Tag: love

Seek God First

Matthew 6:33 NLT, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

When we seek God above all else, He will supply us with what we need. Our main goal should be to know Him more, and serve Him by living out the purpose He has for our lives. As we follow God’s plans, He will use us to share His love with those around us and help draw them to Christ.

God knows what we need, even before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), and He desires for us to experience His goodness here in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). However, we should never allow our desire for things to control us. We must be careful not to lose site of what matters most, which is seeking the Lord.

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The more we come to know who He is, the more we will be a reflection of who He is to the world. The God we serve is all powerful, and far above anything we could imagine. It’s amazing that He is willing to reveal Himself to us. And even more amazing that He calls us by name and desires a personal relationship with us (Isaiah 43:1). To seek Him, is to know Him, and what an awesome privilege it is to get to know Him intimately.

Cast Your Cares and Trust God

Psalm 55:22 NIV, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

I was recently having a conversation with someone, and she was sharing some of the issues that she was having with one of her adult children. She said it’s not easy seeing her child suffer, but that she was learning to just cast her cares upon the Lord. She said she knows in her heart that God has shown her that He will put everything into place for her child, so there is no need to worry. She said that she can see God working in many ways, but still has times when worry tries to creep in. However, when she focuses on what God has promised her regarding her child, she said she feels His peace.

I’m sure many of us can relate. We’ve had situations in life rather it’s our children, our jobs, our finances, our health etc., that have caused us to worry. However we already have assurance from God that things will work out well. It’s just a matter of casting our cares on Him and trusting Him to work out all the details, instead of allowing what we don’t understand to steal our peace.

Photo by: Frank K

As she spoke to me, I myself could sense God’s peace. Her words were a confirmation to me not to worry about details, but instead to cast all my cares on our God. We experience contentment when we relinquish control to Him, and believe in His ability to take care of us and supply our needs. As long as we place our faith in people, things, or even ourselves, we will not find lasting contentment.

Remember the assurance God has given you through His Word, or through the things His Holy Spirit have personally spoken to your heart. Learning not to worry may take some time, but as we learn, we will grow closer to the Lord, and be free to enjoy our lives as He brings His good plans to past. Don’t be afraid to cast your cares upon the Lord, because He has promised to sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.

Photo by: Simon Migaj of the UK 🇬🇧

The Lord Is God

Psalm 100:3 NIV, “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Know that the Lord is God. What a powerful statement! He is God regardless of what may come our way. He knows all and sees all. He is the Good Shepherd who is faithfully watching over us, His precious sheep, at all times. It’s a comfort to know that God cares about us so much. He’s involved in even the simple details of our everyday lives.

Photo by: Kailash Kumar of India 🇮🇳

We belong to the Lord and He knows the plans He has for us. Knowing that He knows, is the reason we don’t have to worry. Instead we can choose to trust Him. Don’t let worry creep in and try to destroy the peace He has so freely given to you. I encourage you to, “Know that the Lord is God”, and receive His peace today.

Rest In Jesus

Matthew 11:28 NLT, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus gives us rest, spiritually and physically. He paid the price for our sins so we don’t have to wear ourselves out trying to compensate for our wrongdoing with our works. We can rest in His finished work on the cross . I recently heard a sermon that stressed how important it is for us to also rest physically. Our bodies need time to heal from the daily toil of life. Even God rested during creation.

Genesis 2:2 NLT, “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.”

Photo by: Lisa Fotios of the UK 🇬🇧

Rest is something that is definitely worth praying over. Through prayer we can stay connected to Jesus and He will help us to maintain balance in our lives spiritually and physically. We can trust Him to give us the rest we need. Don’t let fear or worry hold you back from finding rest in Jesus.

Always Be Prepared

1 Peter 3:15 NIV, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

We may not always be aware, but there are people who are watching us when we claim to be a Christian. They are watching to see how we respond in certain situations. They are examining our words and our actions. In the world today, truth has become whatever people want it to be, instead of what God says it is.

Many live their lives focused mostly on their own desires, with little or no regard for the Lord. Living that way leads to hopelessness. As Christians we have the privilege to help bring hope to a dying world through Jesus Christ. We must be careful not to get caught up in the ways of the world, so that we will be an effective witness for Him.

Photo by: Nappy of the USA 🇺🇸

We must also be prepared to give an answer explaining why we have placed our faith and hope in Jesus. We must be ready to explain why we love our Savior and have chosen to give our lives to Him. We must know in our hearts, what makes being a Christian different from any of the other “truths” that people believe in.

As we answer questions about our faith in Christ, we must do so with gentleness and respect. Love must be the root of our faith so that it will be what we show to others. People aren’t really impressed with how many times a week we go to church, or how many Bible verses we know. However, when we show people love through our actions, they will be more prone to believe the words that we speak, and want to know more about our Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Photo by: Christina Morillo of the USA 🇺🇸

Early Morning Prayer

Psalm 5:3 NIV, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

Have you ever had those times in the wee hours of the morning where God woke you up for prayer? We know that our God is not limited by time. He’s always available around the clock. Whenever He wakes us for prayer, we shouldn’t hesitate to answer His call to spend quality time with us.

God uses these quiet and still times to enjoy a unique type of intimacy with us. Embrace those moments, where because of the quiet, you can clearly hear His voice. Even if you don’t seem to hear God speaking anything specific, just enjoy the moment and sit quietly in His presence.

For many of us, the days are so busy, so it’s a blessing when we have these special times to commune with the Lord. There have been many times God woke me, and I felt Him nudging me to pray, and whenever I’ve taken advantage of His offer, I can honestly say, I’ve never been disappointed.

Psalm 119:147 NLT, “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.”

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Living a life of devotion to the Lord may require us to get less sleep for whatever the reason. It could be because of early morning prayer, or because of a late night phone call with a loved one who needs someone to talk to. But I’m thankful that He is our strength through it all.

When it comes to the Lord, the gains of obedience to Him, far outweigh any losses we may have. When He asks us to give something up (extra sleep included), it’s because He has something far better waiting for us on the other side of our obedience.

Prayer, an Honor and Privilege

Philippians 4:6 NLT, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

I’m very familiar with the NIV version of this verse, but I recently read it in the NLT version that I mentioned above, and loved it just as much. We don’t need to worry or be anxious about anything. It’s an honor and a privilege that through Christ Jesus, we can carry all of our needs to God in prayer. Nothing is too small for God to care about, and nothing is too big for Him to handle. We need to challenge ourselves to entrust all things to Him in prayer.

Photo by: Luis Quintero of Panama 🇵🇦

It’s a joy that we can talk to God anytime and anyplace. There is no one formula when it comes to prayer. He delights in hearing our voice, as we tell Him what we need. He is our loving Father who cares about the details of our day. As we pray, we can joyfully thank Him for all He has done and all He will do in the days to come. Don’t worry, just pray to God, about everything.