In The Stillness He Is There

Even with the busyness of life we just have to take time to stop and be still before the Lord. When we take time out to quietly sit still in His presence, it reminds us that He is the One who can handle all of our worries. Just being still, gives us the opportunity to exhale and enter into the peace that the Holy Spirit desires to give to us.

Psalm 46:10(NIV), “…Be still, and know that I am God…”

When stress tries to consume us, we just need to be still. Our God is able to carry every burden we have. He will strengthen us and keep us safely in His care. There is no trial that is too great for Him. As we sit quietly before God, we experience the comfort of His presence. We can sense that His love is surrounding us, and living inside of us through the Holy Spirit. As we are still before the Lord, He will bring healing to our minds and hearts.

Don’t be afraid to be still. It is in taking time to be still, that we come to know and understand that He is God.

Fruit of the Spirit: KINDNESS

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

KINDNESS. Don’t you just love it when you know people who are kind? There are no strings attached and no hidden motives. They are just kind people who know how to be nice and treat others with respect. These type of people are a true blessing to be around. You feel at ease in their presence, and you know you can just relax and be yourself.

The kindness of a Christian should be evident. Even a smile or a simple hello can radiate kindness. When we see people with needs that we are able to meet, the kindness within us should be willing to do so. Giving money is a great way to be kind, but certainly not the only way. God has placed numerous gifts inside of us to share with the world. There are many different acts of kindness we can do that can help encourage people.

I recently signed up with the “Teachers Ministry” at my church. It’s a ministry that was started to help encourage teachers. I personally have never been a teacher, but I do have several teacher’s in my family. My sister also volunteered as a teacher’s aid for seven years in an elementary school. I asked her what do teachers need most? She said without hesitation, “Teachers need encouragement!!” So I volunteered to prepare fifty-five cards with inspiring handwritten messages for the teachers. My hand was tired, but it was worth it!

I’m also looking forward to helping to serve the teachers breakfast in a couple of weeks. I’m sharing this to show, there is always something we can do. I pass many homeless people on the street everyday, and unfortunately I can’t help them all. But I can help encourage the teachers, so I’m thankful God can use me in this way. By the way, I do have a very interesting story about a homeless lady that I met and got a chance to talk to some months ago. But I’ll save that story for a future post.

So what does God’s Word say about kindness? Here are a couple of verses…

1. Ephesians 4:32(NIV), “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Be kind. Be compassionate. Be forgiving. Sounds like a follower of Jesus Christ for sure. Is forgiving always easy? No it’s not. However, we are quickly reminded in this verse that Jesus forgave us. I love the way that everything we are asked by God to do, Jesus has already done. What an example He set for us!

2. Proverbs 11:17(NIV), “Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.”

It’s to our benefit to be kind. The scripture tells us being unkind or cruel will bring us to ruin. It doesn’t elaborate on what kind of ruin, but I definitely don’t want to find out. The Bible also says in Galatians 6:7(NIV),…“we reap what we sow”. In other words, whatever we do to others will be done to us. So it makes sense to treat people right. I like the way the NLT version puts it: Galatians 6:7(NLT),“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”

We can’t fool the God of the universe! He knows all. People may not always “deserve” kindness, but we have to ask God to help us to give it anyway. We have to sometimes make the sacrifice. Besides, we don’t always know what someone is going through. Our seeds of kindness can be just what they need to get through a difficult day.

***Feel free to share your thoughts on KINDNESS in the comments.

Love Is Kind

Fruit of the Spirit: PATIENCE

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

PATIENCE. One of the things that captures my heart the most about our God, is His enduring patience. I can look at my own life and see how patient He has been with me. Through all my sins, lack of understanding, and struggles to serve Him consistently, He has always been steadfast in His love and patience toward me. He has never given up on me. I know many of you can relate, because you too have experienced the Master’s patience in your lives.

When I saw this picture of the desert, it reminded me of learning to be patient.

In the desert…

•It’s hard to walk on sand (we must rely on the Lord to make our steps firm).

•The temperature fluctuates from extreme highs to extreme lows, (we must rely on the Lord to equip us to handle all kinds of conditions).

•It’s very dry (we must rely on the Lord to refresh us).

Learning patience can feel like a “desert experience”, but we must trust God to make our steps firm, equip us with all we need, and refresh us when we are weary. When we are in a “dry place”, and we feel “thirsty” for the things we desire, and God tells us to wait, it can be very hard. We may even wonder if it’s worth the wait, and we may feel like giving up, but we shouldn’t. We shouldn’t give up, because our waiting is part of God’s plan to bring about great things. Not only in our lives, but in the lives of other people.

Waiting develops our character. It prepares us to handle the blessings God wants to give us. Today many people no longer want to wait for anything. Therefore, people are taking possession of things they are not prepared to handle, which often leads to stress and failure. We can’t let fear keep us from trusting God as we wait. God knows what we are developed enough to handle.

It’s important to remember that every season of our lives is meant to draw us closer to Christ. So when we are in a season of waiting, we should use that time to learn more about Christ and who we are in Christ.

