Are you Feeling Forgotten by God?

Are you going through difficult circumstances? Where you feel with each breath that God appears to far away from you, where you prayed, but God was seem silent. Where you emotions were getting the best for you and Instead of God’s kindness and love, loneliness and abandonment seemed to take over. In your head you know that is isn’t true, but that’s how you feel. If that is where you are at this moment, know that I am pray that this ministers to your heart.

“Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?” Psalm 77:7-9

As we read these passages it seems the Psalmist was at the end of his rope, pleading for God’s deliverance from hardship. He expressed his feelings, and asked why God had rejected him. Did God even care? He felt rejected, alone and afraid. Maybe God seems to be a so far away from you and  you’re wondering “why?” and questioning, like the Psalmist, if God has forgotten you.

We all experience these feelings at times,  and there are countless reasons to feel rejected in this broken world – but feeling forgotten by God really hurts. When we have these feelings of being forgotten by God we have two choices. Either turn away from God in anger and frustration. Or we can allow God’s truth like these passages to motivate us to recognize God’s sovereignty … and continue to trust and praise Him even in the midst of our difficulties.

If you feel rejected, it’s time to turn your focus upward instead of inward. Rather than rehearsing all the ways God hasn’t changed your current circumstances, let’s praise Him for the many times He has shown His faithfulness in the past. You can have a little praise pep talk of your own! God is waiting with open ears and outstretched arms, for you are too loved to ever be forgotten.

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Our Hope is in God!

I believe that we all go through certain times when we begin to feel a bit hopeless.  Perhaps certain negative circumstances are happening and you just can’t seem to see how things will ever work out. Or perhaps you’ve suffered loss of a loved one, a job, a friendship, or finances. Or maybe your life is in a rut and you feel like you are spinning your wheels and things will never change for the better.  Or maybe you are struggling with pain or an illness.

At times like these, feelings of hopelessness try to set in. When we are feeling hopeless, we see our circumstances and surroundings through a filtered lens that can cause us to continue to spiral downwards in our emotions and our attitudes. In this devotional scripture, God says that He has a plan for you, a plan that will prosper you and not to harm you, a plan that will give you hope and a future.(Jeremiah 29:11).

While the economy may be saying one thing to us, God is saying another. While your circumstances may cry out hopelessness, God is saying that He has a plan to prosper and not to harm you. While we don’t know what the future does hold, we know who holds the future. We can trust in the goodness of God to care for us in the midst of situations that seem hopeless. That does not necessarily mean that life will always turn out the way we expected, but it does mean that we can always trust in our Father to love us and watch over us. If we commit our lives into His care, we are guaranteed from an everlasting perspective, that we will have an incredible future filled with hope awaiting us, that will last forever.

If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, there can seem to be no hope. Without the assurance that you are loved by your Heavenly Father and that He is there with you in the middle of the storms of life, it is hard to grasp how things can ever change for the better. If you know God, you can experience peace and joy by turning over your hopeless feelings and thoughts to Him and by claiming the promises that are in the Scripture.

The next time you face a hopeless circumstances, I encourage you not to falter or become disheartened, but to pray for God’s wisdom and guidance. Ask yourself, “How will my faith, or lack of it, affect others?” And unless you get clear guidance from the Lord to “throw in the towel”–trust Him to work miracles, as you reach out for Him in hope!

God Knows Your Path!

Good Morning everyone I was led to this message about how God Knows Your Path. David was in distress but he understood that God saw him every step of the way. It did not matter how difficult things became – God was with him. David had a heart after God’s own heart. Because David sought the Lord, he understood that when things became difficult, God would always show him the way that he should go. It does not matter what is going on around you, you need to turn your attention back to God. Set your mind upon things above so that HE can make your paths straight. Put on the mind of Christ and add virtue to your life so that your life might be pleasing to God. Do not get mad at the trials that you face, instead, focus your attention upon God and watch as HE shows HIMSELF strong in your life.

“When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me.” Psalm 142:3

When the storms of life arise in your life, you have two options. Either you look to God and cry out to HIM for your help, or you can attempt to rely upon your own strength and mourn over your difficult times. God allows trials in your life to cause you to put your focus upon HIM. If you have sinned, God may have allowed you to face this trial so that you will repent and return to HIS perfect plan.

Not all trials are a result of some sin in your life. God allowed Job to face great trials in his life. These trials were used to prove to Satan that Job served God not because of the blessings that he had received, but because he feared God and desired to serve HIM. It was not because of some sin in Joseph’s life that he faced the trials of being a slave and a prisoner. It was not because of some sin in David’s life that he faced the trials of being almost killed by Saul.

When you face the storms of life, you must remember that God is your guide and help in time of trouble. Turn to God and examine your life. If you have sinned, ask God to forgive you and seek HIS mercy. After examining your life and ensuring that your life is right before God, if you are still facing trials, learn to thank God that HE has counted you worthy to face the trial that will bring you to a closer relationship with HIM. Learn to love the Lord with all your heart. Learn to put all your trust in HIM.

God knows the path HE has for you. Are you spending enough time seeking HIS will every day so that HE might show you that path? Too often we rely upon our own strength and do that which seems logical to us. When storms come, do not abandon the ship, instead, focus your attention upon the Captain of your salvation and see what HE would have you to do. God may be leading you in a new direction, or HE might just be doing something to demonstrate to the world HIS power and strength. Do not get mad at the trials that you face, instead, focus your attention upon God and watch as HE shows HIMSELF strong in your life.

A Closer Walk with God

Trusting in God’s Faithfulness

Is there something God has told you to do that seems just too difficult? You can be sure that if He has called you to carry out His will, He’s going to be faithful to accomplish it through His Spirit living and working in you. So if you tell Him, “I can’t do that, Lord—what if I fail?” you’re really saying, “God doesn’t keep His word.” And yet, our total expectation should be in Him—not in our own energy, ability, or experience. Have a wonderful in God presence remembering that He who calls you is faithful.

“God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:2

When you doubt God’s trustworthiness, that unbelief becomes a gap in your spiritual armor, and you can be sure that’s exactly where Satan will attack you. You’ll begin to doubt even more about God’s character, such as His goodness—and that distrust will become a heavy load of baggage you’ll needlessly drag through every area of your life. You might feel that you do not have enough faith to obey, but the Lord isn’t asking you to have faith in favorable circumstances. He’s asking you to trust that He is who He says He is.

Do you believe that God is a liar? It’s really that simple: either He is truthful or He’s not. But if you believe that faithfulness is His character, then you can do anything He requires. You’ll be strengthened by your dependence on Him—whether a deluge or trials or a flood of blessing comes.

It’s actually when life gets rough and rugged that the sweetness of God’s faithfulness makes itself real in your heart. As you walk through those storms in complete reliance on His strength, your trust in His character becomes part of who you are and strengthens from within.

Prayer – important for growing in God

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There is no Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

There are many believers that can’t seem to forgive themselves for their past. Grace just doesn’t make sense to them. They don’t deserve to be forgiven. And these people are right…grace doesn’t make earthly sense. We surely don’t deserve it. They keep reliving their past and believing Satan’s lie, and then grace shows up with an outstretched hand. “I don’t deserve it,” they cry. And they’re right. Grace, by its very definition, is unmerited favor from God or a gift we don’t deserve. But until you accept God’s grace and forgiveness, Satan will hold you in the vise grip of guilt, and we will miss moments of sudden glory. Have a wonderful as you remain in God’s presence remember that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…. Romans 8:1

No matter what you have done, God has made a way for you to be set free—a very costly toll has been paid for the road to your restoration. Jesus gave His life that you might have not only eternal life after physical death, but life filled with moments of sudden glory beginning at your spiritual birth.

In no way do I want to diminish the seriousness of sin. Neither do I want to lessen the truth of grace. Refusal of the Christian to repent and to continue a lifestyle of sin spits in the face of what Christ did on the cross. Unconfessed sin draws the shade on God’s glory. Confession with repentance raises the curtain once again for God’s glory to shine through.

When we say, “I don’t feel forgiven,” that is like saying that what Jesus did on the cross is not enough. Why should we require more from ourselves than our Creator requires of us? “If you are feeling condemnation for past sins that you have already asked God to forgive, that condemnation is not coming from God. Once you have repented and asked God to forgive you, it is finished, over and done with, wiped away. If feelings of condemnation persist, they are a result of listening to the accusations of the enemy as he tries to keep you from union and communion with God.

Satan knows that the slightest whisper of guilt is easily received by a fragile heart plundered by life. Do not let him convince you to remain in hiding. If you have been crouching in Eden’s bushes of shame, listen closely. That sound you hear is God walking your way. Whispering your name. Do you hear it? Singing love songs of grace. Inviting you to stroll with Him in the garden of your heart where He has taken up permanent residence.

How to deal with the Pain and Darkness in Life?

We are living in difficult and dark times for so many people. If you are one of them, I want you to realize that you are not alone. Maybe God wants to use you to encourage someone else battling the darkness. Hard times will come and the darkness will find each one of us. At some point in life, we all will face some kind of pit. It may be a pit that we have dug with our own hands of wrong choices or it could be a pit that has been uniquely designed for us by the enemy. 

