JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Isaiah 55:12) "Ye shall… be led forth with peace”.
In this day and age of economic upheaval, I am meeting people who's lives have been turned upside down.
Losing jobs to artificial intelligence and technological advancement… having to sell homes to escape bankruptcy… marriages falling apart because of the stress of it all.
Perhaps you’re caught in the middle of these kind of circumstances and mess today and your wondering, ‘What am I supposed to do with my life?
What’s my purpose here"?
Most times, God answers these questions through our abilities.
He leads us to and thru our life’s purpose by utilizing the gifts, skills and talents He has given us.
God-given gifts are the skills a person easily performs, often without formal training.
We all derive great pleasure from doing what we’re naturally good at doing.
So if you aren’t sure of your life’s purpose, just do what you do well… and watch God confirm it by blessing your endeavors.
Stop wasting your time trying to do what you’re not gifted to do, or what somebody else is good at.
So maybe your thinking, "OK, but how do I know what my gifts or skills are"?
Well, we know we’re operating in our gifts and calling when, "what we do", ministers life to others.
If "what we do" makes us miserable and fills us with a sense of dread, then you can pretty much presume that what your doing… is not in God’s perfect will.
(Isaiah 55:12) says He gives us "peace and joy" to let us know we’re fulfilling His perfect plan: "For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace".
Look at what you enjoy, what you’re good at, and what God is giving you the grace to do… then… "let God be God" in your life.
Look around you.
Is there a need someone has or something that needs to be done, but nobody else is stepping up to the plate to volunteer?
Then if you find that your available, and you have the time and some ability, you be the first to answer the call or the need.
You be the first to get involved!
Many times in my life, I have been faced with a need that was directly in front of me that nobody else was fulfilling or helping with.
So I would volunteer, even though I was not particularly skilled or trained in it.
Whether it was a driving job, or a laboring job, or even filling a pulpit because there was no minister available.
For example many years ago when I was first starting out in our ministry, I was between engagements.
My wife was working part time for a grocery store.
Unfortunately the manager/owner of the store was an alcoholic, and one morning he did not arrive to open the store.
In fact for the next week the man did not show up.
He had no one else but my wife and a janitorial staff to take care of the store, and by the third day the shelves were getting empty and needed to be restocked.
In my teenage years I had worked for a large grocery store stocking shelves and helping reorder food stock.
Seeing the need for restocking the shelves and ordering food to meet the demands of the clientele, I felt moved by God to get involved and so I began to reorder and then stock the shelves myself.
The owner finally came to his senses after several weeks went by and when he came back to the store (recovering from his drunken binge), he was moved with sorrow and expecting to see his business in total disarray and chaos.
When he arrived and saw things running smoothly with stock on the shelves he was absolutely dismayed!
He wept,cried and repented thanking God over and over for what Debbie and myself had done to save his business.
Now here is the point I want to make this morning.
God worked miracles so that Debbie and I could intervene and operate the man’s business for him.
His business was saved because we simply "got involved" when we saw the need.
And through all of that process, we were taken care of, given gifts and abilities beyond our selves and watched God do miracles that did not seem possible, or meet with common sense.
And for many years after that, the gentleman was a big part of our on going ministry as a sponsor.
God wants to flow through you, and it may not be in the same way as He flows through others.
It may not seem to be in the same way… that you are used to either.
But if you trust His ability, in and through you, and don’t be afraid to step out and be unique, He will use you in ways that will amaze you.
Remember, (Philippians 4:13) “I can do all things thru Christ whom strengthens me”.
God has a specific place and a specific plan for each of us.
Again I quote (Jeremiah 29:11). "I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to proper you and give you a future"!
How will you know you’re in the right place fulfilling His plan?
You will have His peace!
An inner knowing, that it’s all going to work out according to His promise.
(Psalm 37:25) "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread".
Don’t be dismayed or doubtful… but be filled with His peace and trust His leading.
Good Day!
(Romans 12:10) "Take delight in honoring each other."
There’s a lot of talk in todays society about "rights".
"I have a right to this or I have a right to that..." or what about my rights”?
