Tag: Inspiration

Come As You Are

Philippians 2:13 ( NLT), “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

If you’ve been going to church for a good amount of time you’ve probably heard this phrase at some point, “come as you are”. I have always understood this phrase to mean it doesn’t matter what you wear, or what may be going on in your life, just come to the Lord and His house as you are.

While driving home from work the other day, this phrase, which I hadn’t heard in quite some time, “come as you are”, came to my mind. As a Christian, we can sometimes grow weary in our quest to seek the Lord. Although we desire to know God better and draw closer to Him, it’s easy to become frustrated if we feel we’re not making the progress we want to make. I have been there before. Many times I have found myself trying to figure out the right “formula” to make progress in my Christian journey. I’ve tried to make sure I was carefully following each step that I thought was needed in an attempt to get God to do what I wanted Him to do.

I, like many other Christians, enjoy listening to sermons online, reading books to help me grow spiritually, talking to other Christians and learning from their experiences, etc. However, even in the midst of all of this, at the end of the day, we can’t forget that what God desires most is our heart. He’s not expecting us to look or sound a certain way when we pray. He’s not checking up on us to see how many mistakes we have made in the last couple of hours. He’s not watching to see if we can perfectly recite the books of the Bible, in perfect order, in under 5 minutes (although I don’t doubt there are some who can)! I repeat, what He desires most are hearts that yearn to grow in intimacy with Him.

“Come as you are”, is not just for new Christians or someone coming to church for the first time. It’s for all of us, rather you’ve been walking with the Lord 5, 15, or 30 years! We should enjoy our relationship with God, and have an attitude that says, “God loves me just as I am, and He is eager to spend time with me today. Every new day that He allows us to see, is another day for us to get to know Him better, and experience His goodness in our lives. Even when we are going through hardships, we can come to him just as we are, and pour out all our frustrations on Him. He will understand exactly how we feel. He doesn’t expect us to “have it all together”.

Don’t get caught up in the “formulas” of Christian living and tire yourself out. Instead, just enjoy the simplicity of getting to know God and letting Him love you. Allow yourself to be yourself without the pressure of trying to perform perfectly.

As we learn God’s Word and apply it to our lives, we will see ourselves changing and growing in faith and in godly wisdom. Just come to the Savior as you are, and rely on His grace to make you into everything He has destined you to become (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Is God Listening?

Psalm 34:17(NIV), “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

Has anyone besides me ever asked themselves this question, “Is God Listening?” I know I’ve asked myself this question more times than I can even remember throughout my relationship with Jesus. Usually for me, as a Christian, one of the most helpful ways to remind myself that God is listening, is to reminisce about His past faithfulness to me and my family. Psalm 77:12(NIV) says, “I will consider all your works, and meditate on all your mighty deeds”. When I meditate on His deeds, it’s evidence of His love and His presence in my life. Looking back on what God has done, gives me confidence in Him now in the present,  and helps me to put my hope in Him for my future.

But still, how do I know He is listening? How do we know He is listening, at that very moment when we cry out for help?

I have come to know that God is listening because…

He gives me peace as I talk to Him (Philippians 4:7). He carries my burdens and gives me rest (Matthew 11:28). He gives me strength when I feel weak (2 Corinthians 12:9). He reminds me of His words in scripture or He will speak to my heart about what He wants me to do in my situation (Hebrews 4:12).  Usually when He speaks, His words will resonate with me.

When I cry out to God, I simply do it by faith. Then I wait in expectation for what He will do for me (Psalm 5:3).

Psalm 34:17 says that He hears us and will deliver us. Our struggle comes when we have to wait to be delivered, because sometimes God comes quickly, but other times we must wait. The good news is that if we must wait, He is still with us everyday giving us exactly what we need. I can remember going through a season of difficulties on a particular job, and God spoke to me and told me that as long as I was there, He would take care of me, and He absolutely did!  Even though God spoke those words to me years ago, I have found them to be a comfort on every job I have had since then.

When we must wait for His deliverance, He will always hold us up with His strength if we trust Him to. He will always fight on our behalf. He will make a way, but the when’s and the how’s we have to leave in His hands.

Is God really listening? Yes, He is listening to you, He is listening to me. He cares deeply about our needs.  When doubt tries to steal our peace, let’s remind ourselves of Psalm 34:17. Our Heavenly Father not only listens, but He answers, and His answers are always right.

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Don’t Cry!

Luke 7:13 (NLT), “When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.”

In this story in the book of Luke, a widow had lost her only son. The funeral was in progress when Jesus saw her. He ended up walking over to the coffin, touching it, and speaking to the deceased boy. He told him to, “Get up!” The boy sat up and begin to talk! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Our Lord Jesus has a heart that overflows with compassion for each of us. When we are hurting, he feels our pain and sees our tears. His words to us are the same that they were to this widow, “Don’t cry!”  He is ready to touch our hearts and speak life into situations that appear to be dead. With Him, it’s never too late for things to turn around.

