I Will Follow Him. . . .

Have you ever felt like you just don’t belong? You don’t fit in?

The last week was a tough one, considering that the battles of the mind are sometimes the biggest challenges we face. God always sends His angels. All my cousin said was, God takes care of everything. And I suddenly felt all charged up and I recalled the words from the Bible, 

And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head. Matthew 8:20 KJV

We need to put this statement into its context. It says, "A scribe came and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.' Our Lord tests the sincerity of the scribe’s loyalty by warning him that He was so poor that beasts of the fields and birds of the air have nicer accommodations than He Himself had. 

To follow Jesus means to forsake all. As for the Son of man (Jesus) having no place to lay His head, think about it. Jesus came into our world, not to build a physical kingdom for Himself. From the cross, He would return to the heavens. During His stay in the earth, Jesus owned nothing. He was actually buried in a borrowed grave. Think about it. Jesus said that we do not belong to the world, even as He did not belong to the world.

Jesus's statement reveals His poverty from an earthly viewpoint; and yet “we through His poverty are made rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). We are not told if the scribe chose to follow Jesus after this outright disclosure; but the strong implication is that he did not.

A person who makes the commitment to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth, this person will hold fast to his confession. We who follow Jesus must do so without ulterior motive. In fact we must be willing to die to selfish ambition and vain conceits if we are to follow Christ in the humility which pleases Him.  Are we willing to do so today?

We cannot love the world and love God at the same time because the values of the world are not compatible with the values of the kingdom of God.

Not having anywhere to lay your head in the way that Jesus did means that you have to endure a certain hardship. If you want to follow Me, says Jesus, you have to be prepared to take hardship. This is not because God wants us to suffer, but because we are bound to suffer in the course of discipleship. To follow Jesus means to share His persecutions.

Becoming a Christian then is to burn your bridges behind you. There is no turning back. Paul says, ‘Forgetting the things which are behind, I press forward towards the mark.’ That means to say, ‘I have made the decision to go forward and serve the Lord. I don’t look back. I look ahead with a singular dedication to the task.’

Following Jesus is tough, but it is worth it because it is to be with God.

REMEMBER: Does it surprise you to hear that Jesus lived his whole life this way? As the passage says, the foxes and birds, all the animals of creation have a place, but the Son of Man does not. The One who proclaims the empire of God knows deep down that He does not belong to the empires of this world. He comes to the world because God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that all should have life. But those to whom He went rejected Him.

PRAYER:  Father, You have given us the greatest example of a humble spirit in the person of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who had nowhere to lay His head.  He went to where the needs were rather than the place where comforts awaited Him.  Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  From the heights of the heavens to the depths of the earth we submit our will and our attitudes to Your Holy Will for our lives in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

A Time for Every Purpose.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

I have discovered that God's timing is just as important as God's will. He wants us to know that His timing is always perfect, in every aspect of our experience.

Trusting God often requires not knowing how God is going to accomplish what needs to be done and not knowing when He will do it. God uses times of waiting to stretch our faith in Him and to bring about change and growth in our lives. 

Many people want change, but they don't want to go through the waiting process. If we wait the wrong way, we'll be miserable; but if we decide to wait God's way, we can become patient and enjoy the wait. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It's developed only under trial, so we must not run from difficult situations. 

As we develop patience, the Bible says we finally feel completely satisfied—lacking nothing. We learn to trust God by going through many experiences that require trust. By seeing God's faithfulness over time, we learn to gradually place our trust in Him.

God gives us hopes and dreams for certain things to happen in our lives, but He doesn't always allow us to see the exact timing of His plan. When we accept God's timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems. We know that God's plan for our lives is good, and when we entrust ourselves to Him, we can experience total peace and happiness.

The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph, who waited many years for the dream God had given him, to come to pass. He was falsely accused and imprisoned before the time came for him to do what God had shown him he was to do. In the book of Exodus we learn that God led the Israelites the longer, harder way on their journey to the Promised Land because He knew they were not yet ready to go in. They had to go through some very trying situations and they wasted a lot of time wondering about God's timing, but God never failed to take care of them and show them what He wanted them to do. The same is true in our lives. God's training period simply requires us to do what He tells us to do when He tells us to do it...without questioning or trying to figure everything out. 

