watching a Joyce Meyer teaching where she said we do not receive because we do not ask. Our motives need to be right but she said that often God is simply waiting for us to ask Him.

We have courage in God's presence, because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will. He hears us whenever we ask him; and since we know this is true, we know also that he gives us what we ask from him. 1 John 5:14-15 (GNT)

Are you waiting on God for something? Have you asked Him?

What is your ‘this time next year'?

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Waiting on God

Today is a wonderful guest post from Aloted on waiting on God. Aloted is a good friend of mine both online and off and I love her pointers below. One of my favourite songs reflects upon the verse she quotes at the end, so I have included it too.

Hope you enjoy the post.

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Some time ago, I was in the midst of a group of ladies and the conversation steered towards waiting and how hard it is to wait for anything.

Someone now asked the question- “which is easier- to wait on God for a husband or a baby?” A single lady in the group quickly shouted “Oh it is definitely harder to wait for a husband than a baby; at least a married woman has one out of the two- a husband, while singles have neither”. One married woman shook her head and said “hmm I think it is harder waiting for a baby, at least there are plenty single men around and you can easily pick one to marry, but when you don’t have a baby everyone especially your in-laws start staring at you wondering why you don’t have a child”. Another single person chipped in- “well you can adopt a baby not a husband or do IVF”. The argument kept going back at forth with everyone trying to defend their corner as they deemed fit. I sat there listening, not contributing, considering I have a husband and a daughter and didn’t think my opinion mattered anyway.

Later on, I went over the full conversation in my head and I realised the ladies who were waiting for either a life partner or a baby defended their argument based on their need. It was very hard for the single girl to see why a married woman should be lamenting “at least she has someone to warm her bed at night”. The married women felt single girls can be choosy that’s why they are still single.

It then occurred to me that no matter what you are waiting for, it could be very hard especially when there is no end in sight. I don’t think another need is superior that the other but I do know it can be a challenge waiting for that need to materialize. It could be as “simple” as waiting in line in a queue, waiting for the bus, waiting for that job, waiting for that breakthrough, waiting for Mr Right or a baby as in the cases above. Whatever the circumstance, it is worth knowing what to do while you are waiting.

Some tips on waiting on God:

1. Focus on God’s promises for you. He says to you- he is working everything out for your good (Romans 8:28), he has a great plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11), though it tarries, it will surely come! (Habakkuk 2:3), cast all your cares on him (1 Peter 5:7)

2. Joyce Meyers said “Enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.” She also said “Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” Waiting isn’t easy but you can choose to have a positive attitude while waiting. Since you already believe God at his word (e.g. 1 above) you might as well wait joyfully and expectantly because in the end it will come to you.

3. Be a source of blessing to others around you. I can assure you, you are not the only one waiting for something. Look around you. You can be the answer to someone else’s prayer. By helping others around you, your problems don’t seem so big anymore and you actually feel better.

4. Live in the present- worrying about the future robs you of the present. Worrying would not change your situation so enjoy your life and appreciate God’s goodness in your life. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Focus on what you have and not on what you don’t have.

5. Develop yourself while waiting. Read books, meet people, develop your talent so that you are ready when that job comes, when that husband comes, when that baby comes, what that breakthrough comes.

6. Sometimes God says no to that need. As hard as that may be, trust in Him- in the master plan he has for your life, and keep living.

I pray God meets you at the point of your need, and that your waiting will not be in vain. I end with this scripture in the Bible.

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Thank you Aloted!

You can read more of her musings over at Purposed Driven Blog and From the Heart of Soul Sistas

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Just wanna say…

Whilst everyday I am thankful to God for all that he does, I will use this opportunity to acknowledge all He has done in my life and the life of my family this past year.

For our little bun in the oven to our new home.

For good health to good jobs.

For our friends and family to our church family.

For my marriage and wonderful husband.

For provision and guidance every step of the way.

Lord I say thank you.

And to my blog readers, thank you for following me on this journey!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Psalm 107:31

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Yes I can

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Chichi on Pinterest

 

I have many dreams and goals.

Things that I want to achieve that have not yet happened.

Some days I believe I can achieve them and then other days there is this voice of doubt which discourages me and tells me I can’t. It is so frustrating.

One of my goals has always been to run my own business, which is a passion of mine. I believe in what I am doing and I know that I am good at it, but sometimes I don’t believe in myself and my abilities. 

