Take the Path of Life

“Show me the path of life…” Psalm 16:11

God knows exactly what is going on in your world.  He has provided everything you need to live during these times; and actually He has provided a way for you to live in peace even during times of trouble.

Find the path of life, the peace of God.  Once you find the path of life, stay there, don’t let your heart be troubled.  Stop allowing yourself stray off the path, lost and fearful.

You have a choice; you simple stay on the path. You have a choice daily; so don’t allow your circumstances to be in charge. You have been given the choice and you can choose peace over fear, anxiety, and stress. You can choose faith over fear; it is that simple. When you choose faith over fear you just choose life instead of death. When you choose peace over anxiety and stress you have again chosen life. The enemy wants to convince you that everything is hopeless, but the God of all peace wants you to know that you have a choice, He says in Deut. 30:15-16, (paraphrased) “Choose life and you shall live.”

It is a choice of life over death, it is that important of a choice. Think about your last doctor’s visit. If you have a heart condition he made it very clear how harmful certain things like too much sugar and salt are to your health. It is hard to keep yourself from eating these things, but, for your health’s sake you can do it. Everyday that you overcome the temptation not to eat those things that are harming your body you feel a difference. You feel stronger and have more energy.

Did you know that worry and fear are more harmful to our body than too much sugar and salt? That is why Jesus said, “Stop allowing yourself to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated, cowardly and unsettled.” I repeat, just stop allowing it; you do have a choice, choose the path of life and walk on it. Choose the peace of Jesus daily and you shall live.

Are you Stressed, Tired, and Burnt-out?

“Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land…”   Psalm 63:1

Life can be very difficult at times.   The stresses that we face each day can often be overwhelming and leave us exhausted and frustrated.  There is a deep well within us that must be filled up daily. When this well has not been filled, you will find yourself dry and thirsty.

Jesus said, “If any man thirst let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus is the fountain where we go to drink; He  is a fountain that will never run dry. When we spend time with Him praying and reading His Word, we are drinking from the “living water”. The Word brings life and refreshing to our spirit just as a drink of natural water refreshes us when we are dry and thirsty.

Are you stressed, tired, and burned out from the pressures of life? IF so, I would like to encourage you to get up early in the morning, and spend some extra time drinking from the Word of God. Drink until you are filled up with a renewed strength. As you spend time in the Word, you will also experience a renewed hope that everything is going to  be all right.

What is my purpose in life?

“I will cry to God Most High …who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them.”   Psalm 57:2  (AMP)

 

Do you desire to know what your purpose is in life?   Are you lacking fulfillment and joy in what you do each day?  Does it feel like you are just spinning you wheels and never gaining ground?

Finding those things which gives our life purpose and meaning is important.  God has given each of us our own unique blend of talents and skills that will enable us to fulfill our purpose in life.  We are beautifully created and are special in every way.

So, how do you find your purpose?  How do you seek God’s purpose for your life?  You may be wondering, “why am I here and what am I supposed to do with my life?”  So many times we run here and there pursuing this idea or that idea trying to discover God’s purpose for our life.

We read in Psalm 57:2 that God has established His purposes for each of us and He will bring them to pass.  All we do is continue pursuing Him.  We must stop imagining castles in the sky and pursuing our own foolish lofty plans, and big ideas, so our soul can find rest and peace in the Lord.  Our main purpose is to pursue God, to love Him, to worship Him and enjoy fellowship with Him. Then our purpose will be revealed out of an overflow of our relationship with Him.

He created you with a unique design and purpose, and he will reveal that purpose in you as you seek Him.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I am very weary, I have tried so many things in search of my purpose.  Lord, I ask You to forgive me for imagining castles in the sky and pursuing my own lofty ideas.  Lord, help me to cease from my own plans and ideas and simply pursue a relationship with You.  Lord, I ask You to reveal Your purpose for my life and give me Your peace.                                                                                                                                                          

In Jesus’ Name,  

Amen  

You Are Chosen and Have Purpose

“He hath chosen us in Him…” Eph 1:4

Have you ever thought about what it really means to be chosen by God?  Do you remember an event or a series of events when it became clear that you were chosen?  Did you feel God’s sovereign hand protecting and guiding you?

You have been chosen to be God’s child so you can be His representative on the earth. Paul said in Ephesians 1:5, that He planned for us to be adopted and revealed as His own children. This is our identity and purpose in one verse.

Once you discover your identity and God’s specific purpose for your life, you will no longer get all tangled up in the world around you.  He has chosen you to carry His peaceful plan into a world of chaos and confusion.  Represent Him, speak what He says, and carry His peace into every situation.

The world can not produce peace.  Your presence should bring peace and order into the world around you.  You walk in a very special purpose and calling.  Let that calling shine to others around you.

