Psalm 37:4 ESV, āDelight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.ā
This scripture always brings to my mind the word āworshipā, which is reverencing God and loving Him for who He is. When we live a life of worship towards the Lord, we delight in Him. When we delight in Him, we find joy in spending time with Him, and we find pleasure in living in obedience to His commands.
1 John 5:3 NLT, āLoving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.ā
When we find delight in the Lord, He finds delight in granting us our hearts desires. The more time we spend with Him, the more understanding we will gain about who He is. As we become more like Jesus, we will have the same desires that He has for our lives, and for the lives of those who are around us. Fulfilling His purpose will be our main agenda. The motive behind our actions will always be love, loving God and loving others.
Photo by: Ric Rodrigues
There may be times you feel that your faithfulness to God has not been properly rewarded. You may at times feel weary as you seek the Lord. If so, donāt hesitate to call out to Him in prayer. Cast your cares upon Him and allow Him to give you rest. One thing Iām learning about the Lord, is that His Word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). He will bring to past the words He has spoken. His promises are true, and His timing is perfect. The work He performs in our hearts and lives is thorough. He desires for us to be perfect (mature) and complete lacking nothing.
James 1:4 NJKV, āBut let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.ā
Keep persevering in patience as the Holy Spirit does a work in you. Keep being faithful as you serve God and walk in love toward others. He is working all things in your life together for good (Romans 8:28).
Psalm 36:5 NIV, āYour love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.ā
Godās love and faithfulness never end. Through every uncertainty, He still remains faithful and true. During times of difficulty, look up to Jesus. His loyalty reaches further than we can even understand. Rely on His strength. Find comfort in His presence. Be reassured of His everlasting love, and find joy in His complete sovereignty. There is no situation that is greater than His faithfulness. There is nothing that can separate you from His love (Romans 8:38).
Photo by: Johannes Plenio
Even in the darkness His light shines, so never stop hoping in Him. Let His Word guide you always. His Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path (Psalm 129:105). If you feel lost, remember that He is there with you. Ask Him and He will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come (Jeremiah 33:3). Do not be afraid, only trust Him. Do not let fear hinder your progress or steal your peace. Overcome fear by walking in faith. Keep trusting in Him, He will direct your paths and make them straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Thank you big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall Blogfor tagging me in this award. I invite you to visit and follow Mattās blog where he blogs daily and shares about his faith in Jesus, interesting stories from his life, testimonies about his perseverance through chronic illness, and he also shares about his ministry helping and teaching refugees and immigrants.
1. What is your favorite snack and do you snack while writing your blog? I love popcorn šæ, and gummy bears. No I donāt snack while blogging. 2. What is a food you love for celebrating Christmas? For Christmas I donāt really have a favorite food, but I guess Iāll go with the Christmas cookies that always pop up everywhere. š 3. If I lived in your city, could I stop by for dinner anytime? Sure come on by! 4. If I stopped by for dinner, what would we eat? Mexican š® or Italian š (Itās easy to find gluten free ingredients for these types of foods.) 5. If Jesus came for dinner, what would you cook for him and how would you feel? I would serve some hummus, pita bread, falafel, Tabouleh, and of course some delicious Baklava. š But in reality, if Jesus came to dinner, I donāt think Iād be eating too much because I would feel overwhelmed by His Presence. There would be so much joy and excitement!!
Ephesians 4:2, āAlways be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each otherās faults because of your love.ā
Humble. Gentle. Patient. Forgiving. These are words that donāt exactly go along with todayās culture. Responding to people with humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness may even be viewed by some as a sign of weakness. But itās actually quite the opposite. These attributes are part of who God is, and when we extend them to others, we are extending His love to them.
Photo by: Matthias Zomer
Extending genuine love to people is very powerful, because it will help them to see the hope that is found in Jesus. Through Jesus, we have been forgiven of so much. He has pardoned our sins and given us the privilege to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). When we are angry and upset, forgiving someone may not be what we want to do, but as children of God, itās what we are called to do. When He calls us to a task, He will equip us with the grace we need to accomplish it.
We as children of God are set apart by a special calling to be humble, gentle, patient, and forgiving. Itās all part of the new nature we have in Christ. What a joy it is to rise above circumstances and walk in the ways of the Lord. The Holy Spirit living in us will empower us to represent the Lord Jesus in all we do. We are truly blessed.
Proverbs 19:3 NLT, āPeople ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.ā
When I read this verse, I immediately thought of my own life and the many times I have made sinful choices that caused me heartache and pain. But instead of taking responsibility for my sinful choices, I questioned Godās love for me or felt that He was being unfair. I can even recall times when I knew the Holy Spirit was cautioning me to avoid certain things or certain people, but I still chose to follow my own worldly desires and ended up regretting it.
Photo by: Kat Jayne
Although sin can seem pleasing for a period of time, it eventually leads to ruin and death (James 1:15). There is no set timing on how long it can take for that ruin to come. It can happen quickly, or it can seem as if someone is persisting for an extended period of time with no repercussions to their actions, and then it all catches up with them. I canāt tell you how many times I have given God thanks for watching over me and delivering me from my foolishness. Iām thankful for the opportunity I had to repent and receive salvation through Jesus Christ. Even today, Iām thankful He forgives me when I sin and fall short.