Trouble is, if everybody had their "rights", where would society be?
Utter chaos would reign and that would be wrong!
The criminal says he "has a right" to break the laws that force him to stop his criminal activity.
The gay rights society says "they have a right" to sleep with whomever they want!
Those that support "transgender living" say "they have a right" to choose to use which ever bathroom they want.
The business man says “he has a right” to treat his employees the way he wants, the employee says “he has a right” to not go to work if he doesn't feel like it.
The husband says “he has a right” to lay around and watch TV on the weekend because he works all week long.
The wife and mother says “she has a right” to her time and her freedom to do what she wants.
Everybody has "a right", in their own eyes.
The Bible says "there was no King in Israel and every man did that which was right in his own eyes”. (Judges 21:25)
The end result was that the country was in chaos.
One thing I have learned, is that life is complicated and “my rights” are caught in the middle.
One of the most common sources of conflict between husbands and wives comes down to a simple matter of "differing assumptions" or each protecting "their own rights".
Dr. James Dobson writes: “Years ago I went through a very hectic period of my life professionally.
I was a full-time professor in a medical school, but I was also travelling and speaking more often than usual.
I completely exhausted myself during that time.
It was a dumb thing to do, but I had made commitments that I simply had to keep.
Finally on a concluding Friday night…I came dragging home.
In my mind I had earned a day off, and I planned to kick back and watch the USC-Alabama football game that Saturday.
Shirley, (my wife) on the other hand, also felt that she had paid her dues.
For six weeks, she had taken care of the kids and run the home without me around.
Now, it was entirely reasonable in her mind that I spend my Saturday doing things she wanted done around the house.
Neither of us was really wrong.
But the two ideas were "incompatible" and they interfered with each others rights.
Those rights collided about ten o’clock Saturday morning when she presented me with her "honey do list".
Now, I had no intention of doing it.
There was an exchange of harsh words that froze our relationship for three days.
It’s important to understand that neither of us was looking for a fight, yet we both felt misunderstood and wounded by the other.
That “our rights” were being violated.
Our conflict was typical of what goes on every day in a million other homes.
It all comes down not to "deliberate antagonism", but to something called "my rights".
Now here’s the question. Who was right?
Did I have a right to a day off? The answer, yes!
Did Shirley have a right to expect that I would help her around the house with some of these projects?
The answer is, yes!
We both had our rights, but our rights were not helping our relationship.
The same as when each person or group in our society demands their rights… it does not help our society.
It does not create unity, and it does not produce order in community living!
What’s the answer?
Somebody has to give!
Somebody has to be willing to serve.
Somebody has to be bigger than the issue at hand.
Somebody has to say, "your right and I'm wrong"… and mean it!
Paul gives us a key to living in a community together with peace and joy.
Please take some time today to read (Romans 13:1- 14).
In Gods eyes, "my rights", don't really matter.
And if my rights have to be honored before someone else's, then I am proving my own self-absorption, selfishness and immaturity.
Jesus had a right to bypass the cross.
But He didn't, He was obedient unto death!
Today you and I enjoy "peace with God" because Jesus took it upon Himself to lay down His rights.
What about you?
Are you willing to make a difference by laying down your rights, or are you so selfish and immature, that you must demand and have "your rights" and needs taken care of before everyone else?
"Good Day"!
(1st Kings 3:9) "Give to Your servant an understanding heart … that I may discern between good and evil."
There is a story in the book of (1st Kings Chapter 3) about Solomon whom was King David’s son.
He was a good and righteous person whom loved God and had ascended to his fathers throne of leadership over the nation.
But he was faced with all kinds of challenges beyond his ability to deal with. (1st Kings 3:7-8).
But rather than shirk from responsibility, or try to bluff his way thru, Solomon went before God, and asked God for help (1st Kings 3:9)
Have you ever wondered why God made King Solomon the richest man in his day?
Here’s the answer: "God said … “Because you … have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself … but have asked for … understanding … I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days”. (1st Kings 3:11-13).