Proverbs 16:9 says, A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. When God directs our paths, He sometimes leads us in ways that don't make sense to us so we're not always going to understand everything. Trust in, God, and don’t make the mistake of trying to figure everything out

When we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, in due time, He will exalt us. "Due time" is God's time, when God knows we're ready, not when we think we're ready. The sooner we understand and accept that, the sooner God can work His plan in our lives. 

After a seed is planted, there is total darkness and hardness below the ground. The plant has to push its  way through. It takes time for this to happen. Above the ground, you can't tell anything is happening. That's the way our lives are. After we plant seeds of obedience, we feel like nothing is happening. And like the seed that finally bursts through the ground into a beautiful green plant, our seeds of obedience finally break forth into a beautiful manifestation of God in our lives. 

Soon, the desires of your heart begin to manifest—and you see your dreams come to pass. Blessings begin to chase you.

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to make up your mind that you won't give up, ever. God is not a quitter. He believes for you and me. I believe in His perfect timing and I believe in Him. I believe, He is the God of impossibles.

REMEMBER

God works behind the scenes in untold ways to protect us and provide for us. Consider the examples:

• A woman past the childbearing years, Elizabeth, gives birth to a son. Often we give up and let failure convince us God has said no, when in reality he has simply said "Wait."
• A very young Mary, conceives a child miraculously. Sometimes God is ready for us to move ahead before we think it is logical to do so.
• Mary gives birth to Jesus in the humble setting of a stable. We can think we're unprepared to do something because we lack certain material benefits. In fact, these may not be at all necessary to carry out what Christ wants us to do.

Furthermore examples from the Bible showing you how God made many of them wait for what He was wanting to do in their lives:

• Jesus had to wait until He was 30, before He was baptised with the Holy Spirit and anointed to go on His three and half year mission.

• Moses had to wait 40 years before he was sent in by God to rescue the children of Israel from the Egyptians
   
• The Israelites had to wait for 430 years before God delivered them from the Egyptians
   
• David had to wait for 13 years before he became king of Israel
   
• Abraham had to wait 25 years for the birth of his son Isaac
   
• Noah had to wait for 120 years from the time God told him to build the ark until the time of the flood actually occurring
   
• The apostles had to wait 10 days after Jesus had ascended before they had received the Holy Spirit.

I believe the reason God likes to make us wait from time to time is to not only test our faith in Him and to properly prepare us for what He is making us wait for, but to also develop the fruit of patience and determination in us.

Conclusion

God is totally perfect and we are not, God will always know best as to not only what He will want to bring into our lives, but He will always know best as to when to bring those certain things into our lives.

OBEDIENCE is the pre-requisite to all of God’s marvellous dealings in our lives.

No Greater LOVE . . . . . . .

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:12-16

 

If ever anyone ever asked me which is my favourite symbol, without a shadow of a doubt, the answer would be a star. I am a dreamer and I love fairy tales. And if you associate the two you would be able to understand why it’s a star. I am a believer, if love is an infinite universe, then I would say my heart feels one with the whole universe itself.

‘The Cross’ is more than a symbol. There can be no expression of love, such as the one told every day of the One Good Friday.  Thus the cross is an ultimate expression of undying love.

Jesus Christ willingly gave up His life on Mount Calvary.  He was blameless, righteous and yet convicted, tortured, and killed.  Philippians 2:8- …He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross out of love for His heavenly Father and His Father’s love for His children.

This is from a homily, delivered during a mass, recounted by my brother to me.  

Two of the soldiers, were walking through the desert, in the scorching heat of the sun. One soldier carrying the other, for one is wounded. It’s been nearly two days and their food supply is almost exhausted. For miles there is nothing but the dessert. The wounded soldier refuses to eat any more of the ration, and makes an earnest request from his companion. He asks him to let him die. And once he does, to have him for food, so that he will make it through to home. The other one is reluctant. This is a person he calls friend. But the wounded soldier wants to see his friend make it home. He dies. And the promise is kept. A friend makes it home.

Father concludes, the homily with: No greater love a man can have than that he die to save his friend.

I am sure most of us would agree that, should it ever come to it, we would be willing to die for our friend. If we look at Christ, the man speaking, and remember that He has no enemies, that is to say that He loves and looks upon everyone as a friend, then we see that when He said, “There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend,” He meant, or might have said, for another, or even, for one’s enemy. I wonder how many of us would be willing to die that our enemy might live? But that is just what Christ said is the ultimate act of love.

