Disappointment

The next time you are disappointed about something, do not panic or act rashly to remedy your situation. And be mindful to not give up or become discouraged by your happenings. Simply, be patient and let God remind you that He is God and He is still in control of your situation. Often, disappointment is caused by unmet expectations. And God desires that we totally trust Him.  He will work all things together for our good and He knows our future.

Remember Scripture spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "My thoughts are not like your thoughts; your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. So you will go out in joy and be led with peace."

Most of the time, we truly do not understand or see the big picture of what God is doing in our lives. You must trust God that your steps are ordered by Him and He has your life in His control. Let God and let God do a mighty work in your life.

Our Rock

At times when our walk seems unstable and insecure, or when times arise that we are uncertain of tomorrow - we can be certain (without a doubt) that God divinely and Sovereignly guides, provides, and protects the steps we take in life. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.”  Therefore, even when we feel our vision is blurred and our decision-making is completely unclear -  God is our Rock and sure Foundation. 

A builder understands how important it is to have a secure foundation. Precious time is given to ensure that the house being built is built on a foundation that is stable and firm. And Jesus Christ became our sure foundation at the very moment we surrendered to Him and accepted Him as Lord.

Daily, believers surrender their day to God in humble adoration. They pray to the Heavenly Father and surrender thanksgiving, confession, and requests for answers and blessings.  And daily they walk along making decisions that govern their future. But they are confidently able to walk in the wisdom of God because they have committed all things to His Trust. In Isaiah 28:16, the prophet Isaiah declares, "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion...a sure foundation."  

So no matter how life seems around you right now - whether with earthquakes, tornados and hailstones of life - for the simple reason that you have made Christ the Lord of all. The foundation of your life will remain constant, steadfast and sure in Christ.  Simply for the reason God never stops being dependable and unchanging. If we hold onto the Hand of God as we walk through daily life - He will remain our constant, sure foundation, stable, unshakable and firm. Our rock.

Courage

When you face a battle, you must be strong and courageous.  Sometimes the battles we face are physical and sometimes they are spiritual. At times, we even face emotional battles or financial battles.  But whatever battle you face, you must place your trust completely in Christ.

In 2 Chronicles 32, Hezekiah sensed the fear of the people and encouraged them to, "Be strong and courageous!" We find, they were facing a vast army, and it seemed overwhelming to them, but this great leader reminded them who was fighting their battle. 

God is great and mighty. He goes before us and fights our battles. We must press on and be determined to have courage in the midst of fear. We must realize that we always win when God is on our side. He wipes out our enemies, He strengthens our inner being and He tackles the army of our adversary before they ever get to us. We can depend on Him. So be strong.

No Weapon

Did you realize that righteousness deletes oppression? The prophet Isaiah declares the Scripture, "In righteousness you will be established; you will be FAR from oppression; for you will not fear: and from terror; for it will not come near you." Many today suffer from oppression and it is only a device of the enemy to keep you downtrodden and your spirit hanging low. 

You have an adversary that desires to keep you in a state of mind that is controlled by the old sin nature and frustrated in fear and worry. I encourage you to stay constant in the Word and let the righteousness of God pick you up.

This oppression sets in when we forget that God is in control of our circumstances, not us. We cannot possibly control our life.  We would like to change our situations and manipulate the behavior of others to our benefit.  But it does not work like that. Often, our situation is just too big for us to handle or resolve alone. We do not have the answers. But no problem is too big or too difficult for God. He is Sovereign and Almighty.  And He desires that you and I allow Him to be in charge of our circumstances.

The prophet continues in Isaiah 54, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper..." God has "got your back!" (past tense - it's a done deal). We only need to learn to trust Him and ask Him daily to help us to overcome oppression and live in constant victory both in mind and spirit. So start now and fill up on the Word which possesses the life to change your world.

Fear Not

Fear is a terrible thing and can work against the state of your mind. It can cause you to be indecisive and procrastinate important decisions. Fear will rob you of peace and cause you to be negative, complacent, and discontent. Fear will create a lack of trust in the very people in your world who are the most trustworthy of all.

Your adversary will use fear against you to prevent you from moving forward and accepting risks.  When God gives you opportunities and roadways of blessing, your adversary will speak lies to you and attempt to thwart God's plan by stirring doubt. Then that doubt will make you afraid to move forward.  Do not listen to the whispers of the enemy of your soul.

God has spoken a promise over you in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."  Stand on the promises of God and have no fear. God upholds you and orders your steps.

Best Friends

I love to sit for a moment on our deck in the morning with something warm to drink and just breathe fresh air. The birds are singing and the breeze is sweet blowing across your face. And there is nothing quite like a morning that begins with hot tea or a fresh cup of coffee and a conversation with God. He desires to be your best friend.

Although Scripture does not actually speak about starting your day by drinking something warm, the Word has a lot of wisdom to impart concerning our conversations with God.  The most important factor of all is that we definitely make time in the busyness of our day to have a conversation with God. Whether you drink a glass of water or a cup of hot tea, that is not what's truly important. Slow down and talk with God.

God genuinely desires that we sit down and talk with Him. He also yearns to know the petitions of our heart.  1 John 5:14-15 declares, "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us: And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."

Talk to God and share your heart. Listen for God to speak back to you and be still and quiet. He is your dearest friend and understands every passion, pain and care of your heart.  He loves you unconditionally and desires to give you His best gifts. Confide in Him. Trust Him. And allow God to lift your heavy burdens and be your best friend.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known unto God.  And the peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) God can give you complete peace in every situation. He sends the calm and gives peace for every storm.

Anxiety

Often, we worry about things in which we have no control. We ask ourselves, How will this situation turn out? Will God come through for me?  And sometimes we develop anxiety waiting for God to answer.  Anxiety and doubt are really a form of fear.  And our enemy loves it when we doubt God and fear what will happen.  He uses it as a tool to keep us cowered down and suppressed from fulfilling God's plan for our lives.

When we live with fear and anxiety we cannot actually enjoy our life to its fullest. Our mind wanders with worry and we cannot walk in the peace of God.  In Psalm 34:4 we are given a promise that we must stand on.  "I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."

Do not allow your enemy to prevent you from moving forward by causing you anxiety and fear. Lean on the Lord and place your trust in His promises. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

Stay in the Word and let the Word transform and renew your worried mind. Build your trust in the Lord by abiding in the Word. Then, you will be reminded daily that whatever you ask of God, He is already at work to perform.

Your Emotions

We are emotional beings. However, we should not allow negative and destructive feelings to rule our lives. We must walk in the Spirit and let the Word be our guide. We can take authority over our emotions and negative feelings and submit them to God.  This allows us to choose to stand on the Word of God and His promises. Life is full of hazards and roadblocks, but God provides protection and faithfulness.

Psalm 102:28 declares the Word of the Lord, "The children of Your servants shall dwell safely and continue, and their descendants shall be established before you." This is a promise that should give us security and peace. But for many, our emotions are too fully connected to our happenings. If the happenings of our circumstances are negative and frustrating, then our emotions go up and down accordingly.  However, we must strive to be stable and steadfast. And we must learn to trust in God at all times - good and bad and not be moved by our circumstances.

Life's happenings come and go in an ebb and flow. Do not be tossed to and fro in the winds of life. Be rooted in your faith in God, so He is free to work all things to our good.

Embracing Hope

God's plan is daily unfolding in each of our lives. We serve a good, good Father and He has a good plan for you. It really doesn't matter what may be transpiring in your life right now, you must trust that God has everything in control. Every situation we face works to develop, change and shape our character and build our faith. Each experience God pushes us to be confident in hope and place our trust in Him. You must remind yourself in the hard times that God only has His very best planned for you.

Sometimes, you may be at a place that you feel you've been asking God God to move in your behalf. Maybe you've been waiting for His promises and you have grown weary in the waiting. Romans 12:12 declares, "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." I encourage you today to hang on to hope that God will move in your circumstances, in your family, in your finances. 

God knows where you are. He understands your feelings and your frustrations.  We must stand in confident hope as we continue to lay our burdens at the feet of Christ. He is the answer and we can trust Him. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

Positive Believer

I want to be a positive believer. You ask: it this really 'a thing'? Yes it is. It is very serious that many believers today that attend churches across the continents are living negative minded. However, I must point out that positive minds produce positive lives. Negative minds on the other hand, produce negative lives. 

There was a Roman solider in the New Testament whose servant was very sick. This soldier asked Jesus to heal him. It was very common for individuals to ask Jesus to pray for the sick and bring healing.  However, in this instance the Roman soldier confirmed his strong belief in Jesus that if He would just speak the word, his servant would be healed. In Matthew 8:8, the Word confirms what the soldier said, "The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed."

Jesus marveled at the soldier's faith and sent out His word to heal the servant. The soldier’s positive mindset coupled with his faith—brought positive results. He expected healing, and anticipated Jesus would do what He said. And that’s exactly what happened. 

Too often, believers cry out to Jesus to heal us, to change our circumstances, and deliver us from chaos, but we don’t fully expect the good things to happen. Instead we fail to trust and believe and we allow our minds to focus on the negative aspects. Did you know that doubt and unbelief war against our minds and steal our faith? We must not allow our minds to turn negative.

God’s Word is positive and uplifting. It is my responsibility to become the kind of believer who honors God with positive thoughts, a heart of faith and puts 'life' into daily action.