I find it interesting that when mankind humbles himself before God, admits his shortcomings, and asks, pleads, begs God for help in things that are beyond our control, God always steps in.
He did it for Gideon, He did it for King Saul when Saul first came to the throne. He did it for Moses, and Aaron. And He still does it for humanity today.
Before you ask God for material success, ask Him for wisdom and understanding.
When you have those two qualities, God can trust you with material success because He knows you’ll use it to do His will and glorify Him.
So what exactly is understanding?
It’s the sum total of knowledge and wisdom!
It’s the ability to interpret life as God does - to see what He sees in a person or situation.
In other words, understanding is the ability to see through God’s eyes, hear through His ears, think through His mind, and feel through His heart.
What’s the answer to marital conflict? Understanding!
What’s the answer to parent-teen conflict? Understanding!
What’s the answer to business conflict? Understanding!
What’s the answer to conflict between to neighbors? Understanding!
(Proverbs 4:7-8) says, "In all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor".
Don't just "do life because you can or because its there".
Seek Understanding!
Call on God, seek His will on the matter.
Let Him reveal to you the outcome of every situation your facing and choice you are making.
Get understanding!
Good Day!
(Mark 11:24) "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours".
I know some folks whom have spent weeks, months, even years praying about something that they still haven't received the answer to.
Many times they pour their heart out in tears wondering why not, and if God really does love them.
They will quote the Word like a mantra and say, "Lord, I know what Your Word says, so why isn’t it working for me"?
In order to get the result you’re praying for, I challenge you to a answer these three questions:
#1) Are you praying for God’s will?
Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
The word ‘abide’ speaks of intimacy and close connection.
It paints a picture of "home", the place where you experience provision and nurture.
When you have that kind of relationship with God, you’ll know His heart and His desires so well, that your will is going to line up with His will.
And as a result you’ll get what you ask for.
Don’t just "assume" that what you are praying for, is in line with God’s will.
(James 4:3) "You have not because you ask not, and when you ask, you ask amiss"
This verse addresses why prayers sometimes go unanswered.
James explains that the problem is not God’s unwillingness but the selfish motives behind the request.
When people pray primarily to satisfy their own desires, rather than seeking God’s guidance or purposes, their prayers are considered "amiss" or wrong
We should test our prayer by applying the ‘abiding principle’.
The time you spend in the presence of the One you love most becomes more important to you than the end result your hoping for.
Your prayers become less self seeking, and more the seeking of His will.
You don’t mind waiting, because you realize God’s timing is always perfect.
And when He chooses to say no to your request, you rejoice and say, "Then you’ve something better in mind for me, and I trust You".
Have you reached that point yet in your walk with Him?
#2) (Isaiah 58:6, 9) "Treat them fairly. Then, when you call the Lord will answer".
Many times we self-sabotage our prayers?
God told the Israelites the reason they weren’t getting answers to their prayers was because they were engaged in finger-pointing and criticism, back biting and gossip.
Have you been guilty of that?
It’s just as important to glorify God through the words you speak, (when you’re not praying), as when you are.
The Bible says there’s a direct link between having a critical, careless tongue, and not getting your prayers answered.
How you treat others, will determine how God treats you.
God lays it squarely on the line:
Here’s what He told His people to do in the book of Isaiah if they wanted to experience His blessing and answered prayers.
"Stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly … share your food with the hungry and … those who are helpless, poor, and destitute.
If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you.
He will heal you… your Godliness will lead you forward… goodness will
be a shield before you… and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind… then… when you call, the Lord will answer.
All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble!
Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.
And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too” (Isaiah 58:6-11).
Answered prayer is contingent upon two things: "your attitude" and "your actions" toward others.
#3) (Ephesians 5:2) "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us".
The Bible says, "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us".
Your mouth is a major part of your "love walk".
We fail to realize how much we can do for people by building them up with our words.
And we need to be even more careful not to say things that tear them down.
(Jeremiah 17:9) says "the heart is deceitful above all things" .
What vibes are you giving off?
What are you "putting out there"?
When we’re too busy to show love - we’re too busy period… and it’s time to examine our heart motives and attitudes.