“Grace be to you, and peace, from our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Eph1:3.

Do You Know God’s Will For Your Life?

Learning to Trust AgainHave you ever questioned what God’s will for your life is?  God’s Kingdom is distinct and a different way of life. Phil 2:13 says, “It is God in you that works to will and to act according to His excellent pleasure”.

I have actually discovered that I can pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done”, and afterwards resist the work of Christ in me. “Col 1: 27 says, To whom God would make understood exactly what is the riches of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. I had to find out the difference between my will and His. My will includes doing whatever I wish to do, as much as I wish to do it. If I live according to my will, then I will consume all the food I want, invest all the cash I want, then whine since I am overweight and broke. When I abide and submit by His will, then I have criteria and borders. When I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge, I am doing exactly what He desires me to do.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s plan and will for your life. It is Christ working inside of you, changing your will to do the Fathers will. Take time to read His Word and you will quickly see who you are.

JOSEPH REPORT:  INSIGHTS ON PREPAREDNESS

You are His kid and a beneficiary. You are to live as a successor, a joint successor with Christ. It will alter your plan for the day when you get a look that you are here on planet earth as a beneficiary to develop and keep your Fathers kingdom.

Pray this easy prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in paradise.” Journal as you ask Him to reveal you His will. What does it appear like?

Have you ever questioned exactly what God’s will for your life is? God’s Kingdom is distinct and a different method of life. I am doing exactly what He desires me to do when I surrender my life to Christ and ask Him to be in charge.

Your life will not be complicated if you surrender to God’s strategy and will for your life.

God Prepares You for Your Blessing

“For You make him to be blessed and a blessing for life …” Psalm 21:6

rest in HimDavid said in Psalms 21:6, that God in fact makes you to be blessed. He makes you or simply puts, He prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. Think about it, today He is preparing you for His true blessings!

You resemble a storehouse that He should prepare to pour His true blessings into.   If you are a little 4 room residence He may require you to expand to get a blessing.  You cannot have the “us 4 and no even more” mindset and anticipate God to bless you beyond where you currently are. It could be that where you are right now in your thinking is not huge enough to hold all the blessings God has actually planned for you.

They had to comply with God in order to be prepared for the true blessings. Their storehouse had to be prepared so they would appropriately manage true blessings as God released them.

We are always blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a true blessing to God’s individuals. If you are blessed by God, as Joseph was blessed, it indicates you need to find out the best ways to regulate the true blessing and launch it to God’s individuals at the selected time. True blessings from God suggest He has actually left you with something, and all He asks of you is to be a great steward and correctly keep the blessing.

When God abundantly blesses someone, they are not to be storehouses that accumulate the blessings and state, “take a look at me.” He blesses us so He can use us to pour out true blessings out and share with others. This is completion of the verse from Psalm 21:6, You make him exceedingly delighted with the joy of Your Presence. As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. “Give and it should be offered to you.” Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually entrusted you with.

God prepares you ‘to get’ His blessings so that you can be a blessing to others. We are constantly blessed by God so we can keep the true blessings flowing and be a blessing to God’s individuals. Blessings from God suggest He has entrusted you with something, and all He asks of you is to be an excellent steward and properly keep and share the blessing.

As we bless others the flow of God’s true blessing continues to stream to us and this is how we become a blessing forever. Be a blessing to others with the true blessings God has actually delegated you with.

Pray this prayer…
Dear Lord, It is really my heart’s desire to be a true blessing to others. Help me to prepare myself ahead of time to receive Your blessings. I desire my life to be a storehouse that You fill out so I have plenty to offer to others who require. Show me today what I have to do to prepare myself for Your blessings.

In Jesus’ Name,.

Embracing Spiritual Maturity

“Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4  (NIV)

spiritual maturityFulfilling the call of God on your life will require spiritual maturity.  The Bible offers us many wonderful examples where God led His child through situations to teach them, and bring them to a more spiritual mature place.  It was necessary in order to prepare them for the work they had before them.

Let’s look at Solomon and what he had to go through to prepare to build the house of the Lord.

King David wanted to build the House of the Lord, but God told him that Solomon would be the one who would build the House. Even though David was probably disappointed, he began helping Solomon prepare himself for the task. In 1 Chronicles 29:1 David said, “Solomon is yet young and tinder” (inexperienced), in other words he had not matured yet.  King David knew Solomon was inexperience and would need to mature in order to accomplish the call on his life.

We live in a world of immaturity. We live in a time when the adults have more toys than the children and most people don’t want to grow up. The first step to spiritual maturity comes as the worldly desires are put aside and the work of the kingdom becomes a priority.

Another step to maturity is learning patience. We learn patience as we go through difficult situations that give experience. According to Romans 5:3-4, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:”

It takes tribulation to work patience in us. Tribulation develops patience and patience produces experience.  We gain patience as we face times of tribulation. This strengthens our faith. So we are to embrace tribulation as a time to grow and mature.