He proved the greatness of His love by dying for His friends, and even for His enemies. His resurrection was the confirmation that He certainly reigns over sin and death.

Observe that I call you friends. Jesus tells His disciples that He has used that word on purpose to encourage them. I do so intentionally. I no longer call you servants, because the servant from his position knows not all his master's mind and is not in his confidence. But to you I have revealed all the truths that My Father sent Me to teach the world, and have kept nothing back. I may therefore justly call you friends.

REMEMBER:

So rejoice in ‘The Cross’.  Rejoice on what Jesus Christ did at Calvary, not just at Easter, but everyday of your life.  Because of it, we have life.  Without it, we’d be damned forever.  The cross of Christ is proof that there is absolutely NO GREATER LOVE.

The most important thing about love is the sincere gift of self. In this sense the person is realized through love. John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope.

Remember When . . . . .

I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings. Psalm 77:11-12

Israel made it a point to recall God’s works to each generation. I believe the more we remember God’s work the more we need to glorify Him. Then we will be bolder in our faith, expectancy and reliance in our mighty God – let us remember these times together! We forget; God does not forget.

“What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

This question arises, every-time we face a situation. Not only is it good to remember the works of the Lord, but we are to meditate and talk of His doings.

It is a joy we have in telling others about being reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Son actually came to us as a human being in the person of Jesus so that we would be able to understand God.

In the Book of Exodus, Israel was in bondage to Egypt. On their way to the promised land the Egyptian galloping horses were gaining on the Hebrews. Hundreds of chariots were racing them. There were high mountains on the left and to their right. The Red Sea loomed ahead of them.

“What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

I realized that this is our question these days. For the people caught between Pharaoh, the mountains, and the Sea, to remember how they got there meant remembering that God had established a covenant with them long before. It meant to remember that God had never abandoned them even when they were unfaithful to that covenant. It meant to remember that God had led them out of captivity in Egypt and had given them a hopeful vision of a promised land. That’s how they got to where they were. God had led them there.

Finding yourself on shaky ground and all caught up is no accident. That’s where you’re bound to end up when you’re following God’s call. And the lesson, is this, the same God who called you there will call you out of there. God will see you through to the next place.

“What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

You remember. You remember the mercy the good God has always shown you. You remember that God is faithful. You remember that God’s love for you endures forever and ever and ever. You remember that you belong to God, and God to you. You stop and you remember God.

The long-suffering Hebrew people wondered out loud if God had abandoned them. Their hardship seemed to suggest that. But God replies: How could I forget you? Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she forsake the child of her womb?”

“What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

The Battle of Jericho, the Israelite’s first, is won by surrounding the walls of the city and walking around them, causing them to miraculously collapse.

It’s always good to Remember…. Remember the miraculous siege on Jericho? Remember God’s faithfulness within this story:  

PROBLEM – Israel had a big problem with the city of Jericho being so heavily fortified “tightly shut” verse 1

PROMISE – The Lord had promised Israel the victory “see I have given Jericho into your hand” verse 2

PARTNER – The Lord, their partner gave Joshua the strategy “You shall march around the city…” verse 3-5

PREVAILED – Victory! “They utterly destroyed everything in the city” verse 21. Remember “When God says it He Settles it”

We forget God’s compassion, grace and love is in control and will take care of us. In forgetting we open the door of our minds to anxiety and fear. We need to remember all the time that God is Good and that God is for us and with us.

In times of uncertainty, what can deliver us from anxiety to peace and praise, God? Remembrance. We need to remember that God counts the sparrows and He watches over them. We need to remember that God knows what we need. You need to trust God. And that trust arises only in the course of reflection about where you have been together all these years, you and God. (Me and My Mighty God)

God led us here, and God will lead us out from here as well. God does deliver. When we are there, it can be hard to remember, but that’s the time when it is all the more important to recall how we got here, to remember God who got us here, and will surely lead us on. 

“What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

You begin by remembering what God has done, the God who isn’t done yet, the God who brought us to this place and will not abandon us here. If you are truly going to move into the future in faith, begin by looking backward in remembrance.

Look back and see that you have indeed come this far by faith, leaning on the everlasting arms, and if you remember that, and if you remind each other of that, you will always walk the pilgrim way together into the future, guided securely by the same precious hand that led you to now.

REMEMBER:  We have to choose to remember, though, and having chosen to remember we have to practice remembering, all the wonderful things the Lord has ever done.


PRAYER: Lord, it may at times appear that the wonders you have performed have gone unnoticed. But I have never forgotten. The times, the precious moments, that I have seen, all of the wonders that you performed in others lives as well as mine, they are forever engraved in my heart. I cherish all of them. And I will always remember when…

Dear friends, trust God, always. That’s what you got to do when you don’t know what to do. R E M E M B E R . . . . .

God will PROVIDE

Here I am, on a Tuesday, and thinking of all the wonders God has performed. The road at times has been a long and winding one. There are tough times, toughest most, when I see people hurting, and I am unable to do much. One night, weighed down by a heavy head of thoughts, I was on my way towards transport. I saw a sparrow, eating something from the ground. And I knew, God provides for the sparrow. God will take care of me. The time was 11:55 in the night of the 22nd of January, in 2010. I carry my Bible, everyday with me. This is one of the many promises in my Bible.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 - Sparrows are my favourite birds. Did you know they symbolize love and trust? I did not know it then. Do you know that God uses every means to comfort your heart, when you completely trust in Him. God sends, sparrows my way, each and every time. They are my comfort. I know that God always provides.

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a "Lamb" for a burnt offerings: so they went both of them together. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah - jireh: as it said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.  Genesis 22:8-14

Sometimes it is hard to know why God does the things He does. We may never know. But we know, that God loves us and that God is good.        

As a kid, I never did understand, how it must have felt for Abraham to obey God, by being ready to sacrifice his only son, Issac. But, now I do understand. Abraham called this place, 'Jehovah-Jireh' As it is said to this day, "God will provide!

Remember, Abraham had to wait for a very long, time for the birth of his son Isaac. In the Bible, Abraham had been promised, by God that his descendants would be as numerous as the sands on the sea and as the stars in the heavens. And God, called on Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham believed that If God could take his son, God would raise him back from the dead and figuratively speaking, God did. God provided a Lamb for the burnt offerings. And God always keeps His promises.

Getting back to the topic: Abraham is confronted with a real dilemma of trust. And yet Abraham immediately responds to God, "Here I am!" God is trusting Abraham that the relationship being built between the two is something deeper. Earlier, Abraham had interceded for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, negotiating with God to spare the cities if a certain number of faithful people were found therein. Abraham became known as the friend of God.

We are called to look closely into our hearts how we view God and our relationship with God in light of the challenges we face. Yes, "God will provide." Abraham negotiated. But in the end he dared to trust and  believe that God could indeed be counted on to provide, especially when all seemed most hopeless. Ours is a resurrection hope, but this doesn't mean that we won't first face Gethsemane (the garden, where Jesus prayed the night before crucifixion) and the cross. We have to go through Good Friday to get to Easter Sunday.

I love Psalm 23. I keep praying on this psalm. These are two lines form the 23rd Psalm: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." We may not be able to avoid going through that dark valley, but we will cross it because God is with us. And somehow, some way, God will give the strength to make it to the other side.

REMEMBER: Friends, let us not look for ways to get out of the situations. Let us instead dare to trust that God will always provide...not necessarily a way out, but always a way through. Hold on to the promise that when you do get through that God will give you double for your trouble. As God did with Job. God did restore to Job, everything twice of what was taken.

Each time I look back I know I have had and am on a remarkable journey of discovering God's faithfulness. We are often taken by surprise by circumstances and events in our lives. God never is. He knows in advance all that is going to transpire. He cares. He has provision ready for us.  God is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who always provides.

The kindness of GOD

The Lord is righteous in everything He does; He is filled with kindness. Psalm 145:17

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 

Kindness is being good to others from the heart. It means to do good to others in thought, word, and deed. Kindness is the fruit of the spirit that holds us together. The kindness of God, therefore, refers to God’s goodness in action. God in His kindness sent His only Son who became human, died on the cross, rose from the dead and ascended to His Father on behalf of and in the place of all humanity. The Father sent his Son to save the world, and the Son did what his Father sent him to do. God did this, out of great love for all of us. The undeniable truth is that God is Perfect Love.

We as a society have come to tolerate rude and violent behaviour. We don’t necessarily give a second thought to the way we behave with others. Aggressive behaviour is second nature to everyone around. Why is it that we encourage such behaviour from the people we know? Why is it ok to tolerate when someone treats us with abuses? Why is it ok to be abusive?  Why can’t we try to be sorting out differences in an amicable manner?

I love watching the classics. Have you ever watched a Judy Garland movie? Or maybe even movies of the 1960’s-80’s? If yes, then chances are you would notice the way they responded to each other. There was so much kindness in the way they spoke back then.

These days we have movies, talk shows, certain music and sports that thrive on a culture of having an aggressive attitude.

Being rude does not solve any problem. It just creates barriers between people. We need to be kind, something that will help us overcome so many of the problems we suffer from as a society. God is filled with Perfect love and kindness. We must be like God and demonstrate our kindness. If I want a better world filled with kindness, then I have to begin with me.

For kindness to really blossom among us we need to listen carefully to one another. Just giving our time and attention to others for their sake is kindness. Kindness is all about the quality of our relationships with one another. We need to love with all our heart. We need to understand. We need to lift people up and we need to not be judgemntal. We need to imitate God’s loving kindness. In the Bible, this is what St. Paul urges us to do (Eph. 4:31-32) get rid of all bitterness and rage. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Forgiveness plays a vital part in being kind. Without which we fall short. God's kindness is meant to bring repentence in our hearts.

On saturday, I had taken the transport heading towards home, accompanied with a friend of mine. Now, I know this friend of mine to be a jovial character. I know, him to have faced recent  situations, in his life. But, the things he said, made me look at him with amazement. When things happen, we question God? He told me of how a lump had developed in his spine. And through surgery, it was removed. Later, the doctor told him that it could have turned to be cancerous. He has had three other surgeries after that. And what amazed me most, is he said he never worries because he knows that God will take care.

My other friend, she is having a tough time too. But these two friends of mine, irrespective of their conditions are remarkable when it comes to their approach with people. They are the kindest people I know. I have never seen them be rude or offensive in their approach to anyone. I am proud that I know them.

There should be no reason in the world that we can give for treating others badly. Amidst all the storms, let Jesus prevail. Let love be the motivating force in your life. 

REMEMBER: Don’t let circumstances, change you for the worst. Let our thoughts  dwell on the kindness of God. Let our hearts be filled with God’s kindness, and our lives be spent in obedience to the will of God. He deserves our best, our all. There is nothing but kindness in His heart towards us, and by and by we shall see that there was kindness in every cross, in every trial, in every disappointment, in every burden laid upon us. He loved us with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness He drew us to Himself; and, blessed be His holy name! He has appointed an eternity for us, in which to love Him, enjoy His favors, and praise Him for His infinite and sovereign kindness to us!

Things we need to say:

Sorry - When you hurt someone, say you’re sorry. Don’t just say the word. Mean it. It heals the broken heart. It builds bridges. Don’t go by the saying ‘Love means never having to say you’re sorry.’ Personally, I feel that if you can’t say sorry to the one you love or your near ones, you don’t love at all. Sorry is the most important word.

Thank-you – This says that you appreciate the person God sent to help you. And no you’re not being formal by using these two words. Thing that we all need to remember is to be kind and appreciate the gesture.

Please – The word that gets people wanting to help you. If you have people working for you, you don’t have to throw commands for the job to get done. A please, with kindness goes a long way.

Friends, I ask you to be the best you can be. Be the best, you in the world. May the Lord, God Almighty guard and guide you. May, His loving kindness follow you all your life. Amen.

Perfect LOVE

There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.  1 John 4:18

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

Think of this, Jesus could sleep through the fury of the storm on that sea because He was so filled with love that He was fearless. It was His love that calmed the storm. His love is the power of God that saves, heals, and brings wholeness and peace.

Love’s opposite is fear. When we accept God’s acceptance of us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we receive the gift of faith. By faith through grace, Christ sets us free from the powers of sin and death. Fear is an emotion that arises from a need to keep us protected from the unknown.  Following is a short story. The author's name is unknown to me. If you do come across, kindly let me know. So I could acknowledge the same. 

Several generations ago, during one of the most turbulent of the desert wars in the Middle East, a spy was captured and sentenced to death by a general of the Persian army. The general, a man of intelligence and compassion, had adopted a strange and unusual custom in such cases. He permitted the condemned person to make a choice. The prisoner could either face the firing squad or pass through the Black Door.

As the moment of the execution drew near, the general ordered the spy to be brought before him for a short, final interview, the primary purpose of which was to receive the answer of the doomed man to the query: “What shall it be – the firing squad or the Black Door?” This was not an easy decision and the prisoner hesitated, but soon made it known that he much preferred the firing squad to the unknown horrors that might await him behind the ominous and mysterious door.

Not long after, a volley of shots announced that the grim sentence had been fulfilled. The general, staring at his boots, said to his aide, “You see how it is with men; they will always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet I gave him his choice.”

“What lies behind the Black Door?” asked the aide. “Freedom,” replied the general, “and I’ve known only a few brave enough to take it.”

We often want to know what will happen tomorrow. When David was captured by the Philistines, David did not know what the future held. Fear began to rise from within. But in his fear, he turned to the one constant in his life – GOD. Love the lord your God with all your heart. And have a complete confidence and trust in God.

For God has not given us the Spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 11 Timothy 1:7

God is a God of love. We do not have to have fear or worry or anxiety of any kind. Instead of a Spirit of fear, we have been given a Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. When we have fear, we have a certain kind of thought process that results in that fear.

Fear is overcome when we love God and trust God. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Keep GOD first place. Trust in God always. 

Let Jesus be your still, calm place in the midst of the storm. Let Him be the ground of your being, your life, your reality so that when the world throws its worst your way, you will be able to stand and even thrive. This is MY PRAYER FOR YOU.

When GOD Dreams . . . . . .

I’ve learned that you cannot out dream God. When God places a dream in your heart and brings it to pass, it’s going to be greater than you ever imagined. 
Trust that God has a better future in store for you. Trust that He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. Trust that He who promised is faithful.

The key is you have to remember that you are not here by accident. You have a purpose and destiny to fulfill, and He isn’t finished with you yet. Your best days are not behind you; your best days are out in front of you.

His dream for your future is so much bigger than your own.  Get your hopes up and get excited about your future! Begin to thank Him for what He has in store.

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?  Isaiah 43:19

We serve the Almighty God. His plan for your life is to increase you, open new doors before you, and take you places that you’ve never imagined. He has something big in your future! You may have seen God’s goodness in the past, but you have not touched the surface of what God has in your future! God is about to do a new thing! Get into agreement with God. Enlarge your vision and let God move mightily on your behalf.

Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.  Psalm 2:8

God is pleased when we pray with boldness. He wants us to experience the fullness of His blessing. He wants us to not only have our needs met, but be in a position to reach out and help meet the needs of others, too!

When we ask God for something, a supernatural door is opened. Scripture says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. He wants us to come to Him and believe that He is good and that He has good things in store for us.

May the Lord God of your fathers increase you a thousand times. Deuteronomy 1:11

This is God’s dream for you, to increase you, and pour out His favour upon you. It doesn’t just mean material things. It means a thousand times more of joy, peace, and wisdom.

Friends, our ancestors, prayed and believed. They sowed so many good seeds. They stayed faithful and now the Lord God of your fathers is showing you unusual and extraordinary favour.  Keep your heart and mind open for what God wants to do in your life.

How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!  Psalm 139:17-18

God thinks about you constantly. You are always on His mind. He's not thinking about all that you've done wrong in your life. No, He's thinking about the good things He has in store for your future. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that His thoughts are for our good. His plans are to prosper us and give us a future and a hope.

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Psalm 37:4

At times, you may be tempted to get discouraged, but remember, God knows the desires He’s placed within you. He knows even the hidden dreams: what the scripture calls the secret petitions of your heart. Maybe you thought they would never work out. But God still has a way to bring them to pass.

Be encouraged today because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. God knows what’s in you, and His plan is to finish the work He began in you!

Remember: God loves you. Let that love bring security to your heart and mind. Just take a deep breath right now and breathe in His love and peace. The Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear. When you receive His love, it drives out fear and gives you confidence to embrace the good things He has in store for you.

Prayer: Today, I encourage you to get bold with your prayers. Ask God for big things. Believe that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Put your faith to work because God is faithful. He has big things in store for you and promises to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ask or ever imagine!

I can do all things through Christ. Philippians 4:13