Yesterday I was watching a sermon and realised that my whole mindset was wrong.

In life it is not about the I can’t but the fact that I can, because the Bible tells me that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. {Philippians 4:13}

Anytime I believe I can’t do something, that is the enemy feeding me lies. Trying to make me believe that things are not possible, I am not capable enough, I can’t do it. All lies.

But today I choose truth.

I choose to believe that with God’s help – I can and I will.

As I look to next year, I need to hold onto this verse. You should too.

Have a great weekend!

p.s. Cot arrived today – being the efficient parents we are, it’s now all beautifully set up in the nursery. I love looking at it and can’t wait for it to filled!

I will wait for you

I was sent this YouTube video link by a dear reader (thank you Oma).

I was blessed.

For you ladies waiting on God and waiting for your ‘One’, please watch this video and be blessed also.

Have a great week!

Wise words

So the weekend was crazy busy but well worth it.

We had family over from Nigeria who came and blessed us with lots of words of marital wisdom. Being married for over 15 years they have seen a lot. The funny thing was that a lot of it was not new stuff but it served as a reminder to us both about what we need to be doing to make our marriage the best it can be.

Marriage is hard work, but hugely rewarding and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I often wonder what my life would be like without my husband and I am grateful to be a wife. I love my husband and thank God for his life everyday. We’re constantly learning new things about each other and better ways to relate to each other and while sometimes it can be a challenge the results are worth it. I pray for grace…daily.

One of my key takeaways from our conversations with them was around transparency in marriage and how without it you can never have true intimacy. Even little things like hiding the secret shopping trips (we all do it!) we should come clean about and not keep any secrets from our husbands, no matter how small.

They also talked about how you relate to your old family once you’re married and making sure that they see you both as one, not two separate people which is so important. One needs to ensure that your marriage union is respected by all.

We were both so blessed by their visit and can’t wait to see them again.

Also this weekend was our church weekend away and while we didn’t get to go to all of it, the bit we did go to reminded me of why I love our church. The theme for the weekend was about diversity and unity and our church really is just that. We are a body made up of all different nationalities and races, but a family united by Christ. From the day we arrived people have been so warm and welcoming.

We are blessed to have a great leadership team and I pray that God continues to direct them as our church moves forward. I really believe that if you say that you’re part of a church, you really need to be part of it and support it both through prayer, time and your finances and I really feel God calling me to give more of myself to my church.

On the pregnancy front, baby girl has been moving around as normal and all is going okay. We were at the mall yesterday and couldn’t believe how expensive baby clothes and shoes are, especially as they don’t wear them for long. The things were cute though but when you relate it to what you can get for the same price in adult wear, it does make you wonder!

Having had a busy weekend, I wouldn’t mind sleeping for a week. It’s not going to be possible but I will do my best to catch up over the coming days.

Hope your weekend was good.

Have a great week!

Need a pick me up?

Here are a couple of great worship songs, I’m loving right now…

 

 

Great encouragement for the soul and a reminder of God’s greatness in our lives.

Helping yourself

 

God is always on the alert, constantly on the look out for people who are totally committed to him.

You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help. Now you’re in trouble.

2 Chronicles 16:9

In the book of Chronicles we read the story of King Asa who found himself in a bit of a bind with the King of Israel and rather than go to God for help he decided to rely on his own actions.

King Asa wasn’t a bad person, in fact in verse 2 of the same chapter, it says that he was a ‘good king’ and ‘did things right in God’s eyes’. Previously when faced with opposition he committed it to God and God delivered him.

However as soon as he stopped trusting God and decided to take action into his own hands, things started to go wrong for him and he started to lose battles. You would have thought that Asa would have learned his lesson but in verse 12, the bible tells us ‘he was crippled by a severe foot disease, but even then he did not turn to the Lord for help, but to the doctors’. Two years later he died.

Do you find yourself looking for help in the wrong places?

How many times have you attempted to fix a problem or situation without bringing it before God first.

Are you seeking God’s help in all things or are you attempting to help yourself.

God will stick with you as long as you stick with him. If you look for him he will let himself be found; but if you leave him he’ll leave you’ {2 Chronicles 15:2}

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Samson and Delilah: What we can learn

There are some bible stories that you always remember: Noah's Ark, feeding of the five thousand, Jesus turning water into wine. One of my childhood favourites is the story of Samson and Delilah.