How do we do that?
By examining our tongue, and what’s coming out of our mouth.
Do you remember the last time you went to the doctor and he asked you to open your mouth and say, ‘Aaah’?
The reason they ask you to do that is so they can examine your tongue.
Just like your tongue tells a physician a lot about your "physical health",
it can tell you a lot about your "spiritual health".
These three keys open up powerful opportunities for you to show others
who God really is.
It’s all a part of "Seeking first the Kingdom of God...and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33)
Good Day!
The time you spend in the presence of the One you love most becomes more important to you than the end result your hoping for.
Your prayers become less self seeking, and more the seeking of His will.
You don’t mind waiting, because you realize God’s timing is always perfect.
And when He chooses to say no to your request, you rejoice and say, "Then you’ve something better in mind for me, and I trust You".
Have you reached that point yet in your walk with Him?
#2) (Isaiah 58:6, 9) "Treat them fairly. Then, when you call the Lord will answer".
Many times we self-sabotage our prayers?
God told the Israelites the reason they weren’t getting answers to their prayers was because they were engaged in finger-pointing and criticism, back biting and gossip.
Have you been guilty of that?
It’s just as important to glorify God through the words you speak, (when you’re not praying), as when you are.
The Bible says there’s a direct link between having a critical, careless tongue, and not getting your prayers answered.
How you treat others, will determine how God treats you.
God lays it squarely on the line:
Here’s what He told His people to do in the book of Isaiah if they wanted to experience His blessing and answered prayers.
"Stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly … share your food with the hungry and … those who are helpless, poor, and destitute.
If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you.
He will heal you… your Godliness will lead you forward… goodness will
be a shield before you… and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind… then… when you call, the Lord will answer.
All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble!
Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.
And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too” (Isaiah 58:6-11).
Answered prayer is contingent upon two things: "your attitude" and "your actions" toward others.
#3) (Ephesians 5:2) "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us".
The Bible says, "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us".
Your mouth is a major part of your "love walk".
We fail to realize how much we can do for people by building them up with our words.
And we need to be even more careful not to say things that tear them down.
(Jeremiah 17:9) says "the heart is deceitful above all things" .
What vibes are you giving off?
What are you "putting out there"?
When we’re too busy to show love - we’re too busy period… and it’s time to examine our heart motives and attitudes.
How do we do that?
By examining our tongue, and what’s coming out of our mouth.
Do you remember the last time you went to the doctor and he asked you to open your mouth and say, ‘Aaah’?
The reason they ask you to do that is so they can examine your tongue.
Just like your tongue tells a physician a lot about your "physical health",
it can tell you a lot about your "spiritual health".
These three keys open up powerful opportunities for you to show others
who God really is.
It’s all a part of "Seeking first the Kingdom of God...and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33)
Good Day!
(Genesis 2:25 "They were both naked... and were not ashamed"
It’s been said that “busyness” is today’s badge of success, but it’s not necessarily a perk when it comes to your marriage.
Despite the myriad of reasons you might need to slow down a bit, your spouse most likely needs you to be less busy too, in order to take care of yourself, take care of what matters, and be available for your marriage and family.
Whether it’s you or your spouse who needs to be less busy (and I’m guessing it’s both of you), we all could use ways to improve our marriage, family, and spiritual life, which inevitably happens when we become less stressed.
Adam and Eve had no secrets from each other. “They were both naked…and they were not ashamed.”
As a couple, they had the power to rule the world.
And that’s when Satan entered the picture and attacked!
What did he attack?
Their intimacy!
“The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:7)
The word intimacy means “to be open, transparent, and trusting.”
When Adam and Eve lost that, they started hiding from each other and from God.
Emotional and physical intimacy is the bedrock of any meaningful relationship.
Without it, relationships become shallow and unfulfilling.
We are afraid of revealing to others our fears, needs, insecurities, secrets, hopes, dreams, weird opinions, and our undesirable parts.
What’s the answer?
Learning to trust each other!
Learning to prefer one another!
Learning to give to one another!
And last but not least…learning to go before God with each other!