The same compassion that Jesus extends to us, we are able to extend to others when we have accepted Him as our Savior and Lord. Praying regularly keeps us closely connected to His heart, so that we can sense another person’s hurt and pain. We can call out to them and say, “Don’t cry!” We can offer them comfort because we ourselves know the Comforter.

There are a lot of reasons to cry as we look at the condition of the world around us, as well as the situations we must face in our own lives. However, Jesus is calling out to us with compassion, eager to dry our tears and bring healing.

So…

Don’t Cry! He is working things out for you!

Father,

How amazing it is that You see our every need, hear our every cry, and feel our every pain. When we rejoice, You rejoice. When we mourn, You mourn with us. Thank you for being a God who is concerned. Thank you for being eager to bring healing to our hearts and comfort to our souls. Thank you for having a heart that overflows with compassion. Please help us to treat others the exact same way, so we will be a true reflection of Your love.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Keep the Faith

Proverbs 16:9 NLT says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

We all have desires for our lives. We build a vision of how we would like for our lives to be, and we hope things go according to plan, but the truth is that sometimes they don’t. That’s just the way life works. There are couples who want children, but have not been able to conceive. There are some who had an idea for a business or an invention, but so far they have not been able to get it off the ground. There are some who have had their lives altered by wrong choices they made, or by the carelessness of other people.

When we find ourselves in a place where we feel we’ve somehow missed out on something, it can be frustrating to say the least. If a dream seems to have faded or a goal seems out of reach, it can leave us feeling as if there is, “a part of us that has not yet lived”. But even if we end up in a dry and unfulfilled place, we still have a choice to believe for the best. We never know when things may suddenly turn around. We can make a decision to keep trusting God to work things out in our favor. Psalm 5:12 tells us that God’s favor surrounds us like a shield. When things don’t go as planned, God may have another plan that is different, yet better suited for us.

It can be tough when we are in a position where we have to reroute and travel a different path or make adjustments to the path we’re on. But there comes a time where we must learn to trust Him to perfectly write out every detail of our story. We can’t see the outcome of our tomorrow’s but He can. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, we must keep walking by faith and not by sight, and like David in Psalm 31:14-15, keep believing that your times are in God’s hands. God has a perfect timing for everything in your life. No matter what your struggle, His love will see you through, just keep the faith.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

We’re Different Yet The Same

John 13:34 (NIV), “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

As we venture through life, we will cross paths with many different people. The thing that makes people so interesting is the fact that they are different. If God wanted one version of a human being that is what He would have created. However, thankfully for all of us, He chose not to do that. Being the artist that He is, He put His creativity to work and crafted many different colors, features, personalities, and He even topped it all off by giving us each a unique purpose. He is truly the God of diversity!

Sometimes when we meet a person there may be something about that person that makes it hard for us to accept them. But really if we have a chance to get to know someone a little better, especially when that someone is different from us, we would be doing ourselves a huge injustice not to take advantage of that opportunity. Why? Because every person that is breathing air has a story to tell, regardless of their race, nationality or gender.

When we take the time to listen to another person’s story, we will quickly find out that we all have had our share of ups and downs. We’ve all experienced victories and defeats, gains and losses. We will also discover that although there may be many differences between people, there are also just as many, if not more, similarities. We’re all human and we share the same basic needs, especially our need to be loved. I’m not suggesting that people ignore their morals or values to tolerate any ole thing, because standards are a necessity. Having standards will ensure that we are being true to ourselves, and even more, true to the God we serve. However, I do believe that when we take the time to at least listen, and show compassion to one another, we may find a true treasure in getting to know that person better. When we listen to the story of another, we can better understand why they are who they are. We also may gain insight from them about life in general, and learn something new that can be a blessing to us.

It never hurts to deviate a little from what we deem to be comfortable and familiar. When we are willing to “step outside of the box”, we may discover that we are in the place where we were truly meant to be. When we’re out of our comfort zone, God can use us more fully as we learn to rely on Him to take us to new levels in our lives.

When I look into the face of another person, especially a person who is different from me, I pray I will always remember that they, just like me, have a story to tell. When and if they choose to speak, I will do my best to listen.  Are you listening?

Galatians 3:26 (NIV),”So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God though faith,”

A Thanksgiving Prayer 🙏🏾 🙏🏿🙏🙏🏽🙏🏻

Dear Father,

As we enter another Thanksgiving season we want to say thank you so much for all You have done for us over the last year. Many things have happened in our lives and in the world around us but You have been faithful through it all. There have been countless joys and accomplishments that we have experienced. You have given us good health and sustained many of us through ongoing illnesses. You have answered so many of our prayers and taught us to persevere in faith, and to trust You with the prayers that are still unanswered. Some have endured tragedies, deaths of loved ones, frustrating setbacks, relationship issues and many other hardships along the way.

This time of year is difficult for those who are hurting especially those who have lost someone they love. But even in the midst of these things Your steadfast love has endured. We are learning to trust You with the things we do not understand. Please help us to trust You more.