If we believe what God says, we have to learn to trust His instructions. What he instructs us to do, is for our own good. When He tells us to refrain from certain actions, itās because He in all of His wisdom knows and understands all things. He knows the dangers of sin, that is why He sacrificed His son Jesus. As Christians, I pray that our hearts will remain sensitive to Godās Spirit and obedient to His Word. We are living in perilous times, but I like what David said in Psalm 31:15 NIV, āMy times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.ā
Photo by: Pixabay
Our times are in Godās hands, we need not live in fear. However we do need to seek God, and choose His ways above our own to avoid unnecessary foolishness. There is a lot we may not understand, but God said we donāt have to understand everything (Proverbs 3:5-6). We need to abide in Jesus and trust Him to take care of us as we rest in His loving arms. His ways and thoughts are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9), so He knows what is best for us.
Matthew 11:28 NLT, āThen Jesus said, āCome to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.ā
I woke up this morning with ārestā on my mind. I feel very thankful that as Christians we can find rest in Jesus. Life has its share of ups and downs, but through prayer we can always entrust our lives and the lives of our loved ones to Jesus. We are free to cast every concern we have upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).
I read a post by Crystal at Devotions of Grace called, āWho Needs Rest?ā. It was very encouraging, reminding us that God will take care of us, and that itās a good thing to rest in Him.
Photo by: Pixabay
Today is a special day, 23 years ago my daughter was born. Although sheās away working in Spain, Iām thankful that as her mother I am able to pray for her and know that God will always take care of her. As parents we donāt have to worry about our children, we can rest in Jesus. Our job is to raise them, but once they grow up and go their own way, we should continue to pray for them and trust God to work in their lives.
My daughter Shalenah
I hope and pray that you will find rest in Jesus and give all you cares to Him. He is attentive to our prayers. No request is too big or too small. He will exchange your worries for His peace and joy, just trust Him.
Thank you to the following bloggers for acknowledging my blog and nominating me for the Barnabas Award. I am thankful for you and your blogs.
Stephanie@CloserWithStephanie, thankyoufor sharing the truth of Godās Word. Your writings are very heartfelt and honest and encourage me to keep trusting God.
Jacquie@ Joy Cottage, thank you because I always feel the love and joy of the Lord through your poetry and writings. Your posts overflow with encouragement and help me to stay close to Christ.
Yonnie@YonnieInHisCare, thank you for your inspiring and encouraging poems that make me feel more aware of Godās creation. Your words paint a picture of the many beautiful things in life that surround us.
Matt @ Jesusluvsall, thank you for sharing about the many ways that Jesus shows up in daily life. Your stories of triumph through chronic illness, and helping refugees and immigrants encourage me by showing me Godās love in action.
The Way the Barnabas Award Works
1)Thank the person who nominated you and share their blog.
2)Think of five bloggers that encourage and inspire you and nominate them.
3)List 5 things about yourself
4)Lastly, ask your nominees 5 questions. Why 5? Because it is the number that signifies grace.
5 Things About Me
1. Iām not a big coffee drinker, but when I do drink it I like Vanilla creamer and sugar.
2. I accepted Christ when I was nine.
3. My favorite fruit is pineapple.
4. I went to the top of the St Louis Arch once.
5. I have 3 nephews and 1 niece.
Stephanieās Questions to me…
1. If there was only one thing readers could take away from your blog, as a life lesson, what would it be? To keep trusting in Jesus one day at a time.
2. Where would you want to vacation, and why? Italy. It seems like a beautiful place. My little sister Bukola lives in Italy and recently wrote a helpful post 5 Things You Should Keep In Mind When Visiting Italy.
3. What is your favorite food? Pizza and French fries.
4. What is the craziest goal you want to achieve, and what do you think it will take to reach it? I worked for a couple of property management companies and always thought it would be nice to own an apartment building and give people āaffordable housingā that doesnāt take all their paycheck. It would take more knowledge about real estate investing.
5. In what ways do you want to be closer to Christ? I want to continue to grow in the knowledge of His Word and obedience to His Word because that will make me closer to Him and keep my life purposeful.
Jacquieās and Mattās Questions to me…
Who in your life is your biggest encourager? The Lord, and my close friends/family.
How do you see yourself as being an encouragement to others? By sharing positive things with them and letting them know the good things I see in them when I have opportunities to.
When was the last time someone gave you words of encouragement? Today.
When you are down, what encourages you to get back up and keep pressing on? Meditating on the word, prayer, and talking to someone Iām close to.
Who was your greatest encourager when you first accepted Christ? Mom and my Sunday school teacher.
Yonnieās Questions to me…
Share a time when you felt, as if you were alone and why? I spent a lot of time alone during my time living in Florida but I never felt lonely. I enjoyed that time growing closer to the Lord.
How do you encourage and embrace a strangers? Greeting them with a smile and speaking to them.
When you are down, what encourages you to get back up and keep pressing on?Meditating on the word, prayer, and talking to someone Iām close to.
Name two ways you encourage others? By taking time out to listen to them or talk to them. Giving them a genuine compliment when I see something that needs to be complimented.
Who was your greatest encourager when you first accepted Christ? Mom and my Sunday school teacher.
My nominees (if you choose to participate) š¤ š