Our most honest moments are before the God who already knows everything about us.
When we share such moments, the barriers come down, our hearts become tender toward one another, and we move closer together.
"God said it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18)
The reason is because He (or she) are stronger when they have each other, and together they can stand strong against the wiles of the enemy.
Intimacy between each other is the glue that makes that relationship strong!
In (Ecclesiastes 4:9)… God says that two people are more productive than one person.
Most people understand that to be true.
In verse 10, we are told that if one of the two falls down, the other one can help them.
In verse 11 we discover that two people sleeping together will be warmer.
That makes sense when there is no heat.
Then in verse 12 we are told that “two people can withstand someone who is very powerful better than one person can… better yet are three people together”.
I’ve seen that happen many time sin my life when I was facing issues that threatened to overwhelm me.
It was the strength I was able to gather standing in unity with my wife and faith in God, and the intimacy we shared that boosted my confidence… that ignited the faith that kept me and gave me strength… and yes the ability to stand and having done all to stand… “stand”… in the midst of the trials I was facing.
If your too busy to work on your relationship with your spouse, then your too busy period… and that is not a good thing.
Together the two of you, along with the indwelling Spirit of God… you can deal with and handle challenges that most people cave under.
But you can’t let the fires get cold!
(Revelation 2:4) God talks about the church the believer that has “lost their first love”… in this case with Him.
That love was lost, when “the believer the church”… got too busy with other things.
Don’t let your “first love” get cold with that special and significant other in your life.
Slow down… remember … and renew the intimacy that you first experienced with your spouse.
You’ll be amazed at the “new perspective” you will begin to see life with.
Good day!
(Ephesians 5:33) "Each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."
It seems every day is filled with the news of another marriage that has failed and a divorce is taking place.
There is a song I sing written by Steve and Annie Chapman whom have been a marriage counselling and enrichment team that perform across America.
That song is called "Broken Pieces" and it is true that America/Canada and the world, is filled with "broken pieces" today because of the many homes that have been decimated and torn apart because of divorce.
The Bible says, (Genesis 1:27). “Male and female He created them”.
God created women to be “more” than a slightly altered version of men.
Adam was all male; Eve was all female. They were aas different from each other as day is from night.
They thought, felt, talked, and acted differently, and as their gender dictates, so they should
Thier priorities differed.
They needed different things from each other.
And just as getting along under the same roof was essential for them, so it is for us now.
A great marriage calls for things like understanding, patience, unselfishness, mutual effort, and showing grace.
I like what I heard one married couple of 70 years say when I asked how they were able to stay married for such a long time.
They looked at each other with a sparkle in their eyes and then said we’ve learned to stay out of each other’s way and give each other space.
Following the Apostle Paul’s philosophy is fundamental to a happy marriage—the husband must understand that his wife needs his love, and the wife must understand that her husband needs her respect.
Dr. Emerson Eggerichs the founder of "Love and Respect Ministries" and the author of the book "Love and Respect", reminds us that men and women speak different "relationship languages", based on their "differing needs".
Yes, both need love and respect, but husbands feel loved when they’re given their wife’s "unconditional respect", and wives feel respected when they’re given their husband’s "unconditional love".
Notice that Paul’s words are not simply wise words of counsel but, "Divine orders" to be observed and obeyed.
The husband “must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
God doesn’t require him to "earn her respect" or her to "deserve" his love.
Jesus, our role model, respected and loved each of us "unconditionally" at the cost of His life.
And He calls us to do the same for each other.
As the author of marriage, God knows what really works; so we should follow His guidance at home.
Husbands, “love your wives! That’s and order!
Wives, honour, (respect) your husbands!
The world would say "not till they earn it".
But that’s not unconditional love!
“Unconditional love”, is flexible.
“Unconditional love”, seeks to meet the others need.
And every relationship has different needs!
That why a marriage and its intimacy should be kept private and treasured between a husband and wife.
I have learned much about love… not from experience or being in the midst of a relationship, but I have learned how to love my wife from the instruction of Gods word.
And the following is what it says, without exception or reservation.