“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” ~ Psalm 40:1-3

What can we do to find hope in the midst of the darkness? We have several choices about how to deal with the pain and darkness in life. We can become bitter and blame God for the pain or we can give up and wallow in the mire and mud of that slimy pit. Some of you maybe guilty of plastering a smile on your face, gritting your teeth and denying that the pit even exists. However, the choice we should make is to trust God, knowing He will deliver us in and from the pit.

God’s grace turns defeat into victory, tragedy into triumph and weakness into strength by providing real power over circumstances. People without Christ can only muster up enough courage and human strength to get through a trial. God will not only enable us to survive the hard times, He wants us to thrive in and because of them. Paul used his pain and chose to make that pit work for him – and God’s power was unleashed in Paul’s life.

Joy is not an earthly treasure but a heavenly gift from our loving Father who is committed to the joy of His children. Some of the most joyful people I know have suffered the most because they have learned not to live on explanations but on promises – the promises of God.

Jesus wants to give us a life of joy, pits and all. We need to remember that joy is the deeply-rooted confidence that God is in control and that our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outer circumstances. We can find joy in the pit.

The Power of Faith!

In the scripture for today’s word, Jesus teaches us how to release our faith so that it can work on our behalf to bring about the things that we need. Jesus told the disciples that if they had faith, they could say what they wanted to see come to pass, and then they would have it. This means that we are to speak those things that we have the faith for; and then we should expect to receive what we have spoken. Our mouths have the ability to create… this is especially true when we confess with our mouth based on what we believe in our heart.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” ~ Matthew 17:19-20

It’s amazing to me how faith can be so tiny, and yet be so powerful that if it is used effectively can move something as massive as a mountain. Nevertheless, that is exactly what Jesus said, and He didn’t exaggerate. This tells us that faith is powerful. Therefore, when we declare those things that we need to happen in our lives, we must stand in faith.

Furthermore, when we choose to respond to a negative report or a bad situation in faith, we are empowered to move forward to victory over the enemy that has attacked us. In other words, faith will help us walk “out of” problems that might otherwise try to hold us captive. Instead of accepting an evil report as the final word for this season of our lives, we must choose to stand on God’s Word in faith and trust in God’s plan to bring us through victoriously.

If you’ve hit a seemingly impossible situation, and everything in your soul is telling you that it won’t pass, then make a conscious decision to standby faith. Many Christians are living in bondage to past situations simply because they don’t know how to “choose to respond” by faith and walkout of the pit of hopelessness. If you see yourself as more than a conqueror through Christ, you will be more than a conqueror. Faith works, but you have to work it!

Trusting God alone to get you safely across!

I hope and pray it touches your heart in such a powerful way that you keep telling yourself that, You are children of the Promise and NOTHING and I mean NOTHING can change that or destroy the purpose God has for our lives. Jesus said to his Apostle Thomas in John 20:27, “Stop doubting and believe.” That is His command to us today. Your problems can’t destroy you unless you let them. God still knows how to part the waters, move the mountains and hold back the sun to help you in the battle you are facing. To give up is to give in to the lie of a defeated enemy. That army of the living God has surrounded the camp and is taking back what was stolen from you! You are a force to be reckoned with because Christ is your leader. Never forget that your life was redeemed by the righteous blood of Jesus and he is not ever going to let you lose this fight!

I want to bring  a message of truth for those struggling in this lost and perishing world. If you belong to Jesus Christ, you must stop acting as the world does every time a crisis happens in your life. Don’t let a little shaking of the ground or the darkness of the storm around you cause you to take your eyes off the One who ransomed your life for all eternity! It is nothing less than blasphemy against your God to let the enemy see you giving more credence to his lies than to the truth of Jesus Christ! How many rivers and seas does God have to part before we will believe that He has all the power we ever need to fight our battles?

It takes true faith to trust that God is actually going to work your struggles out for your good. God never fails and He is faithful but the silence can be tormenting as you wait on His promises to be  fulfilled. The enemy will taunt you to make you doubt God’s faithfulness, but the truth is that he is a defeated foe whose only weapon is his lies. The purpose and plan of God for your life have been settled long before you were created. Every single detail was known by God and he provided a way through every one of them. All it takes is for us to keep our eyes on Him and trust Him, but so often we forget what He has done for us in the past.

The fact is that God will always take you to the edge of the water so that His power will be revealed as He makes a way to cross when there is none. You need to get to the end of your own strength before you can understand the immeasurable power that God has. Weary believers need to wake up and realize that God ‘s plan for your life cannot be hindered by your impossible situation. There is never a time when He leaves you to work things out on your own. It is for his good purpose that He allows the storms in your life. He is working out a perfect plan for you that has eternal rewards. You usually won’t understand the reason for all that happens to you but your faith should still not waver. Jesus is truth and He has said he will not forsake you!