For those who are hurting, we ask You to bring them Your peace and comfort. We are asking You to give them hope and shine Your Light into the darkness they feel. We pray for those living on the streets that you would send them the help they need. Please be their shelter no matter where they lay their heads each night. Father, when we see a homeless person on the street we don’t know how they got there. However we do know that one day some time ago, a mother somewhere gave birth to them, just like the rest of us, and their mother or father may very well be hurting today wondering if their child is safe. Please comfort those parents.

Thank you for being sure in a world that is unsure. Thank you for being our Peace in the middle of the chaos. We are thankful that we can rely completely on You to supply our every need and protect us and our families as we face each new day. You have a good plan for each of our lives and Your word declares that shouts of victory come from the homes of the righteous (Psalm 118:15)! We are thankful for that victory that we have in You and thankful for the many blessings that You will give us in the coming year.

Jesus we celebrate You and rejoice that we can walk with You through this life. Thank you for family and friends and even for the complete stranger that may walk past us on the street that cares enough to offer us a smile because even a simple smile can make a difference.

Please keep us safe, healthy, content and of strong, sound mind as we continue to live for You. Please give us wisdom to see beyond the surface of this life and to instead see things through Your eyes. Thank you for allowing us to see another Thanksgiving and thank you for being You.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 107:8-9, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!! Thank you for praying this prayer with me. May the love of God satisfy your soul and fill your life with good things.

Abundant Life is Yours

John 10:10 (KJV)

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

So phenomenal, so fascinating, and so beautiful.  Beauty that never ceases to intrigue me, and every time I see it, it feels like I’m seeing it for the very first time. It will often appear out of nowhere and catch me by surprise. Other times I realize that conditions are favorable for it to appear, so I gaze up at the sky, looking in every possible direction until I can hopefully find the image that I am searching for. Once I see the colorful, sprawling rainbow in the sky, I never want to let it out of my sight. If at all possible, I keep my eye on it until it fades away and can no longer be seen.

I wish I could reach out and touch it, but according to the laws of science, that can never happen. Why? Because it’s all an optical illusion. Sadly, since a rainbow is not a physical object, no one can get to it and it can’t be touched.  No matter how real it may seem, it can only be admired from afar. A rainbow they say is nothing more than a “distorted image of the sun” caused by raindrops bending the sun’s light. It’s a simple process that creates a stunning display. So based on this knowledge of what a rainbow really is, we know the sun is the real source of what we see. However this breathtaking, brightly colored arch stands in full view, capturing our attention and effortlessly stealing our hearts. I for one, can honestly say that when there is a rainbow on display across the blue sky, the sun is not the number one thing on my mind. What about you? When you see a rainbow, do you dismiss its beauty and redirect your attention to the sun?

I heard that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but I guess we will never know since we can’t make it to the rainbow to find out. Even if there was a pot of gold resting at the end of the rainbow, chances are it too would be an illusion that cannot be touched.

Have you ever felt this way about life? Have you ever felt that there are some things you cannot seem to get to no matter how hard you try? I know I have been in that place before where I found myself pursing something that was all an illusion. It seemed right at first, but the closer I got to it the more I realized it wasn’t real, and for one reason or another it would never work for me. Or after putting forth energy and time, the thing I was hoping for all of a sudden begins to fade away right before my very eyes, until it has completely disappeared, just like a rainbow. Sometimes in life we can want something so bad that we imagine we can have what it is we want and the “pot of gold” to go along with it. So we run hard after that thing, hoping for the best and never taking the time to pray and ask God if it is really His will for us before we start the race. God has a purpose for each one of us. We must stay close to Him to walk into all He has for us, but we must also stay in His Word to understand how he thinks and works so that we will not be lead astray by “false images”.

Whenever I see a beautiful rainbow, I will not hesitate to admire it’s beauty. I will also let it be God’s reminder to me to pursue only the things that are His will for me, and not to be enticed to go after what He never meant for me to have. The enemy attempts to get us off course and distort our lives by presenting an alternative path that appears perfect, but it is in fact a counterfeit. He wants us to chase after “rainbows” that are not real. He wants us to go after beautiful illusions that we can never get to that will eventually disappear right before our eyes. Remember, only what is truly real has staying power, everything else will fade away.

The devil comes to steal, to kill, and destroy, BUT JESUS….He came that we may have life, and have life more abundantly. Why not run after Him, the one who can give you what is best for you? No tricks, no gimmicks, and no illusions. His love is real.

Always focus on the true source. Jesus Christ is the True Source. The life we live should be a reflection of His Light. Stay alert and keep your gaze fixed on Him! He is the Author and the Finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).

 

Father,

Thank you for being real. You never deceive us or lead us astray. Teach us by your Holy Spirit to stay true to You and Your Word. Keep us from counterfeit paths that are meant to bring destruction and pain to our lives. Help us to stay on that narrow path that leads to life. (Matthew 7:13-14)

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Genesis 9:16 (NLT) When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.“

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