(1st Corinthians 13:4-9) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.”
In short, love never fails, love never gives up, love never quits.
True sometimes I have to take a deep breath, or go for a long walk... and at times we both may choose to disagree with each other on certain matters.
But when we do, there is the love guide lines or formula as written out in Corinthians thirteen... and when we are determined to love like the scripture describes in these 5 verses, we ultimately enjoy the fruits of loves labor!
I love so much what the bible teaches me about “unconditional love”, and how to love my wife.
Here is what it say’s.
(Ephesians 5:33) "Each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband".
I challenged myself several years ago to follow these commands from scripture.
Does it work you ask?
Well, let me say that Debbie and I have our Fiftieth Anniversary coming up next May.
So I guess the proof is in the pudding as they say.
Good day!
I love so much what the bible teaches me about “unconditional love”, and how to love my wife.
Here is what it say’s.
(Ephesians 5:33) "Each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband".
I challenged myself several years ago to follow these commands from scripture.
Does it work you ask?
Well, let me say that Debbie and I have our Fiftieth Anniversary coming up next May.
So I guess the proof is in the pudding as they say.
Good day!
(James 1:2) “Under pressure… your faith life shows its true colors”
This mornings text is a quote form the Message Bible that I really like to use when I am studying the scriptures for my spiritual growth.
It has a way of opening up the scriptures to help understand and get a fuller picture of what is being said.
I’ve also added the same scripture form the King James Version as well: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”
Here is the New International version of the same verse: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”
And the English Standard Version: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”
Each version though being spoken slightly different brings a clearer picture of the intent of the writer.
That intent s to help us understand that the trials and testing of life are meant for a distinct purpose… they are not meaningless… but they are purposeful moments that God uses to strengthen our faith and character.
It takes a long time and an incredible amount of pressure to turn a worthless chunk of coal into a valuable diamond.
Eugene Pederson who gave us the Message Bible… (James 1:2) expanded the text in this way… “Consider it a sheer gift when tests and challenges come at you from all sides… under pressure your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.
So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so that you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way” (James 1:2) Message Bible
Each translation of (James 1:2) is encouraging us to stand and don’t try to get out of the situation or circumstance prematurely.
When you can grasp the scriptural truth of what each version is saying... (that is that whenever your life is interrupted by problems or circumstance you didn’t anticipate)… you will begin to see Gods hand at work in all of it.
The truth is that your either in a trial right now, just coming out of one, or heading toward the next one.
James talks about “various trials” which come in every conceivable variety.
Like the junk mail you get in your mail box, some are addressed simply “To The Occupant”
Will Rogers once read a newspaper headline that said... “Innocent Bystander shot in New York”
He quipped jokingly and said, “How about that? All you have to do to get shot in New York is be innocent and stand by “
Meaning that… all you have to do is just “stand around and it can happen”.
And so it does with life’s trials!
Just stand by, and you will get hit.
But the truth is, and the fact remains that it takes adversity to produce spiritual maturity.
There’s and old proverb that says, “that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”
Unfortunately maturity, wisdom, understanding doesn’t come any other way but thru trials and testing.
Jesus said in (John 16:33) “In this world you will have trouble… but take heart! I have overcome the world”.
Jesus was an overcomer, and because He lives in you today thru the power of the Holy Spirit, you to can be and are an overcomer as well.
So if your facing issues, trials, tests, and problems that are beyond your capability to handle, I encourage you to turn your face, turn your heart heaven ward, and ask God to be the answer to those issues.
In (Jeremiah 33:3) He tells us to “call upon Me and I will answer you”
In (Matthew 11:28) He says “come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your soul”
He also tells us in (John 14:12) “Greater things than these shall ye do after the Holy Spirit comes upon you”
Know this this morning!
“You are not alone!”
(Matthew 28:20) say’s “I will never leave you nor forsake you, lo I am with you always, even to the ends of the earth”
(Hebrews 10:35) tells us “Cast not away your confidence in Him that has a great recompense of reward”
God loves you!
He has a plan for you!
These trials your facing only come to make you strong in your faith… and in Him!
Good day!