A few of the many great verses from God’s Word about patience:

1. James 1:4(ASV), “And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

Patience works in us to make us complete people who lack nothing. When we exhibit patience we are showing our maturity in Christ. That of course is contrary to the way the world thinks. But as Christians, we are told not to conform to the ways of the world (Romans 12:2). As you strive to be a patient person, you are building a strong foundation to excel in the work that God has for you to do.

2. Proverbs 15:8 (GNT), “Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.”

It’s hard to be patient when people are rude, mean and angry. Plus as Christians, we have to make sure that we are not the ones being rude, mean and angry. (I’ve heard complaints about how mean some of us Christians can be). Our only hope is that if our hearts are open, the Holy Spirit will help us. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us that a gentle answer stops anger, but harsh words stir it up. People can sense when we are being genuine towards them. Patience is one of the best ways to show the LOVE of Christ.

3. Romans 12:12 (NIV), “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Prayer is key in learning patience. The closer we stay to the Lord in prayer, the more successful we will be at becoming patient people. God doesn’t want us to be miserable as we learn patience. We should have JOY as we hope in the Lord to do a marvelous work in our lives. He is always an oasis that we can rely on to refresh us. The Holy Spirit will quench even our deepest thirst.

***Please share any thoughts you have on PATIENCE in the comments.

Time Well Spent!

This is a simple message with a powerful truth! Thanks bubbleeffectblogger!

bubbleeffectblogger's avatarMy Thought Bubble

A Sun up

I just found a note from myself. “Seek Him first”. The most important thing I can do today is spend time with God. Today was hectic and writing this post is late for me. But my note reminded me that I did get in what was important. I spent my morning with Jesus, in study and prayer.

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Fruit of the Spirit: PEACE

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

PEACE. The presence of God’s peace is pretty hard to put into words, but similar to JOY, it’s not dependent on our circumstances. We serve a generous God, who has promised to give us His peace in exchange for our worries. However, we must be willing to make the exchange. I desperately need His peace. I’m learning to open my heart to receive it everyday. The peace of God is priceless.

GOD’S PEACE KEEPS US ANCHORED:

1. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27, NIV)

Jesus assures us that the peace He so freely gives to us is different from what the world gives. He knew we would have all kinds of troubles in this world. It’s easy to be plagued with fear but His peace will bring calm if we are willing to receive it. Don’t forget we can ask God to help us to willingly receive the peace He offers.

2. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. (Romans 8:6, NLT)

It’s important to place our focus on the things of God and allow His Spirit to lead us. When we take our eyes off of Him, we can quickly become driven by the desires of our flesh. Living by our flesh will lead to death, but following the ways of the Lord will lead to life and peace. We must ask God on a regular basis to show us ways that we are following our flesh instead of His Spirit.

3. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:15, NLT)

Peace is supposed to rule in our hearts. That means it should overpower everything else, including our worries and fears. Having an attitude of thankfulness brings peace to our hearts. Thankfulness keeps our focus on the goodness of God. Knowing that our God is a good God, who will take good care of us keeps our souls peaceful.

4. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

Don’t worry, keep praying, be thankful, and receive God’s peace. Not just any peace, but the peace that will surpass all of our human understanding. He also said His peace would guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Knowing that God is personally guarding us from evil wicked schemes and trouble is an amazing comfort.

***Please share your thoughts about God’s PEACE in the comments.

Next Reading: Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Great peace have those who love your law.

Fruit of the Spirit: JOY

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT),”But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!

JOY. I’m glad the Lord has equipped us with joy. Joy is present regardless of our circumstances. It can look beyond the darkness and see the light. It rises up in the midst of turmoil and declares victory!

Joy In Action:

1. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)

We can rejoice always because our God is faithful. He will never leave us alone. He has a solution for every problem we face. Even when we can’t see it right away, we can rejoice knowing He is aware of our needs and will carry us through. Being able to look back and recall God’s blessings brings us joy!

2. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3)

Although we don’t enjoy going through trials, it’s the trials that make us stronger. When our faith is tested, we learn to persevere. We can be joyful knowing that in each and every struggle that we are met with, God is shaping us into the person He created us to be. No trial we endure is ever in vain, because God will use our trials and our weaknesses for His glory.

3. The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. ( Proverbs 10:28)

The hope we have in Christ brings us joy! Knowing we will spend eternity with Him brings us even more joy! Even as we do our daily tasks, we can rest knowing He will guide our steps. It’s a joy to know His love lights our way.

4. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. ( Psalm 71:23)

We have been redeemed by the precious Blood of the Lamb! I can’t think of a better reason to be joyful. The penalty for our sins was paid and we are free, so rejoice, shout, and sing praises to our God!

“Happiness is fickle, and requires happy circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, sticks around. It doesn’t get chased off by trouble.” – Nivine Richie

***Feel free to share your thoughts about JOY in the comments.

Next Reading: Fruit of the Spirit: PEACE

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

We thank You, Lord, for Your Holy Spirit.

Thank you Charlie for this wonderful prayer of thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit!

charlie's avatarLearning From God's Word

We thank You, Lord, for Your Holy Spirit. He works in us to bring blessing to us. He works through us to bring blessing to others. Without the working of Your Spirit, there can be no blessing. May the “living waters” of Your Spirit flow in our hearts and out from our hearts to others to bring blessing to many (John 7:37-39).

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