You can read the full account in Judges 13 -16 but the summary of the story is that Samson was a man who's life was dedicated to God from birth. The Lord blessed him with this incredible strength which he was to use to rescue Israel from the Philistines. Many tried to attack and kill him but whenever they came, the power of the Lord would come over him and he would defeat them.

The secret to Samson's strength was through his hair and he had a covenant with God never to cut it. Samson met a woman called Delilah who secretly wanted to find out this secret in order to trick him and allow him to be captured by the Philistines. She asked and asked and Samson gave her different reasons to his strength, until the end he could not take the nagging no more and told her the reason. In his sleep she cut off his hair and arranged for him to be captured once he woke up. Through his poor judgement and bad decisions Samson lost his power and damaged his relationship with God.

There are many things we can learn from the life of Samson.

Don't forget where it came from.

Samson's strength came from the Lord. Several times in the scripture we read that he used this power to get him out of tricky situations and without any credit as to where it came from (16: 1-3).

God blesses us with many skills, gifts and talents. If we become successful using our God-given gifts we should not forget where they came from or the moral purpose that directs the use of those gifts. Notice what happened when Samson forgot (16:20-21). We must always remember and thank God because all our gifts and abilities come from Him.

Don't believe the lies

Samson was deceived because he desired to believe Delilah's lies. Although he could strangle a lion, he could not smother his burning lust and see Delilah for what she really was.

How can you keep your desire for love and sexual pleasure from deceiving you into believing a lie: (1) You need to decide what kind of qualities you will love before passion takes over. Determine whether a person's character and faithfulness to God are as desirable as his or her physical appearance. (2) Since most of the time you spend with your spouse will not involve sex, your companion's personality, temperament, attitude and commitment to solve problems must be as gratifying as his or her kisses. (3) Be willing to exercise patience. The second observation often reveals what is beneath the pleasant appearance and attentive touch.

If you think you love someone, but the first qualities you describe are their physical qualities, you probably don't really love them in a Godly way. Lust and love are two very different things. Loving someone involves unselfish sacrifice and genuinely caring about their needs.

Delilah kept asking Samson for the secret of his strength until he finally grew tired of hearing her nagging and gave in. What a pitiful excuse for disobedience. Don't allow anyone, no matter how attractive or persuasive, to talk you into doing wrong.*

We don't fall into sin...we walk into it

When we backslide it doesn’t happen overnight. It is as a result of a series of compromises and progressively yielding to temptation. We are given many warnings but often choose to ignore them.

Delilah was a deceitful woman and four times she took advantage of Samson. Now for him not have seen this, he was clearly blinded by lust. As the saying goes 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame me'. 

It is all to easy to be deceived by the 'sweet' words of flattery and give in to temptation and false belief leading to things getting compromised. It starts small, you allow your boyfriend to go one step further than he should and before you know it you’re in a situation that you didn’t plan. I'm sure Samson believed Delilah loved him but it is clear to see by her actions that this was not the case. Avoid falling prey to deceit by asking God to help you discern between deception and truth (good and evil, right and wrong).

Sometimes we don't realise it's gone until it's too late

Samson’s relationship with God had deteriorated so much that by the time he was captured by the Philistines, he had already lost the presence of God necessary to deliver him. (v20). By the time he realised this it was too late. Do not let the devil fool you into thinking that no matter how you live your life, God will always deliver you from that situation.

God allowed the Philistines to capture Samson, because ultimately he took God’s presence for granted. Everything he ever needed God would have provided for him but instead he chose to lay himself in the deceiving hands of Delilah and lost everything.

We need to be careful not place our lives into the wrong hands.

Let our true security come from God and the promises of His word.

*Source: Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

Life is precious

Today we were reminded just how precious life is when we received the news that our Pastor from our old church in the Midlands passed away this morning. He suffered a stroke on Sunday and didn’t recover. The sad thing is that he wasn’t even an old man and his death comes totally out of the blue.

Everyday we wake up and go about our daily lives, not realising that it is God who gives us the gift of life.

Every breath we take is because He has allowed it. It is not something to be taken for granted.

It’s in times like this we are reminded that while we might not understand why things happen the way they do, God remains sovereign. He knows what he is doing.

Thank you Lord, for the gift of life.

RIP Pastor Glenn.

Pre-approved

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Have you ever had time when you received a letter from your credit card company advising that you have been pre-approved for an increase on your credit card. You have been such a valuable customer and you deserve the extra increase. However if you don’t want it, please call this number and advise. {Does anybody actually call up and do that?}

How does that make you feel?

