Tag: love

1 Samuel 17:45 ESV, “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

Last Sunday, on my way to church, I was thinking about a goal that I have been working to reach and the story of David and Goliath came to my mind. As I reflected on this story, I felt encouraged. It was a reminder that when we take steps of faith and obey God, He will lead us to success. We just have to be willing to show up and take action by doing what God tells us to do, like David did.

1 Samuel 17:37 ESV, “David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.”

David didn’t let fear or worry hold Him back. Instead, he remembered God’s past faithfulness when he faced the paws of the lion and the bear, and moved forward in confidence that God would give Him a successful outcome.

Later, that same Sunday while driving, I passed a church and the message on their sign said, “For every Goliath, there is a stone.” Then two days later, I attended a Bible study and the message was on David and Goliath. The speaker was offering encouragement to just show up and trust God to do the rest.

1 Samuel 50:17 ESV, ”So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.”

David, a young boy, took down the nine foot Philistine giant with a simple sling and a stone because He was willing to show up and trust God. God will add His “super” to our natural and cause us to succeed.

I am extremely thankful for God’s reminders, through the story of David and Goliath, that He equips us with what we need to accomplish the things we need to accomplish.

Whatever areas that you are working on in your life, rather it’s a personal or career goal, obstacles you are working to overcome, or some other type of battle. Don’t give up. Just keep showing up and doing your part and trust God to do the rest.

Like the message on the church sign said, “For every Goliath, there is a stone.” So grab your stone and move forward in the name of the Lord.

Blessings upon your day!

Hebrews 10:36 NLT, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

According to dictionary.com, the meaning of persevere is: “to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.”

I saw a few definitions for persevere, however, I like this one a lot because it mentions being persistent, and maintaining our purpose, even in the midst of difficult challenges or any discouragement we may feel.

Rather we are going through trials or doing good things such as pursuing goals or helping people, remaining steadfast and staying the course does take perseverance. God will give us strength each day, so we can do what we need to. We can rely on Him for our our daily bread and the wisdom we need to make good decisions and take needed actions.

My word for 2024 is persevere. (Thanks Bridget for encouraging us to pray about a word). I am looking forward to experiencing the many ways that God will continue to be faithful in this new year. When we persevere in the will of God, God will give us what He has promised. May we continue to walk by faith as we persevere in our trust in God. His love never fails.

Isaiah 30:18, “So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.”

Not too long ago, I was in a worship service and the worship leader shared with us that she felt the Lord impressing upon her heart that even the sound of our breathing was beautiful and pleasing to Him. Our Heavenly Father, was delighted that we were there in His presence. It wasn’t all about the words we spoke or the songs we sang. It was about our very existence, the fact that we were living and breathing.

There are times where we may feel so overwhelmed with the cares of life, that we may not even feel like praying. And when we do pray, we may feel we do not know where to begin. Those are the times where we just need to show up, because the Lord is waiting for us to come to Him so that He can show us His love and compassion.

Sometimes, just sitting quietly in His presence, brings the peace that our soul needs. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what we need to be encouraged in every circumstance. And He will supply those needs, when we take a step of faith and just show up.

So the next time you feel overwhelmed and find it difficult to go to the Lord in prayer, just show up anyway. He understands your heart. His faithfulness, compassion and love are waiting for you. And remember, His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Blessings upon your week!

I’ve discovered that most people have a favorite season. Although I’m not a fan of pollen, I like spring the best, especially after the cold winter. Seeing things come back to life, such as the new blooms that spring up is refreshing. However, I have also found myself fond of fall this year. I’ve always liked the beautiful colors of the leaves. But I also feel drawn to the serenity and mellow pace that fall ushers in.

As for winter, just as I catch myself complaining about the lower temperatures, I end up chatting with people who love this season because they love the cold weather it brings. Some have even said they look forward to wearing winter clothes and playing in the snow. After having lived in Michigan for eleven years, I know I’m not that fond of snow. But I did enjoy walking in the parks it had to offer.

Moving on to summer, I don’t recall ever meeting anyone who didn’t like this season. It’s a season often filled with fun activities, extra time outdoors and extended daylight hours (depending on where you live). Summer always seems to be a hit.

Lately, I have become increasingly aware that the seasons of our lives change, even more than the weather. Looking back, we can see the many seasons we have been through. And reminisce about all the people we met along the way. Some of which played significant roles in our lives. Reflecting on the seasons of our lives allows us to be thankful for the lessons we’ve learned and the countless blessings we’ve received.

As we go through life, every day is part of a season, and the season we are in will eventually change. So, learning to enjoy each season of life should always remain a priority. Enjoying life doesn’t mean every day has to be filled with tons of entertainment or activity. It just means we’ve reached a place where we learn to see the good despite the bad. We learn to slow down and appreciate what we’ve been given. We learn to love the people who God has blessed us to be with during this time in our lives, because circumstances can change quickly and often without notice. We should never take anything or anyone for granted.

Focusing only on tomorrow while neglecting the purpose God has for us today will cause us to miss out on something good. And the opposite is also true. So, balance is needed.

I believe prayer is a gift that keeps us balanced, aware of God’s presence, thankful for His blessings, and aware of what He wants to do in our lives tomorrow, but also today.

As we enjoy the changing seasons, and the various weather conditions that go along with it, may we also enjoy the seasons of our lives. Every season has highs and lows, but through the sufficiency of God’s grace, we can continue to persevere as we walk by faith day by day.

To those celebrating it, have a Happy Thanksgiving day on Thursday! 🍁

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus, 1 Thessalonians 5:18.”

So what’s your favorite season? And why? How have you learned to remain thankful throughout the seasons of your life?