Category: Inspiration

We’re Secure in Christ

Psalm 16:8(ESV)

 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

 “I have set the Lord always before me”, when I read that statement it seems to me the Psalmist is saying that he intentionally always makes the Lord first in his life. He has set the Lord before all things concerning himself. As a result he knew he would not be shaken.

The word Security recently came to my mind. Many people find security in different ways. But for me, I have found the most security in knowing, like the Psalmist, that the Lord is always before me. Therefore, I will not be shaken. Having an intimate relationship with Christ is something that no one can take away, and he never changes, the Bible says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Worldly possessions can be lost to include status, money, job, or even the ability to exercise a gift or a talent can come to a halt. Not to mention the fact that even people can come and go. Overtime physical looks will even change; the Bible says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.” (Proverbs 31:30). Also Jeremiah 17:7, “Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord…” Whatever we can come up with to give us a feeling of security other than the Lord, can be lost.

I was recently thinking about how insecurity can even cause us not to walk in God’s purpose for our lives. When we look around there will always be someone with more of something, someone who is better at something or something we want but don’t have. But I am learning to only focus on what God has for me. I realize that God holds all things in his hand because Colossians 1:16, says, “For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him. “So I remind myself often that true success comes only when I pursue the portion of the “all things” that God specifically designed for me. I don’t want to waste time focusing on the portion of the “all things” that he has for others (envy) or the portion of the “all things” I think I must have right away that he has not given to me (discontentment).

Every day we must make an intentional decision to seek the Lord and find out what he has specifically designed for our lives because that unique design is his purpose for us (Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me…”). There is such contentment and security in knowing God loves you and that he sees your life from beginning to end. Each day is a gift from him. He belongs to you and you belong to him. We are his people and he is our God. There is not one day we can live that is not included in his plan for us. Truthfully, there are times we all feel insecure about something but the thing for us to do is to refocus our thoughts on who Christ is and who we are in Him. We can cast down those ungodly thoughts when they arise to steal our joy. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,”. The next time you find yourself wrestling with insecurity always remember who God says you are in his Son, Jesus Christ, because when our foundation and security are in Christ, we will not be shaken by anyone or anything.

Dear Father,

Thank you that when we set you always before us, we will not be shaken! There are so many things in the world going on to draw our attention away from you, the One who created all things. Help us to refocus whenever we are distracted and to seek you above all else. Teach us by your Holy Spirit to find our security in you alone and to walk only in your purpose for our lives. Help us not to envy others but to be thankful for others and the good they do in the world. Thank you for willingly giving us the portion of good things that you have for us and teaching us to be content and trust your timing. We love you Father. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Keep Resting Secure in Jesus

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always been fascinated by the heavens. I remember spending countless hours sitting in the middle of the floor, with those green and beige encyclopedias that most people had in their home. I would read over and over again about our solar system. I was in awe of the planets, the sun, and the moon. I couldn’t get enough of the amazing mind blowing facts surrounding these celestial bodies. The enormous sizes and the unimaginable distances and speeds were so hard to comprehend, and they still are. To think as I type this, our planet Earth is traveling through space around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour is beyond me! When I was 9, my parents saw my love for astronomy and even purchased a telescope for me! I was really excited. I was also 9 years old when I gave my life to Jesus Christ that was quite a year for me!

Fast forward to today, and I still have the same excitement and fascination for the heavens that I had back then. I still keep up with things that are going on out there in space. The difference is that since I’ve grown older, I now realize the reason I love these things so much.  It’s because at the center of it all, is the God who created it all for my enjoyment. He crafted and designed the marvelous things in the universe to reveal to me his glory, as it says in Psalm 19:1. The beauty I see in creation, is only the beginning of the beauty that is within our God, the true Artist behind it all. He used a vast space of nothing, to show us something amazing about who he is.

On August 21, 2017, most of us witnessed an amazing heavenly show, The Solar Eclipse of 2017. I watched via live stream, and wow how beautiful it was!  Earth, Moon, and Sun all in perfect alignment. As the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about this event, he reminded me about the perfect alignment of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three who are one. During the moments of totality, all went dark and then all of a sudden the sun’s corona and chromosphere broke through displaying a beautiful light for all to see. I was reminded of John 1:5 where Jesus says, “His light shines in the darkness”. I thought to myself, during times of darkness, I can see God’s light the best. No matter whether it’s dark or light, his light is always there, it’s just a matter of taking the time to see it.