Or take another scenario where you apply for a credit card and a few days later you receive a letter advising that your application has not been successful. How does that make you feel?

The world places worth on what you look like, the car you drive, the school you went to or the job you do. You can become worthless or worthy in the blink of an eye.  Thank goodness God is not like that. 

Yesterday my husband and I visited a new church on our journey to find a new spiritual home and the Pastor was talking about God’s love. He reminded us that the bible calls for us to love one another {1 John 3:11} as we love ourselves. But what does that actually mean?

For us to love effectively we need to look to God and see how he loves us. God loves us without any conditions or preconceptions. He looks at our future, rather than our past. He looks at our heart, rather than the image we portray to the world and He loves the sinner AND the saint.

In God’s eyes you have already been pre-approved for the Kingdom of Heaven and just like the prodigal son, the Father is waiting for you with open arms to welcome you back.

All you need to do is come into His embrace and come back to fellowship with the Father. He is waiting for you.

Have a blessed week!

Weekly Word: Who really owns it?

 

At work I am provided with a company car. With it I don’t have to worry about maintenance, insurance or tax. The only thing that is my concern is ensuring that there is diesel to drive it.

A couple of weeks ago I drove over a screw and punctured the back tire. I called up Driver Support and they told me to take the car to my local Kwik Fit garage for repair, which I did. When it came for payment, the mechanic said me I don’t have to pay anything as the car belongs to my company and they will cover it.

This story is very much similar to life. Everything we have on this earth, everything we have been given, everything we think we have earned, does not belong to us. It all belongs to God.

We are merely stewards.

How well do we really understand this concept?

Take tithing for example, we say, well 10% belongs to God 90% belongs to me. Wrong. 100% belongs to God, he is allowing us to keep 90%. Pretty generous if you ask me! It is through His graciousness that He allows us to have it all.

“The earth and everything on it belong to the LORD. The world and its people belong to him.” Psalm 24:1

Very often I forget this. I strive to get this or to get that or I worry about how something will be provided for when I shouldn’t really concern myself because everything belongs to Him and he will distribute to me what I need, at the right time.

“Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds?” Matthew 6:26

The world judges success based on your wealth and material possessions. But God does not…

“People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts." 1 Samuel 16:7

Therefore we should always take comfort in knowing that God will always provide. 

How often do we try to find security by how much money is in our bank account or joy when we buy that “must have” item? When you use physical or material items to meet the need of an emotional or spiritual need then that is when there is a problem. We should not define our worth by our possessions, because nothing we have belongs to us.

This wedding…God has and will continue to provide. If I tell you the ways He has opened doors and granted us favour you will be amazed. We thank God for his provision and continue to trust Him. We have to remind ourselves daily that it all belongs to Him.

So if everything belongs to Him what is our concern? Well the bible tells us to

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need”. Matthew 6:33

So let us concern ourselves with His business and He will take care of our business!

Further reading - Luke 18:18-29

Happy Thursday! Stay Blessed.

Milestones

Today is a milestone for us.

The last time we got here {i.e. three weeks before the wedding}, we were making the difficult decision to postpone it.

What ensued was a weekend of long discussions, calls and emails. Generally feeling crappy.

Fast forward…

God’s timing is perfect. God knows what he is doing. God always finishes what he starts.

Gotta keep praying through. I will not stress. It is in his hands.

Phil 4:6-7 is my verse, my declaration:

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

Thank you Lord that you have a plan for my life and it is perfect in every way.

Happy Friday!

Weekly word: Worry

 

Following on from my earlier post…I’ve been thinking about what the word teaches us on worrying because obviously God does not want me to worry or have a spirit of fear, but to trust Him, knowing that everything will be okay. I do not want to be a faithless Christian as ‘faith does not live in the house of certainty’.

Worry is derived from the German word “WURGEN” meaning to choke or strangle…everything that does not come from faith is sin. Romans 14:23

Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and power of God.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 6:25

Stop the strangle-hold of worry…

1) I will do what God asks me to do.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Think on the right things. Do what is wise.

2) I will give God what I cannot do.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

I will do what God asks me to do. I will give God what I cannot do.

3) No matter what happens I will trust God.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself... Matthew 6:33-34

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

I will do what God asks me to do. I will give God what I cannot do. No matter what happens, I will trust God.

What is your biggest worry? What is God asking you to do about your biggest worry?

How can you practically and spiritually cast your cares and worries on God? {You might discuss a scriptural promise that speaks directly to your worry.}

Read Proverbs 3:5-6. How can you apply that verse to your greatest worries?

Source {Lifechurch.tv via You Version }

Words of hope and future

 

 

 

 

I found  this on You Version, the online interactive bible and I found it really encouraging. Hope you do too.

I've collected some verses to build a life upon. Here goes:

God is all I need in all things: "My loving kindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me." - [Ps. 144:2]

Sometimes I can't see how the things I'm facing can ever be considered a good thing: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - [Rom. 8:28]

And sometimes life presents me with insurmountable challenges: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." - [Rom. 8:37]

I know that nothing I face is bigger than Jesus, the one who gave His life for me and now lives His life inside of me: "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth," - [Phil. 2:9-10]

When I doubt whether or not I can step up to the challenge I'm presented with, -or I doubt the whether or not what I desire is the right thing for me: "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." - [Phil. 2:13]

I know that nothing else compares to the Creator of the universe, my Father: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" - [Rom. 8:31]

And thank God that my freedom and salvation was not bought with things that lose it's value over time, but with the eternally priceless blood of His Son. "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." - [1. Pet. 1:18-19]

God already gave me everything through His Sons death. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" - [Rom. 8:32]

The base of every other promise made to me by God, the gospel in two verses: I'm dead, Christ lives in me, He lives through me, He created me all anew and it's all through the grace of God. Jesus did not pay the highest price possible out of ignorance, but out of necessity.

Nothing I can ever manage to do will ever measure up, it's all through Christ. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." - [Gal. 2:20-21]

What I'm left with at the end of each day, God's heart towards me each morning and His promise to me: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." - [Jer. 29:11]

Yeah, life is good.

Though the price for all this was my own ‘death’, I now realize that the life I led before was no life.

Not really.

Happy Friday!

Destiny

Last Friday following my post on 'A different path', one of my lovely readers Seun Sho asked an interesting question in comments…

I do wonder though, do you think a different path would still have led you to Mr E. Is it not destiny? I've been involved in lots of conversations about this and still don't know the answer or whether there is one, for that matter. So I don't suggest you know the answer either, just an interesting thought.

Her comment got me thinking.

Do we all each have a specific destiny in life which God has for us? I believe so, yes.

Will we still achieve it if we choose different paths in life?

Let’s discuss.

I will do a follow up post next week.

Letting God choose…

Weekly word is where I share with you the lessons that God is teaching me in my life.

Hope you will be blessed.

In Genesis 13 we are told of the story of how Abram and Lot decided to go their separate ways and Lot was given first option to chose the land.

“Lot looked round and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the Lord.”

It continues in verse 12…

So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved towards the East…and Lot settled among the cities in the valley and camped near Sodom, whose people were wicked and sinned against the Lord.

Lot’s choice of land was based on the external. He failed to see what was beneath the surface; wickedness and he lost everything because of it.

Abram on the other hand, let God chose for him. By letting God choose which direction I should take in a situation, I confidently acknowledge that I trust Him and that He is in control.

Our best course is always to let God choose and follow his direction, which can be difficult if like me, you like to be in control of situations. But I should always remember that God’s choices for me are prompted by infinite wisdom and love.

For many of you reading this, you might be trusting God for a husband or a wife right now. It can be easy to want to choose someone based on what you see on the ‘external’. Now this is not referring to the physical appearance but what we humans see with our own eyes. It can be especially hard when you don’t feel God is working quick enough, but God sees all things and His ways are not our ways – Isaiah 55:8.

However here are some things to remember {in any situation}…

Remember who God is.

He is our loving Father, our Provider, our Protector who constantly forgives. He loves us unconditionally and will continue to love us forever. He wants the very BEST for us.

Know that He has it covered.

• For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future - Jeremiah 29:11.
• And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose - Romans 8:28
• The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way - Psalm 37:23

Patience is key in all of this.

Do not try to orchestrate things, pretending to let God choose {I am guilty of this}. God cannot be mocked and His timing is the best. You don’t want to miss out on what He for you, because you were looking in the wrong direction.

If you have already made choices today that you know are not God led, it is not too late to make a u-turn. God loves us and as we see in the story of the prodigal son, He will always welcome us back with open arms.

God gives His best to those who leave the choice to Him. Are you getting God’s best?