Experience comes as we learn to go through difficult times. Many people will view hard times or times of tribulation as an attack of the enemy instead of learning from the difficulty.  You will actually know if you are maturing by how you handle a difficult time. The experience in times of tribulation gives wisdom and wisdom brings maturity.

God Knows You

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou comest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

Isn’t it astounding to realize as you read this Scripture that the same God that knew Jeremiah and created the earth, also formed you?   He shaped and molded you in your mother’s womb and as He was forming you, He planned for you.

Your birth was not an accident or a mistake because God uses all things for His glory.  If we could only grasp the awesomeness of our Father in heaven and realize that He has a special plan and a purpose for our lives.   We just need to draw close to Him and embrace His plan for our lives.  As He formed you He spoke your destiny into existence.

He said to Jeremiah, “I ordained thee a prophet to the nations,” the word ordained means to decree, intend and establish.  Once God spoke, “Let there be light,” there was light.  He decreed light and the light is still present today.  His Word established and sustains His plan and His purpose. Ask him what He decreed as He was forming you?

What He has decreed, He will sustain, carry on and complete.

Why Walk in The Valley?

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me ”  Psalm  23:4

Life in the ValleyDuring difficult times, I have often asked the Lord “Why do I have to walk in this valley“?  There have been times in my life that I have struggled with the weight of some difficult situations, and felt weakened by the load.

During those times, the Lord always reminded me of His presence.

Right now, life is difficult for a lot of people.  There is a lot of fear and turmoil around us, and people are hurting.  It’s comforting to know we have a Loving God who is with us during these difficult times.

I’m reminded of what a close friend used to share with me when I was struggling … If you didn’t have a valley, there wouldn’t be a mountain.

Right now, I live on the top of a small mountain.   I love looking at the mountains that surround us, and am always reminded of God’s Glory.

A couple of times I have climbed the mountain that is behind my home.   It’s tough climbing that mountain, but when you get to the top the view is absolutely amazing.  It certainly makes the climb worthwhile.

It would be hard for me to climb that mountain every day – and really, I don’t know that God would want that anyway.  I mean, wouldn’t that somewhat take-away the special moment if I traveled it more frequently?  I’m afraid I would probably take it for granted if I sat on the mountain too often.

I think we’re probably supposed to spend a little more time in the valley – so we always appreciate the beautiful view from atop the mountain.  From my experiences, the valley has helped prepare me for the mountain.  In the valley is where life is grown.

One of my neighbors is a wonderful farmer.  He actually owns the beautiful mountain across from us.  At the foot of the mountain is a beautiful stream that helps to irrigate his large garden.  He owns a farm where he grows corn and other crops, and raises livestock.  It’s the most fertile land I’ve ever seen.

So what am I saying?

While the mountain is incredibly beautiful, we obviously get life from the valley.  And, of course, without the valley there would be no mountain.

When difficulties come, we need to realize it is likely a valley.  Even though it may be tough, it’s important that we experience the fertile ground of the valley.

Also, while we’re in the valley we need to be careful with what we plant because we need a good crop to harvest.  Life is in the valley, so we should sow life.  If we sow discord, we’ll likely reap discord.

Pray that God will grant you wisdom and peace as you grow in the Valley.

A Sure Sign of Maturity

“…When he (Moses) had grown to maturity…” Hebrews 11:24

spiritual maturityThere is a day in all of our lives when we come to a crossroad.  We make a choice that signifies we have come into maturity.

The day that Moses embraced his true identity – who God said he was, is the day he reached full maturity.  Something changed and he would never go back again because after that day, he refused to be called “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”  That was his earthly identity, and even though it had many benefits, he refused to have the enjoyment of the sinful life as “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”

When Moses left the lifestyle of Egypt, he didn’t look back or even flinch.  He held on to the purpose that God had for his life and moved forward.  A sure sign of spiritual maturity is laying aside any pleasures of your earthly life that will hinder you from moving towards God’s calling.  Like Moses, we must set our face towards our own promised land, and move towards it with a steadfast, unmovable, unshakable determination.

I remember when my husband and I left our home, family and friends to go back to school to complete our education and prepare for ministry.  It was so hard to leave family and friends.  I still remember hearing the still small voice of the Lord, “Don’t look back, no, don’t look back at that either.”

This was my daily admonishing from the Lord.   It really took me a long time to grow up and show signs of maturity.   Once I settled into the truth that I was no longer a daughter of my earthly father, but that I had become a daughter of my Heavenly Father, the struggle was soon over and I didn’t look back anymore.  Settle in your heart your true identity; then, God’s purpose for your life will soon be revealed.