When we heard about the coming of the eclipse, we prepared in many ways so that we could make sure we see it. Some people traveled to another location to see a better view of it. Some people went from store to store to find and purchase the solar eclipse glasses, so they could venture outside to view the eclipse. The same way we had to take time and prepare for the eclipse, we must take time to put on our spiritual glasses to see the Lord and his perspective.  When we do, things begin to look very different in our lives and the world we live in. Nothing is quite the same when you are looking through the lens of God’s eyes. He faithfully holds the universe in place by his power every single day.  The universe has a perfect design from a perfect God, and that same God has a perfect design for the life of every person who is willing to submit to his plan. He designed you. He knows you inside and out. He knows your personality, your frustrations and disappointments, your strengths and weakness, your gifts and talents, your successes and failures, and he knows your hearts desires.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “He can do more than I can ask of imagine according to his power that is at work within me”. It doesn’t even take a grand event like an eclipse to see God at work. We can see him in the daily things that mean so much, like having a safe drive to work every day or being able to care for yourself and those you love. The good news is, that when it rains and it’s cloudy and we can’t see the sun or the moon, we know they are still there. When it rains in our lives and the view is cloudy, God is still there. However, we must put on our spiritual glasses so we can see his light shining in the darkness.

One Sunday I was in church, and God spoke to my heart and said look up and see my light and feel my love. When you are in doubt about who God is, or in doubt about his goodness in your life or the world around you, look up! When you wonder if he loves you, look up! When you wonder if he is aware of your problems, look up! When you wonder if he is in control, look up! When you wonder if he knows people are mistreating you, look up! When you wonder if he knows you need more money just to make it and pay your bills, look up! When you are sick in your body, look up! When you are mourning the loss of a loved one, look up! When things are going great, remember he is greater and still look up! Whatever you are going through, look up!

When we look up and see God’s majesty and power through his creation, we are reminded of who he is. The heavens do indeed declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the works of hands. He is always faithful. He is always true. So look up!

Precious Father,

How we adore you! How amazing, and mind blowing, and miraculous you are! There is no way we cannot praise you when we look up and see your glory manifested through your creation. Your word says that even the heavens declare your glory, and they absolutely do. Thank you that the same way you bring order and beauty to the universe, you bring order and beauty to our lives. Please help us to look up and see your light wherever we are in life. We give you all the praise, thank you for all you do for us every day! In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

God is Always Faithful to Forgive

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

When I woke up this morning this verse came to my mind and I begin to meditate on God’s forgiveness. There have been times in my life when I struggled to receive his forgiveness when I had sinned even though he was faithful to forgive me as the scripture tells us. I remember some time ago the Holy Spirit begin to teach me through the Word of God the importance of accepting God’s forgiveness in order to move forward in life and walk into all that God has for me. As he taught me,  it was as if he was illuminating the beautiful sacrifice that Christ had made on the cross and what it really meant for my life. I begin to see my own selfishness and pride for not fully accepting the finished work of Christ and I begin to understand the fact that his blood had indeed covered the very sins I struggled to forgive myself for. There was no amount of “works” I could do to compensate for my sins, only his blood could get the job done. When we struggle with unforgiveness against ourselves for sins we have committed we hinder the work of God in our lives because we can’t see past ourselves and the wrong we did. Even now today, I am learning to quickly repent when I sin and to just receive God’s forgiveness. Whenever I find this to be a struggle, I simply ask him to help me and he does. He will always give us the help we need when our motive is to do his will and give him the glory.

Sin, no matter how big will never be bigger than our Savior, Jesus Christ. When we confess our sins to him he is faithful and just to forgive us.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank you for your faithfulness to forgive us when we sin. Help us to be quick to repent when we sin and to not make excuses or blame others for our mistakes. Show us areas where we need to repent that we may not even be aware of. When you show us help us to receive the forgiveness you offer and please work in our lives to bring the needed changes and help us to be willing to make the changes as you show us. Lord please also help us to forgive ourselves as you have forgiven us so that we can enjoy the life you have given us. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

%d bloggers like this: