Tag: Christianity

The Upward Call in Christ Jesus

Philippians 3:13-14 ESV, “13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

There have been times in my life, I have thought about the past and wished I could do certain things over again. However, during those moments, I had to remind myself that God is faithful to forgive and that His plans are perfect.

I am sure we have all learned many valuable lessons from our past. With those many lessons have come both positive and negative experiences. Regardless of our past, Paul is encouraging us to keep moving forward.

Photo by: Pixabay

We can not allow our past experiences to hinder us from doing what we need to do, now or in the future. Our past is part of our story, and our story can be used by God to help others. He knows our stories from beginning to end. We have to trust God to work all things, good and bad, together for good in our lives (Romans 8:28).

Everyday, God is calling you upward in Christ Jesus, so keep pressing toward the goal!

View on YouTube: The Upward Call in Christ Jesus

Stand Tall, Be Strong

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”

At work on Friday, when I flipped my calendar to April, there was a picture of a beautiful mountain. I felt God speaking to me, telling me that as Christians, we should be strong like a mountain. Mountains don’t bow down, they stand tall and strong no matter what they go through. The strength we have comes from God, we do not have to be strong on our own. He will equip us for whatever we must endure, and in our weaknesses, His strength is made perfect (2 Cor 12:9). Then a little later that same day, the breathtaking Mt Fuji appeared on my computer screen as a background. Again, I was reminded that in Christ Jesus, we can stand tall and be strong like a mountain.

I pray that even in your weakest moments, you will rely fully on the strength of Christ Jesus to carry you through. Look to Him always, He is your strength.

Mt Fuji, pic by: Tomáš Malík of Slovakia 🇸🇰

Refreshed and Satisfied

Jeremiah 31:25 NIV, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

God understands that we do become weary from the daily toil of life, and this promise from Him to refresh and satisfy us is a comfort. We are constantly bombarded with the world’s ideas of satisfaction, but time with our Lord will bring our soul the satisfaction it really needs. He knows the desires of our hearts and understands us completely. Nothing about us or our situation is a surprise to God. We should look to Him daily to be refreshed and satisfied. He is always waiting for us to sit in His presence and spend quality time with Him. His love is a river that will never stop flowing in our lives.

Photo by: Pixabay

The Way to Success

Joshua 1:8, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Success can look different from one person to the next, but that is the beauty of following God’s plan for your life, it is crafted just for you. It can be a challenge not to limit ourselves to the world’s idea of success. We may feel like we have failed if we do not accomplish everything society says we should. However, the Lord has a unique plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11), and when we follow that plan, we will succeed. His Word is full of truth and insight that will lead us to a successful life.

God uses people to inspire us, encourage us, and help us, we can learn from one another. However, there will always be someone else who has more or who has done more. So understanding what God desires for you, will keep you from wasting time, energy, and money on useless endeavors.

Photo by: Nataliya Vaitkevich of Spain 🇪🇸

Our time on Earth is short compared to eternity in heaven with the Lord, so with God’s help, we must make the most of our time as we journey through this life. As long as you are following God’s individual plan for your life, you are a success. Don’t let the world’s definition of success, or someone else’s social media post, define what you should do with your life. God is not limited to the standards of this world.

I pray God will continue to guide you as you serve Him with your life.

Encourage and Build-Up

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

Everyone needs encouragement, now more than ever. We need to ask God regularly to keep us aware of those around us. A kind word or simple act of kindness, can make a big difference in someone’s day. Most of us are dealing with some type of pressure in life and keeping each other encouraged helps to make the load a little easier. We live in a world that is extremely connected, yet extremely disconnected. The availability of technology has been a blessing and a curse. Suicide is on the rise and many people feel isolated, even when others are around. We need godly wisdom to help us navigate the tough terrain. As we face these perilous times, be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). Stay encouraged!

Enjoy the YouTube version: Encourage One Another

Photo by: Kampas Production of Portugal 🇵🇹

Daughters of Zelophehad: Take A Stand

In honor of international women’s day on tomorrow, March 8th, I thought I would reminisce about the courageous daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their story is found here: Numbers 27:1-11.

Seeking justice is rarely an easy feat. For these ladies, living in a culture where women barely had any rights, and were not even considered worthy of being counted in the census, it was even more challenging. However, fear was not a factor for them. Even if they felt fear, they certainly did not let it hold them back. They had a will to see justice served. And that will drove them to confront wrong, so that right could prevail.

Because they were women, the inheritance their father left behind was not going to be given to them. But they were not about to sit around and let that happen! They boldly approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and all of the congregation and challenged the status quo and requested that the laws be changed. Moses took their case before the Lord. The Lord told Moses to give them their property, and their request was granted! It was declared that when a man dies and has no sons, his inheritance should go to his daughters.

What an inspiring story that challenges us not to settle, but to stand for what is right and speak up when necessary. God has already gone before us (Deuteronomy 31:8) and prepared the right opportunities, but fear can cause us to miss the opportunities He has prepared. God’s power working in us, will help us to do what we need to do, when we need to do it. Nothing is too hard for God. As we are reminded in Romans 8:31, when God is for us, who can be against us?

The daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They inspire us to take a stand.

Continue reading “Daughters of Zelophehad: Take A Stand”

Song in the Night

Acts 16:25-26 ESV, “25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.”

This is one of my favorite reminders that prayer works! Suddenly God can move on our behalf and bring change. Paul and Silas were in the midst of dire circumstances, but they chose to keep their focus on the goodness of God. Regardless of what our needs are, God is our Source. No matter what “prison” we find ourselves in, He can bring a suddenly into our lives and immediately set us free.

Photo by: Joonas kääriäinen of Finland 🇫🇮

At times, finding the strength to pray and sing may seem difficult; however, when we stay close to the Lord, His power working in us, gives us the hope and strength we need to persevere in faith. His power gives us the ability to not give up. God will give us a song in the night.

Psalm 42:8 ESV, “By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”

Like Paul and Silas, we can sing with joy knowing our God will move on our behalf when we cry out to Him. He will never forsake us.